Chicago Radio: Cubs Voice Pat Hughes Wins Baseball's Frick Award

Longtime Chicago Cubs radio voice Pat Hughes was named the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award on Wednesday, joining Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray among the all-time broadcasting greats.

Hughes, 67, earned the honor for broadcasting excellence by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on his third year on the ballot after being named a finalist in 2016 and 2020.

Baseball Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch called Hughes shortly before Wednesday morning’s announcement to reveal the news.

“It’s one of the great days of my life,” Hughes said on a conference call. “When I was lucky enough to be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame in September, I made a point of saying ‘Who wouldn’t want to be in the Cubs Hall of Fame?’ And I feel that same way today. Who would not want to be in Cooperstown recognized for their broadcasting career? I’m elated, to say the least.

It’s a great place to be and now to think that my own plaque is going to be there, it’s just ridiculous. I can’t even believe it.”

Pat Hughes

Hughes thanked his main partner, Ron Coomer, along with Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, president of business operations Crane Kenney, Zach Zaidman and WSCR 670 AM program director Mitch Rosen, among others.

“The Ford C. Frick Award is a highly prestigious award that recognizes the ‘best of the best’ in broadcasting and no one is more deserving of this award than Pat,” Ricketts said in a statement. “Outside of his impressive resume, Pat is a truly wonderful person who cares deeply about Cubs fans and the game of baseball. We’re so incredibly lucky to have had him as a member of the Cubs family for the past 27 seasons and look forward to celebrating this accomplishment, and many more, in the years to come.”

Hughes began his baseball broadcasting career with the minor-league San Jose Mission in 1978, and after five seasons in the minors became the Minnesota Twins TV voice in 1983 and moved to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1984. He began his career with the Cubs in 1996 and recently completed his 27th season on the North Side. Hughes was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in September.

Hughes, the 47th winner of the Frick Award, was voted in by a committee that included former winners Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Bob Uecker, his former partner in Milwaukee. Among the others on the ballot was White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone, in his first year as a finalist.