List of home run calls in baseball

The home run is considered by many baseball fans to be one of the most dramatic plays in the sport. The typical home run's trajectory carries it in the air for a few seconds, and there is often some question as to whether or not the batted ball will clear the outfield fence - by far the most common method for hitting a home run. Additionally, professional baseball possesses a long tradition of being broadcast on the radio, exclusively before and concurrently after the advent of television, leading to baseball announcers' use of colorful language and baseball statistics to keep the listeners informed and verbally "paint the picture" of what is happening in the game. The combination of these two aspects has led to a tradition of signature home run calls for radio and television.

Home run calls go back to the introduction of baseball broadcasting. Different announcers would establish unique ways to describe home runs in order to develop their individual style on the air, and would often incorporate familiar aspects of the players or the ballpark. This practice was adopted by advertisers during baseball broadcasts, who would often pay the team to instruct their announcer to incorporate the advertiser's product into the home run call, such as Mel Allen's call of "That's a Ballantine blast!", an advertisement for Ballantine beer. This practice was largely discontinued in the late 1950s, though teams and sponsors still occasionally attach promotions to the home run; for example, promising free tickets to a fan if a home run is hit during the inning.

In modern Major League Baseball broadcasting, most calls are still specific to the broadcaster, and many are humorous or idiosyncratic. Some are appropriate to the ballpark in which the home run is hit. And finally, there are a few specific home runs in baseball history which merit a list of their own. These categories are each treated separately below.

List of home run calls by broadcaster

Note that names of specific batters, fielders, pitchers, and other details such as the location of the batted ball, are filled in as needed and are not a constant part of the call.

*Mel Allen: "Going... going... gone! How about that!"

*Brian Anderson: "(Name of hitter) has taken it downtown!"

*Joe Angel: "And you can wave that one..."bye-bye!"; "Adios!"; "Hasta la vista, pelota!"; "And the Orioles...are back in the "win" column!"

*Chris Berman: "Back, back, backbackbackbackback...gone!" Berman's call, originally meant as a tribute to Red Barber's call of a possible home run by Joe DiMaggio during Game 6 of the 1947 World Series, has become famous in and of itself.

*Lou Boudreau: "Kiss it goodbye!" On an especially long drive (like one Dave Kingman hit down Kenmore Avenue): "That one's in Milwaukee!" then adding, "That was on the front porch of the third house across Waveland Avenue. Man 'O man, isn't that somethin'?"

*Dick Bremer: "Gone, a home run!"

*Jack Brickhouse: "Deep to [left/right/etc.] ... back... back... Hey-Heeeey!" and sometimes "Whoo, boy! Next time around, bring me back my stomach!" Brickhouse used "Hey-Hey" for other sports, and reportedly even when playing cards with friends, but his phrase is most associated with baseball and is even posted vertically on Wrigley Field's foul pole screens.

*Rodger Brulotte: "Bonsoir, elle est partie!" Brulotte, an announcer for the Montreal Expos, is probably the only one to give his home run call in French. Translation: "Good night, she is gone!"

*Jack Buck: "Swing and a long one...Adios! Goodbye!" ...and if it were a walk-off home run, Jack "The Almighty" Buck would add, "and that's a winner!"

*Joe Buck: "This ball is ripped into (right, center,left)field. Back, at the wall..." (followed by the new score or attributing the home run to the player) A Bud Light commercial was aired in 2006 that showed executives begging Joe Buck to take up some sort of catchphrase, and showed him adopting "Slam-a-Lama - Ding Dong!"

*Chip Caray: "Swung on, belted!" Caray is thought to have borrowed this call from Dave Neihaus and/or Tom Hamilton, but fans now associate the phrase with Caray, albeit reluctantly.

*Harry Caray: "It might be...it could be...it is! A home run! Holy cow!" Harry said "Holy cow!" so often for "any" notable action on the field that he became identified with it. He said he trained himself to say it all the time in order to avoid any chance of uttering profanities while on the air. Phil Rizzuto (see below), Earl Gillespie (see below), and Halsey Hall also used the phrase frequently. Hall was actually the first to use it in connection with baseball, broadcasting games for the Minneapolis Millers starting in 1933 [http://www.pavekmuseum.org/Halsey_Hall.htm] .

*Joe Castiglione: "You can forget about this one!"

*Gary Cohen: "Back, at the track, at the wall, looking up... and it's outta here!"

