Ford C. Frick Award Finalists Announced

Apr 29, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (22) talks with broadcaster Mike Shannon before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Ten finalists were announced early Wednesday afternoon – including Ken Harrelson and Mike Shannon – for the Ford C. Frick Award, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual award for broadcasting. The award is given each year to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball”. Tom Cheek was the recipient of the award last year, following a distinguished career covering the Toronto Blue Jays from their inception in Toronto.

Harrelson has been in broadcasting for the past 27 years – calling games for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox (where he is currently). Shannon’s spent the past 42 seasons broadcasting St. Louis Cardinals games following a nine year playing career with the team.

In addition to Harrelson and Shannon, the other finalists include: Joe Castiglione, Jacques Doucet, Bill King, Duane Kuiper, Eric Nadel, Eduardo Ortega, Dewayne Staats, and Pete van Wieren. Doucet, King, and Kuiper were chosen through fan voting. The remainder of the finalists are nominated by a committee consisting of former award winners and broadcast historians and columnists.

A 20 member panel will conduct the final voting on the award. The winner will be announced on December 11 during baseball’s winter meetings. The recipient will receive his plaque and honor during next summer’s Induction Ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York.