Harry Kalas dies

WASHINGTON - Legendary Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas has died. He was 73.

"We lost our voice today," team president David Montgomery said. "He knows the game and made a tremendous contribution to the sport and to our organization . . . 

"Anybody who has played for us, it's an immediate point of connection with the club. He is the Phillies."

The Phillies were told the news at 1:20 p.m.

Montgomery described the team as "stunned."

Kalas collapsed in the press box and was was found at about 12:30 p.m. by Rob Brooks, the Phillies' director of broadcasting. Emergency medical personnel were called and took Kalas to George Washington Medical Center.

"He himself [Brooks], as I understand it, worked with him and immediately got emergency medical there," Montgomery said earlier.

The Phillies have contacted the White House and said they are not going to visit with the president tomorrow.

As of now, today's game will be played as scheduled.

Kalas missed most of spring training after undergoing surgery in early February. The team declined to provide specifics of the surgery at that time, saying only that it was a "minor medical procedure" and that there was no reason for concern. It is unknown if that is related to the current situation.

Kalas had broadcast Phillies games since 1971. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

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