Unveiling My Thoughts

You ever have or do something that was really cool and then people over-do and over think it? Like when I was younger, we played hockey at the local playground. It was always a good time. We had the right mix of players. Enough to have subs, but not too many that you didn’t play enough. Everyone was close enough in skill level that you never had to worry about who was on who’s team. It was always a competitive game. I started noticing that things were changing. The normal players weren’t showing up and other guys were coming instead, the game wasn’t as fun.  I know, it’s a baseball blog but yesterday’s Harry Kalas statue unveiling made me think of it.  The whole reason the hockey game wasn’t fun anymore was because some dude brought his girlfriend to keep stats. The game wasn’t about playing and having a good time. It was about who had the most points. You didn’t laugh and joke about the time someone tripped over his own pants or congratulate and ridicule another player at the same time over a fantastic deke. People just stared at the score sheet.

The basic premise of the statute was fantastic. Fans wanted to honor the man who for so long made watching some terrible teams bearable and made watching the great teams unforgettable. A foundation, Dear Harry Inc, was started and began raising funds. They found a sculptor they liked (Lawrence Nowlan) and the project was underway. In true Wriz fashion, this is where I’d normally say everything went terribly wrong, but not so.  Sure the rain and cancellation of Sunday’s game, the original did cause a minor hiccup. The plaque says the statute was dedicated on August 14th, but the man had a tarp on his head for 3 days and wasn’t unveiled until the 16th. A few people had mentioned that they didn’t like the artist rendition. One said he didn’t like the way Harry was represented leaning on a bat. Another said it didn’t look like Harry at all. But I guess you’re never going to make everyone happy. My problem is the way the Phillies organization handled it.

First, I feel a statue paid for by the fans should be OUTSIDE the stadium. If you donated a hundred dollars or even it was only a buck or two, you should be able to go see the statue anytime you want not buy a ticket and go to a game. I also thought it was in bad taste the Phillies listed the unveiling as a “promotion” on their website.

Then, we have the ceremony itself. I guess you have to give those who started and saw the project through to completion their moment in the sun, but YAWN! Did they all have to speak? I’m sure it seemed it was an automatic to have someone sing High Hopes, but that crappy lounge lizard Eddie Bruce sucked ass. I thought playing Harry on the big screen and letting the fans sing along would have been perfect, but if not how about Harry’s son Kane, a professionally trained singer. I’m sure he knows all the words unlike Bruce.

And lastly, how do you not only invite but introduce Chris Wheeler during the ceremony? Harry hates Wheeler more than me and that’s hard to do. And that douche bag had the gumption to stand up and wave to the crowd like Miss America. Sorry Chris, the fans had Harry’s back and booed your pathetic ass.

See ya at the ballpark!

Jay Wrizight

jaywrizight@yahoo.com