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“Different people, different backgrounds, different ideals… We walk in different doors at the beginning of the day and we walk out of different doors at the end of the day, but when it is time to go out on to the field, we all go through the same door.” — Scott Rolen
In a very brief sense, that’s what the sport of baseball is all about. For most of the season, each team is composed of a roster of 25 men plus a number of coaches and other experts coming from all kinds of different walks of life, and at the end of the day, they have to work together in unison if they want to win. Great teams know how to put their differences aside and just win ball games.
Obviously, you don’t get any of that inspirational jargon, like the quote above from former Philadelphia Phillies’ third baseman Scott Rolen without a few interesting characters on each club. For as many players who would love nothing more than to stay as far away from a camera as possible, there are those who just can’t resist jumping in front of one and grabbing a microphone, and that is where most of the great soundbites come from.
The Phillies have had their share of players who can produce a great quote come through their organization over their history, and if a reporter needed that perfect quote to complement his story, here are 25 of the best soundbites he could go to.
25. Lenny Dykstra
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Lenny Dykstra has completely fallen off the deep end in recent years, hanging out with Charlie Sheen and speaking words that only make sense in his own brain. After his baseball career, Dykstra really hit rock bottom, talking about how banks wanted to assassinate him and speaking of his days living on the street. In fact, when asked how long he was on the streets, Dykstra said, “Long enough to be put into the category of that dude…named…What’s his name? That Indian dude…Ghandi. He’s Indian I think. Right?”
Words simply cannot describe what has happened to “The Dude.” From one of the most entertaining center fielders in all of baseball to one of the strangest people on the planet, Dykstra has not changed for the better, and he knows it.
“I thought I was put on this earth to entertain people on the baseball field, because I was pretty good at that,” said Dykstra. “But what I went through the last two years, I realized there’s a different plan for me, and that’s to help people and show them how they can save their homes.”
Whatever, Nails.
One thing is for certain: Regardless of what he says, Dykstra has become an interesting soundbite. The downside is that all of this Charlie Sheen inspired jargon has buried the mildly entertaining things he said as a player.
24. Aaron Rowand
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Aaron Rowand isn’t a guy that people normally think about when producing a soundbite is the topic, and if you were to ask fans of the Phillies what he is most remembered for, they’d tell you without hesitation that he is most remembered for running nose-first into the outfield wall to make a catch, because that blue-collar style of play is what they love.
It was that same type of passion, however, that led Rowand to make one of the most memorable Philadelphia sports quotes of all-time, however, after he made that catch.
When former Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Ricky Watters shied away from making a catch in fear of taking a hit during his first play as an Eagle, the media asked him why he chose to take that course of action. Seen as the ultimate act of cowardice among the fans, Watters responded, “For who? For what?”
Apparently, that quote was not lost on Rowand. After he ran into the wall, Rowand was asked why he put himself on the line like that, and the outfielder responded, “For who? My teammates. For what? To win.”
23. Ryan Howard
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It wasn’t all too long ago that Ryan Howard was a promising young power hitter knocking on the door to the MLB, so loudly that the Phillies decided to move future Hall of Fame first baseman Jim Thome to the Chicago White Sox to make room for him. Nowadays, Howard is much more than a slugger, but also one of the club’s leaders and a vocal presence in the community.
Any fans of the television series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia may recognize Howard as one of it’s special guest characters, along with Phillies’ second baseman Chase Utley, but most of his memorable soundbites come from the baseball diamond.
He and Jimmy Rollins created an interesting rendition of the baseball classic, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and it has been Howard’s strong vocal presence that has made him a go-to guy for a statement on the team.
When the Phillies reached the World Series in 2009 for the second straight season, Howard simply said, “We just believed,” echoing the thoughts of the fan base.
22. Matt Stairs
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By the time Matt Stairs joined the Phillies at the back end of the 2008 season, his days as an everyday player were over. The Phillies acquired him in August of ’08 to provide some depth to their bench and a bit of left handed power. Stairs knew his role. When he addressed the media he simply said, “I’m not going to lie… I try to hit home runs, and that’s it.”
Stairs hit arguably the greatest home run of his career in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he took Dodgers’ closer Jonathan Broxton deep, giving the Phils the lead on a home run that would simply become known as the “Moon Shot.”
