Tom Hamilton (broadcaster)

Tom Hamilton (r) and Matt Underwood (c) chat with John C. Harvey, Jr. (l) at Jacobs Field in 2006

Tom Hamilton (born 1956), a native of Waterloo, Wisconsin, is the chief radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball team, and during the off season, serves as a college basketball commentator for The Big Ten Network.

Tom joined the Indians broadcast team for the 1990 season, after spending three years in the booth for the then AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Columbus Clippers.

He 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. Due to his longevity and popularity, he is now considered to be the "voice of the Tribe".

In early 2007, he signed a five-year contract extension with the Indians, and will remain the team's voice through at least the 2011 season.

In the off season, Hamilton calls college basketball games (usually Ohio State games) for the Big Ten Network. Prior to the founding of the Big Ten Network, he served in the same capacity for ESPN Plus.

Hamilton is a four-time Ohio Sportscaster of the Year award recipient (1997, 2000–01, 2004). He resides in Avon Lake, Ohio, with his wife and four children.

The Indians have honored "Hammy" by having a talking Tom Hamilton bobblehead night in 2008.

Also, on July 31, 2009, the Indians celebrated his 20th season with the Tribe with a post-game fireworks show featuring his best calls played in the background.

Broadcasting associates with the Indians

Tom Hamilton has partnered with the following members of the Cleveland Indians Radio Network (Flagship station: AM 1100, WTAM, Cleveland, OH):

• Herb Score, 1990–1997
• Mike Hegan, 1998–2011
• Dave Nelson, 1998-1999*
• Matt Underwood, 2000-2006*
• Jim Rosenhaus, 2010–present*

(*) - Nelson, and later Underwood joined Hamilton and Hegan in a three-man booth from 1998–2007, when the Indians then went to a two man booth. Rosenhaus became the third man in 2010.

Broadcasting credits

(all pre-Indians)

• 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

Signature calls

• And we're underway, at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario! - after the first pitch of an Indians game (usually substitutes "Carnegie and Ontario" with the name of opposing teams' ballparks during away games)
• Swing and a drive, waaaay back & gone!! or Swung on and belted! To deep right (center or left) field, awaaaay back! And gone!! or That one's going to Souvenir City! - for an Indians home run.
• How about that! - after something unusual or exciting happens.
• Swiiing and a miss! - for a swinging strikeout by an Indians pitcher.
• Ballgame! - after the final out of an Indians win.
• Mm mm mm - after an Indians screw-up whether it's a key error, walking the lead-off guy, popping up a 3-0 or 3-1 pitch, etc.
• STRIKE THREE CALLED! - after an Indians pitcher strikes out a batter looking.
• Triple - a 3 point shot (when doing college basketball games)

References

• Cleveland Indians-supplied biography
• Crump, Sarah (2009-05-08). "Tom Hamilton, voice of the Indians, knew his calling early: My Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/mycleveland/index.ssf/2009/05/tom_hamilton_voice_of_the_indi.html. Retrieved 2009-05-11.