Paul Hagen: Harry knew when to use sound of silence

Proctor has a tale from his days in San Diego that illustrates a different, less discussed aspect of the craft.

Kalas, unlike so many announcers today who feel the need to hear their own voices, took a minimalist approach to his craft. If there was nothing to say, he simply didn't say anything at all. It helped create the sort of relaxed atmosphere that made his broadcasts easy to listen to, more fitting for baseball than the staccato style that works better for football or basketball.

"One night when the Phils were playing the Padres, the game was slow so I told our producer to get a shot of Harry and we could talk about him," Proctor said. "As [broadcast partner] Mark Grant and I were giving Harry a big build-up, the producer told me that he had arranged it so that we could throw it to Harry and fans could actually hear this legendary broadcaster.

"We continued to pile on the accolades and then I said, 'And here's a special treat. You fans in San Diego will get to hear the legend, Harry Kalas, live. Here's Harry.'

"Sure enough, nothing was happening in the game and Harry didn't say a word. It seemed like there was 2 minutes of dead air. Mark and I looked at each other and shrugged. I said, 'Well, we've just seen what makes Harry Kalas one of baseball's great announcers.' "

Proctor said he later shared the story with Kalas and they both got a good laugh out of it.

The hot corner

 

-- Royals righthander Kyle Davies is 1-0, 2.13 after two starts and credits his success to better understanding of himself and letting his mind clear after working with former Royals shortstop Buddy Biancalana's mental training program.

-- A Kansas City Star analysis of 47 pitchers who signed free-agent contracts worth at least $5 million per year shows that 30 pitched worse after getting the big bucks, 13 improved and four showed little change.

-- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes says that, in honor of Jackie Robinson, he'd like to steal home. "Maybe one day soon I'll try it," he told the New York Times. "When Carlos Delgado is hitting, the third baseman is almost always playing shortstop. That's why I can take a huge lead there. Sooner or later, you're going to see me."

Around the bases

 

-- Mets announcer Howie Rose thinks the intimacy of new Citi Field will turn out to be an advantage for the home team. "The way the seats are configured here and New York fans being the way they are, this has a chance to be an intimidating ballpark for visiting teams," he told Newsday.

-- Brewers reliever Todd Coffey sprints from the bullpen to the mound when he's called into a game. The first time he did it, manager Ken Macha asked him if he should stay on the mound for a few moments to let him catch his breath. "I like doing it," Coffey said. "It gets the blood pumping. The only place I won't do it is Colorado, because of the thin air."

-- There are already rumors that the Giants may try to trade Aaron Rowand, who is just starting the second year of his 5-year, $60 million free-agent contract. The irony is that Rowand could have stayed with the Phillies for the same average annual value, but said he took the Giants' offer because he wanted to stay in one place for a while. He has a limited no-trade clause.

ON DECK:

Cheers

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