While many now know Jon Miller, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper and Dave Flemming as the voice of the San Francisco Giants, before them it was Lon Simmons.
A World War II veteran and former player within the Philadelphia Phillies system, Simmons began working in the Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers in 1957 and eventually took a job with the Giants in 1958.
There were some brief time periods in which Lon Simmons didn’t broadcast San Francisco Giants games, opting to head across the Bay to work on the Oakland A’s side, but for the most part he was known for his broadcast work with the Giants which made him a baseball icon.
Sadly, he passed away today as was announced by the Giants.
Lon Simmons has passed away, the Giants say. The brightness of opening day dims a bit. The game has lost an iconic voice and true gentleman.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) April 5, 2015
One of the most respected and popular voices in broadcasting, Lon Simmons became famous to the masses back in 1989 when he called the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl winning drive over the Cincinnati Bengals.
In addition to his on television work, Lon Simmons was an early adapter to video games and voiced a handful of popular titles like Joe Montana Football.
Simmons’ most iconic and well known phrase was his home run call for the Giants – ‘Tell It Goodbye’.
