Harry Kalas

Some broadcasters are known best for what they said, not necessarily how they said it. Sure, Harry Kalas, who died on April 13 at age 73, said some great things. His home-run call ("Outta heeeeere!") will never be topped. But more than anybody else, Harry will be remembered for how he said it: with great style and panache.

Not to mention his unforgettable voice, familiar not only to fans of the Philadelphia Phillies--for whom he had broadcast games since 1971--but also to people across the nation who heard him narrate highlights for NFL Films. When I joined the Phillies broadcast crew in 1980, I was a neophyte. In the beginning, my job was pretty much to get chairs for all the other guys. But I was lucky to work with a legend. Harry never pulled me aside to give me any kind of speech. I learned by observing and listening. I'd study his flow, his cadence, his timing--just being in his presence was the best training you could get.

Road trips with Harry were wonderful. One time, in San Francisco, Harry took it upon himself to approach a blind woman and belt out Sinatra's "High Hopes," which became Harry's signature song. It was so uplifting, the woman cried. Few words uttered by Harry Kalas fell on deaf ears.

Naturally, it was special that Harry got to call the final out of Philadelphia's World Series victory last fall. No one was more deserving of one last great moment in that booth. Harry Kalas was a man--and a voice--unto himself.

McCarver is the lead baseball analyst for Fox Sports