Behind the Microphones
Philadelphia baseball fans have been treated by some of the game’s greatest announcers -- names and voices who became part of the daily lives of millions of all ages, first on radio in their homes, porches, beaches and cars. Even a transistor radio tucked under a bed pillow, hoping mom and dad thought you were asleep.
Early Years
Phillies games have been on radio for a full season since Opening Day, April 14, 1936 -- a 4-1 win over the Boston Braves at Baker Bowl. On the air were Bill Dyer, a Philadelphia sportscaster, and Dolly Stark, an umpire, yes, an umpire. Home games were aired on WCAU. Dyer moved to Baltimore in 1940 continuing his baseball broadcasting (Triple-A Orioles) while also managing the Baltimore Bullets basketball team.
Stark umpired in the Eastern League (1927) before becoming a National League umpire (1928-35; 1937-40). Dissatisfied with his $9,000 salary, the 38-year-old quit in 1936 and turned to broadcasting with the Phillies. “It’s [umpiring] a tough, thankless job. Men in it, forced to live an isolated existence, put everything they have in it. The highest praise they receive is silence. When a man does good work under these conditions -- and good umpiring I consider an art -- I think he should command a good salary.” Stark returned to umpiring again the next season and was replaced by Taylor Grant, a Philadelphian who went on to be a nationally known newscaster, first for radio and later for TV. Walt Newton and Stoney McLinn succeeded Dyer and Grant for one season, 1938.
Byrum (By) Saam, a Texan who graduated from TCU, came to Philadelphia in 1938 to do play-by-play of the Philadelphia Athletics home games. A year later, Saam started doing Phillies home games. Saam had various partners for the next 10 seasons. In 1950, the Phillies and A’s decided all games would be on radio requiring an announcer to travel with the team. Saam had a decision to make, the A’s or Phillies. Out of loyalty to the A’s, who gave him his start, he opted to remain with the American League club.
Gene Kelly, perhaps the tallest baseball broadcaster ever at 6-foot-7, was brought in from WXLW in Indianapolis to broadcast the Phillies along with Bill Brundige. After the A’s left Philadelphia in 1955, Saam teamed with Kelly and Claude Haring on Phillies games. Kelly was let go after the 1959 season, replaced by Frank Sims for two seasons. Saam continued until he retired following the 1975 season.
Richie Ashburn became the first former player in a broadcasting booth for the Phillies, joining Saam and Bill Campbell in 1963.
Veterans Stadium Era
When the Phillies moved into Veterans Stadium in 1971, Bill Giles, the vice president, business operations, brought a young broadcaster from Houston to Philadelphia, Harry Kalas. Giles had known Kalas when both were with the Colt .45s/Astros. Kalas replaced Campbell, a very unpopular move. Campbell is the only Philadelphia broadcaster to do play-by-play of the Phillies, Eagles and NBA Warriors.
Saam, Ashburn and Campbell initially worked on both radio and TV. Eventually, radio and television had separate announcers.
Kalas and Ashburn became the most beloved broadcast team ever in Philadelphia for any sport, on-the-air teammates for 27 seasons. The end for each came on the road. Ashburn died early Tuesday morning on Sept. 9, 1997, in his New York hotel room after broadcasting a Phillies-Mets game.
Kalas collapsed in the visiting team’s broadcast booth in Nationals Park, Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2009, about an hour before a Phillies-Nationals game. He was rushed to a hospital, but died about an hour later. Harry was on the air when the Phillies won their second World Series championship in 2008. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the season opener at Citizens Bank Park on April 5, 2009. It turned out to be the last series he broadcast in Philadelphia as the Phillies went on a road trip to Denver and Washington.
Following Saam’s retirement in 1975, Andy Musser replaced him on radio, a career that continued through 2001 when Scott Graham began an eight-year run. Chris Wheeler, assistant director of public relations, joined the broadcast team in 1976 for road games and permanently in 1983. “Wheels” had multiple roles in his broadcasting career on radio plus over-the-air and cable TV, play-by-play and a color analyst.
Sports columnist Jim Barniak was on cable TV from 1990-91. A familiar name, Todd Kalas, was part of the team for 1994-96. He’s been the TV voice of the Houston Astros since 2016. Larry Rosen teamed with Todd on cable TV in 1996.
Meanwhile, Larry Andersen replaced Ashburn in 1998. “LA’s” been on the air ever since, first on TV.
Bill Kulik established the Spanish Béisbol Radio Network in 2001. 2024 is his 20th as the lead Spanish broadcaster for the club. Oscar Budejen teamed with Kulik in 2021.
Tom McCarthy, in his first stint, spent five seasons (2001-05) as the host of the pre- and postgame radio shows, while also doing radio play-by-play. He moved to the Mets' radio booth for 2006-07 before returning to the Phillies in November 2007. He succeeded Kalas as the Phillies' TV voice. He’s worked with a cast of characters ever since.
Scott Franzke, a Texan who graduated from SMU, arrived in the radio booth in 2006 first doing the pre- and postgame shows and play-by-play in the middle innings. The following season he took over as the Phillies' radio voice. He and “LA” have been a popular team since 2007. Jim Jackson, the Flyers’ announcer, joined the radio team in 2010 handling pre- and postgame and two innings of play-by-play on home games.
Gregg Murphy joined the Phillies' television broadcast team in 2012, bringing viewers closer to the action by reporting from the field, dugouts and elsewhere. He added some play-by-play duties in 2014 and continued in both roles through the 2020 season. In 2021, Gregg moved over to the radio side to handle pre- and postgame show duties, while occasionally filling in for Franzke on play-by-play.
Alumni
Ashburn started the path of other former Phillies on the air. Robin Roberts (1974) was next in a parade that has included Tim McCarver, Garry Maddox, Mike Schmidt, Greg Gross, Jim Fregosi, Kent Tekulve, Jay Johnstone, Andersen, John Kruk, Gary Matthews, Jamie Moyer, Matt Stairs, Ben Davis, Kevin Frandsen, Kevin Jordan, Kevin Stocker, Jimmy Rollins, Ruben Amaro Jr., Michael Bourn, Chad Durbin and Erik Kratz.
With Andersen reducing his schedule to include home games only, Stocker became a permanent radio voice in 2023.
Longevity
Kalas spent 38-plus seasons on the air for the Phillies. Saam also broadcast baseball in Philadelphia for 38 years, but his career included both the A’s and Phillies. Third is Wheeler, who was part of the broadcast team for 37 seasons (1977 through 2014). Ashburn is next, 35 years.
Others in double figures: Musser and Andersen (26), McCarthy (21), Kulik (19) and Franzke (17).