*Jerry Coleman: "To the wall, at the wall and over the wall!" or "...this ball is outta here!" The home run call is often followed by Coleman's trademark "Ohhhh, Doctor!"

*Ken Coleman: "They usually show movies on a flight like that!"

*Felix DeJesus: "Say goodbye to my little friend!"

*Dan Dickerson: "Way back...and gone!"

*Leo Durocher: "Goodbye, Dolly Grey!"

*Gene Elston: "It's a long, high drive into deep (location) field. All the way back to the wall. Home run!"

*Dick Enberg: "Touch 'em all!"

*Rob Faulds: "What do you think about that?"

*Lanny Frattare: "Go, ball, get outta here!"

*Earl Gillespie: "Holy cow!" See Harry Caray, above.

*Drew Goodman: "Take a good look, you won't see it for long!"

*John Gordon: "Touch 'em all, (player's name)!"

*Scott Graham: "And that ball is gone!"

*George Grande: Uh-oh, that's hit pretty good, forget it, that's outta here... (when calling Visitor's home runs)

*Wayne Hagin: "Adios!"

*Milo Hamilton: "It's gone! Holy Toledo!"

*Tom Hamilton: "Swing and a drive, deep to (outfield - left, left center, etc.), a "waaaaaay" back and it is "gone!"

*Ryne "Doc" Hancock: "Goodnight, Miss Candy, it's..........a.........Goner!!!!", taken from John Rooney's trademarked call or "Kiss that one goodbye!!!!!"

*Ken "Hawk" Harrelson: "You can put it on the board..."yes!" When the opposition hits one, Hawk merely states, matter-of-factly, "Put it on the board."

*Harry Hartman: "It's going, going...gone!" Hartman was probably the first to use this very common call in 1929 for the Cincinnati Reds.

*Ernie Harwell: "It is... long gone!"

*Russ Hodges: "Bye-bye, baby!" Hodges' more standard home run call, as opposed to the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", described below.

*Jerry Howarth: "And, yes sir, there she goes!" "Let's admire that one!"

*Pat Hughes: "There's a drive hit deep to left/center/right field... This ball's got a chance... ... ... "gone!"

*Ernesto Jerez: "Sólido, conectando. A lo profundo... y ¡no... nono, nono, no...! ¡Dígale que no a esa pelota!"

*Harry Kalas: "Swing and a long drive, deep to left field, that ball is (or "watch that baby")... outta here! Home run Michael Jack Schmidt!"

*Len Kasper: "That ball is driven way back...outta here!" If the opposition hits one, Kasper will often make a similar call with less gusto, except he usually ends it with either "and it's gone" or "and it will get out".

*Michael Kay: " [Outfielder] going back... (on the track)... looking up... see ya! A lonnnnnng home run for [player] !"

*David Kelly: "Good Night Irene!"

*Ralph Kiner: " The 1-0 pitch, It is hit to deep left center field, it could be extra bases, its going going, it is gone!"

*Bill King: "It's high! It's deep! It is gone! Holy Toledo!" While Bill King did not have a signature home run call, he often put an exclamation on a particularly brilliant play with his "Holy Toledo!" line. On one of Mark McGwire's typical monstrous shots, King once remarked, "It'll take NASA to track that one!"

*Jeff Kingery: "That ball is going and it ain't coming back!"

*Duane Kuiper: "He hits it high...He hits it deeeeep...he hits it..."Outta here!"

*Vince Lloyd: "Holy mackerel!" or "It's a bell-ringer!"

*Ned Martin: "Long drive, left field. Way up, and gone. Mercy!"

*Frank Messer: "A-B-C-ya-later!" (When Yankees games were on radio station WABC.)

*Jon Miller: "That ball is gone! A home run!" (Miller has also used Bob Prince's home run call on occasion)

*Bob Murphy: "Now the set, the pitch on the way....swung on, a high fly ball, well hit, going towards deep (left, center, right) field, its up, it may go, and "there it goes!" A Home run! for (Name of player)

*Brent Musburger: "Deep to right field! Oh baby! Put it on the scoreboard, the kid has done it again!" (A classic call from when he did baseball for ABC during the mid-1990s. This call is specifically for a Ken Griffey Jr home run.)

*Eric Nadel: "That ball is history!"

*Lindsey Nelson: "The 2-2 offering...swung on and hit deep to left..its way back there, its going going and it is gone for a Home run!..(Name)....the New York Mets go out in front by a score of (score)...(name) with (line drive) home run over the left field wall!"

