The Philadelphia Phillies ballpark is parting ways with places that served as a tribute to the team’s history. By the end of the $600 million worth of upgrades, Citizens Bank Park will no longer look the same. While the franchise modernized the baseball experience with welcome upgrades to the jumbotron, outfield, scoreboard, Hall of Fame Club, and two-story team store, some of their changes remain controversial. Especially, the one selling the naming rights of Harry the K’s.

Named after Harry Kalas, Harry the K’s in the left-field of the Citizens Bank Park served as a long-time tribute to the legendary Phillies broadcaster of almost four decades. The Phillies sold the naming rights of the bar to Ghost Energy, and the area will be henceforth called the Ghost Energy Deck. Following this latest development, Kalas’ widow Eileen feels the franchise has betrayed her husband, reported The New York Post.

“Taking down that sign takes away everything he did for the city,” Eileen 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.”

Kalas was the Hall of Fame voice, who started calling the Phillies games in 1971 and continued till 2009. Over 30 seasons, Kalas became the voice announcing the Phillies’ historical moments. This included Mike Schmidt’s 500th career home run, becoming the 1993 NL Champions, and the Phillies winning the 2008 World Series.

Known for his catchphrase, “The ball is outta here!”, Kalas was with the Phillies till his very last day on April 13, 2009. He collapsed inside the broadcasting booth before a game against the Washington Nationals, ultimately passing away due to heart disease. He was 73 years old at the time.

Harry the K’s was unveiled in the stadium in 2004, and has been serving as an honor to the announcer’s memory.

Acknowledging the emotional impact of the decision, Phillies managing partner John Middleton reportedly justified, “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.”

The non-profit Dear Harry Inc. funded the 7-foot bronze statue of Harry Kalas that Middleton spoke about. The fans took this fundraising approach to build the memorial statue that the Phillies unveiled on August 16, 2011.

But Eileen, extremely angered by the decision, is ready to take back the statue as well.

She told the media outlet, “They go, ‘Oh, we’re still going to have the statue.’ What are they going to do with the statue? I’ll take it. I’ll send in a truck, pick it up, and get it out if they want that out, too.”

The Phillies reportedly want to continue playing a recording of Kalas’ singing High Hopes by Frank Sinatra after wins. But Eileen Kalas told the Inquirer that they won’t be able to use it unless they pay.

“They’ll say, Eileen Kalas got rid of it. She’s money hungry,” Eileen said to The Inquirer.

The Phillies paid Eileen $20,000 annually to use Kalas’ likeness. They will pay her in 2026 as they missed the deadline to break the contract, but not anymore in 2027.

“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,” added the late announcer’s wife.

Modernization is not the only driving factor behind this move; the Phillies will gain significant financial benefits, too. Before, the Phillies were paying Eileen; now, they are not only saving money, but also getting paid well.

“It’s going to maybe buy some napkins or something like that. It’s not serious, serious money. We’re not going to go out and buy a new player,” remarked Middleton on the savings, as per Philly Voice.

On the other hand, the Ghost Energy deal is far more financially beneficial. Ghost Energy will pay the Phillies an amount substantial enough to buy a player, as indicated by Middleton.

“Now, the money that Ghost is paying us… I mean, if you want a $300 million payroll, you need about $600 plus million of revenue. You’re looking for money everywhere — and if you go by the way, if you go to Yankee Stadium, you go to Dodger Stadium — I mean, it’s all over the place. But that’s modern baseball, modern. The cost of doing business.”

Notably, Harry the K’s is not the only place that will suffer from the modernization blow and what Middleton dubbed as “the cost of doing business.”

Outfield Clock — another piece of nostalgia removed

The Phillies’ managing partner, John Middleton, confirmed that the team removed the analog clock that sat above the outfield in Citizens Bank Park. Alongside Harry the K’s, the clock, too, has been a part of the stadium since it opened in 2004.

The clock served as a piece of nostalgia, a remembrance of the analog clock on top of the scoreboard in the old Connie Mack Stadium. It was removed to make space for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game branding.

Middleton strongly defended removing the clock as a step towards modernization. He questioned how many of the current fans can actually relate to what it represents.

“Honestly, I’m telling you if you ask the 3.375 million people who came through our ballpark last year, how many of those people do you think would know that clock represents the clock on top of the right field scoreboard?” asked Middleton, per the Philly Voice. “And seriously, five percent? 10 percent? Do you think the nostalgia will be missed in 20 years?”

“No. The world changes, you get new fans, new customers, you know. There are younger people who look at that and say, why is that there? I’ve got my phone. I don’t need a clock. Why is it there? Who cares?”

However, at the moment, fans do care; it’s hard to predict what fans will or will not miss 20 years down the line. While Middleton has put down reasons for the changes taking place, the fans and Harry Kalas’s widow certainly don’t agree with them.