Legendary Phillies announcer Harry Kalas has died.
Baseball fans everywhere knew the voice of Kalas; he was one of the true giants of the game. Throughout baseball history there are a few announcers you can put in his catagory: Vin Scully and Mel Allen come to mind.
From Philly.com:
Harry Kalas, the Phillies' Hall of Fame announcer, died at 1:20 p.m. today, the Phillies announced.
Mr. Kalas collapsed in the press box at Nationals Stadium in Washington at about 12:30 p.m. and was rushed to George Washington University Medial Center.
The cause of the death was not announced. Today's game against the Nationals will be played, but the team will not visit the White House tomorrow.
Kalas, who turned 73 on March 26, has broadcast Phillies games since 1971. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
There's not a whole lot of Sox content in this post, but it was a great night, nonetheless. A good friend (Tom, the Giants fan and band mate) gave me a ticket to see the Ratdog/Phil & Friends with Jackie Greene NYE show last night. We had a good crew together (including 5 of 7 in our band), got in line early, and got some choice (general admission) seats. Dead NYE shows are always marathons, so I made sure I was well rested and well prepped for what turned out to be an epic night.
There were a lot of Sox shirts and hats all over. One of the first (or so I thought) I saw was in Sox blue, but when I saw the front of the shirt, it said Grateful Dead in the same font as Sox unis. 'Good idea for a shirt', I thought
The most noticeable hat of the evening was sitting on the head of a true Dead icon. I don't know if this guy went on tour with the Dead, but at Bay Area (CA) Dead shows before Jerry died, he would don a heavy, full bear suit with flashing lights all over it while carrying a spinning ball also covered with flashing lights and walk all over the venue. These days, he wears just a vest with lights, and as he passed by our section, I noticed he had a Sox hat on! Cool, way cool! (I have see if anyone got a photo of him. Will post if found.)
Jackie Greene came on first at 6 pm and played a great 1 hour set. His Dylan influence is noticeable immediately. Phil & Friends with Jackie Greene came on and played a huge set. Barry Sless also played both sets. The 3rd set of the night was just Phil, Bobby, and John Molo on drums playing a mostly acoustic, but very tasty set. Next up was Ratdog. All bands were firing on all cylinders. The last set started just before midnight and went on past 2 am, featuring almost all of the members of both Bobby and Phil's bands.
Didn't get to sleep last night 'til the morning came around, slept 'til way past noon, and am still feeling quite Dead {grin}
NBC Washington Bureau Chief and moderater of Meet the Press Tim Russert has died after collapsing today. Russert moderated the debate for President of Red Sox Nation last September. The Red Sox released the following statement about his passing.
Statement from Larry Lucchino, President and CEO, Boston Red Sox
On behalf of John Henry, Tom Werner, and the entire Boston Red Sox organization, I express our deep sadness and profound grief at the news of the passing of Tim Russert. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family including his wife, Maureen, and his son, Luke, who always made him so proud. Tim was a passionate fan of baseball, a great friend of the Red Sox, and a dear and beloved personal friend to many of us. He left us far, far too soon, but he leaves a gigantic legacy of professionalism, journalistic excellence, authenticity and friendship that will inspire us and generations to follow us. Red Sox Nation mourns the loss of Tim Russert more than we can express.
