Chris Wheeler to retire from Phillies organization

By Theo DeRosa, Sports Talk Philly staff

Former Phillies TV broadcaster Chris Wheeler has announced that he'll be stepping away from the Phils after over four decades with the team.

CSN Philadelphia's Sean Kane reported that Wheeler will no longer be with the team after this season.

Wheeler, 72, was fired as CSN's color commentator after the 2013 season, but remained with the organization as a team ambassador. For almost every year since 1975, he was the voice on the PA system during Phillies spring training games in Clearwater, Florida.

The man often nicknamed Wheels was closely identified with the city of Philadelphia throughout his life. Wheeler attended Penn State, afterward working as a broadcaster at WCAU radio.

He began his Phillies broadcasting career in 1977 after spending six years as the assistant director of publicity and public relations. Wheeler worked continually as a broadcaster until his release by CSN.

Citizens Bank Park will miss the man closely identified for so many years with the voice of Phillies baseball.