Happy 90th Birthday to Lon Simmons

Last night the World champion, San Francisco Giants paid tribute to Hall of Fame broadcaster, Lon Simmons on his 90th birthday.

Mr. Simmons, with his explosive “on the action” play by play is one of the greatest play by play men ever. He broadcast both the Giants and Oakland A’s in his career.

I get chills listening to his call of Willie Mays 600th home run. “Swung on hit deep to left” is how the play by play starts with the proper inflection that can not be taught and is so lacking in almost all of today’s announcers. (Michael Kay, who had never broadcast a professional game and yet was hired to do radio play by play for the New York Yankees, no less, is a vivid example.)

Lon was a great football announcer and called the famous Jim Marshall “wrong way” run as well as Joe Montana’s winning touchdown pass to John Taylor in the 1988 season Super Bowl. I also recall hearing a touchdown pass John Brodie to Bill Tucker, I believe, when the 49ers won their first divisional title ever in 1970.

Sure this is subjective but there are standards. Especially on radio, where the announcer serves as the listener’s eyes, it is so important for the play by play person to be accurate and quick.

Simmons was both and is one of the greats. When Jerry Rice breaks loose on a key play on the Niners’ winning drive in the aforementioned 1988 season “Supe,” Lon’s voice “explodes” and stays with Jerry’s progress down field.

Finally, tribute to two more announcing greats who showed incredible selflessness and allowed Lon to call great sport’s moments. In 1963, Russ Hodges, who of course had not so arguably, the greatest sports call ever on Bobby Thomson’s pennant winning home run in 1951, gave Simmons the microphone for Juan Marichal’s no hitter. In 1989, Bill King did the same for Lon as the A’s wrapped up the World Series, coincidentally vs the San Francisco Giants.

My giving is minimal but heartfelt. Happy 90th birthday to Lon Simmons and thanks for your incredible work. It means a great deal to me.