FanHouse HarryKalas

MLB Power Rankings: Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.

It's been a while since a week of baseball was this sad -- we saw the tragic passings of Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych. And without waxing too sentimentally, it's the loss of these men that remind us exactly just how little sports matter in the grand scheme of things. RIP, gentlemen. Power rankings (that feel just a tad inconsequential, to be honest) after the jump.

Long, busy day -- the kind of day where you feel like you never stop writing. Which is okay, because my job is fun. But now that it's over, and it's late, and I'm back from the ballpark, I feel like I have to sit down and write just a little bit more.

Because I'm really feeling this Harry Kalas news.

WASHINGTON -- Ruben Amaro Jr. can hardly remember listening to anyone but Harry Kalas call a Phillies game. Neither can Pennsylvania native and Phillies starting pitcher Jamie Moyer. And at 46, he's the oldest active player in the major leagues.

That tells the story of Kalas' connection to Philadelphia in years alone.

It only superficially explains how he became a Philadelphia institution on par with cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell and sports fans so passionate that they'd boo Santa Claus.

"He's been a part of my life since I was born," Amaro, the Phillies' general manager, said.

WASHINGTON -- Popular long-time Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas has died at Nationals Park today, the team confirmed. He was 73.

Kalas, also known for his voiceover work with NFL Films, was in his 39th season with the Phillies.

According to The Associated Press, team president David Montogomery said Kalas was found in the team's broadcast booth by the Phillies director of broadcasting at about 12:30 PM and taken to a local hospital.

I'm sure having former athletes make a live appearance in the broadcast booth seems like a good idea in production meetings, but in reality it's always ends up being a bit of a wild card whether they'll finish the segment without making a complete ass of themselves (see: Sutcliffe, Rick).

The Phillies recently had Mike Schmidt on the air, and while Schmidt did manage to avoid cursing or go on the air completely hammered, he still finished the appearances with his foot firmly placed in his mouth. Phillies announcer Harry Kalas innocently leads with a question about his golf game and, well, just read the transcript yourself. From Philadelphia Will Do, via the always entertaining Awful Announcing:

Harry: "It's a full count here to Willie Harris. Getting down to another sport, Michael Jack, how's your golf game?"

Mike Schmidt: "Pretty good, Harry. I've been beating the hell out of my wife pretty regularly."

Awkward pause; muted laughter

Harry: "At golf, I hope? At golf, I hope. Line drive and that's a fair ball..."

I beg you, listen to the mp3 yourself -- it's even more entertaining when you hear it live. And hey, since we're talking about the omnipotent presence that is Awful Announcing, this seems like a good place to point out that Brian Powell, the man behind the AA curtain, just did a pretty interesting interview with Larry Brown, my FanHouse colleague and world-renowned ladies man.