A Phillies fan won a charity auction and ended up stealing the show on the radio.
Lewis Kalb, a substitute teacher from Medford Lakes, New Jersey, got the chance to call the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Washington Nationals alongside regular announcers Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen. The Phillies were already trailing early, but once Kalb settled into the booth, the spotlight shifted fast.
“Thank you, Scott,” he said after being introduced. “It’s a thrill to be here.
It’s a lifelong dream to be here in the Phillies broadcast booth, so here we go. Painter with the first pitch to Ortiz.
It’s in there for strike one called. Phils with two in the bottom of the second to take the lead, as we start the top of the third now.
Painter delivers. It’s bounced foul.”
Listeners picked up on his polished delivery right away. Kalb sounded like someone who had spent plenty of time around a mic, describing pitches and counts with a steady, old-school broadcaster style. There were a few small count mistakes mixed in, but the overall performance landed strongly.
The reaction online came quickly and it was overwhelmingly positive. Fans were stunned by how natural he sounded, with plenty of people saying he looked and sounded like he belonged in the booth full time. Clips of his work in the top and bottom of the third inning spread fast.
“he absolutely did this at some level before… he was in his bag,” one fan said.
“Fantastic announcing, felt transported to a simpler time,” another added.
“I was listening in the car for this. He’s got South Jersey Jon Miller vibes,” someone commented.
“It’s insanely hard. This guy was fantastic and besides a few mistakes here and there he did wonderful.
I was super impressed!” another wrote.
“A Phillies fan won an auction and got to call an entire inning on the Phillies radio network… and he absolutely CRUSHED it 🤯💯 Genuinely one of the most impressive things I’ve seen,” one more said.
Reports later said Kalb has called youth sports in his hometown, and some people also connected him to past minor work with the Mets.
The Phillies ended up losing 10-4, but the score took a back seat to the surprise of the night. Kalb’s calm voice and confident timing made the moment memorable, and the clip kept drawing praise across social media long after the inning ended.
In Other News...
76ers Built A Contender Fast And Fans Will Debate The Risk
The 76ers spent the 2026 offseason reshaping the roster in a hurry, and the result is the kind of star-heavy group that can change the conversation around a franchise overnight. Jaylen Brown arrived via trade, LeBron James was added in free agency, and Philadelphia also brought in Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti and Caleb Love on a two-way contract, giving Nick Nurse a very different-looking team to work with right away.
Mike Gansey, the new team president, has been central to the aggressive push and has shown no hesitation about attacking the market. It is the sort of bold build that can make a contender fast, but it also invites the familiar debate that follows any major overhaul in Philadelphia: whether loading up this quickly gives the Sixers the right mix for a real run, or leaves them carrying more risk than patience. [Read more 🡒]
V.J. Edgecombe's LeBron Reaction Sums Up The New-Look 76ers
V.J. Edgecombe already sounds like he understands the assignment in Philadelphia. On a video call, the rookie talked about the surreal feeling of becoming teammates with LeBron James and admitted he was trying hard to act cool even while clearly buzzing about the moment. It was the kind of reaction that fits a roster suddenly loaded with star power, especially one that already features Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
For the 76ers, the bigger picture is the kind of attention that comes with a dramatic reshaping of the roster. With Jaylen Brown and LeBron James now in the mix alongside Embiid and Maxey, there is no shortage of talent or storylines to follow. Edgecombes reaction offered a small but telling glimpse of what it means to walk into that environment, where even a simple call can feel like a major introduction to the next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Just Changed How Sixers Fans Should See VJ Edgecombe
VJ Edgecombe enters his first season in Philadelphia with a clearer outline than a spotlight, and that may be the right way to view a young player on a roster trying to sort out roles. The Sixers expect him to work in a smaller lane, likely as a 3-and-D piece, which can sound limiting until a player proves he can make that kind of job matter. Jaylen Brown has already offered a different read on the situation, one that frames Edgecombe less as a sideline figure and more as someone with room to grow into his place.
Browns perspective carries weight because he knows what it looks like to develop on a team full of established talent, where the path forward is usually built through patience and repetition. For Edgecombe, that kind of veteran support could be just as important as any early-season minutes, especially if his role is going to come from defense, spacing and steady growth rather than immediate volume. The bigger question now is whether Philadelphia can turn that promise into something more than a supporting assignment. [Read more 🡒]