Tribe's radio man is pro-fan

It's the voice that separates him and provides his identity.
It's his ability to communicate, to describe, to set the stage as the drama begins to unfold.
Then, there's the pure emotion that he transmits and everyone else absorbs.
Tom Hamilton, the Cleveland Indians' radio voice preparing for his 15th season in the broadcast booth, is arguably the best in the business.
Hamilton is genuine -- in his description of the action, his criticism of players and those special baseball moments when excitement comes naturally.
"There's a drive ... to deep left field ... that ball ... is gone!" is his well-known home run call boomed across WTAM-AM (1100) and the Indians Radio Network.
"I'm an emotional person -- I'm Irish so maybe that's part of it -- but I try to be enthusiastic," said Hamilton, 49, a native of Waterloo, Wis.
"To me, that's so natural because of how much I enjoy my job," he said. "If you can't be enthusiastic, then you shouldn't be in the business."
Key factor
But for all the enthusiasm Hamilton possesses, there is one underlying factor that increases his worth, that numerous broadcasters take for granted and that listeners appreciate.
"As trite as it may sound," Hamilton said, "I really believe in fundamentals.
"There are too many people who don't give you the score, the time left in the game, the inning that you're in," he added.
The fundamentals of broadcasting, Hamilton related, are no less important than they are for a baseball player learning the sport.
"I don't care how descriptive your play-by-play is, if the listener doesn't know what the score is, he's going to throw the radio up against the wall," Hamilton said.
Like so many kids growing up, Hamilton had dreams of becoming a Major League Baseball player. But then, reality set in.
"Once you figure out that's not going to happen, you try to find something else you feel would be the next-best thing," Hamilton said. "For me, this always seemed to be it. It's the best job you could have if you're not good enough to be out there playing."
Getting started
Hamilton learned much of his trade at Brown -- "not the Ivy League school," he said -- in Minneapolis.
He gained experience by broadcasting high school events, but his opportunities in minor league baseball helped him land a big-league job.
Hamilton worked Class-A games in Wisconsin, including the Appleton Foxes. He joined the Indians after three years as broadcaster of the Columbus Clippers, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
"For me, it was imperative to do minor league baseball," he said. "You get a chance to develop your own style and get comfortable calling professional baseball."
Every trip to the ballpark offers a new perspective and a new storyline for Hamilton.
"What I like is the complete unpredictability," he said. "You never know what you're going to see that day. To get paid to watch Major League Baseball, it doesn't get a whole lot better than that."
Looking ahead
Even now, Hamilton feels as if there's room to grow.
"I don't think you ever feel like you've mastered your craft," he said. "You're always trying to learn, you're always trying to get better. If you quit trying, chances are you become complacent and soon unemployed."
Hamilton resides in Avon Lake with his wife, Wendy, and their four children. He has no plans of slowing down. In fact, he'd love to retire as an Indian.
"I know how blessed I've been and how fortunate I am to have this job," Hamilton said. "There aren't very many people who are happy to go to work everyday.
"I'm one of the lucky ones."
XBrian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.