“The 3-0 pitch. Swing and a long drive, there it is, number 500! The career 500th home run for Michael Jack Schmidt! And the Phillies dugout comes swarming out to home plate! The Phillies have regained the lead at Pittsburgh 8 to 6.”

The transcript doesn’t do the call justice. It was absolute passion, absolute joy.  It was a fan being a fan and it was everything I was feeling at that moment, delivered with the eloquence and energy that we all wished we could muster at times like that, but none of us are Harry Kalas.

Yesterday Harry was preparing for an afternoon game between the Phils and the Nationals  in Washington, D.C., when he was found collapsed in the booth. He was rushed to the hospital to no avail. The voice that was the soundtrack of so many summers had left us to rejoin his long time broadcasting partner, Richie “Whitey” Ashburn, who had passed in 1997. Many of us heard the news as we tuned in for the pregame show hosted by one of Harry’s favorite Phillies, Mitch Williams. Mitch was clearly overcome with emotion, like the rest of us, as we were all forced to come to terms with the loss of a man who was more than just a baseball announcer and more than just a local celebrity.

Harry was one of us. He was a fan first and a broadcaster next, but he did both with more skill and love than any who came before him. He loved Philadelphia. He loved the Phillies. He loved the game of baseball. Most importantly though, he loved us, the fans. Harry never separated himself from his audience, never shied from an autograph or a story. He was always available, always humble, and always more interested in finding out about you than in talking about himself.

Many of us in Philadelphia know no other voice of the Phillies. He broadcast for Major League Baseball for 41 years, 36 of them with the Phils. If you’re under 40 you probably dont remember another broadcaster leading the way. In those nearly 4 decades the Phils had many up years, and more than their fair share of down. But it didn’t matter to Harry. He loved the game so much, loved the team so much, that win or lose he shared the same enthusiasm. He was the fan we all wanted to be, honest but optimistic. When Chase Utley squeezed a run from second base on a routine infield grounder he belted out “Chase Utley, you are the man!” No one could have said it better.

In 1980, revenue driven policies from MLB prevented Harry from calling the Phillies World Championship victory. Luckily, in 2008 those rules no longer existed, at least for radio, and we all got to hear the words we had waited oh so long to hear.

“The 0-2 pitch. Swing and a miss! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! Brad Lidge does it again, and stays perfect for the 2008 season! 48 for 48 in save opportunities, and watch the city celebrate!Don’t let the 48-hour wait diminish the euphoria of this moment, and the celebration. And it has been 28 years since the Phillies have enjoyed a World Championship; 25 years in this city with a team that has enjoyed a World Champion, and the fans are ready to celebrate. What a night!”

25 years of hope, frustration, and pent up emotion, all let lose in those eloquent words. Harry celebrated with us. He knew how we felt. He put it so perfectly.

Harry knew the players better than anyone. He was a part of the team. Where there would otherwise be a clear delineation between the team and the media, Harry transcended. He rode in the back with the players, playing cards and sharing stories. He was our man in the clubhouse, behind the scenes, and many players loved him just as much as he loved them. A knickname given by Harry always stuck, even if it was something as off the wall as “Mitchy-poo”. You had to be there to understand. But while players come and go, Harry was always there. His career spanned far more than most, and he shared much more of his life than any player could. Plays and the players who make them will likely fade from our memory, but like it’s been said, one thing is forever:

“Swing and a long drive! Watch that baby! Outta here!!”

Harry’s voice was as memorable as anything in Philadelphia sports, instantly recognizable, comforting, and always welcome. You heard it everywhere in the greater Philadelphia area from center city to down the shore. The mere sound stirs emotions and feelings that are deeply personal to each of us, and those feelings wont soon be forgotten. In fact, it’s the thought of losing those feelings that makes his passing so tough.

The Phillies won yesterday afternoon against with the Nationals, but the broadcast was far more centered on Harry than the game. Rain moved in after the game and continues to pour down today. At this point it’s scheduled to ease up shortly before tomorrow nights rematch in Washington, and we all know Harry wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s fitting that we have a dreary, bitter off-day to mourn. A day to tell stories and share memories. The emotional clouds will hang far longer, but the game, that game Harry loved, that team, those fan, us, must go on.

We love you Harry. Thank you for everything.

