Ghost Energy founder says Harry Kalas’ legacy is ‘bigger than a concession stand’

Ryan Hughes used to do his best Harry Kalas impression while playing baseball in his West Chester backyard. He knew the voice of the Phillies broadcaster before he knew any of the players.

So he understood last week why a segment of fans was upset when the Phillies announced that Hughes’ energy drink company — Ghost Energy — would replace Kalas’ name on signage at Citizens Bank Park.

“But let’s be honest,” Hughes said. “His legacy is far bigger than a concession stand in left field.”

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Kalas still has a statue at the ballpark and a plaque on the Wall of Fame. The broadcast booth is named for the Hall of Fame broadcaster and the Phils play his rendition of “High Hopes” after each win.

But Harry The K’s — a concession stand below the left field scoreboard — will become the Ghost Energy Deck starting with Thursday’s season opener.

The team paid Kalas’ widow, Eileen, a nominal fee each season to use his likeness. Hughes said he is making a donation on behalf of Ghost to the Ashburn-Kalas Foundation.

“For us, the opportunity in left field is the passing of the torch or handing the ball off,” said Hughes, who co-founded Ghost in 2016. “We’re hoping to bring some new energy to the space while also never forgetting Harry Kalas and the legacy that he left.”

John Middleton, the team’s managing partner, told reporters on Tuesday that the money from Ghost was enough to “fund a player.” The departure of Harry The K’s for another advertisement was not a stunner as the Phillies have drastically increased the amount of ads at the ballpark in recent seasons while the team’s payroll increases.

They replaced the old-fashioned out-of-town scoreboard two seasons ago with a digital board that is mainly used as a vehicle for ads. The gigantic PhanaVision, which was installed in 2023, often displays multiple ads at once. The analog clock inspired by the one atop the scoreboard at Connie Mack Stadium was replaced last summer for an ad.

The rooftop above Ashburn Alley is sponsored and all three premium seating areas — the Diamond Club, Hall of Fame Club, and Suite Level — have corporate branding. The Phils, like most teams, have an advertisement on their uniform sleeve and play in a stadium with a corporate name. Even the flower beds above the left field fence have ads.

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“If you want a $300 million payroll, you need about $600-plus million of revenue, you’re looking for money everywhere,” Middleton told reporters on Tuesday. “By the way, if you go to Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium, [advertising] is all over the place. That’s the cost of doing business.”

It seemed like the Phillies ran out of ad space on the outfield wall until they found a way to squeeze in two more ads this season after creating space by listing the distance from home plate vertically instead of horizontally. The left field wall has seven ads and looks like the walls that have long been common in the minor leagues.

Ashburn Alley, named after the Hall of Fame center fielder and beloved broadcaster, is one of few areas of the park to not yet be sponsored. The Phillies said they don’t plan on selling the naming rights.

The increased advertising, they said, is a result of the money they spend on players. The team’s payroll this season is estimated to be $317 million, the fourth-highest in baseball. The Phils have had one of baseball’s top eight payrolls each season since 2019.

“There’s a fine line between generating the revenue that allows the team to compete at the highest level vs. overwhelming the fan base with excessive advertising,” said Jacqueline Cuddeback, the team’s chief revenue officer. “Baseball has been played for 100-plus years in venues that consistently evolve and our goal is to align authentic, value-add partners to the game-day experience while recognizing that each fan’s definition of entertainment varies.”

Harry The K’s opened when the ballpark did in 2004 as a table-service restaurant beneath the scoreboard and a concession stand on the level above. The restaurant was rebranded in 2021 as the Miller Lite Liberty Landing, but the concession stand remained named for Kalas, who died in 2009. The stand was isolated from the rest of the park as it is only accessible to five sections.

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“The location has always been a great place to watch the game,” Cuddeback said. “But if you did not have a seat on the deck, there was not a lot of reason to stay up there for very long.”

Kalas’ son Todd was at a spring training game earlier this month in Clearwater, Fla., when he heard the Phils play “High Hopes” after a tie with Detroit. The Phillies didn’t even win, but they still played his father’s song. That made him laugh.

“It never ceases to amaze me how much the fans have given back to our family and to Dad’s memory over the years,” Kalas said.

Kalas, a broadcaster with the Astros, said he appreciates the way the Phillies honor his father. He loves seeing the 7-foot statue when he’s back in Philly and watching the clip of his father sing. But Kalas was not a regular at the concession stand in left field.

“I liked the fact that Harry The K’s was there, but of all the things that are a tribute to him in the stadium, that was probably the one I paid least attention to,” Kalas said. “Do I wish Harry The K’s was still there in 2026? Sure. But whenever I’m at Citizens Bank Park, it’s never ‘I’ll meet you at Harry The K’s.’ It was ‘I’ll see you at Ashburn Alley’ or ‘I’ll meet you at the statue.’

“That was never a destination point for me. I appreciate the fact that Phillies fans are upset about it, but I do think the Phillies continue to honor him in so many ways and hopefully fans will get over it.”