"Everybody hits! Wha Whoo!" the man pleads as he leans on a low green wall, just to the right of the backstop. It's the same voice that, over the years, has become a part of the Phillies' home broadcasts. It's not as famous as, say, a Harry Kalas home-run call. But it's definitely more frequent. It's a voice that is perpetually in the background, a voice you hear as you're listening to a Phils game and there's a slight lull from the announcers. The voice that belongs to Brad Golden, a Northeast Philadelphian who will turn 47 on Sept. 28, the date, he proudly noted, "that will be the last home game before the Phillies play in the playoffs." Around Veterans Stadium, Golden is known as The Wha Whoo Man. (That's how Golden spells wahoo). Since the Vet opened in 1971, he and his family have owned six season tickets in Section 224. Wearing a pinstriped Phillies shirt with the words "Everybody Hits, Wha Whoo!!" on the back and his deceased dad's initials on an arm patch, he sits in Row 1, just behind the left corner of the Phils' dugout. Whether the Phillies are leading or hopelessly behind, Golden is always upbeat, always delivering his trademark phrases. On this night, as Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf peered for a sign from catcher Mike Lieberthal, Golden shouted: "Everybody strikes out! Wha Whoo!" Golden's words are heard clearly by those in Section 224. And, since a field microphone is attached to the Plexiglas that overhangs from the side of the Phillies' dugout - about five feet away from Golden - his pleas are also heard by the thousands of fans listening to the game on the radio. The Phillies' announcers say Golden's cheers aren't a distraction. "Going to a baseball game is all about having fun, and he's part of the fun," announcer Chris Wheeler said. "He gets everyone involved," added announcer Scott Graham. Kalas said the late Rich Ashburn would hear Golden's voice early in a game and give his broadcast partner a warning. "He'd say to me, 'He's here again tonight, Harry,' " said Kalas, smiling. "Whitey and I would talk about him a lot. I think he's great. He's the ultimate baseball fan. It's fun." Kalas immortalized Golden when he made his Hall of Fame acceptance speech in Cooperstown, N.Y., last July. Kalas wrote a poem to Phillies fans for the occasion, and two of the lines read: "You give the opposing pitcher fits. "Because as one loyalist shouts, 'Everybody hits.' " The loyalist is Golden, a 1974 Northeast High grad who works as a sales manager for his brother's carpet-cleaning business in Philadelphia. Golden didn't know about Kalas' poem until he received a call from his friend, Ed Buzan, a Center City marketing consultant. "Brad," Buzan excitedly told him, "you're in the Hall of Fame." "I was in shock. I was in awe," Golden said. "And to hear that the No. 1 sports commentator in pro sports . . . had mentioned me, it was unbelievable. I sent Harry a thank-you and he sent me back an autographed picture." Golden isn't the original "Everybody Hits" Man. There was an elderly fan who started the chants - much less frequently and with less passion than Golden - about 15 years ago. But he hasn't been seen around the Vet since the early 1990s. Golden has picked up the slack, added his "Wha Whoo!" and says he plans to continue the tradition at the new ballpark next year. As a youngster, Golden became a baseball fan when his father took him to games at Connie Mack Stadium. "My dad would say, 'If everybody would just get a single, this team would go to the World Series,' " Golden said. "And it's true. Think about it. You'd never lose." Golden, who has sent paperwork to Washington, D.C., to try to get his phrase copyrighted, says that clients from his business use a lot of his family's season tickets. He estimates he attends about 35 games a year. When he's at the Vet, he seems to have a rapport with the players and coaches, some of whom give him nods or clenched fists when they make eye contact. "I'm a positive person, and I do this to give the players a positive influence," he said. "Like anything in life, if you visualize it and believe in it, it usually happens." "Everybody hits! Wha Whoo!" So far, of course, the Phils haven't answered Golden's pleas. Entering last night, they were 14th out of 16 National League teams with a .248 batting average. "The Phillies have a potent lineup, and if they start hitting like they can, they'll get right back in the race," said Golden, who was living in Las Vegas in 1980 but flew home to attend the clinching game of the World Series. As Golden watched the action against the Mets a few weeks ago, the Phils started a late rally. "Everybody gets on base!" he implored. He paused and, as if on cue, the rest of the section delivered the punch line. "Wha Whoo!" Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-84-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.

Illustration:PHOTO JERRY LODRIGUSS / Inquirer Staff Photographer Brad Golden is a fan with a positive message. His "wahoo" chants have been heard in the background on Phillies broadcasts for years. (E01)

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