Tom Hamilton (sportscaster)

Hamilton joined the then- Indians Radio Network for the 1990 season, after spending three years in the booth for the then AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Columbus Clippers.

Hamilton was paired with Indians legend Herb Score until 1997, when Score retired after 30 seasons. Hamilton became chief play by play announcer in the 1998 season, a position he still holds today. Because of his longevity and popularity, he is now considered to be the "voice of the Tribe". After the Indians were renamed to the Guardians, he has also been referred to as the "voice of the Guardians".{{cite web |last1=Doherty |first1=Leah |title=Guardians’ Tom Hamilton named 2025 Ford C. Frick Award Winner |url=https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/12/11/guardians-tom-hamilton-named-2025-ford-c-frick-award-winner/ |website=cleveland19.com |access-date=14 December 2024 |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211194851/https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/12/11/guardians-tom-hamilton-named-2025-ford-c-frick-award-winner/ |url-status=live }}

Over his career, Hamilton has called over 5,000 games, including two World Series (1997 and 2016{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Mandy |title=Guardians radio announcer Tom Hamilton named Frick Award winner |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tom-hamilton-named-2025-ford-c-frick-award-winner?msockid=22397ed1e3fc65c02a426bd0e24c6439 |website=mlb.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media, LP. |access-date=15 December 2024 |archive-date=December 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241228090131/https://www.mlb.com/news/tom-hamilton-named-2025-ford-c-frick-award-winner?msockid=22397ed1e3fc65c02a426bd0e24c6439 |url-status=live }}).

On August 5, 2023, Hamilton received praise for his energetic call of a bench-clearing brawl between the Guardians and Chicago White Sox.{{cite web |last1=Noga |first1=Joe |title=‘Down goes Anderson!’ Guardians broadcaster delivers epic play-by-play of brawl with Chicago |url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2023/08/down-goes-anderson-guardians-broadcaster-delivers-epic-play-by-play-of-brawl-with-chicago.html |website=cleveland.com |publisher=Advance Local Media LLC. |access-date=15 December 2024}}

Hamilton also called college basketball games in the offseason (usually Ohio State games) for ESPN Plus, and Big Ten Network for 25 years.{{cite web |title=Guardians Broadcasters |url=https://www.mlb.com/guardians/team/broadcasters?msockid=22397ed1e3fc65c02a426bd0e24c6439 |website=mlb.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media, LP. |access-date=14 December 2024 |archive-date=December 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227145856/https://www.mlb.com/guardians/team/broadcasters?msockid=22397ed1e3fc65c02a426bd0e24c6439 |url-status=live }}

• Herb Score, 1990–1997
• Mike Hegan, 1998–2011
• Dave Nelson, 1998-1999*
• Matt Underwood, 2000-2006*
• Jim Rosenhaus, 2010–present*{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/guardians/history/broadcasters |title=All-Time Broadcasters - Cleveland Guardians |access-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019222639/https://www.mlb.com/guardians/history/broadcasters |url-status=live }}

(*) - Nelson, and later Underwood joined Hamilton and Hegan in a three-man booth from 1998 to 2007, when the Indians then went to a two-man booth. Rosenhaus, Hamilton and Hegan formed a three-man team for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

(all pre-Indians/Guardians){{Cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/guardians/team/broadcasters |title=Broadcasters - Cleveland Guardians |access-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707125132/https://www.mlb.com/guardians/team/broadcasters |url-status=live }}

• University of Wisconsin–Madison—football games
• ABC Radio
• Appleton Foxes—minor league baseball games
• University of Colorado—basketball games
• Columbus Clippers—minor league baseball games