I landed most recently in Columbus, OH and found myself smack in the middle of a well lit, clean, attractive space. Wide open halls and inviting eateries were abound, and I swear that one of those airline employees actually smiled at me as I passed. FOR NO GOOD REASON!! Then, low and behold, no sooner than I found myself smack in the middle of this little slice of travel heaven I was out. No shuttle, no treadmill, no gauntlet of kiosks and credit offers, there I was at the luggage carousel. When what to my wondering eye should appear? My luggage…MY LUGGAGE!…before I even got to the carousel. Great googily moogily!

Now feeling swift and efficient I bounded off to get my rental car, but I was thwarted in my efforts because, well, I was there already…before I even got up to speed. Off I went to enjoy the many pleasures of Ohio.

As I depart the Buckeye State I’m having a similar experience, now at Dayton International. Not as much charm and a little more worn than Columbus, but much of the same pleasant efficiencies. Could it be that we’d benefit from a smaller, more agile airport network? Would service improve and delays be reduced? Let’s face it. Most major cities don’t have the land or money to develop several small airports instead of one large one. Chicago already has two, and both are too big for their britches, so what would we do there? I don’t know, I just know that sometimes bigger isn’t better…

I travel quite frequently between PHL and BOS, and up until 2007 that could be done quickly and cheaply on the hourly  USAir commuter flights. Around the holidays that year, for several reasons, tickets prices tripled, ruining the economics of my frequent flights. That’s when I rediscovered our friends at Amtrak and their Northeast corridor service, and I haven’t looked back since.

Amtrak trains along the Northeast corridor have frequent departures at reasonable prices. Local trains usually run about $120 from PHL to BOS, with Acela trains pushing $200. Acela is the high speed train introduced several years back to much fanfare. Between Philly and New York, it’s worthless time-wise, saving you only about 5 minutes one way on a 50 minute ride. But it does serve to, shall we say, cut out the riff raff…if you care about that sort of thing. Real times gains are to be had between New York and Boston, where the difference is about 50 minutes on a 6 hour ride. You’ll find families and college kids on the local trains, with the Acela mostly populated by like-minded business people (I’m not passing judgment. Let’s face it, both demographics have their issues) But the real joy comes when you arrive at the station 10 minutes prior to departure, ease yourself into a wide seat, and take off for your destination usually on time. And look down next to your seat, what’s that…could it be…yes, a power outlet just begging to merrily charge your laptop as you go.

Another huge advantage, one I’m exploiting as I write this, access to the airwaves. No, Amtrak has yet to provide on-train Wi-Fi, but your 5ft cruising altitude gives every opportunity to plug in that air-card or, as I do, tether that BB for broadband goodness. There’s leg room, there’s a cafe car, there are bathrooms you’d actually have enough room to fool around in. Again, if you care about that sort of thing.  It’s travel with dignity, and it’s worth every extra minute it might take to get where you’re going.

To that end, let’s do the math. 20 minute cab ride to the airport. 30 minutes to check in and get through security, and you better have gotten there 30 minutes before boarding to be on the safe side. PHL to BOS is about 40 minutes in the air and 15 on the ground to get to the gate (6+ hours if you’re going the other way and have to wait for a gate to open in Philly). Even without a checked bag it’s still at least 45 minutes before you’re getting where your going, so all told you’re talking 3½ to 4 hours door-to-door.

Now compare that to 15 minutes on either end of a 5 hour Acela ride. A ride in which you’re literally working from the moment you sit till the moment you arrive, and suddenly the time difference doesn’t seem so bad. One last hint, if you’re leaving Boston in the morning and can afford the extra time, skip the Acela for a local morning train. The business crowd (and there will be a large one) will head for the Acela, and the local will be half empty.

Don’t get me wrong, Amtrak has it’s issues too. There are occasional delays, the local trains tend to run about 150° in the winter (wear layers), and those of us traveling from anywhere BUT New York are forced to deal with those of you coming FROM New York, but it’s a small price to pay for the convenience, class and comfort of riding the rails. Next time your traveling the Northeast corridor definitely give it a look!

Diving a little deeper, Business Travel Logue provides dedicated pages on travel entertainment, loyalty programs, and a few city-specific guides. The information is useful but a bit limited. If you’re a sports fan heading to Chicago you probably don’t need their guide to tell you to head to Wrigley field. Location info, transportation options, and links to ticket sources would probably up the utility. But I give them a big thumbs up for recommending the Omni Chicago Hotel.