Stairs also became somewhat of a clubhouse leader—a veteran that had already been around the block a few times. That didn’t stop him from being a victim of an untimely quote, however, when Stairs said, “When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you’re getting your ass hammered by guys—there’s no better feeling than to have that done.”
Poor choice of words, Matt, but we knew what you meant.
21. Jonathan Papelbon
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Jonathan Papelbon hasn’t thrown a single pitch for the Phillies yet, but looking back over his career with the Boston Red Sox, I think it is safe to say that the Phils’ new closer will be an interesting source of soundbites over the next four seasons.
With that being said, it often times seems like Papelbon has been painted as an egotistical, self-centered pitcher, and by all accounts from those who’ve spent time with him in Boston, that is far from the case. Papelbon was a clubhouse leader for the Red Sox, and looking over some of his soundbites proves that.
Maybe one of the best quotes to illustrate this is when Papelbon said, “I set my goals high, man. If you’d have told me I’d have 10 saves and hadn’t given up a run, I’d have believed you. That’s the way I go about it. It’s not cocky. It’s just confidence.”
Papelbon has had the success to support that level of confidence, and that success has made him a figure that his teammates can turn to. He once said, “Every time I go out there, I try not to fear anybody. I always want to earn the respect of my teammates, and maybe I did that, but it feels good to hear you have guys who want you on the team.”
20. Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa has never been a man to bite his tongue. From his days as the shortstop for the Phillies to his days as the club’s manager, Bowa was known for his passion towards the game of baseball, which often transpired in the form of a fiery, heated slew of words and animated hand motions.
In his days as a shortstop, Bowa was known as one of the league’s top defenders. He had soft hands and and accurate throwing arm, gobbling up ground-balls like a vacuum and quickly tossing them to first for the out. However, Bowa thought it was his feet that made him a great shortstop.
“Y’know, everybody says I have good hands and everything, but the thing that makes a good shortstop is the footwork involved. If you have good footwork, if you can get to the ball, you can set up and get your body out of the way so you can make the throw,” said Bowa. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
Bowa’s solid defensive work and tenure with the team made him a popular figure in the city of Philadelphia and one of the most respected men in the clubhouse. One time, while commenting on Lou Brock’s speed, Bowa said, “Everybody in the park knows he’s going to run, and he makes it anyway.”
A baseball man through and through, one could say that the hardest moment for Bowa was the day that he announced his retirement. Of the difficulty of that moment, Bowa said, “This is harder than having to face Tom Seaver or Nolan Ryan.”
19. Darren Daulton
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Darren Daulton is an interesting character. A former catcher for the Phillies, fans loved Daulton because of the way he played the game and his unusual character. The same could be said for most of that 1993 bunch. However, it seems as though Daulton has gotten a little more interesting after his baseball career ended.
Daulton had a way with words and was the emotional leader of the the Phillies during his days with the club. He once said of first baseman John Kruk, “Like they say, it ain’t over ’til the fat guy swings.” Okay, so I guess that wasn’t all that encouraging, but Kruk did usually get the job done.
Following the end of his baseball career, Daulton authored a book on occultism and numerology, titled, “If They Only Knew.” Want to read something interesting? Check out that soundbite gold mine.
18. Danny Ozark
Most people wouldn’t think about Danny Ozark when opening up a list like this, but I think he’s a worthy mention because of the simple fact that every time I see a quote from him, I can’t help but chuckle a little bit.
Ozark managed the Phillies for seven seasons during the 1970s and was known for a number of things, one which was his uncanny ability to make a serious comment ridiculously funny. He once said, “Half of this game is ninety percent mental.” I may not be a calculator, but something is a bit off there.
One time, while gushing over former infielder Mike Andrews, Ozark paid the man a compliment by saying, “Mike Andrews’ limits are limitless.”
17. Ed Delahanty
Today’s surprise entrant into this list is former Phillies’ outfielder Ed Delahanty. One of the greatest outfielders to ever play the game, Delahanty is at the top of a number of Phillies’ career statistical categories, but in a time where soundbites only existed in the form of written quote, Delahanty was surprisingly talkative figure.
When the outfielder first talked about how he made it to the MLB, reporters often wondered if it was genetics. After all, four of his brothers played in the MLB as well. To that, Delahanty joking said, “We were given bats instead of rattles.”
