Pat Hughes wins the Hall of Fame’s Frick Award

Dec 7, 2022 - 5:15 PM

Pat Hughes has been the Cubs’ lead radio play-by-play voice since 1996, so 2023 will be his 28th year behind the microphone calling Cubs games. He’s also done some PBP on TV for Marquee Sports Network.

Pat has always been an excellent broadcaster and well-liked by Cubs fans, and has worked well with partners ranging from Ron Santo to Keith Moreland to his current sidekick, Ron Coomer.

Today, Pat was given the highest honor that a broadcaster can receive from baseball’s Hall of Fame:

Before he came to the Cubs, Pat also did radio work for the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins, and 2023 will be his 41st year as a baseball radio broadcaster.

Pat also runs a company called “Baseball Voices,” which produces audio tributes to basell broadcasters, well worth checking out.

Here is Pat’s call of the Cubs’ World Series final out in 2016 [VIDEO].

On a personal note, Pat wrote an article for me years ago when I was the editor of Maple Street Press’ Cubs annuals, and also was kind enough to write the forewords for both my books, “Cubs By The Numbers” and “A Season For The Ages.” He was always kind and generous with his time and effort and I’ve interacted with him on a number of other occasions and can say that he is truly one of the nicest people in the broadcasting industry.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Cubs organization, I want to congratulate Pat on this remarkable accomplishment,” said Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts in a statement. “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. 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.”

Congratulations to Pat Hughes on this well-deserved honor. He’ll accept the award and give a speech on Induction Weekend in Cooperstown, July 22-23. As you know if you remember Pat’s eulogy for his colleague and friend Ron Santo, he gives a terrific speech. I can imagine many Cubs fans will make the trip to Cooperstown for the July ceremony.