I give them credit as well for suggesting the business traveler experience more of the cities they travel to on the grind, I just wish they’d go a little deeper with their suggestions of just how to do that. There really is some useful information hid on the page, but you have to do some digging to find it. For instance, an interesting review of private jet agencies was buried on the information page, so keep your eyes open.

Updates are posted about every 1 to 2 days, and accepting the site for what it is, BusinessTravelLogue.com is a useful but limited source of tips and information, earning it 3 ‘naners out of 5 from the Traveling Chimp.

…unless you’re a big dumb monkey…

For the second time in as many months I pulled this trick with my brand new Samsung Omnia. You know, the one I’m in the process of field testing. The cab company was of little help (thanks a lot Victory Taxi), claiming they were unable to reach their driver when I immediately called from my work cellphone curbside (I knew carrying two phones would come in handy one day). After a few fruitless calls to my wandering phone I gave up and made my way through security when suddenly hope sprang eternal.

As it turned out a good guy on his way back to the city had picked up my phone and was willing to get it back to me. By this time I was boarding my plane for Vegas and it was a comical juggling act making arrangements to retrieve the phone, but it was worth every minute, and when asked how I liked the phone, I happily obliged with a recitation of my critical review (stay tuned, the published version is on its way).

So I tip my hat to the honest benefactor who made sure my field testing can continue, and I’m reminded once more to pay attention as I travel. Next time I might not be so lucky…

I swung in to the small, modern spot for lunch because of its convenient location, comfortable menu, and a promised serving of famous Pierogies Plus. The soup du jour was the Bigelow’s chili, which was very flavorful and nicely presented. There was a bit of spice, but not so much that it was going to come back to haunt me at my afternoon meeting.

I followed up the chili with a glazed chicken sandwich that was equally abundant in both tender chicken and sweet glaze, the latter to a fault. The sandwich was topped with fresh greens and a healthy slab of bacon, but much was overpowered by the thick glaze that would’ve been better served in lighter proportion. It also made for sloppy eats, and a thankfully obscure stain on my shirt. So much for that afternoon meeting.

And yes, that is a nicely sized serving of those famous Pittsburgh pierogies. If you remember only one thing from my review, it should be ditch the fries, get the pierogies. The whole deal set me back $18.19, not terrible for a sitdown meal.

The exterior of the Bigelow Grille was decidedly unexciting on this snowy Pittsburgh afternoon, but the interior was clean and bright, and the service very capable. The early lunch traffic was light and there was plenty of space to spread out my meeting prep. Wi-fi via Wayport was available. Overall the Bigelow Grille made for a pleasant lunch, and the conveient location was unbeatable. Just remember, fries no, pierogies yes.

Then you get to the airport…

The brain-trust that is Philly International has, in their infinite wisdom, reconfigured the security check at the B-terminal. Gone is the well defined “first class and dividend preferred” entrance, replaced instead by the TSA’s new, wonderfully ambiguous, “Expert Traveler” label. Here’s a  few words of advice to the TSA, every jackass with rolling luggage thinks they’re an expert traveler. Anyway, to add to the uncertainty, PHL has moved said entrance about 10 feet over…to the precise location the general entrance formerly was.  So now every aforementioned jackass, AND everyone else who doesn’t know any better, heads right into that line.

Fear not, however, for manning the line is a crack shot airport employee, dutifully assigned to inform everyone that the line is specifically for first class and preferred travelers. That is, when he hasn’t wandered off for a few minutes, or isn’t distracted by his riveting conversations with his fellow employees.

So take note that the fast lane at terminal-B is, for the time being, a little less “fast”!

And while I’m lathered up, a polite request to airline employees who’s position afords them the right to cut into the security line ahead of others. A quick acknowledgement or remotely curteous request to do so would go oh so far in endearing you to the travelers in whos service you’re supposed to be employed. And when you do so it would be nice if you didn’t take twice as long as everyone else to get your belongings out and onto the belt. One USAir attendant this morning was wonderfully kind in doing just that this morning. Her co-worker a few minutes later unfortunately was not so inclined.

Dear God it’s going to be a long year…