New York’s Cooperstown. Tom Hamilton, who is still clinging to one unrealized dream—calling the final out of a Cleveland World Series championship—is enjoying his time at Cooperstown.
In an interview with reporters on Saturday, just hours before he was presented with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s coveted Ford C. Frick Award, Hamilton said that the Hall of Fame weekend experience exceeded all expectations.
More on Tom Hamilton and the Hall of Fame
-
Stephen Vogt, Terry Francona share their favorite Tom Hamilton calls ahead of broadcaster s Hall of Fame ceremony
-
How a farm boy who couldn t milk cows became one of baseball s greatest voices: Tom Hamilton s Hall of Fame journey
-
Tom Hamilton s Hall of Fame Guardians calls helped earn TikTok creator a following, and a fan
-
Hammy & Rosey: Hall of Famer & partner in Guardians radio booth Terry Pluto
-
Appreciating Jos Ram rez s genius; the best Tom Hamilton poem you ll ever hear; does the Browns QB matter? Terry s Talkin podcast
Hamilton remarked, “It’s beyond your wildest dreams.” My wife and I have discussed how our expectations have been exceeded a hundred times and how many times in life the real occurrences have fallen short of our expectations. It’s simply an amazing experience.
Hamilton acknowledged the significance of calling a Cleveland World Series triumph, but he remained humble when asked if he still had that ambition.
That would be amazing, but Hamilton stated, “I don’t think I have the right to dream about anything anymore.” It was the unattainable ideal to receive that call in January 1990 offering a major league position. That day, it came to pass.
Hamilton made it clear that the call would not be about him but rather about Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and the innumerable Indians supporters who are now Guardians supporters nationwide.
The seasoned announcer, who has 36 years of experience and has called three World Series, considered what makes baseball broadcasting unique. He clarified that baseball’s everyday cadence forges a special bond with listeners.
Hamilton stated, “I believe the difference in baseball is that it’s every day.” It’s like that fabric where you live and die, experiencing daily ecstasy and pain. You probably have no idea how much you influence other people’s life.
Radio broadcasting, he said, is like a book that you’re just kind of adding a new page to every day, and it’s a companion with people during summer activities.
Hamilton began by mentioning his 1990 major league debut game, which was snowed out in the fourth inning at Municipal Stadium, when asked about his favorite broadcasting memory. The game-tying home run by Rajai Davis in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, however, was the deciding factor.
Hamilton described the dramatic at-bat against Chicago closer Aroldis Chapman, saying, “Despite the outcome, I think it’s the greatest moment in our ballpark’s history.” When you witnessed the Cubs supporters’ amazing ecstasy and suffering in the ballpark… It was the best moment I’ve ever seen at our ballpark and one of the best moments I believe in baseball history.
Hamilton, who is seated next to Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post, who won the Baseball Writers Association of America Career Excellence Award, also shared his admiration for baseball’s literary heritage, stating that he thinks the sport has been endowed with the greatest books and stories.
According to Hamilton, baseball has a romanticism that he believes will never fade.
Information for this narrative was arranged using generative AI.
