Harry the K (1936-2009)

He wasn't the greatest broadcaster ever. An article even appeared in a Philadelphia magazine a few years ago speculating that he was "losing it." But, my goodness, what a voice! Maybe the best I've ever heard, on or off the radio. Some random memories of Harry Kalas --

(1) His call of Mike Schmidt's 500th career home run is my first conscious memory of hearing his voice, on a short-wave radio on the southern tip of Africa.

(2) I was a rookie radio "board op" in upstate NY in 1993. Driving to work one day, I had the station on and heard Larry King interviewing Harry Kalas and other radio voices (I think Jon Miller was among them). Our was, of course, a voice-oriented business, and we had fine-tuned ears to identify stronger and superior vocal talent, trying to develop our own vocal cords to a higher level and maybe land a job that would get us out from behind the board and instead behind a microphone. I had heard Harry before, of course, and knew his voice well. Upon arriving at the station, the operator I was relieving was sitting there in almost reverent silence listening to the conclusion of the interview. "Did you hear that voice?" she asked in a near-whisper, "I've never heard anything like that!"

(3) Beyond all that, however, he'll always be remembered in the Salad Bar for his narration of the commemorative video of the 2001 New England Patriots.