Kalas to be inducted into Wall of Fame
Kalas to be inducted into Wall of Fame
Late Phillies broadcaster first non-player to be immortalized
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
Hall of Fame announcer Harry Kalas, who broadcast Phillies baseball for 39 years before his death last month, will be inducted into the team's Wall of Fame on Aug. 7 at Citizens Bank Park.
"When we started the Wall of Fame in 1978, the intent was to honor the great players in our history," Phillies president David Montgomery said on Thursday in a news release. "We believe it is fitting to make an exception because Harry deserves to be remembered along with some of the greatest names in our history. He is indeed a Phillies icon."
During his Phillies career, Kalas broadcast 6,037 games. By comparison, Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt played in a club-record 2,404 games.
And for each of Schmidt's 548 career home runs, Kalas was there to offer up his famous call: "That ball's outta here!"
"Harry is a Wall of Famer by all means," Schmidt said in the release. "I can't wait to see his plaque in August."
Kalas was inducted into the broadcasters' wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, when he received the Ford C. Frick Award, given to a broadcaster who has made "major contributions in baseball."
Wall of Famers who are expected to participate in the ceremonies include Robin Roberts (first inductee, 1978), Jim Bunning ('84), Steve Carlton ('89), Schmidt ('90), Dick Allen ('94), Greg Luzinski ('98), Garry Maddox (2001), Tony Taylor ('02), Bob Boone (2005) and Dallas Green (2006)-- all of which played during a Kalas broadcast.
The Wall of Fame display is part of the Memory Lane section of Ashburn Alley and is sponsored by Toyota. Ceremonies will begin at 7:05 p.m. ET, prior to the Phillies-Marlins game, and will be the start of the annual Phillies Alumni weekend.
It will mark the first time Kalas -- who died at age 73 as a result of a heart attack he suffered at Nationals Park on April 13 -- is not the emcee for the induction ceremonies