One of the longest-tenured broadcasters in the history of the Chicago Cubs had his Hall of Fame moment on Saturday.
Pat Hughes, the team’s radio play-by-play broadcaster, was presented with the 2023 Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence as part of Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Cooperstown, New York.
It’s the biggest honor that can be bestowed upon a broadcaster in the game of baseball, and he joins an elite group of announcers in Cubs’ history to receive the honor. Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, Bob Elson, and Milo Hamilton spent time in the broadcast booth – radio or television – for the team and were also Frick Award winners.
Hughes gets the honor in big part for his time in Chicago. This is his 27th season with the team, joining the Cubs after spending 12 years in the same radio play-by-play role with the Milwaukee Brewers.
In 1983, Hughes began his broadcasting career in the television booth with the Minnesota Twins.
Many remember his memorable time in the booth with late Cubs’ Hall of Famer Ron Santo, whom he broadcasted with from 1996 until 2010. The “Pat and Ron” show was a favorite for the fans as Hughes balanced well with the former third baseman, who wasn’t shy to hide his love for the Cubs.
Following Santo’s death in December 2010, former outfielder Keith Moreland joined Hughes in the booth for the next three seasons. In 2014, another former Cubs player, Ron Coomer, assumed the analyst role and the duo has remained in the radio booth ever since.
After the launching of the Marquee Sports Network by the Cubs in 2020, Hughes has added some television play-by-play duties as well.
Through the years in Chicago, Hughes has been known for some signature phrases like “Get out the tape measure” and “Its got a chance” which he uses often for home runs. He’s had the opportunity to call playoff games in nine different seasons – 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015-2018, and 2020.
On November 2, 2016, Hughes became the first and so far only Cubs’ broadcaster to call the final out of a World Series championship-clinching game for the club when they defeated Cleveland in Game 7 at Progressive Field.