Delahanty was an extremely talented player and more than a great talker. That isn’t to say that he didn’t have his moments, however. After hitting a long home run in St. Louis, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals told him, “That’s one you can be proud of, Ed.” Delahanty responded by saying, “Hell no. If I could have cut that hit into singles, I’d lead the whole damn league.”
16. Shane Victorino
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The Phillies made one of the better selections in the history of the Rule 5 Draft when they plucked speedy outfielder Shane Victorino out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ system. Little did they know that the same speedy outfielder would develop into one of the best center fielders in baseball, as well as one of the most fiery, energetic personalities in the game.
An avid fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Victorino has found himself in a few skirmishes in his career, in games against the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Both of those scuffles produced a few interesting soundbites, and more than I’m sure were a bit too vulgar for the media.
Not even the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” could out run an interesting soundbite, however, when he made one of the more memorable comments of the 2011 postseason for the Phillies. Prior to Game 3 in St. Louis, the St. Louis Cardinals rolled out their traditional Clydesdale horses, which paraded around the field and in front of the Phillies dugout, leading Victorino to say:
“How about the horses? They went around a second time and crapped all by our dugout. It smelled awful. I think they did it on purpose. There was poo everywhere.”
15. Mitch Williams
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Mitch Williams was never afraid to step in front of a camera and let you know how he felt. After all, in its most simplest form, that’s what allowed him to pursue a career in broadcasting with the MLB Network as an analyst. Did you know, however, that “Wild Thing” got his break in communications by pinch hitting for Phillies’ public address announcer Dan Baker in 1998?
Williams seemed confident he could get the job done, saying, “All this is is talking, and I’m pretty much a professional at that. I can read, and talk, so I guess I’ll be alright.”
That was just one of Williams’ memorable quotes. After he retired, Williams opened up a bar and grill in Pennsylvania, and one day, as he worked as a bartender, was quoted as saying, “Just because I have money, does that make me any different from these guys here?”
My personal favorite Williams’ quote was much more recent. Working for MLB Network, he watched as an erratic Brad Lidge tried to close a game for the Phillies. As he struggled to get the job done, Williams said, “Now I know why those fans in Philly hated me.”
14. Hunter Pence
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It took Hunter Pence all of one series as a member of the Phillies to spawn one of the most quoted lines of the entire season. Following a walk-off win, Pence was interviewed following the game by broadcaster Garry Matthews, where he simply said, “Good game. Let’s go eat,” citing his new teammates’ hunger as the cause.
That quote, however, was just the tip of the iceberg as far as Pence is concerned. His free-spirited style of play keeps his teammates loose, and odd plays like the one where he slides into third without reason have put smiles on faces. Let’s not forget that the man also took off his shirt at one of Cole Hamels’ charity fashion shows.
All of that happened in about half a season. Just imagine what Pence will do, or say, in his first full season as a member of the Phils.
13. Jimmy Rollins
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As Jimmy Rollins sat alongside general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. over the off-season to announce his new contract, it wasn’t hard to see how happy he was, or understand why. Ever since he made his debut with the Phillies, Rollins had become the club’s vocal leader, and that remains true to this day. Watching him wear a different uniform just wouldn’t be natural.
He was the man at shortstop when the Phillies captured their second World Series title in 2008, and in the past, he has spoken words of inspiration like, “It might take a miracle, but it can happen,” and, “Never give up. Never give in.”
Throughout his days in red pinstripes, not only has Rollins spoken words of inspiration, but words of encouragement to his teammates, leaving little doubt as to who leads the club emotionally. However, perhaps it was during the spring of 2007 when Rollins spoke his most famous words.
After finishing in second place the year before, Rollins predicted that the days of the New York Mets leading the division were over, when he said, “The Mets had a chance to win the World Series last year. Last year is over. I think we are the team to beat in the NL East, finally. But that’s only on paper.”
Of course, they were.
12. Jay Johnstone
With a nickname like “Moon Man,” you had to assume that former Phillies’ outfielder Jay Johnstone was going to say some interesting things in his day, and sure enough, his nickname is justified—the man’s head was in space. Another man on this list, former Phillies’ manager Danny Ozark, once said of him, “What makes him so unusual is that he thinks he’s normal and everyone else is nuts.”
The man that once dressed in a full-body wet-suit that read “USS Titanic” also once said, “I drove through Cleveland once and it was closed.”
