Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas dies at 73
Longtime Philadelphia Phillies announcer and Ford C. Frick Award winner Harry Kalas died Monday afternoon after passing out in the press box at Nationals Field in Washington, D.C. He was 73.
Kalas joined the Phillies broadcast team in 1971 after previously working for the Houston Astros. He received the Frick Award, the highest honor for a baseball announcer, in 2002.
Kalas appeared on a dozen baseball cards during his career, most of them in the 2005 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures set made by Upper Deck. His most valuable card is a dual-signature release from the 2004 Greats of the Game set, which he signed along with another Phillies legend, Mike Schmidt. That card is valued at $150.
Here’s a complete checklist of Kalas’ cards:
2005 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black Stitch #KA /1
2005 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Red-Blue Stitch #KA /40
2004 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Black #6 / 100
2004 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Blue #6 / 50
2004 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Red #6 / 25
2005 Sweet Spot Classic Signatures #KA T3
2004 Greats of the Game Announcing Greats #1 H.Kalas/M.Schmidt
2004 Greats of the Game Announcing Greats Autograph Dual #HKMS H.Kalas/M.Schmidt/ 25
1984 Phillies Tastykake #7 Phillies Broadcasters
1988 Phillies Tastykake #39 Phillies Announcers w/Garry Maddox and Richie Ashburn
1990 Phillies Tastykake #35 Phillies Broadcasters w/Chris Wheeler and Andy Musser
Chris Olds has collected sports cards and memorabilia since 1987. Before coming to Beckett Media, he wrote about the hobby for the Orlando Sentinel on his blog, SportsStuff, and for the San Antonio Express-News and The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News. Do you have a comment, question or idea? Send e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.
I grew up listening to him – sad to hear.