Harry Kalas’ widow says Phillies ‘betrayed him’ and won’t let them play his song unless they pay

Eileen Kalas used to stand by the door as her husband filled up a coffee each morning at the Wawa in Newtown Square. Harry Kalas, his widow said, loved coffee but the legendary Phillies broadcaster was really there for the people.

“That’s what Harry loved, the people,” Eileen Kalas said. “He’d go in there to talk to people. He wouldn’t just stand there. He’d sign autographs. They’d go, ‘Harry, why did they trade so and so?’ And Harry just had to talk baseball. He’d leave messages for people: ‘Joe Schmoe’s not home right now, he’s outta’ here.’ People still have it.”

Kalas’ widow saw Harry The K’s — an area in left field at Citizens Bank Park — as a reminder of the connection her husband had with Philadelphia fans. So she was gutted earlier this month when the Phillies informed her that they had sold the naming rights to the area below Phanavision to Ghost Energy. Harry The K’s, which opened with the ballpark in 2004, is no more.

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“Taking down that sign takes away everything he did for the city,” Eileen Kalas said. “I think they betrayed Harry. It’s not about me. It’s about what they’re doing to Harry. I think they betrayed him for everything he did for them.”

The Phillies declined to comment. Eileen said they paid her $20,000 a year to use the likeness of her husband, who died in 2009. They will pay her again this season, since they missed the deadline to break the contract for 2026.

They told her they will not pay her in 2027 but “expect” to continue celebrating wins by showing a clip of Kalas singing “High Hopes” on Phanavision.

Eileen Kalas said the Phillies won’t be able to play the song next season unless she’s paid.

“They’ll say, ‘Eileen Kalas got rid of it. She’s money hungry,’” Kalas said. “That’s what they always said. Flip it on me … I don’t mind if they have things. They just have to pay for it. It’s intellectual property. They know that.”

There still is a 7-foot statue of Kalas in left field, and the TV broadcast booth is named for him. He has a plaque on the Wall of Fame, and his son, Kane, sang the national anthem before Thursday’s season opener.

Not many major league teams honor a broadcaster more than the Phillies. But Eileen Kalas said fans can’t see the broadcast booth, and the statue was paid for by a grassroots campaign.

“They go, ‘Oh, we’re still going to have the statue.’ What are they going to do with the statue?” Eileen Kalas said. “I’ll take it. I’ll send in a truck, pick it up, and get it out if they want that out, too.”

Todd Kalas said earlier this week that he was OK with the removal of Harry The K’s and appreciated the Phillies for the other ways they honor his dad. Kane Kalas told the Associated Press that he had no issue. But Eileen Kalas said the broadcaster’s sons have to go along with it: Todd Kalas is a broadcaster for the Houston Astros, and Kane Kalas keeps a relationship with the Phillies.

“How did I feel? I felt betrayed for Harry,” Eileen Kalas said. “Because he gave his all to the city and to the fans. He gave it all. I didn’t feel betrayed by them, ever. That’s who he loved. So in my opinion, there’s always a compromise … I thought of ‘the Ghost Energy Deck at Harry The K’s’. Everyone is happy. It’s a win-win.”

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The Ghost Energy Deck was packed on opening day, and Kane Kalas even visited it. The Phillies were slammed on social media and elsewhere for swapping Harry The K’s for yet another advertisement, but the scene remained lively.

John Middleton, the team’s managing partner, told reporters earlier this week that the money Ghost paid the Phillies was enough to “fund a player,” while the money they saved from not paying Eileen Kalas was enough to “maybe buy some napkins.” The Phillies will pay her $20,000 this year before the contract ends in October. And if it’s not renewed, she says the Phillies will need a new song.

“All Harry ever wanted to do was bring people together,” Eileen Kalas said. “Harry was a joiner. He wanted people to hold hands, sing, and be together. That’s what I would like to do with the Phillies and Ghost Energy and let it all rest.”