Perhaps Johnstone’s greatest soundbite of all-time is his theory on why baseball players like to moon people. “I don’t know why baseball players like to moon,” said Johnstone. “Maybe it’s the only way some of them can figure out how to express themselves.”
11. Charlie Manuel
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Charlie Manuel is a rare type of manager. In a day and age where most managers are stone-faced strategists, Manuel is just the opposite. Known throughout the game as one of the most player-friendly managers around, Manuel’s relationship with his team and knowledge of hitting is second to none.
As you can imagine, that approach to the game has created a number of great quotes from the Phillies’ skipper, made even greater by the native Virginian’s thick, Southern drawl.
Known for his love of “old-school” baseball, one of Manuel’s most memorable quotes came following a game against the Washington Nationals, when second baseman Chase Utley took a page out of Pete Rose’s book and bulldozed the catcher. Following the game, Charlie said, “Don’t say ‘old-school.’ That’s ‘good-school.’ That’s not ‘old-school,’ it’s ‘good-school.’ That’s the way you play the game, unless you want to put some rouge, make-up, and lip-stick on. ‘Ooh, I gotta run over this guy!”"
But in the long run, one statement made by Manuel will be remembered by the fans. As confetti fell around him, the Phils’ skipper said, “This is for Philadelphia,” as his team celebrated their World Series victory.
10. Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw is a fan-favorite in Philadelphia to this day, and it isn’t difficult to understand why. Few players in baseball have ever resonated with the Phillies’ fans than McGraw did. He took the mound nearly every day, giving whatever he put his mind to an effort of 110%.
That attitude helped him to capture the Phillies their first World Series title in 1980, when his catchphrase, “Ya gotta believe!” really took off in the city of Philadelphia.
However, it may have been his quote following the victory that most people will remember. The former closer said, “All through baseball history, Philadelphia has taken a backseat to New York. Well, New York City can take this championship and stick it! ‘Cause we’re number one!”
McGraw also liked to spend his money on having fun. “Ninety percent I’ll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey,” said McGraw. “The other ten percent I’ll probably waste.” When asked about his preference between grass and Astroturf, McGraw said, “I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf.”
9. Steve Carlton
Calling Steve Carlton a “unique character” would probably be a vast understatement. One of the greatest left handed starting pitchers to ever play the game, “Lefty” had a certain persona about him with the way he went about the game. He always looked like he had a chip on his shoulder and when he pitched, he was ruthless.
Things had not started out that way, however. Coming up as a young member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Carlton struggled in his MLB debut. “My Major League debut came at old Busch Stadium on Grand Avenue in St. Louis against the Pittsburgh Pirates,” said Carlton. “The first pitch I threw was to third baseman Bob Bailey. It was a fastball, low and away. It ripped it for a home run down the left field line. I said, ‘Damn. That was a pretty good pitch.’”
Of course, that lead-off home run would in no way, shape, or form represent the outcome of Carlton’s career, as he would go on to win four Cy Young Awards with the Phillies. He considered himself to be in great shape, and said, “I was probably in the best shape of any athlete at the time, but you don’t get to pass judgement on yourself.”
Perhaps my personal, all-time favorite quote from Carlton comes as a bit of a lesson. While teaching Dick Ruthven how to throw his famous slider, Carlton said, “You hold it like this and throw the shit out of it.”
8. Mike Schmidt
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Without a shadow of a doubt, Mike Schmidt is the greatest Phillies’ player of all-time. The chances of the success that Schmidt had on the field being replicated at some point in the future are slim to none. He spent 18 seasons in Philadelphia and became the club’s vocal leader, speaking words of inspiration during his playing days.
“I’m never satisfied,” said Schmidt. “I can’t stand satisfaction. To me, greatness comes from that quest for perfection.”
That quote defined Schmidt’s career, as the man truly never was satisfied with greatness. Though he was great, he was never perfect, and that was one of the aspects of his character that made him one of the greatest players of all-time.
That same drive also created a number of interesting quotes from the Hall of Fame third baseman after he retired, however. During the 1999 season, Schmidt said, “I’d hit 35 homers and drive in 110 runs and I’d be an MVP candidate. With those numbers today, I’d bat eighth. When I’m 70, 80 years old, I’m going to be ashamed to admit that I’m in that pitiful, little 500-home run club when there are 30 guys in the 800-home run club.
