The widow of iconic Phillies radio and TV voice Harry Kalas says that the team’s decision to remove the “Harry The K’s” sign in Citizens Bank Field is a betrayal.
Harry The K’s has been a name given to an area in left field at Citizens Bank Park since its inception in 2004. Kalas was the voice of the Phillies from 1971 until his death in 2009, and it was considered a tribute to his legacy that would presumably stand the test of time.
Not so, however, as the Phillies recently announced they had sold the naming rights to the area to energy drink Ghost Energy. As such, Harry The K’s is gone.
No more Harry the K’s at Citizens Bank Park either.
The #Phillies announced the Ghost Energy Deck for 2026.
Harry the K’s has been around since 2004.
Image via the @Phillies. pic.twitter.com/TlzRo0MUn0
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) March 19, 2026
The iconic announcer’s widow, Eileen Kalas, told Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the move is a betrayal of his legacy.
“Taking down that sign takes away everything he did for the city,” Kalas told the Inquirer. “I think they betrayed Harry. It’s not about me. It’s about what they’re doing to Harry. I think they betrayed him for everything he did for them.”
Eileen said she has been receiving $20,000 a year for the use of her husband’s likeness and that she will receive that amount again this year for the final time. She says the team told her they will stop paying in 2027 but “expect” to keep celebrating wins by showing a clip of Kalas singing “High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra on Phanavision. However, she says that she won’t let the team do that unless they continue making payments.
“They’ll say, ‘Eileen Kalas got rid of it. She’s money hungry,’” she said. “That’s what they always said. Flip it on me … I don’t mind if they have things. They just have to pay for it. It’s intellectual property. They know that.”
The Phillies say that they’ll do plenty to honor Kalas’s legacy.
“I get it. There’s an emotion to that,” Phillies managing partner John Middleton told reporters Tuesday, “but there’s a seven-foot statue of the guy in left field. The broadcast booth is named for him, there’s a plaque… I mean, you know, it’s not like we’re not honoring his legacy, and it’s not like we’re not going to continue to honor his legacy going in the future.”
However, Kalas says most of those tributes aren’t something fans can appreciate.
“They go, ‘Oh, we’re still going to have the statue.’ What are they going to do with the statue?” Kalas said. “I’ll take it. I’ll send in a truck, pick it up, and get it out if they want that out, too.”
Both of Kalas’s sons, Todd and Kane, said earlier in the week that they had no issue with the removal of Harry the K’s. However, their mother says that they have good reason not to complain. Todd is a broadcaster for the Houston Astros, and Kane maintains a relationship with the Phillies.
“How did I feel? I felt betrayed for Harry,” Eileen said. “Because he gave his all to the city and to the fans. He gave it all. I didn’t feel betrayed by them, ever. That’s who he loved. So in my opinion, there’s always a compromise … I thought of ‘the Ghost Energy Deck at Harry The K’s’. Everyone is happy. It’s a win-win.”
The Phillies did not respond to the Inquirer’s request for comment.
