Ranking the best catch phrases from legendary White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson

Hall of Fame Chicago White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson celebrated his 84th birthday earlier this week.

If you’re anything like me, you grew up watching White Sox games and listening to Hawk’s commentary, and he probably holds a special place in your heart.

With everything from yelling at the umpire from the booth after a blown call, to sitting in silence as the opposing team celebrated a walk-off win, Hawk’s career was full of iconic moments.

In addition to the moments permanently engrained in our memory, Hawk is known for his catch-phrases, many of which are still in use by baseball fans today. There are far too many to rank them all, but here are, in my opinion, the five very best "Hawk-isms."

(Here's a look at Chuck Garfien's list from a White Sox pregame show earlier this week on CHSN.)

Honorable Mentions: “Rack ‘em up!”, “We got a man there!”

5. “Sit back, relax, and strap it down!”

Nothing gives me more nostalgia than hearing the iconic phrase used by Hawk just before the final commercial at the start of a game. No matter how poorly the team was playing or where they were in the standings, Hawk began every game the same way - getting fans excited to watch White Sox baseball. 

4. “And this ball game is OVAH!” 

Closing out a White Sox win with this simple, yet effective, phrase was a great way to end an afternoon/evening of baseball.

I find myself still using “Ovah” in both a positive and negative context to this day, thanks to Hawk Harrelson. I’m not sure there’s another Hawk-ism that’s as regularly integrated with the everyday vocabulary of Sox fans as this one.

3. “He Gone!”

Used to celebrate a White Sox pitcher getting a strikeout, “He Gone” is a Hawk Harrelson special.

It was pretty much a guarantee to hear this phrase multiple times a game. A few have tried to replicate it since, but nobody does it like Hawk. 

2. “You gotta be bleepin’ me!” 

Hawk Harrelson always did his best to make sure the White Sox broadcasts remained family friendly! There was no bleeping out or dump button required, because Hawk always filtered it out on the front end!

From blown leads, to terrible calls, to absurd instances of bad luck, there was seemingly always a scenario where “you gotta be bleepin’ me!” was appropriate. And let’s be honest, we all think it from time to time while watching a Sox game. 

1. “Stretch/”You can put it on the board!” 

Hawk has so many iconic phrases to choose from, but in my opinion, nothing beats his iconic home run call.

A home run call is a signature part of any baseball broadcaster's brand, and Hawk’s was as good as they come. The farther the home run, the louder the call! It would be a treat to hear the excitement in Hawk's voice again for some of the reason blasts off the bat of Colson Montgomery.

White Sox fans were truly spoiled for 33 seasons with Hawk Harrelson in the booth. Jason Benetti did a phenomenal job filling his shoes, but it's hard to be as iconic as Hawk.

Hawk Harrelson’s catch phrases help shaped me into the White Sox fan I am today, and I will always be grateful to grow up with him in the booth.