Chris Wheeler

Phillies broadcaster Andy Musser missed last night's World Series game for a good reason: He is scheduled to undergo surgery today for a detached retina in his left eye. The surgery will be performed at Wills Eye Hospital. Musser will be sidelined for the rest of the World Series. Rich Ashburn, one of Musser's colleagues on WOGL-AM's Phillies broadcasts, said before last night's game that Musser started noticing a problem with his eye during the National League Championship Series.

The Phillies have made minor adjustments to their broadcasting rotation this year that will once again center on Hall of Famer Harry Kalas calling the first three and last three innings on television. The biggest change has Scott Graham joining the television broadcasts for the middle three innings of play-by-play. "I think this is great for Scott," Kalas said by phone from Clearwater, Fla. "He has proven himself, and I'm sure he will do a great job. " Graham, who had a heavy television schedule this winter broadcasting college basketball for the Atlantic Ten Network, CN8, and ESPN, said he would be looking forward to the season regardless of his duties.

PRISM's new Phillies play-by-play announcer looks and sounds very much like Harry Kalas, which is understandable, since he is the son of Harry Kalas. Just don't expect Todd Kalas, 28, to adopt the catch phrases that have made Harry, who is entering his 23rd season as a Phillies broadcaster, nearly as much of an institution in this town as, say, Ben Franklin. What, no "Outta here" in stereo? "I don't have a catch phrase," said the younger Kalas, who will be working one booth over from his father, who does Channel 17 telecasts and WOGL-AM's radio broadcasts of Phillies games with partners Andy Musser and Rich Ashburn.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas wants a new contract, and he talked about his concerns publicly for the first time Sunday night. Some of those words caused a stir yesterday at Veterans Stadium. "We're not going to negotiate with Harry publicly," Phillies president David Montgomery said. "He's a big part of our organization and like anybody else I owe it to him to handle all those matters privately. " As to Kalas' offering Sunday night that he no longer wants to work with Chris Wheeler because their relationship has soured, Kalas' longtime booth mate took the diplomatic route yesterday, saying: "I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster.

Attention, Wheels! I SUGGEST someone take Chris Wheeler aside and advise him of his "over-statements. " During Phillies games, he offers his comments, as if he knows it all: Burrell had some "tough" at-bats, hitting the ball real hard and after the second time he was "robbed," Wheeler was able to read his lips and his conversation with a teammate. Robert E. Hill Lititz, Pa. The Phillies whirl About Scott Rolen and the Phillies: I think the Phillies can do it. What about the 1993 Phillies worst-to-first team!

Is Mike Schmidt a more popular Phillie than Rich Ashburn? Hard to believe, Harry. If you go by the numbers though, that's what they're likely to say. Phillies officials expect a crowd of 40,000 or better for tomorrow's Mike Schmidt Hall of Fame night at Veterans Stadium, which would eclipse the 35,513 in attendance for Ashburn's night on July 22. That celebration was in anticipation of Ashburn's induction on July 30. Schmidt comes to...

Harry Kalas is back. The Phillies announced yesterday that Kalas has signed a three-year contract to remain in their broadcast booth. Larry Andersen, Chris Wheeler and Scott Franzke also are back. Scott Graham's contract wasn't renewed, and the Phillies have hired former Phillies outfielder Gary Matthews to take his place. The Phillies also are looking to hire a pregame and postgame host, which is the job Franzke held last season. Kalas, 70, has been in the Phillies' broadcast booth since 1971.

Depending on where they live, fans will be able to watch as many as 153 Phillies games on television this season - or as few as 87. The Phillies signed two new cable contracts over the winter, which, president Bill Giles says, will make the club one of the most frequently televised franchises in baseball - as well as one of the wealthiest. Overall, 42 home games will be carried on Prism, a premium pay channel that has televised Phillies games for the last 14 years. An additional 23 home games will be carried on SportsChannel America, a basic cable station operated locally by Prism.

At least it's not a negligee HOUSTON - The bullpen can be a strange place during the game. Seven pitchers are milling around waiting for the call to warm up. Relievers, by nature, are the quirkiest players on the team. So there is bound to be some hijincks. Take, for example, the pink Victoria's Secret bag that righthander David Herndon carries out to the bullpen before each game. Herndon, the junior member of the bullpen, is saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the pink bag, which contains candy and other snacks for the bullpen.

I ATTENDED the Eagles-Raiders game with my two boys, 9 and 7, and my wife. We entered the First Union Center parking lot at 2 p.m. for party inside the arena. As we pulled in, there were drunken fans stumbling across the lot. Parking was impossible because a large number of spots were taken up by grills, tables, chairs, etc. We drove around, with a caravan of other cars, for about 25 minutes. A police officer finally told us that all we had to do was ask people to move their things.