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2013 Ford C. Frick Award Ballot Bios

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spacer TOM CHEEK

 31 years (Expos, 1974-76; Blue Jays, 1977-2004) and retired…Spent the final 28 years of his career with the Blue Jays as radio play-by-play man...When forced to retire during the 2004 season because of a brain tumor, was the only person to had worked every Blue Jays game...Broadcast for the Baseball Network, 1994-95…Called many post season games on Canada radio for Telemedia…Play-by-play experience includes baseball, basketball, football and hockey for the University of Vermont...From 1974 to 1976 was the swing man on Montreal Expos radio broadcasts on television nights...Member of the broadcast team for ABC Sports at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid and 1984 Olympics at Sarajevo...Has broadcast college basketball for Mutual Radio Network…Passed away Oct. 9, 2005. 

spacer KEN COLEMAN

 35 years (Indians, 1954-63; Reds, 1975-78; Red Sox, 1966-74, 1979-89) and retired…A household name in New England…Started broadcasting Indians’ games in 1954 and continued behind the microphone for 11 years with them…In 1966, he returned to his native New England as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Red Sox…Replaced Curt Gowdy, who moved on the NBC…Teamed with Gowdy and Harry Caray on NBC’s coverage of the 1967 World Series…Broadcast Red Sox games through 1974 before heading back to Ohio for a four-year stint on Reds’ television…Returned to Fenway Park once again in 1979 spent his final 11 years behind the microphone for the Red Sox radio network…Passed away Aug. 21, 2003. 

spacer JACQUES DOUCET

 34 years (Expos, 1972-2004; Blue Jays, 2012- )…Spent 33 years  as the play-by-play radio voice of the Expos on the French network before taking over as French play-by-play TV voice of the Blue Jays…Also filed daily reports from Florida during spring training and took part in the network’s special baseball radio shows…Prior to radio covered the club as a beat writer for the daily newspaper La Presse…For many years, he did the play-by-play for the Championship and World Series games…Inducted to the Quebec Baseball Hall of Fame in May 2002 and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in June of 2003.

spacer JOHN GORDON

 34 years (Orioles, 1970-73; Yankees, 1982-86; Twins, 1987-2011), the final 25 as the Twins' radio play-by-play voice, and retired…The Detroit native began his broadcasting career with the Spartanburg Phillies in 1965 after graduating from the University of Indiana…After five years with Spartanburg, Gordon joined the Baltimore Orioles where he remained until 1973, when he accepted the broadcasting job at the University of Virginia to become the voice of Cavaliers football and basketball…From there he joined the Yankees' Class AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers from 1977-81, before moving to New York in 1982. For his work with the Spartanburg Phillies, Gordon was inducted into the South Atlantic League's Hall of Fame on June 19, 2001, joining Walter Alston, Murray Cook and Tommy Lasorda in that year's class….He was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2008.  

spacer BILL KING

 25 years (A’s. 1981-2005), all with the A’s as the lead radio play-by-play man, and retired…Has spent five decades thrilling fans with his vivid descriptions of some of the most historical moments in the annals of three of the Bay Area’s major sports franchises – the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors, the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and the A’s…Was stationed on the island of Guam at the end of World War II when he began his broadcasting career with the Armed Forces Radio Network…Launched his sportscasting career in the late 1940’s in Pekin, Ill., broadcasting minor league baseball, along with high school football and basketball games…Passed away Oct. 18, 2005.

spacer GRAHAM McNAMEE

13 years (1923-35) and retired, for Westinghouse (1923-25) and NBC (1926-35)…A pioneer in sports broadcasting, he called 12 World Series on radio, beginning in 1923…Gave instant credibility to the birth of the National Broadcast Company (NBC) in 1926…Dubbed “the greatest announcer we ever had” by Red Barber…A former Broadway singer, he also pioneered radio broadcasts in 10 other sports, including boxing, tennis and football…Passed away May 9, 1942. 


spacer ERIC NADEL

34 years (1979- ), all with Texas, the last 18 as the lead voice for the Rangers’ radio broadcasts…His tenure is longer than any announcer in the history of the franchise…Worked on television and radio from 1979-81, then teamed with Mark Holtz for the next 13 years on radio while also doing televised games in 1984…A two-time selection (1999 and 2001) as Texas Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association…Taught himself to speak fluent Spanish and has called several games in Spanish during his frequent off-season visits to Latin America….Has also been the play-by-play announcer for the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League and the Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s Professional Basketball League…For the last 20 years, he has done “A Page From Baseball’s Past” radio features that run on the Rangers’ radio network…Elected to the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.    

spacer EDUARDO ORTEGA

26 years (Padres, 1987-90, ’92- ; Giants, 1991), the last 21 in San Diego as the Spanish voice of the Padres on radio and television…The Tijuana native’s credentials include a stint calling Padres road games from 1987-90, a season as the voice of the San Francisco Giants in 1991, four years as play-by-play man for the Tijuana Potros of the Mexican Pacific League and the last 12 seasons as the lead play-by-play voice of the Padres…Since 1993 has broadcast the playoffs and World Series for various outlets including CBS Radio’s Hispanic Network and Cadena Latina, teaming with Ford Frick winners Jaime Jarrin and Felo Ramirez…In 2000, 2001 and 2002 he was chosen to broadcast the All-Star Game, bringing the action to millions of fans across Latin America….Since 1998 has handled the play-by-play for the worldwide telecast of the Caribbean World Series…Named Sports Ambassador of Tijuana by Major Jose Guadalupe Osuna Milam in November of 1998, and was honored at 1997 Sportscaster of the Year by the Sportswriters Association of Tijuana.

spacer MIKE SHANNON

41 years (1972- ), all with the Cardinals…The Cardinals radio announcer was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his popularity and performance on the air and, as a player, on the field…Broke into the big leagues with the Cardinals in 1962 and went on to star for the Redbirds’ World Series championship teams in 1964 and 1967, and their NL pennant winner in 1968…Joined the Cardinals’ front office in 1971 as assistant director of promotions and sales. 

spacer DEWAYNE STAATS

35 years (Astros, 1977-84; Cubs, 1985-89; Yankees, 1990-94; ESPN, 1995-97; Rays, 1998- ), the last 15 in Tampa Bay…Called his 5,000th big league game in 2010…Before joining the Rays spent three years calling play-by-play for ESPN in a variety of sports, including Major League Baseball and NCAA baseball, basketball and football…Began his major league play-by-play career as the radio and TV voice of the Astros from 1977-84, then called radio and TV action for the Cubs from 1985-89…Was the lead play-by-play announcer for the Yankees and also spent the 1994-95 seasons calling action for The Baseball Network (ABC/NBC)…Began his career as a sports reporter for WSIE Radio while a student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and began his baseball career as the radio voice of the Oklahoma City 89ers (1973-74). 

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  • 2013 Ford C. Frick Award Ballot Finalized
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