Of course, that sentiment stemmed from the fact that Schmidt hated the way Major League ballparks were shrinking. “You’ve got these smaller ballparks,” said Schmidt. “Give me four more Wrigley Fields to hit in when I played and see what kind of numbers I would have put up. How many of the balls that I hit to the warning track would’ve been in six rows deep at Coors Field? At my peak I probably averaged about 38 home runs a season. If I played today, I’d probably average about 53. So if you weight one of my old homers it might be equal to 1.4 of today’s.”
My favorite quote, however, goes like this: “If you’re associated with the Philadelphia media or town, you look for negatives. I don’t know if there’s something about their upbringing or they have too many hoagies, or too much cream cheese.”
7. Larry Andersen
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Most of today’s Phillies’ fans will recognize Larry Andersen as a member of the club’s radio broadcast team, alongside of Scott Franzke. However, once upon a time, Andersen made a name for himself by being a great teammate, keeping the mood in the clubhouse easy-going, and being somewhat of a practical jokester.
The career reliever never could shy away from a good joke, and even after his career on the field had ended, Andersen posed strange questions of philosophy over the airwaves for listeners to ponder. For instance, the righty once asked, “Why do people sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ when they’re already here?” In developing a plan of attack on the mound, he once said, “If he’s a good fastball hitter, should I throw him a bad fastball?”
But then again, Andersen’s approach to life was simple: Never shy away from a great quote. “You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.”
6. Chase Utley
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I’ll bet that when you first opened this list, Chase Utley wasn’t the first person that crossed your mind. After all, the Phillies’ second baseman has a reputation for shying away from the cameras and playing the game the only way he knows how—full-throttle.
However, Utley is also a leader in the Phillies’ clubhouse. If he isn’t happy about the way you’re playing the game, he’ll let you know about it, and that has created a number of interesting quotes from Utley over the course of his career.
Utley is the type of player that is always looking to get better. “Nobody should be satisfied in this game,” said Utley. “Maybe Barry Bonds, but maybe even he wants to get better.” After a great win, Utley will say something along the lines of, “This… Shows the fire of this team.” Always looking to get better, Utley once said, “I still don’t think we’ve clicked as an offense. I think we can do a better job. If we all get going, it could be fun.”
But let’s be honest for a moment. We all know the real reason that Utley is on this list, and I have two of them. The first was during the All-Star Game in 2008, hosted by Yankee Stadium. As Utley is announced and runs out onto the field, he is showered with boos from the New York fans, to which he responds (and is caught on camera) by saying, “Boo? [Expletive] you.”
His most famous moment, however, came during his speech following the World Series in 2008. As he addressed the crowd, Utley simply said, “World champions. World [expletive] champions!]
5. Pedro Martinez
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Pedro Martinez may not have been a member of the Phillies for long, nor did he speak his most famous words as a member of the club, but there is little doubt that Martinez was (and continues to be, in some places) one of the greatest soundbites of all-time.
When Martinez first signed with the Phillies during the 2009 season, he did so amid allegations that he had taken steroids in the past. Martinez was so emphatic in stating that he did not, that he said, “I’m going to start stripping my clothes off and show people that I never had acne on my back. I’m going to start stripping in front of everyone. If I did use it before, they need to give me my money back. That [expletive] didn’t work.”
That quote is just one of many from one of baseball’s all-time personalities. Perhaps his most infamous quote came after a loss to the New York Yankees, when the starting pitcher said, “What can I say? I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.” That quote would, of course, inspire one of the most recognize chants of all-time: “Who’s your daddy?”
My personal favorite Martinez quote came after he plunked Karim Garcia in a game against the Yankees, causing a bench clearing brawl. When he was later asked about the incident, Martinez asked, “Who is Karim Garcia?”
4. John Kruk
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After finishing in second place following the 1992 season, John Kruk never wanted to have that miserable feeling again. “I’d rather be in a prison cell with Mike Tyson and let him beat my butt all day long than go through that again,” said the Phillies’ charismatic first baseman, who would emerge as one of the team’s leaders moving forward.
Kruk wasn’t your average baseball player. He rocked the beer belly and mullet like most of the 1993 club, and took a less-than-traditional approach to hitting. “I would think I drive most hitting coaches crazy,” said Kruk. “During one single at-bat, I used six different stances on six pitches. Oh yeah, I also struck out, so what do I know?”
