Earl Gillespie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Earl Gillespie
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|---|---|
| Born |
Earl William Gillespie Jr.
July 25, 1922 |
| Died | December 12, 2003 (aged 81) West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
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| Sports commentary career | |
| Team(s) | Milwaukee Braves (1953–63) |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
| Sports | Major League Baseball |
Earl William Gillespie Jr. (born July 25, 1922 – died December 12, 2003) was a well-known American sportscaster. A sportscaster is someone who reports on sports events, often on radio or TV. Earl Gillespie was most famous as the radio voice for the Major League Baseball team, the Milwaukee Braves. He called their games from 1953 to 1963.
Before joining the Braves, he announced games for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers (American Association). This team moved to Toledo, Ohio, when the Braves came to Milwaukee.
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Who Was Earl Gillespie?
Earl Gillespie grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He played baseball in high school at Lane Tech. After high school, he even played professional baseball for a short time. He played for the Green Bay Bluejays in a minor league. Soon after, he became a sports announcer in Wisconsin.
His Time with the Braves
Earl Gillespie was a very exciting announcer. He often worked with another announcer named Blaine Walsh on WTMJ Radio. Earl was known for his dramatic way of describing games. He would often shout "Holy cow!" during exciting moments. This became his special catchphrase, a phrase he often repeated. Other famous baseball announcers also used this phrase.
He announced some very important games for the Milwaukee Braves. He called both of their World Series appearances. These were in 1957 and 1958. He also announced the 1955 All-Star Game, which was played in Milwaukee.
Other Sports He Covered
Besides baseball, Earl Gillespie also announced other sports. He did radio and TV commentary for the Green Bay Packers football team. He also covered Milwaukee Hawks basketball games. He announced games for the Marquette Warriors and Wisconsin Badgers football teams. He worked at WITI-TV in Milwaukee from 1963 until he retired in 1985.
Awards and Recognition
Earl Gillespie was a very respected sportscaster. He was named Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year eight times. This award was given by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 2001, he was honored by being added to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. This shows how important he was to sports in Wisconsin.
Famous Moments
Earl Gillespie was known for his exciting play-by-play calls. Here are some famous moments he described:
Braves Win the Pennant (1957)
On September 23, 1957, the Braves won the National League pennant. This meant they were the champions of their league. Earl Gillespie described the winning moment like this:
"The pitch to Henry Aaron. A swing and a drive back into center field! Going back towards the wall! It's back at that fence....and is it gone or not? It's a home run! The Braves are the champions of the National League! Henry Aaron has just hit his forty-third home run of the year!"
Braves Win the World Series (1957)
On October 10, 1957, the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series! Earl Gillespie's call captured the excitement:
"The outfield around to the left. McDougald is on at third, Coleman is at second. Tommy Byrne the base runner at first. Hank Aaron is pulled around in left-center field. A breeze is blowing across from left to right. Burdette's pitch. Swung on, lined, grabbed by Mathews who steps on third--and the World Series is over and the Milwaukee Braves are the new world champions of baseball!"
