Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Aug 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez (4) reacts with third baseman Alec Bohm (28) after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.
It’s not uncommon for Major League Baseball teams to auction off the opportunity to fans to do an inning of television or radio play-by-play in return for a sizable donation to one of the team’s charities.
What is uncommon, however, is for that fan to actually be good at calling play-by-play.
That is, unless you’re Philadelphia Phillies fan Lewis Kalb, who is going viral for his impressive broadcasting chops during a guest radio appearance against the Washington Nationals.
Phillies Fan Stuns Listeners With Incredible Radio Call
Kalb, who is reportedly a substitute teacher, won an auction to perform an inning of play-by-play during a Phillies radio broadcast at some point during the season.
That opportunity came on Wednesday night against the Nationals, and the moment he began to speak, you could tell that something special was about to happen.
Phillies auction winner calls the 3rd inning on the radio… and did a pretty great job
Top of the 3rd… pic.twitter.com/0rOkUQogDo
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) August 6, 2026
Kalb called the third inning of the game alongside usual commentators Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson. But unless you knew beforehand that he was making a guest appearance, you would have never known any better.
For one, his voice is absolutely made for the radio. Then on top of that, Kalb sounded like a seasoned vet with how smoothly he called the action.
“There is no freaking way that was this guy’s first time doing this. Talk about making the most of your opportunity and seizing it,” one fan posted on X.
Author and comedian Roy Wood Jr. said, “Dude is too nice with it. Them other boys in the booth better than me. He is coming for their job. A real hater would have unplugged his mic.”
Perhaps Kalb is able to turn the cameo performance into a full-time gig somewhere. But if not, we’d be happy to hear him back on another Phillies game in the future!