It was that down to earth personality that made him a fan-favorite. After all, Kruk was more like “one of the guys” when he said things like, “It’s amazing that fans want to see me play. It’s kind of scary. I guess that’s what is wrong with our society.” But then again, Kruk always said, “I’m not an athlete. I’m a professional baseball player.”
Kruk was also responsible for keeping the mood light in the clubhouse. When Dale Murphy joined the Phillies, Kruk boldly proclaimed, “We’re 24 morons and a Mormon.” When he was chosen to play in the All-Star Game, Kruk said, “It’s the first letter I ever got from [former National League President] Bill White that wasn’t asking me to pay a fine. It’s the first one that doesn’t start out, ‘Please make check payable to…’”
For all of those reasons, Kruk was the go-to guy for a great quote, mainly because he kept things simple. “I try to dumb down out there. They tell you to stay within yourself, so that’s what I do. I’m not gonna out-think myself too often.”
3. Pete Rose
“I was born on the day Lincoln got shot and the Titanic sank.”
That’s a quote straight out of the mouth of Pete Rose, who, though historically inaccurate, was trying to make a point there. Somehow, that wrecking ball of a birthday created one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, something Rose said was done through practice. “My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more.”
Baseball was his passion, and Rose once said, “I’d walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball.” An ill-advised tactic, but you get his point nonetheless. Rose was so good that the Phillies temporarily made him the highest paid free agent of all-time, and Rose said, “Playing baseball for a living is like having a license to steal.”
Rose played the game the way the city of Philadelphia loved. He left it all on the line with every play, popularizing the head-first slide. “Sliding head-first is the safest way to get to the next base, I think, and the fastest. You don’t lose your momentum, and there’s one more important reason I slide head-first: It gets my picture in the paper.”
At the end of the day, it was easy to see Rose’s passion for the game of baseball. With more than 20 years in the business and more hits than anybody else, he was the king of hits, once saying, “I’m just like everybody else. I have two arms, two legs, and four thousand hits.”
2. Bob Uecker
Many fans of the sport of baseball are familiar with Bob Uecker as the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers and the voice of the fictional version of the Cleveland Indians in the baseball move, Major League. Fans of the Phillies may be surprised to learn that, once upon a time, Uecker played for the Phils as a catcher.
Many would say that Uecker had a much better career as a broadcaster than as a player, and Uecker would agree. After all, he once said, “Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.” Speaking of his bad luck at the plate, Uecker once said, “I had slumps that lasted into the winter.”
Then again, that was all part of Uecker’s master plan. “If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to?” asked Uecker. “I tried to stay right around .190 with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way, I always had something to talk about during the winter.”
Maybe there were some real highlights, however? “In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.” Uecker did, however, perfect the art of catching the knuckleball. “The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up.”
With many more great quotes to his name, one of my favorites goes like this: “One time I got pulled over at four A.M. I was fined $75 for being intoxicated and $400 for being with the Phillies.”
1. Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas is the one person on this list that does not need a list of quotes to justify his ranking. For nearly four decades, Harry came into our homes through our televisions and on our radios as the voice of the Phillies, where he authored a number of memorable quotes, sayings, and most importantly, his famous home run call.
Listening to Harry made the casual fan’s heart skip a beat, as you would listen to the sound of the crack when the bat hits the ball and hear Harry say, “Swing and a long drive! That ball is outta here!” Perhaps his most famous home run call was the 500th home run of Phillies’ third baseman Mike Schmidt, when Harry said, “Swing and a long drive! There it is, number 500! The career 500th home run for Michael Jack Schmidt!”
Of course, the home run calls were only a small portion of Harry’s greatness. He also had a memorable way of announcing a strikeout, saying, “Swing and a miss! Struck him out!”
Perhaps most importantly, who can forget Harry’s call of the final out of the 2008 World Series, when he said, “One strike away, nothing and two the count to [Eric ] Hinske. Fans on their feet, rally towels being waved. Brad Lidge stretches. The 0-2 pitch… Swing and a miss! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball!”
Harry had a more humorous side as well. One of my favorite quotes from the Phillies’ legend came as a comment on former outfielder Garry Maddox, when Harry said, “He’s turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he’s miserable and depressed.”
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