Bleacher Report - Articles by Seth Garber

The Philadelphia Phillies Broadcasters

Seth Garber — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:06:01 -0400

The Phillies have many broadcasters, be it TV or radio. The famous Harry Kalas is the first name to come to mind, but there are many other key voices that make watching and listening to the Phillies a huge success. There's the dynamic radio duo of Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen and there's the TV trio of Tom McCarthy, Chris Wheeler, and Gary Matthews. And there was Harry Kalas. One of the greatest voices in all of baseball.

Begin Slideshow

A Legend Will Be Missed

Seth Garber — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:57:44 -0400

I am writing off the top of my head, so if there are any slight errors, please excuse them. I am writing this to help those in emotional pain of this great loss...including myself.

The Phillies announced at 1:20 p.m. that Harry Kalas, 73, had passed away. He was found collapsed on the floor of the Nationals press box.

Kalas was the voice of the Phils. Phillies president and CEO Dave Montgomery hit the nail on the head when he said, "The Phillies lost their voice."

Kalas has broadcast all 548 of Mike Schmidt's homers, six no-hitters, three World Series, and all Steve Carlton games from 1972-1986.* He is in the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Kalas began with the Houston Astros before coming to the Phillies in the '70s. One of his most famous calls was Schmidt's 500th home run. It was even more epic than the Phillies 2008 World Series win.

One of my favorite Harry Kalas calls was one I heard when listening to highlights. He was talking about Chase Utley after an amazing diving play. He said, "Chase, you are the man!"

Kalas is most known for his home run call, "Outta here!" In an interview a little while before his passing, he said he heard Larry Bowa remark that a batting practice homer was "way outta here." Kalas was standing next to the batting cage when Bowa said this. "Outta here!" will always be playing in my mind whenever the Phillies hit a home run. It will do that to all Phillies fans, as we mourn the loss of this legendary broadcaster.

Harry Kalas has been immortalized in Citizens Bank Park by the name of a stand within the park: Harry the K's. I vow to eat there at the next Phillies game I go to, in order to honor his accomplishments and to show that he has not, and will not, be forgotten.

Feel free to share any stories you have regarding Harry Kalas in the comments below.

For now I'm.......

"Outta here!"

*Courtesy of Comcast Sports Net

The Philadelphia Phillies vs. the NL East

Seth Garber — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:28:14 -0500

With spring training for pitchers and catchers just eight days away, we the fans are getting very excited.

The Phillies won the 2008 World Series. It may still sound foreign when you say it…but it’s fun to say.

This offseason proved to be very busy for the new General Manager Rubin Amaro Jr. He dealt with Pat Burrell, many arbitration-eligible players, and hiring new staff. He avoided arbitration by signing new contracts with Victorino, Durbin, Hamels, Werth, Blanton, Madson, Dobbs, and Moyer, but not Ryan Howard.

Amaro signed Chan Ho Park and Raul Ibañez and traded for Ronnie Paulino. To top it all off, he had to deal with the suspension of lefty reliever J.C. Romero.

The other teams in the NL East were also busy. The Mets signed the former Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez and free agent Alex Cora. They also signed J.J. Putz, Tim Redding, and agreed to a deal with Oliver Perez and John Maine.

The Marlins were likewise busy as they signed reliever Logan Kensing, reliever Scott Proctor, third baseman Jorge Cantu, and left fielder Jeremy Hermida.

The Braves were pretty active this offseason by signing one of the popular starting pitchers, Derek Lowe, as well as signing Javier Vazquez. They resigned Casey Kotchman and expect Tom Glavine and Mike Gonzalez to have a clean bill of health for this season.

The Nationals had a quiet offseason and only needed to deal with a few arbitration-eligible players.

The Phillies have a very good chance at repeating a World Series victory. They filled the Pat Burrell void by signing outfielder Raul Ibañez. He batted .293 last season, .291 in 2007, and .289 in 2006. He has a lifetime average of .286 and 182 career homeruns. The Phillies also signed Chan Ho Park, who has a career ERA of 4.34.

Last season he had a 3.40 ERA with 79 strikeouts and a record of 4-4. These two players, along with the competition for rotation spot five among Kendrick, Carrasco, Park, and Happ, just make the Phillies better.

