So many fans have to listen to bland, generic play-by-play guys. We were lucky to have him for so long. 

8 hours ago, Chi Town Sox said:

This.  

It just feels weird that it's over.  I don't know what I expected to happen but He waved at the screen, said his final words...and that's it.  I agree he got a little crazy the last few years but nobody can match the passion that he had for his team nowadays.  

His passion for the game and the Sox was the best thing about him. When the Sox lost, he suffered that loss with you. You don't see that anymore in announcing these days.

I don't get a chance to watch many games these days. I made it a point to watch his last game. So even though I don't hear him often, its sad that I won't have the option anymore. Those last couple innings were hard to get through thinking "this is it" while you could hear him cry. His passion for the White Sox is real.

 

Hawk is a big identity of the White Sox for me. That won't change now that he's retired. Enjoy retirement Hawk. We will never forget your contributions to White Sox baseball. I will quote you for my lifetime when watching baseball.

Jason Benetti is a good announcer along with Steve Stone, but anyone would admit that there is a lot of color and energy missing with Hawk gone.   Love or hate The Hawk, he was one of a kind with a huge personality and presence.  The hillbilly one liners, the quotes, the stories, his ability to nickname people with names that actually stick, etc.  It's not the same for me now. 

Unlike a lot of fans, I embraced his being a homer because I always felt that the daily local broadcasts were just for us Sox fans, not the whole country.  The announcers that we fans share the bulk of the games with should be "our guys," in my opinion.  I can hear a generic, bland, perfectly unbiased national-type broadcaster any day of the week, that's nothing special at all.  Those people are a dime a dozen.

Even my 7th grade son who doesn't watch much sports on TV (he's too busy actually playing them himself) has noticed the absence of Hawk without me saying anything.  While I was watching a game this season and somebody on the Sox homered, he asked where that guy was who yells "YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD, YEEESSS!!"  My son imitated Hawk's voice and did the whole getup.  I told him he's (Hawk) been the announcer for decades and is retiring.  My son stood there for a minute, reflected, and then walked out of the room declaring that the current announcers are boring.  LOL

I totally miss Hawk already.  When combined with the current state of our team, I'm struggling to get motivated to watch the games.

Edited September 25, 20187 yr by Doc Edwards Shot

4 minutes ago, Doc Edwards Shot said:

Jason Benetti is a good announcer along with Steve Stone, but anyone would admit that there is a lot of color and energy missing with Hawk gone.   Love or hate The Hawk, he was one of a kind with a huge personality and presence.  The hillbilly one liners, the quotes, the stories, his ability to nickname people with names that actually stick, etc.  It's not the same for me now. 

Unlike a lot of fans, I embraced his being a homer because I always felt that the daily local broadcasts were just for us Sox fans, not the whole country.  The announcers that we fans share the bulk of the games with should be "our guys," in my opinion.  I can hear a generic, bland, perfectly unbiased national-type broadcaster any day of the week, that's nothing special at all.  Those people are a dime a dozen.

Even my 7th grade son who doesn't watch much sports on TV (he's too busy actually playing them himself) has noticed the absence of Hawk without me saying anything.  While I was watching a game this season and somebody on the Sox homered, he asked where that guy was who yells "YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD, YEEESSS!!"  My son imitated Hawk's voice and did the whole getup.  I told him he's (Hawk) been the announcer for decades and is retiring.  My son stood there for a minute, reflected, and then walked out of the room declaring that the current announcers are boring.  LOL

I totally miss Hawk already.  When combined with the current state of our team, I'm struggling to get motivated to watch the games.

I got nothing to add, but condolences. The real Doc Edwards passed away last month.

Hawk was one of a kind. I hope he has a long, healthy retirement.

16 hours ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

His passion for the game and the Sox was the best thing about him. When the Sox lost, he suffered that loss with you. You don't see that anymore in announcing these days.

I loved that about Hawk, too.  When I was all pissed off or hurting after a tough loss, Hawk sounded like he felt the same way I did.  I appreciated that mutual feeling.

Just now, flavum said:

I got nothing to add, but condolences. The real Doc Edwards passed away last month.

Hawk was one of a kind. I hope he has a long, healthy retirement.

Despite my screen name in this forum, I don't even know who the real Doc Edwards is or the story behind the guy.

Do you?

5 minutes ago, Doc Edwards Shot said:

Despite my screen name in this forum, I don't even know who the real Doc Edwards is or the story behind the guy.

Do you?

He was Hawk’s teammate. A Doc Edwards shot was a broken bat shank (or just a jam shot hit) that Edwards must have been known for in the 60s.

Edited September 25, 20187 yr by flavum

I finally watched his last broadcast and I bawled. I am going to miss him.

A lil slow at work for me right now. I decided to read this thread and now tears are running down my face. Its like asking myself were time has gone. Again I first heard hawk consistently in 1990(around the time my household got cable) I was 14 I tried not to miss any of the 50 games on WGN any any other random sox game a local channel down in PR would run. When he sounded off for the last time I felt hole in my chest. Like a part of me was gone. Now at 43 I look back and realize hawks broadcasts were a part of me. Having him gone is like a part of me is gone. 

 

THANK YOU HAWK FOR ALL THE YEARS AND MEMORIES

 

only a true sox fans understands this feeling........

Some amazing tributes to Hawk in this thread, Thank you Hawk and thank all of you who have posted here so eloquently.

Greg, Hawk is the guest speaker at the St Catherine smoker...well it's called sports night now a days....for this year if you are around.   

I'm sitting at work on a long night shift and hadn't watched his last inning yet, and I have nothing better to do so I gave it a go. That was harder to watch than I thought. Hawk sniffling and trying to talk over his sobbing the whole inning.

He gone?