Earl Gillespie

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Earl Gillespie (July 25, 192212 December 2003) was an American sportscaster, best known as the voice of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1963.

Gillespie was known for his dramatic, extroverted style of play-by-play and his use of the phrase "Holy cow!" during moments of great excitement (an on-air catch phrase he shared with fellow baseball announcers Harry Caray and Phil Rizzuto).

Gillespie called both of the Braves' World Series appearances in Milwaukee (1957, 1958) over NBC Radio.

[edit] Play-by-play Highlights

On September 23, 1957, Gillespie described the Braves win of the National League this way:

"The pitch to Henry Aaron. A swing and a drive back into center field! Going back towards the wall! It's back at that fence....and is it gone or not? It's a home run! The Braves are the champions of the National League! Henry Aaron has just hit his forty-third home run of the year!"

On October 10, 1957, Gillespie's description of the Braves' World Series win:

"The outfield around to the left. McDougald is on at third, Coleman is at second. Tommy Byrne the base runner at first. Hank Aaron is pulled around in left-center field. A breeze is blowing across from left to right. Burdette's pitch. Swung on, lined, grabbed by Mathews who steps on third--and the World Series is over and the Milwaukee Braves are the new world champions of baseball!"