Milo Hamilton facts for kids

Leland Milo Hamilton (born September 2, 1927 – died September 17, 2015) was a famous American sportscaster. He was best known for describing the action, called play-by-play, for seven different Major League Baseball teams. He worked from 1953 all the way until 2015. In 1992, he received a special award called the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. This award honors broadcasters who have made a big impact on baseball.

Early Career in Sports Broadcasting

Milo Hamilton was born in Fairfield, Iowa, a small city in the United States. He joined the United States Navy during World War II. While in the Navy, he started broadcasting on Armed Forces Radio. After the war, he graduated from the University of Iowa in 1949.

He began his sportscasting career by calling college games. He covered football and basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He also announced minor league baseball for the Quad Cities River Bandits. His first big league job came in 1953. He started with the St. Louis Browns in the American League.

When the Browns team moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles, Milo did not go with them. Instead, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. He worked with famous announcers like Harry Caray and Jack Buck. However, he only stayed for one year. The Cardinals wanted to make room for another announcer, Joe Garagiola.

Milo then moved to the Chicago Cubs. He worked with Jack Brickhouse and Vince Lloyd. After three years, he left the Cubs. The team owner wanted to bring in Lou Boudreau as a broadcaster. Milo took a break from baseball for four years. In 1961, he joined the Chicago White Sox. He worked as an assistant to the longtime White Sox announcer, Bob Elson.

Atlanta Braves Announcer

In 1966, the Milwaukee Braves baseball team moved to Atlanta. Milo Hamilton was chosen to be their main play-by-play announcer. Many people in Atlanta already knew his voice. This was because a local radio station had carried White Sox games earlier. Milo worked with Ernie Johnson, Sr., a former Braves player.

Milo became very popular in Atlanta. His voice helped the Braves get high TV ratings. He also appeared in commercials for Delta Air Lines. He helped introduce new airplanes like the Lockheed L-1011 and the Boeing 747.

Milo often talked about the team's attendance. He criticized the low number of fans at games. Because he spoke openly about this, the Braves' owners fired him after the 1975 season. Soon after, the team was sold to Ted Turner. Turner made the Braves a national team on cable TV. Other announcers like Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren took over.

Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs

After leaving Atlanta, Milo joined the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1976 season. He replaced a very popular announcer named Bob Prince. It was hard for Milo to follow Prince, who had been with the Pirates for a long time. Some fans and writers felt Milo's style was too quiet compared to Prince's. Milo eventually left the Pirates.

In 1980, Milo had a chance to return to the Chicago Cubs. He thought he would become the main announcer when Jack Brickhouse retired. However, plans changed. Harry Caray joined the Cubs' broadcast team. Milo and Caray did not get along well.

The Cubs let Milo go after the 1984 season. Milo believed Caray was the reason for his firing. He said that team officials told him they had to let him go because Caray did not like him.

Houston Astros Announcer

After leaving Chicago, Milo Hamilton joined the Houston Astros. This was his longest time as an announcer. He worked for two years as the second announcer. Then, he became the main Astros announcer from 1987 through 2012.

On July 29, 2005, Milo announced a change. Starting in the 2006 season, he would only announce home games. He would not travel with the team for road games. However, he did travel for special events, like when new stadiums opened.

Milo announced his retirement as a full-time broadcaster after the 2012 season. He planned to stay involved with the Astros in a smaller role.

Other Sports He Covered

Besides baseball, Milo Hamilton announced many other sports. He called NBA basketball games for teams like the Chicago Zephyrs, Chicago Bulls, and Houston Rockets. He also announced college basketball for Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and DePaul. For college football, he covered games for Northwestern, Ohio State, and Georgia Tech.

Milo's Commentating Style

Milo Hamilton's announcing style was enthusiastic but not too over-the-top. He was known for saving his excitement for thrilling moments in games. One of his famous phrases was "Holy Toledo, what a play!"

Honors and Achievements

Milo Hamilton Way in Houston

Milo Hamilton received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. This is a very high honor for baseball broadcasters. He was also inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2000. Later, he joined the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

On April 8, 2009, the mayor of Houston, Bill White, honored Milo. A street in downtown Houston was renamed Milo Hamilton Way.

By the time he retired in 2012, Milo had broadcast major league games in 59 different ballparks. In 2019, he was chosen as part of the first group of people to be inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Milo Hamilton was married to Arlene for almost 53 years. Arlene passed away in 2005. They had two children, Mark and Patricia. Their daughter, Patricia, passed away in 2006.

In 2007, Milo had a heart attack but recovered well. He was able to return to his sportscasting career.

Milo Hamilton passed away on September 17, 2015, at the age of 88. After his passing, the Houston Astros honored him. They added a special patch with his initials to their uniforms for the rest of the season and their playoff games.

See also

• Houston Astros award winners and league leaders