Remembering Kalas and The Bird

First and foremost, I would just like to express my sadness on the deaths of Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych.

Harry was a great friend. One of my fondest memories was hearing him sing 'Hail to the Redskins' at our annual Phillies golf outing. We called it 'The tough club,' Tim McCarver, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Richie Ashburn (Harry's longtime announcing partner who died in 1997). We played most every year during the 1980s.

Of course, we all liked to imitate Harry's calls, 'Outta here' for a home run or 'Here comes Michael Jack Schmidt' in that deep resonant voice. Phillies fans lost a man they considered part of their family even though they never met him. He was in their living room every night.

Fidrych took the baseball fans by surprise in 1976. His colorful antics on the mound, wiping the pitching rubber with his glove, smoothing the mound with his hands, talking to the ball. These are things we all did subtly as pitchers, but Mark made it an art form. He created quite a following in Detroit. Fans would stay after the game was over and wait for him to come out for a curtain call and walk around and shake hands. We need more like him. Because of injuries he had to leave the game too soon. Now, his life ends and he leaves all too soon.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it the present. Enjoy it.