*Dave Niehaus: "That ball is belted, deep to left field...and it will fly away!", or for a grand slam "Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it's 'grand salami time'!" or "My oh my!"

*Keith Olbermann: "Deep, and I don't think it's playable."

*Dan Patrick: "Gone." Patrick, who usually reviews sports highlights for ESPN rather than call the games live, deliberately deadpans this call for humorous effect.

*Lloyd Pettit: "It is a "home run!"

* Jim Price: "And he will, touch 'em all!"

*Bob Prince: "Kiss it goodbye!" or "Spread some chicken on the Hill!" The colorful Prince, nicknamed "The Gunner", would sometimes use the second phrase to exhort a Pittsburgh Pirates player to hit a home run - specifically Willie Stargell, who, in addition to playing for the Pirates, owned a chicken restaurant in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, which gave a free serving of chicken to the customer at the counter whenever Stargell homered. In one game in 1971, when a Stargell home run would have benefited the Pirates greatly, Prince amended his call to "Spread some chicken on the Hill, and send the Gunner the bill!" Stargell promptly hit a home run, and the restaurant was besieged with requests for free chicken. Prince, true to his word, paid the tab - reportedly $400.

*Michael Reghi: "A high fly ball hit to deep left. Took it to the track...to the wall... See...you..."later!"; "Oh, did he tag that one! It's a "bomb!" Going track...wall..."see"..."you"..."later!"

*Rick Rizzs: "Goodbye baseball!"

*Phil Rizzuto: "Holy Cow!" See Harry Caray, above.

*Victor Rojas: "Big Fly for (player)"

*John Rooney: "It's a Goner!" (and if it's a walk-off home run) "...and a White Sox Winner!" -- the latter taken from Jack Buck's trademarked line. Also: "It's a slam!" calling Paul Konerko's 4-run "grand slam" home run in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series.

*Howie Rose: "And it's hit in the air, deep (right) field (name) back, near the wall, and it's gone!, a home run!, (Name of hitter), hit one over the (###) ft mark in (right) field, a home run for (Name)"

*Rosey Roswell: "Open the window, Aunt Minnie, here it comes!":At least once, Rowswell's assistant, Bob Prince, broke a water glass in the background. Rowswell, without missing a beat, told his audience, "Aunt Minnie never made it..." This call went by the wayside when television came along, because fans could see there were no apartment buildings facing Forbes Field.

*Greg Schulte: "Long drive...way back...warning track...wall...you can touch em' all, Eddie Murray!"

*Stuart Scott: "You are "so" not catching that!"

*Vin Scully: "Forget it!"; "She is gone!"; "High drive into deep (left/center/right) field ... (outfielder's name) to the track ... to the wall ... gone!"; (if hit along either foul line) "If it's fair, it's gone, it i-i-i-is ... gone!"

*Mike Shannon: "Get up baby, get up, get up get up!!! Oh Yeeeaaah!!!"

*Lon Simmons: "You can tell it goodbye!"

*Ken Singleton: "This one is "gone", it's a home run!"

*Charlie Slowes: "Going, going...and "gone", "Goodbye!"; "(player) with another..."Bang! Zoom!"

*John Sterling: "Swung on and there it goes! That ball is high! It is far! It is........"gone!"

*Chuck Thompson: "Ain't the beer cold!"

*Gary Thorne: "Back to the wall! Looking up... Goodbye, home run!"

*Jerry Trupiano: "...swing and there it goes...light tower power for Manny Ramírez!" or "Swing and a drive! "Way Back! Way Back! Home run!"

*Bob Uecker: "Hey, get up, get up, get outta here, GONE!" (has become so well known in Milwaukee that Miller Park's "chalet" for mascot Bernie Brewer has "Get Up Get Up Get Outta Here!" printed on it).

*Rich Waltz: "Swing and a drive... and "deep"... and... "gone"!"; "Get...outta...here"!" (more obvious home runs); "And his name...is "Dan Uggla"!" (for Dan Uggla homers, with color commentator Tommy Hutton)

*Abdón Rodriguez: "Te fuiste Marcelina" is the best known home run phrase in Guatemala.

*Ernesto Jerez: Spanish spokesman for the ESPN network: "A lo profundoooo, y noooo, no no no no no, díganle que no a esa pelota.

*Alfonso Lanzagorta: Spanish spokesman for the ESPN2 network:"Para atrás, para atrás, para atrás, y está descansando en paz".

