Longtime Cubs broadcaster Hughes wins Frick award
Published
Chicago Cubs radio voice Pat Hughes was named the 2023 Ford C. Frick Award winner and will be honoured in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the summer.
The award is presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Hughes was selected by a 15-person voting committee.
Among the nine other finalists for the award were longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Jerry Howarth and legendary Quebec broadcaster Jacques Doucet, who called both Montreal Expos and, later, Blue Jays games.
A native of Tucson, AZ, Hughes has called Cubs games since 1996 for WGN Radio and partnered with Ron Santo until the Hall of Fame third baseman's death in 2010.
“Known throughout the Midwest for his easy delivery and unparalleled knowledge, Pat Hughes has called some of the biggest moments in Cubs history and has provided the narrative for one of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise,” Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch said in a statement. “Since arriving at Wrigley Field in 1996, Pat has served as the radio voice for nine postseason teams – matching an ardent fan base with his own passion in every broadcast. His reverence for baseball history and gift for storytelling have made him one of the game’s broadcast treasures.”
Prior to joining Cubs broadcasts, Hughes began his career in 1983 as the TV play-by-play man for the Minnesota Twins before spending 12 years in the same capacity for the Milwaukee Brewers. Hughes also spent 17 seasons as the voice of Marquette basketball.
The 2023 Hall of Fame Weekend is set for July 21.