by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–Lon Simmons who called Oakland A’s games he and I crossed paths when he used to call San Francisco Giants games and then he did the A’s starting in 1981. He did the Giants from 1958-1981 and the returned back with the Giants in 2002 after finishing up with the A’s 1995. He’s a legend, he’s a Hall of Famer.

Simmons was a broadcast great who left us at age 91 on Sunday morning Easter morning on opening day of the MLB 2015 season. He had a tremendous sense of humor. Here’s a funny anecdote that’s true it was late 1997 that I was traveling with the Giants doing all the games in Spanish on KIQI Radio and KNBR was the executive producer of the broadcasts.

I was the Spanish voice of the Giants during those years and worked with Renee De La Rosa who also owned the station, we were in Montreal and a couple of hours before the game in the pressbox I was around looking for notes and looking for the lounge to eat. Lon ran into me and he asked me “how do you like Montreal?” I said “I love it” it’s like a European town and he said “do you have a disclaimer?”

I told Lon “of course we have a disclaimer he then asked “can I do the disclaimer for you in French?” I said “you speak French?” and he did something and it was in French. I’m not kidding you, Lon was an incredible man and we read about the sad news about his passing on Sunday but God gave him a long life.

We all would be blessed to make it to 91 less face it that’s for starters, Lon was one of those guys according to the news today and last night he didn’t even want a funeral and I can’t talk for him he’s in Heaven now but leave it to Lon God bless him he passed away on Easter Sunday and on Opening Day of the MLB season. He was like that comedian and God bless him it would be Lon to say, “I don’t want to be bothered I’m going to pick two big days when I go first it’s Easter and the MLB Opening Day with the Cubs hosting the Cardinals.” It’s only fitting that Lon checked out on a day with two big events. We’ll miss you Lon.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez was the former Spanish radio voice for the San Francisco Giants and is the current Spanish radio voice for the A’s and worked with Lon Simmons at both the A’s and Giants and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to the podcast below