One of the all-time great broadcasters, Harry Kalas.

When I attended elementary school in the mid 80s, the Phillies and the Sixers were the first two sports teams I became interested in. The Sixers won the title in ’83, which was one of my first sports memories and the Phillies were a few years removed from its lone world championship in ’80.

The Phillies, in particular, caught my interest because baseball was the first organized sport I played. Regardless of how poor the teams of the 80s were, two men seemed to stand above the rest in my eyes growing up; legendary third baseman Mike Schmidt and the iconic, late, great Harry Kalas.

Watching Mike Schmidt belt home runs and then subsequently hearing Harry’s thunderous home run calls (“this one is well hit to deep left fiellllllld….this ball is outttttaaaaaa heeeeerrrrrrre….home run, MICHAEL JACK SCHMIDT!!!!!”) always gave me goosebumps.

Today, the same goosebumps he provided during his career including last season’s incredible world title run, have been replaced by sadness.

Hours before he was set to announce the world champion Phillies paying a visit to the Washington Nationals, Kalas collapsed in the broadcast booth and soon after passed away.

To me, Kalas was just as important as any Phillies player in its history. Players were traded, retired or didn’t cut the mustard with the team. Yet, since 1971, day in and day out, Harry was there.

Philadelphia Phillies' fans version of the Four Horsemen: broadcasters Richie Ashburn, Andy Musser, Harry Kalas and Chris Wheeler.

As someone who dabbles in the sports broadcasting field, I can tell you that few things are harder during a game broadcast than calling games for poor teams. Kalas, with a bevy of partners including of Richie Ashburn, excelled even when the teams were terrible.  That talent alone made him a truly special broadcaster.

A franchise that fielded so many bad teams and experienced its fair share of heartache was fortunate and privileged to have one of the greatest announcers in sports history.

Kalas’ contributions to broadcasting went beyond baseball. For numerous years, he served as a narrator for NFL Films and did play by play on radio for games carried by Westwood One.

I’ll never forget in 1993, when Joe Montana was traded to Kansas City and made his trip to Mile High Stadium to take on John Elway’s Denver Broncos. I was upset to no end that we had to watch Dallas play Minnesota. To my surprise, I found Broncos/Chiefs on radio and who provided the call? Harry The K.

There I sat on my bed for three hours listening to the radio, gripped to his every word, as he described Denver’s come from behind 27-21 win. That’s how talented he was though. He went from calling the ultimate heartbreaking loss for the Phillies in Game 6 of the ’93 World Series two months earlier when Joe Carter…well, you know…to calling a great NFL game featuring two eventual Hall of Fame quarterbacks without missing a beat.

Harry was a pro’s pro on the air and someone who was extremely nice and personable. I had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions. When you hear Phillies fans or anyone else for that matter, talk about what a great guy he was, it is not hyperbole.

Kalas’ voice echoed throughout the homes and cars of so many people in the Delaware Valley for nearly four decades. Whether it was the spring, summer, or fall, he was there. Whether you were listening to your walkman while mowing the lawn, running errands or eating dinner, he was there. Suddenly, he is gone. From the Kalas family to the Phillies organization and its fans, this is a day that will not be soon forgotten. For Phillies fans, that feeling of things never being the same again, isn’t one that is likely to go away anytime in the near future.

It’s amazing to think about the roller coaster of emotions for Phillies fans since October 29, 2008. Philadelphia was on top of the world and now, the feeling is far from a world championship one.

Rest in peace Harry and thank you.