The Phillies honored Harry Kalas on Sunday for his entrance into the Hall of Fame as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters.
It was a fitting tribute to the popular announcer as family, friends and many former players returned to pay respects to someone who has been a major part of the franchise for more than 30 years.
Unfortunately, a few other issues nearly overshadowed an event that was scheduled to coincide with alumni weekend and the team's annual charity bash on Monday. The weekend began with the news that the players association had announced a strike date for Aug. 30.
There has been lively debate all around as to whether it will happen. Everyone agrees that a strike could destroy a sport that is already in dire straits. Most people say that setting a date is just posturing. I disagree.
After information surfaced that contradicted commissioner Bud Selig's testimony in Congress a few months ago, I don't believe much of anything that he says, and the players seem to distrust owners in general.
I think the players could walk, but it will be a short strike. Perhaps going out on the Labor Day weekend will force management to bend enough to bring everybody back to the bargaining table immediately. If a strike like the one in 1994 unfolds, the game is dead.
The weekend series with St. Louis also marked the return of former Phils third baseman Scott Rolen to Philadelphia. The fans were merciless.
"If you had asked me beforehand, I would have said that there would have been some boos and cheers," said catcher Mike Lieberthal. "(Friday night) was like J.D. Drew all over again. I was very surprised."
Drew was the Phillies' first pick in the 1997 draft who decided to play elsewhere, so he sat out for a year and re-entered the draft the following season. He and Rolen both play for the Cardinals.
I expected fan reaction during Rolen's first plate appearance on Friday, but when the booing continued relentlessly throughout the weekend, it was a little too much for me. Granted, freedom of speech is still protected under the First Amendment, and fans are entitled to express their displeasure, but enough is enough.
To his credit, Rolen took the high road. He acknowledged that he expected some backlash from the fans, but he also chose to focus on his return to Philadelphia as a chance to see friends that he made when he played here.
One of those friends was Kalas. At the end of Sunday's tribute, Rolen trotted out of the Cardinals' dugout to shake hands with the announcer as he was getting into a car for a victory lap around the field.
Kalas appreciated the gesture. The fans thought otherwise. Sunday was supposed to be Harry's day. The fan reaction was uncalled for.
There was one person at the Vet this weekend who probably understood Rolen's situation more than anyone else. Former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt has become a confidant to several players this season, and reporters were curious about any advice that he had given to Rolen.
"I told him not to be so sensitive about what's been going on," Schmidt said before Friday's game.
Having experienced adverse reactions from fans during his career, there was some curiosity about how Schmidt handled it at the time.
"The same way Scotty did, unfortunately," said the hall of famer. "Too much bothered him, and too much bothered me.
"In Philadelphia, he wasn't able to have fun playing the game like he should have. He's wound up tight, like I was. You try to please everybody, and you're looking out for your teammates all of the time, and you have so much (stuff) going on when you come out to the park that you end up not having fun, and it drives you crazy.
"I think that (Rolen) felt that a new environment where he's not the focal point and he can just blend in (would be better)," Schmidt continued. "(In St. Louis,) he's hitting fifth or sixth (in the lineup), and there are maybe four or five guys, like (Jim) Edmonds or (Albert) Pujols, who could win the MVP award before him. You might not even know that he's there, and that's what he wants — to be left alone to play the game."
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