The Phillies will still have to deal with the loss of Romero for the first fifty games. They will utilize Scott Eyre and probably put J.A. Happ in the bullpen. He can act as a temporary reliever until Romero comes back, and then could possibly start.

The competition in the NL East will be slightly tougher because of the Mets’ acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez, better known as K-Rod. He is not invincible as shown by 62 saves in 69 chances, which means he blew seven saves. He is stoppable.

The Braves are tougher with the acquisition of Derek Lowe, the probable starter for Opening Night. The Phillies have proved he is no obstacle by beating him and the Dodgers 3-2 in Game One of the NLCS. I can safely say that Jimmy Rollins’ prediction that the Phillies are “the team to beat” is going to be quite accurate in this upcoming 2009 season.

R.I.P. Hits With R.I.S.P.—Phils v. Rays

Seth Garber — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:33:38 -0400

The 2008 fall classic between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays is underway. And with a bang, I should add.

Although, not the kind of bang the Rays usually produce, or what Ryan Howard has not done. Yes, I am talking about the home run.

The series is exciting at one game a piece. Let's recap what has happened so far:

Cole Hamels squared off against Scott Kazmir (Kazmir, not Kashmir) in Game One. Hamels got three runs to work with and that is all the three Phillies top pitchers, Hamels, Madson, and Lidge, would need. The Phillies won that game 3-2.

Brett Myers squared off against James Shields. Myers gave up four runs, three earned. Shields gave up no runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. The Phillies only two runs in the 4-2 loss came off future ace David Price.

These two games were enjoyable, however, not pleasant statistically for either team. For the Rays Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford are still hitless in this World Series. The Rays also only have one home run in two games. For the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins is still hitless and Ryan Howard still doesn't have a home run. Even worse, the Phillies are 1-for-28 with runners in scoring position.

The Phillies will not win the World Series unless these numbers improve. Jimmy Rollins needs to get on base. As Mitch Williams says again and again, Rollins is the drive of the team. If he does well, they win. He is the key to this team.

On a positive note, the Phillies are doing an outstanding job at keeping the ball in the park. Even with the Rays low walls, the Rays only hit one home run. They also held down Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena. It should be smooth sailing from here.

The Phillies Have Bulls In Their 'Pen

Seth Garber — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:28:48 -0400

The thoughts and feelings of 1993 seem further and further away; the Phillies have advanced to the World Series for the first time in fifteen years. There are many people who contributed in different ways, but some stand out more than others.

The most important contribution was definitely the bullpen, specifically Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, Brad Lidge, and Chad Durbin.

Ryan Madson has developed from a mediocre reliever to a solid set-up pitcher. From his devastating changeup to his speedy 96 MPH fastball, he makes himself a formidable opponent to an intimidating hitter. He has been solid in the postseason, going 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and four strikeouts. His weakness: He only has two pitches. Usually two pitches is plenty to get the job done. It may or may not hurt him to only know a fastball and changeup with an okay curveball.

J.C. Romero was the Phillies' sole left-handed reliever until the Phillies traded for Scott Eyre from the Chicago Cubs. He has been nothing short of outstanding with a 0.00 ERA and three strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched. His weakness: Although he is amazing against left-handed hitters, if Romero does not get them out, he faces right-handed hitters who hit him pretty hard.

Chad Durbin was a great six and/or seventh inning pitcher during the season. He had a shaky postseason, giving up one earned run in two innings. He is expected to improve during the World Series, and both the Phillies and fans sure hope so. His weakness: Durbin may miss his location. He tends to give up a few too many hits, especially in situations where they cannot be allowed.

And then there's Brad Lidge. He has been a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities. During the season he had a 1.95 ERA and a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities with 92 strikeouts. With his nasty slider, he is known as "Lights Out Lidge." His weakness: He may put men on base before getting quick outs. He may get one out, then a strikeout, then allow two straight hits before getting the third out. He says the men on base give him extra adrenaline and that is how he gets out of sticky situations.

The Phillies will face the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, October 22. The Phillies will be starting NLCS MVP Cole Hamels and the Rays are rumored to be starting Scott Kazmir.

Even the Rays, with James Shields and David Price, and long-ball hitters Evan Longoria and BJ Upton, will have difficulty against Lidge, Madson, Romero, and Durbin. I predict the Phillies will win the World Series in six games.