*Jorge Eduardo Sanchez: Spanish spokesman for the ESPN2 network:"para atras, para atras... ¡y no va a regresar..."una salvajada de batazo!"

*Ivan Zimmermann: "Le... le... le... leeeeeleeeeeeeeeleeeeeeeeeeeleeeeeeeeeeeee!" (by the word "Levantou", that means "raised" in portuguese)

Uncredited broadcaster heard in the movie "The Natural": "Goodbye, Mr. Spalding!":The baseballs used in the National League for many decades were produced by the Spalding sporting goods company.

List of home run calls by ballpark

Baltimore, Maryland: Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards has inspired the expression "go yard" to describe hitting a home run there. "Melvin Mora went yard in the second inning off Martinez..." However, this expression is no longer unique to Camden Yards; it has become a generic term for hitting a home run.

Boston, Massachusetts: Boston's Fenway Park features a convert|37|ft|m|sing=on high wall in left field that is commonly referred to as the "Green Monster". A home run hit into the seats at the top of the wall is called a "Monster Shot". Don Orsillo once called "Is it a monster shot? Yes it is!". "It's out onto Lansdowne Street" has been used to describe a ball clearing the wall and landing onto Lansdowne Street which runs next to Fenway Park.

Chicago, Illinois: Waveland Avenue runs behind the left and left-center field fences at Wrigley Field, and well-hit home runs frequently end up falling onto the street, resulting in a call of "It's out on Waveland!" Chicago Cubs catcher Barry Foote once hit a home run which broke a window on the other side of Waveland from the stadium. Dave Kingman and Sammy Sosa did likewise. Glenallen Hill put one on a rooftop. Homers over the right field bleachers land "Out on Sheffield". The apartment windows across Sheffield are mostly safe, though, as it would take a much longer hit to reach them. A "really" long drive to left-center might go "Up Kenmore Avenue", a street which T's into Waveland. Kingman once hit the third porch roof down that street.

Home runs at U.S. Cellular Field seldom if ever leave the confines. Sometimes a long one by a Sox slugger lands in the concourse behind the bleachers, and "You can put it the board... yes!". The old Comiskey Park saw many a home run ball land "On the Roof!" There used to be signs marking the locations of rooftop shots, but when Bill Veeck re-acquired the Sox in the 1970s, he had the signs removed, as most of them name "visiting team" players.

Cleveland, Ohio: Home runs clearing the left-field wall (referred to as the "Mini-Monster" because of its convert|19|ft|m|sing=on height) usually land on the "Home Run Porch", a standing-room only area located near the left-field entrance. When a ball flies over or bounces through the entrance fence at the back of the Porch, it enters a plaza between Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena. The plaza has been known as "Albert's Alley" (when Albert Belle was a member of the Cleveland Indians) and "Alomar Alley" (when Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Roberto Alomar both played for the team). A famous home run hit by Mark McGwire on April 30, 1997 was hit "off the Budweiser sign," part of the stadium's freestanding scoreboard.

Kansas City, Missouri: To "go for the fountains" means to hit a deep home run at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, which has a display of water fountains beyond the outfield fence.

Los Angeles, California: Bob Prince invented "Let's play some screen-o," referring to the left field screen which cordoned off a portion of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum while the Dodgers played there.

New York, New York: Yankee Stadium features an area, Monument Park, with plaques and monuments of former Yankee players beyond the left-center field fence (originally an area that was in play). Players hitting home runs towards Monument Park have been said to "go for the monuments". Yankee Stadium also features seats in straightaway center field that are painted black and not used during baseball games because they would interfere with a batter's sight lines. A home run to the deepest part of center field, a rare event (such as Reggie Jackson's third homer in the finale of the 1977 World Series), is "into the black," for the black-painted seats that form the batter's background.

San Francisco, California: AT&T Park in San Francisco is located adjacent to McCovey Cove, a small inlet named after Willie McCovey. Home runs that land in McCovey Cove are usually called with a reference to water, such as "He got a splash hit!" TV coverage usually zooms in on kayakers scrambling for the balls, especially if hit by Barry Bonds. AT&T Park also features a counter that tallies the total number of splash hits.

List of notable home run calls in baseball history

External links

* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quohomer.shtml Home Run Calls at Baseball Almanac]

ee also

*catch phrase
*List of current Major League Baseball announcers

References

Whiteford, Mike (1983). "How to Talk Baseball." New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-934878-21-8 (pbk.)