• "And we're underway at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario!" - after the first pitch of a Guardians home game (during away games, Hamilton will usually say "And we're underway at [opposing team's ballpark or city]"){{cite news |last1=Justice |first1=Camryn |title=You can have 'Voice of the Tribe' Tom Hamilton call your play from home |url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/sports/baseball/indians/you-can-have-voice-of-the-tribe-tom-hamilton-call-your-play-from-home |access-date=6 October 2024 |work=News 5 Cleveland |date=10 April 2020}}
• "STRIKE THREE CALLED!" - after a Guardians pitcher strikes out an opposing batter looking
• "Swing and a drive, waaaay back, and gone!!" or "Swung on and belted, to deep ______ (left/center/right), awaaaay back, and outta here!!" - for a Guardians home run{{cite news |last1=Meisel |first1=Zack |title=It's hard to not be a fan of Guardians announcer Tom Hamilton — just ask his kids |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5460746/2024/05/28/tom-hamilton-cleveland-guardians-broadcaster/ |access-date=6 October 2024 |work=The Atlantic |date=28 May 2024 |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007113054/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5460746/2024/05/28/tom-hamilton-cleveland-guardians-broadcaster/ |url-status=live }}
• "Swiiiing and a miss, he tried to hit that one to Euclid / into Lake Erie." - when a batter swings really hard but misses (for away games, Hamilton will use the name of a nearby suburb or neighborhood in the home city)
• "A SWING and a miss!" - for a swinging strikeout by a Guardians pitcher
• "Ballgame!" - after the final out of a Guardians win[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tom-hamilton-2/ Tom Hamilton - SABR.org][https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2014/08/cleveland_indians_tom_hamilton.html For Tom Hamilton, the voice of the Cleveland Indians, 'the impossible dream came true' - Cleveland.com] (The Plain Dealer)
• "DOWN GOES ANDERSON! DOWN GOES ANDERSON!" - during an August 5, 2023, brawl between the Guardians and Chicago White Sox when Cleveland’s José Ramírez knocked Chicago's Tim Anderson down with a right hook.[https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1688005649651707905?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet Tom Hamilton's call of the Jose Ramirez-Tim Anderson fight on Cleveland radio is the stuff of legend. - Awful Announcing on Twitter]{{cite web |title=DOWN GOES ANDERSON LIMITED EDITION T SHIRT |url=https://gvartwork.com/products/down-goes-anderson-tee |website=GV ART AND DESIGN |access-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923053228/https://gvartwork.com/products/down-goes-anderson-tee |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Traina |first1=Jimmy |title=Guardians' Tom Hamilton Takes Us Through the Viral Call of the Wild MLB Fight |url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/08/08/tom-hamilton-guardians-jose-ramirez-tim-anderson-fight |website=SI.com |date=8 August 2023 |publisher=Sports Illustrated |access-date=August 8, 2023 |archive-date=August 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809210359/https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/08/08/tom-hamilton-guardians-jose-ramirez-tim-anderson-fight |url-status=live }}
• "Cleveland, you will have an October to Remember!" - the final call of every game in which the Indians/Guardians have clinched a playoff spot since 1995.{{cite news |last1=DeNatale |first1=Dave |title=25 years ago: Remembering the night the Cleveland Indians clinched the 1995 American League Central Division crown |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/mlb/indians/remembering-indians-clinching-american-league-central-division-25-years-later/95-0207ea55-63df-4a19-a12f-6ca53b83afc9 |access-date=6 October 2024 |work=WKYC |date=8 September 2020}}
• "Swung on! Hit high, hit deep to left. THERE SHE GOES!...HOW ABOUT THAT? A walk-off 2-run home run to the bleachers in left by David Fry! And the magical 2024 season is NOT. DONE. BY ANY MEANS!" - Hamilton's call of David Fry's walk-off home run in Game 3 of the 2024 ALCS.

Hamilton resides in Avon Lake, Ohio, with his wife and four children. One son, Nick, was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 35th round in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Kent State University.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/06/johnny_damon_knows_he_has_to_g.html |title=Hamilton's son drafted - Cleveland.com |access-date=May 27, 2013 |archive-date=January 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110085403/http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/06/johnny_damon_knows_he_has_to_g.html |url-status=live }}

Another son, Brad, works as a reporter for Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW-TV 8.

• Glory Days in Tribe Town: The Cleveland Indians and Jacobs Field 1994–1997, (Co-Written with Terry Pluto), 2014 {{ISBN|978-1-938441-35-6}}

• Seven-time NSSA Ohio Sportscaster of the Year (1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2017) [https://nationalsportsmedia.org/awards/state-awards/ohio Hamilton Ohio Sportscaster of the Year - NSSA.com]
• 2009 inductee - Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame{{Cite web |url=http://www.cabcleveland.com/CAb_Cleveland/Hall_of_Fame.html |title=Hamilton inducted into Cleveland Broadcasters HOF - CAB Cleveland.com |access-date=January 19, 2014 |archive-date=December 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217014859/http://www.cabcleveland.com/CAb_Cleveland/Hall_of_Fame.html |url-status=live }}
• 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award - Greater Cleveland Sports Awards{{Cite web |url=https://www.clevelandsports.org/events/2022/03/23/greater-cleveland-sports-awards/lifetime-achievement-award#page-content |title=LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Greater Cleveland Sports Awards |access-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019222637/https://www.clevelandsports.org/events/2022/03/23/greater-cleveland-sports-awards/lifetime-achievement-award#page-content |url-status=live }}
• Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2022)[https://fox8.com/news/browns-legend-olympic-gold-medalist-champion-volleyball-coach-and-longtime-broadcaster-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/ Browns legend, Olympic gold medalist, champion volleyball coach and longtime broadcaster inducted into Hall of Fame - Fox 8.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019173939/https://fox8.com/news/browns-legend-olympic-gold-medalist-champion-volleyball-coach-and-longtime-broadcaster-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/ |date=October 19, 2022 }} (WJW-TV)
• 2025 Ford C. Frick Award - National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum[https://baseballhall.org/discover/awards/ford-c-frick/tom-hamilton 2025 Ford C. Frick Award Winner Tom Hamilton - National Baseball Hall of Fame]

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.mlb.com/guardians/team/broadcasters Cleveland Guardians: Broadcasters]

{{Cleveland Guardians}}

{{Cleveland Guardians HOF}}

{{Ford C. Frick Award}}

{{2025 Baseball HOF}}

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Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:American radio sports announcers

Category:American television sports announcers

Category:Cleveland Guardians announcers

Category:College basketball announcers in the United States

Category:College football announcers

Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters

Category:Minor League Baseball broadcasters

Category:People from Avon Lake, Ohio

Category:People from Waterloo, Wisconsin

Category:Wisconsin Badgers football announcers