Ford C. Frick Award

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Ford C. Frick, the award's namesake

The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford C. Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Before his career as an executive, Frick was a baseball writer; he gained fame as the ghostwriter for Babe Ruth in the 1920s. The award was created in 1978, and named in tribute to Frick following his death that year.

Though they are sometimes erroneously referred to as "Hall of Famers", honorees are not inducted into the Hall of Fame.[1] Honorees (if living) give a speech at the Hall of Fame during induction weekend, and their names are added to a plaque in the Hall's library. For several years in the early 2000s, Frick Award honorees also became life members of the Veterans Committee, which considers candidates for Hall of Fame induction who are not eligible for the regular voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America – specifically, players no longer on the BBWAA ballot and all non-players. However, starting with the 2008 elections, voting for players on the main Veterans Committee ballot was restricted to Hall of Fame members. After further changes announced for the 2011 elections, Frick Award winners are eligible to serve on all three of the Veterans Committee voting bodies that consider candidates from different eras of baseball.

Since 2004, fans have been allowed to vote for three of the award's ten annual nominees; this voting is currently conducted on the Hall's Facebook page. Through 2013, seven candidates were selected by a committee consisting of previous Frick Award winners and broadcast historians and columnists, which also determined the final recipient. Beginning with the 2014 award, the final election committee no longer selects any of the finalists; that role is now handled by a Hall of Fame research committee.[2]

Other changes in the selection process were also announced for the 2014 award; these changes are similar to those instituted in 2010 for Veterans Committee balloting. Candidates are now considered every third year, based on the era in which they made their most significant contributions:[2]

  • "High Tide Era" — Mid-1980s to present, including the rise of regional cable networks. Individuals from this era were first considered for the 2014 award.
  • "Living Room Era" — Mid-1950s to early 1980s, reflecting the rise of television. Individuals from this era were first considered for the 2015 award.
  • "Broadcasting Dawn Era" — Origin of broadcasting to early 1950s. Individuals from this era were first considered for the 2016 award.

Recipients

Year Honoree Primary Affiliation(s)
1978 Mel Allen New York Yankees
1978 Red Barber Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees
1979 Bob Elson Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Mutual
1980 Russ Hodges New York/San Francisco Giants
1981 Ernie Harwell Detroit Tigers
1982 Vin Scully Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, NBC
1983 Jack Brickhouse Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox
1984 Curt Gowdy Boston Red Sox, NBC
1985 Buck Canel New York Yankees, New York Mets
1986 Bob Prince Pittsburgh Pirates
1987 Jack Buck St. Louis Cardinals, CBS
1988 Lindsey Nelson New York Mets
1989 Harry Caray St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs
1990 By Saam Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics
1991 Joe Garagiola NBC
1992 Milo Hamilton Houston Astros
1993 Chuck Thompson Baltimore Orioles
1994 Bob Murphy New York Mets
1995 Bob Wolff Washington Senators, NBC
1996 Herb Carneal Minnesota Twins
1997 Jimmy Dudley Cleveland Indians
1998 Jaime Jarrín Los Angeles Dodgers
1999 Arch McDonald Washington Senators
2000 Marty Brennaman Cincinnati Reds
2001 Felo Ramírez Florida Marlins
2002 Harry Kalas Philadelphia Phillies
2003 Bob Uecker Milwaukee Brewers
2004 Lon Simmons San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics
2005 Jerry Coleman San Diego Padres
2006 Gene Elston Houston Astros, CBS Radio
2007 Denny Matthews Kansas City Royals
2008 Dave Niehaus Seattle Mariners
2009 Tony Kubek NBC, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays
2010 Jon Miller Baltimore Orioles, ESPN, San Francisco Giants
2011 Dave Van Horne Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins
2012 Tim McCarver New York Mets, ABC, CBS, Fox
2013 Tom Cheek Toronto Blue Jays
2014 Eric Nadel Texas Rangers
2015 Dick Enberg California Angels, NBC, San Diego Padres
2016 Graham McNamee NBC

See also

References

General

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Specific

  1. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Hall of Famers FAQ
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