Tom Hamilton a native of Waterloo, Wisconsin, is the chief radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

 Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 team, and during the off season, serves as a college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 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

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 affiliate of the New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

, the Columbus Clippers

Columbus Clippers

The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....

.

He was paired with Indians legend Herb Score

Herb Score

Herbert Jude Score was a Major League Baseball pitcher and announcer.-Athletic career:Score came up as a rookie in with the Cleveland Indians...

 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

ESPN Plus

ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...

.

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

WTAM

WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...

, Cleveland, OH):

• Herb Score
  Herb Score
  Herbert Jude Score was a Major League Baseball pitcher and announcer.-Athletic career:Score came up as a rookie in with the Cleveland Indians...
  
  , 1990–1997
• Mike Hegan
  Mike Hegan
  James Michael "Mike" Hegan is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder and later radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians. In 1969, Hegan hit the first home run in Seattle Pilots history in his first at-bat.He is the son of longtime Indians catcher Jim Hegan...
  
  , 1998–2011
• Dave Nelson
  Dave Nelson
  David Earl Nelson is a former Major League Baseball player and one of the current broadcasters for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team on Fox Sports Wisconsin...
  
  , 1998-1999*
• Matt Underwood
  Matt Underwood
  For the actor, see Matthew UnderwoodMatt Underwood is the play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Indians telecasts on SportsTime Ohio and WKYC Channel 3...
  
  , 2000-2006*
• Jim Rosenhaus
  Jim Rosenhaus (broadcaster)
  Jim Rosenhaus is the engineer/producer and third broadcaster for the Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball team. Rosenhaus also hosts Indians Warm Up and TribeTalk on the Indians Radio Network....
  
  , 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
  University of Wisconsin–Madison
  The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
  
   -- football games
• ABC Radio
• Appleton Foxes -- minor league baseball games
• University of Colorado
  University of Colorado at Boulder
  The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
  
   -- basketball games
• Columbus Clippers
  Columbus Clippers
  The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
  
  -- 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!! - 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)