Far Above Diamonds

faith, baseball, true love, and a little great literature

Britomart

Britomart
Bio
I teach writing for a living. As I once told a student, "You can find out almost everything you need to know about me if you know that my car is named after both a character from Edmund Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene' and a character from Stephen King." I'm also a baseball fan who's seen more World Series rings in five years than I ever expected in five lifetimes of the Phillies and the Red Sox, a Christian yogi, a failed housekeeper, a mad book collector, and a blogger who's dangerously attached to (over)extended metaphors. Enjoy!

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APRIL 13, 2009 9:50PM

Hard to believe, Harry

Rate: 4 Flag

So said Don Richard "Whitey" Ashburn when turning aside to Harry Kalas in the Phillies' broadcasting booth after something untoward, for good or ill, happened on the field.  Whitey left us in 1997. 

Harry left us today.  The Golden Voice is silent.  Thank God he was in the booth to say "The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of Baseball!" 

And thank God he was in the booth every ordinary day of every ordinary (or less) 85 win season.

 Swing and a long drive!  Watch that baby way, way out of here.  Tremendous home run . . .

It was always that.  It is, indeed, hard to believe he's gone.

Rest in Peace, Harry the K.

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Not being a native of Philly, I enjoyed Harry Kalas's voice overs for NFL films. He also did Chunky soups voice overs too. Distinctive voice, would have enjoyed his play by play I'm sure. Rated.
OEsheepdog
April 13, 2009 09:56 PM
Yeah--the soup is how I explained to my students who died and thus I was all shaken after my dad called to tell me.

Thanks.
Britomart
April 13, 2009 10:00 PM
Harry Kalas even made the Puppy Bowl interesting. There have been many great voices in broadcasting, but very few were delivered by a great person. Kalas was that rare combination.
Joe Cantwell
April 13, 2009 10:51 PM
I'm very sorry for your loss. Although not a huge baseball fan, I totally get the significance. Lighting a virtual candle for you, and Harry.
Owl_Says_Who
April 13, 2009 11:40 PM
Thanks all for the ongoing kind words. If I ever get through the baseball story that is supposed to be the centerpiece of this blog, you'll read about how I shut down and couldn't watch baseball for a year after Whitey passed. I shared baseball with my grandparents, and that was a bit too much foreshadowing. They're both gone now too. If I still lived back in Philly and were listening to/watching local broadcasts on a daily basis, I'm sure this would hit harder.
Britomart
April 13, 2009 11:48 PM
It's still so difficult--and my "Harry things" still sit beside me as I write this. I thank you for this tribute.
Lairderg
April 14, 2009 06:12 PM
Thanks lairderg. Wasn't it just TOO MUCH at once when ESPN threw the Harry and Whitey footage on the screen? That sent me over the edge.
Britomart
April 14, 2009 06:15 PM