Jon Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jon Miller |
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Miller in 2008
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| San Francisco Giants | |
| Broadcaster | |
| Born: October 11, 1951 Novato, California, U.S. |
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Jon Miller (born October 11, 1951) is a famous American sportscaster. He is best known for announcing Major League Baseball games. Since 1997, he has been the main voice for the San Francisco Giants. He also announced baseball games for ESPN from 1990 to 2010. In 2010, Miller received the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This award honors baseball broadcasters.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Jon Miller was born in Novato, California. He grew up in Hayward. As a kid, he loved listening to Giants announcers Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons on the radio. His first baseball game was in 1962. The Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 19-8 at Candlestick Park. When he was a teenager, Miller would play a baseball board game called Strat-O-Matic. He would record his own play-by-play calls. He even added crowd noises and commercials to his tapes!
Starting a Broadcasting Career
After finishing Hayward High School in 1969, Miller studied broadcasting. He took classes at the College of San Mateo. He started his career at the college's radio and TV stations. His first baseball broadcasts were for college games.
At age 20, Miller became the sports director for KFTY-TV in Santa Rosa. During this time, he would go to Candlestick Park. He would record entire games on his tape recorder. He sent one of these tapes to broadcaster Monte Moore. This helped Miller get his first professional baseball job. In 1974, he started calling games for the World Series champion Oakland Athletics.
Early Sports Announcing Jobs
In the 1970s, Miller also announced for the California Golden Seals hockey team. He called college basketball games from 1976 to 1980. He also worked part-time for the Golden State Warriors and Washington Bullets basketball teams. Miller announced for the original San Jose Earthquakes soccer team too. His first national TV job was in 1976. He broadcast the NASL Championship Game for CBS.
In 1978, the Texas Rangers hired Miller. He spent two seasons with them. Then, he joined the Boston Red Sox from 1980 to 1982. Miller said he couldn't pass up the chance to announce baseball in Boston.
Calling Games for the Baltimore Orioles
After the Baltimore Orioles' 1982 season, their main announcer moved to TV. Jon Miller was hired to take his place on the radio. In his first year in Baltimore, Miller called the Orioles' World Series win. He famously called the final out of Game 5:
The cheering you hear is from Oriole fans. Everybody else is in muted silence. The pitch! Line drive! Ripken catches it at shortstop! And the Orioles are champions of the world!
Miller stayed with the Orioles until 1996. After that season, the Orioles owner decided not to renew his contract. The owner wanted a broadcaster who would "bleed more orange and black." So, Miller moved back to the Bay Area. He joined his hometown team, the Giants.
Announcing for the San Francisco Giants
Since 1997, Jon Miller has been the main play-by-play voice for the San Francisco Giants. He calls games on KNBR radio and on TV. In 2007, he signed a contract to stay with the Giants until at least 2012.
Famous Calls for the Giants
On October 5, 2001, Miller called Barry Bonds' 71st home run of the season. This broke the single-season home run record:
There’s a high drive deep into right-center field, to the big part of the ballpark … NUMBER 71! And what a shot, over the 421-foot marker! The deepest part of any ballpark in the National League and Barry Bonds is now the home run king! Number 71 and it was impressive!
On May 27, 2003, Miller made another famous call. During a game, Giants outfielder Rubén Rivera made several mistakes while running the bases. When Rivera was finally out at home plate, Miller said:
That was the worst base running in the history of the game!
This phrase was repeated many times on sports shows. It became one of Miller's most famous calls.
On August 7, 2007, Miller called Barry Bonds' 756th career home run. This made Bonds the all-time home run king:
Three and two to Bonds. Everybody standing here at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. An armada of nautical craft gathered in McCovey Cove beyond the right field wall. Bonds one home run away from history. (crack of the bat) and he swings, and there's a long one into right center field, way back there, it's gone! A home run! Into the center field bleachers to the left of the 421 foot marker. An extraordinary shot to the deepest part of the yard! And Barry Bonds with 756 home runs, he has hit more home runs than anyone who has ever played the game!
On October 24, 2012, Miller called Pablo Sandoval's third home run in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series:
The one-one pitch. He swings and he belts one, deep center-field, [Austin] Jackson is going back, and, GONE! A HOME RUN! Number three for Pablo Sandoval! His first three at bats in this World Series. And Pablo Sandoval looks like The Babe himself has come back to life.
On October 29, 2014, Miller called the final out of the 2014 World Series. The Giants won their third title in five years. He also praised pitcher Madison Bumgarner:
Madison Bumgarner trying to wrap up this World Series for the Giants. He's ready. He throws, swing and a POP-UP! [Pablo] Sandoval down the line in foul ground, he's got plenty of room, and he's got it! And the Giants have won; they have won the World Series for the third time in five years. And Madison Bumgarner has firmly etched his name on the all-time World Series record books as one of the greatest World Series pitchers the game has ever seen!
On April 7, 2016, Miller made a funny mistake. He called a grand slam by Hunter Pence for Buster Posey. He quickly corrected himself:
Swing and there's a high drive, deep into left-center field, it's on its way... adios pelota! A grand slam for Buster Posey...'s good friend, Hunter Pence.
Both players joked about the call later. Miller even used the phrase on purpose when Pence hit another home run.
National Baseball Broadcasts
From 1986 to 1989, Miller was a backup announcer for NBC's Saturday games. From 1990 to 2010, Miller announced national games for ESPN. He often worked with Hall of Famer Joe Morgan on Sunday Night Baseball. Miller also called 13 World Series and 10 League Championship Series for ESPN Radio. In November 2010, it was announced that Miller and Morgan would not return to Sunday Night Baseball. Miller was offered to stay with ESPN Radio but declined.
In recent years, Miller has continued to call national games. In June 2021, he announced a Phillies vs. Giants series for Peacock. In May 2022, he called a Giants-Reds game for MLB Sunday Leadoff on Peacock.
Other Appearances and Awards
You might have heard Jon Miller's voice in other places. He was briefly heard in the movies 61* and Summer Catch. He also appeared as himself in two episodes of the HBO show Arliss. In 1998, Miller wrote a book about baseball.
Miller has received many awards. He won two CableACE Awards in 1991 and 1996. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association put him in their Hall of Fame in 1998. The Baseball Hall of Fame gave him the Ford C. Frick Award in 2010. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. He also joined the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.
Miller's Announcing Style
Jon Miller is known for his relaxed and often funny way of announcing. He sometimes uses Hawaiian and Japanese phrases. He has even announced a half-inning completely in Spanish! Miller is also known for saying foreign names with their correct pronunciation. He is very careful with his scorekeeping. He has scored over 5,500 games.
Miller sometimes quotes lines from Shakespeare plays during games. He has a famous call for foul balls: "That ball is fooooul." He also says "Two!" for a double play and "Safe!" for close plays at the bases. For home runs, he sometimes says, "Adios, pelota!" which means "Goodbye, ball!" in Spanish.
Miller is also famous for his impressions of other announcers. He can imitate Vin Scully, Harry Caray, and Al Michaels, among others. He once said he got into broadcasting after seeing an announcer eating fries and a drink between pitches. He thought, "That is the life for me."
When calling games, Miller often introduces himself and his partners as "your Giants broadcasters" or "your Sunday night telecasters." His fellow Giants announcer Mike Krukow calls him "The Big Kahuna."
Personal Life
Jon Miller has two daughters from his first marriage. In 1987, he married Janine Allen. They have one son together. They used to live in Moss Beach, California. Now, they live in an apartment near Oracle Park, where the Giants play. His daughter Emilie Miller is an actress.
