Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Hank Greenwald, one of the most beloved announcers in the history of the San Francisco Bay Area sports scene, passed away on Monday afternoon at the age of 83.

Greenwald, who was born in Detroit in 1935, graduated from Syracuse University in 1957 and then went on to work for the then Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) of the NBA. It was in 1964, that he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and teamed up with the erstwhile Bill King and the Warriors, who still were known as the San Francisco Warriors.

After flourishing in the minor leagues, Greenwald was hired to work San Francisco Giants games with one of his idols, Lindsay Nelson. Greenwald left the Giants after the 1986 season to work for the New York Yankees for two seasons, but then returned to the Bay Area and the Giants for the 1989 season.

It was during that magical 1989 season that saw the Giants return to the World Series for the first time since 1962, and Greenwald uttered his famous quote. “Twenty-seven years of waiting have come to an end! The Giants have won the pennant!”

Greenwald once again left the Giants after the 1996 season, but returned to the broadcast booth with the Oakland A’s for the 2004 and 2005 seasons before hanging up his mike for good.

He is survived by his beloved wife Carla, their son Doug, who is currently the broadcaster for the Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A affiliate for the Washington Nationals) and daughter Kellie.