“We lost our voice today,” said Phillies president David Montgomery.

Mr. Kalas was found unconscious in the broadcast booth yesterday before the Phillies’ game at Nationals Park in Washington. He was taken to George Washington University hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 1:20 p.m., the Phillies said. The cause of death was not announced.

“Harry Kalas is the Phillies,” said John Kruk, the ex-Phils first baseman and now an ESPN broadcaster.

Phillies and Nationals officials discussed whether to play yesterday’s game but chose to because, Montgomery said, Mr. Kalas would have wanted them to do so. However, the Phillies’ planned visit to the White House today was postponed with no new date set.

The news of Mr. Kalas’ death prompted makeshift memorials around Philadelphia and made headlines on newscasts and Web sites across the country. There was a moment of silence before the Phillies-Nationals game, as well as before the Rockies-Cubs contest at Wrigley Field in Chicago, near Mr. Kalas’ boyhood home.

“The Kalas family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection from all of Harry’s fans and friends cross America,” Mr. Kalas’ family said in a statement. “Especially the Phillies fans whom he loved as much as the game of baseball itself.”

Mr. Kalas, a self-effacing Midwesterner who arrived here in 1971, when the Phillies moved into Veterans Stadium and was their lead announcer when they transitioned to Citizens Bank Park 33 years later, seemingly was born to be a baseball announcer.

That destiny was clear enough to classmates at Naperville (Ill.) High School that someone placed these prophetic words alongside the 1954 yearbook photo of the blond kid with the impish smirk:

“Harry Kalas . . . Future Sports Announcer.”

His fan’s passion for the game, his golden voice, enthusiasm and endearing personality combined to make him not just a widely respected announcer but perhaps this hard-bitten city’s most beloved sports figure.

“He was so well-prepared, had such a great set of pipes and was a real professional,” said veteran Philadelphia broadcaster Bill Campbell, whom Mr. Kalas replaced with the Phillies. “He was just a wonderful broadcaster.”

Despite 38 years in Philadelphia, Mr. Kalas never abandoned the tastes he developed in 1950s Naperville.

He favored garish sport coats, white shoes and belts, and cornball poems and songs. His innate optimism was best expressed by the lyrics of “High Hopes,” the 1950s novelty song that Mr. Kalas would gladly and lovingly croon in bars, press boxes or buses.

Next time you’re found, with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned, so look around:
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant.
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant.
But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes,
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes.

Professionally, Mr. Kalas was, along with Vin Scully of the Dodgers and Ernie Harwell of the Tigers, among the most respected and recognizable voices in recent baseball history. That voice, burnished by a half-century’s cigarette habit, became even better known when two local institutions, NFL Films and Campbell’s Soup, hired him for voice-over work.

He was Notre Dame football’s radio voice for several seasons and for the last few decades had broadcast NFL games as well. He was inducted into the broadcasters wing of baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2002. He won 18 Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year Awards and in 2003 was a charter inductee into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.

Through his years here, Mr. Kalas became a comforting and engaging presence on the Phillies’ radio and television broadcasts. He was clear, concise and always curious. His long partnership with the late Richie Ashburn, who became perhaps his closest friend, was marked by humorous exchanges and good-natured ribbing.

“Harry was as good a colleague as any sportscaster could hope to have,” said Andy Musser, his Phils broadcast partner for 26 years. ”He was easy to get along with, and I certainly enjoyed my 26 years sharing the booth with Harry.”

Mr. Kalas was present for the greatest moments in Phillies history. He was behind the mike when the 2008 Phils captured the World Series, when Mike Schmidt hit his 500th - and every other - home run, when Steve Carlton won his 300th game.

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After a seven lead change, the game came to an end with a pass which included two laterals, but Dallas stop it and walked off the field with a game no one would surely forget, a 41-37 victory.<br/><br/>

Dallas coach Wade Phillips says “we kept believing in each other, everyone said ‘hey, hang in there, were going to come out on top’ and we did!”<br/><br/>

The wild game included Tony Romo having one flub with another, which lead to Philadelphia Eagles touchdowns every 14 seconds, DeSean Jackson losing a touchdown because he flicked the ball away in celebration seconds before he actually scored, but best for last there was Donovan Mcnabb and Brian Westbrook fumbling a forth-quarter handoff exchange.

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The game was decided a clean win after Romo led drive capped by Marion Barbers 1-yard touchdown run, which lifting the Dallas Cowboys into a victory that no one will certainly forget.

eagles win

The Philadelphia Eagles win in stunning fashion crushing the St. Louis Rams at home in front of a sold out crowd.  Jeffrey Lurie could not be happier after the city of Philadelphia got one of the worst storms all year and rained was everywhere.  The skies were cloudy but the mindset of his team was anything but that.

4th In A Row

Winning their fourth opener in a row, The Eagles excited the sold out crowd at Lincoln Financial field on Sunday September 7th.  This is Andy Reid’s 10th year as head coach and he was very excited for his team also.  Donavan McNabb passed for a solid 361 yards and looked very comfortable inside and also outside the pocket.  Desean Jackson also had a very good outing for any rookie with 6 catches for 106 yards.
The Perfect Day

For all eagles fans it was a perfect day, unline the previous day which was filled with rain and storms.  Sunday it was very warm and the sun could not stop shining all day long.  Many fans arrived early at daybreak, grilling breakfast sandwiches over open flames.  Many of those even entered the stadium eary and watched the Eagles warm up 2 hours before kickoff even happened.

Prior to the game, Mayor Nutter was waving to constituents on the field while speaking with Harold carmichael, the former eagles star.  Governor Rendell happened to also be on the sideline with the Eagles right before he moved over to the wachovia center for an interview pregame.

Mayer Rendell Says

“I think the season has great potential,” said Rendell at the interview, naming various reasons why the Philadelphia eagles will be a team to beat in 2008. The St. Louis Rams were a dismal 3-13 a year ago in 2007, and the Eagles wanted a win very badly with the Dallas Cowboys up in just a weeks time on Monday Night Football.

“If you lose opening day of baseball, who cares? There’s 161 other games,” said Rendell. “If we were to lose to the Rams today, we’re behind the eight ball.”

The NFL did implement new fan code of conduct in a way to stop the drunkenness at some of the games.  Mark Donovan who is the Eages Senior vice President of businesss operations said he didn’t notice any change and the fans were in full effect at the stadium on Sunday.

So after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the St. Louis Rams Sunday afternoon, they have their work cutout for them next week as they get set to face the Dallas Cowboys and Terrell Owens.

The game will be played tomorrow during the day while the night game is staying in its current slow.  That means a double header is on the line-up card for tomorrow.  Look forward to seeing Jamie Moyer throw in game 1 and the latter game will be the anticipated Cole Hamels.