Last call for Andy Musser

Andy Musser, center, in the Phillies’ TV booth with Richie Ashburn, left, and Harry Kalas

Andy Musser, the pride of Lemoyne, Pa., and onetime batboy with the old Class B Harrisburg Senators, makes the final call of his long, distinguished career as a radio and TV broadcaster 24 years ago today in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 8-3 loss at Atlanta.

Andy Musser in 1956 with By Saam, standing, and Gene Kelly

At the time, Musser no longer is calling Phillies games on a regular basis, but is pinch-hitting on this day for Hall of Famer Harry Kalas.

Musser’s path to a 45-year career as a broadcaster starts in 1956 when, as an 18-year-old high school senior, he wins a contest to call an inning of a Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium.

Musser works his inning as a teen with legendary broadcasters Gene Kelly, sitting, and By Saam.

“I couldn't have envisioned this,” Musser later says of parlaying a 1956 contest into a career.

“I still pinch myself, because I’ve been so fortunate, Musser says. “The only one more fortunate than me was Richie Ashburn. He never worked a day in his life. He went from the playing field to the booth to the pine box.”

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