Saturday was an unforgettable day for Tom Hamilton.
The chief radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Guardians received the 2025 Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday and got some well-deserved love and recognition from the crowd at Cooperstown and fans all over the country.
From Waterloo to Cooperstown. A Hall of Fame career, and an even better dad. We’re so darn proud! pic.twitter.com/KvScqbhIL7
— Bradley Hamilton (@BradHamiltonTV) July 26, 2025
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented every year to a broadcaster who has made “major contributions to baseball.”
Hamilton certainly qualifies.
The Guardians’ voice for the better part of the last 35 years, Hamilton is one of the most respected sportscasters in the industry.
He is universally known as the voice of Cleveland baseball, and he takes on that unofficial title with pride and dignity.
Hamilton has called over 5,000 games during his long and fruitful career, including two World Series (1997 and 2016).
Per Cleveland.com, Hamilton is the third Cleveland broadcaster to win the Ford C. Frick Award, joining Jimmy Dudley (1997) and Jack Graney (2022).
“I want to thank the Hall of Fame and the Ford Frick Award voting committee for this incredible honor and congratulations to fellow 2025 classmates, Thomas Boswell, the incredible writer for so many years for the Washington Post, and of course, the players that make this the greatest game ever and their day will be tomorrow for enshrinement: CC Sanathia, Ichiro Suzuki, Billy Wagner, the late Dick Allen and the late Dave Parker (…) Guys, you have no idea how humbling that is, and we are so grateful that you’re taking the time to be with us today,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also took the time to thank those who made him who he is today: Cleveland baseball fans.
“I’ve had the best job in the world for 36 years. I have had the privilege of narrating the Cleveland Indians and now the Cleveland Guardians for over three and a half decades. Cleveland and northeast Ohio have made us feel like family. You great fans have welcomed us into your homes, your cars, and yes, your back porches.”
Multiple generations of Indians and Guardians fans grew up listening to Hamilton’s calls.
In a way, he is part of many homes in Ohio, and that’s something that fills him with pride.
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