Hundreds honor Harry Kalas' memory

Hundreds of Phillies fans paid their respects to broadcaster Harry Kalas at a make-shift shrine at the Mike Schmidt statue outside Citizens Bank Park this afternoon - the first home game since his passing over the weekend.

The base of the shrine was covered with signed caps, T-shirts and balls. There were stuffed animals, as well as beer cans and bottles. A framed portrait of Frank Sinatra had the paraphrased lyric " 'cause he had high hopes."

One sign read: "April 13, 2009, the day we lost our voice."

Doris Ebert of Egg Harbor Township laid red and white carnations at the shrine with her daughter, Denise Weaver.

"I've been listening to this game since I was 7, and now I'm 75," said Ebert, who was wearing a Ryan Howard jersey.

"I just think he was an all-around good man," she said. "I don't know how I can get it across my mind that he's gone."

"If it was a good play by the other team, he said it was a good play," said Weaver, 52, of Linwood, N.J.

Carly Braun, 28, of Hammonton, N.J. teared up at the memorial and buried her face in the shoulder of her boyfriend, Kevin Friel, 38.

"I was sick a couple years back, and he helped me get through the bad times," Braun said. "I was bed-ridden from April to September, and just listening to him helped me.

"I was born in the spring of 1980, and my parents said listening to Harry's voice that whole summer made me a Phillies fan," she continued, still teary-eyed.

Joseph Chinnici, 65, of Clearwater, Fla., drove to Philadelphia from Richmond, Va., where his wife lives, to attend the game.

He said Kalas used to come out and talk to the fans during spring training in Clearwater. Once Chinnici asked Kalas to say his trade mark "outta here."

"And he said, 'That ball's outta here!' He wouldn't turn down anything."

When asked what he expected during the game, Chinnici replied: "I expect to do some crying."