RIP Hank Greenwald

[HanSenSE]

Beloved Bay Area broadcaster. Did the Giants from 1979-1996, save for a two-year stint with the Yankees. Also did the Warriors and USF hoops briefly. Best known for his dry wit and was the definitive biographer of all the Alou brothers and sisters.

Hank Greenwald, former Giants broadcaster, dies at 83

 

[DanOregon]

Growing up in the Bay Area we had Bill King, Lon Simmons and Greenwald during much of the 80s and 9os. He didn't see a lot of great baseball, but was a master storyteller. The consensus was he may have been the best announcer to have when your team is terrible, because he still made the games listenable.

 

[HanSenSE]

That was the thing about listening to Hank do a game. His calls of the Giants' great moments (mostly revolving around the 1989 NLCS) in his time are memorable, but the way he'd spin a story or work in a wisecrack was what kept you tuned in, even for a day game against the Montreal Expos with, say, 5,000 at Candlestick. He even made the daily reading of the disclaimer interesting.

He also mentored Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper as they transitioned from the dugout to the booth, helping mold one of the top TV teams in the game today.

 

[BadgerBeer]

Growing up in the Bay Area we had Bill King, Lon Simmons and Greenwald during much of the 80s and 9os. He didn't see a lot of great baseball, but was a master storyteller. The consensus was he may have been the best announcer to have when your team is terrible, because he still made the games listenable.

I always had respect for the announcers that call terrible teams. Year after year of meaningless games yet they keep it interesting. Uecker was like that but now that he is older and the Brewers are good he is brutal. Never tells score and a "deep ball to left" is equally apt to be a HR or an infield pop up.