Veteran Sox Broadcaster Award Finalist

Longtime Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione is a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to a broadcaster "for major contributions to baseball".

Ford Frick is a former broadcaster, National League president and baseball commissioner. He was a driving force behind the startup of the Hall of Fame and Museum.

There is now a special wing that honors baseball broadcasters and writers.

Mel Allen and Red Barber were the first two Frick Award winners when the award was first presented back in 1978.

The winner for this year will be announced Wednesday. Here's the list of finalists...

JOE CASTIGLIONE

33 years (Indians, 1979, ’82; Brewers, 1981; Red Sox, 1983- ), A Red Sox radio broadcaster for 31 years, including 16 seasons as lead voice…Covered the Cleveland Indians on television in 1979 and on cable in 1982 and broadcast the Milwaukee Brewers on cable in 1981…Has announced the Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) on cable, and he did college basketball on New England Sports Network for six winters….Has taught a broadcast journalism course at Northeastern University for several years as well as at Franklin Pierce College.

JACQUES DOUCET

35 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.

KEN HARRELSON

35 years overall (Red Sox, 1975-81; White Sox, 1982-85, 91- ; Yankees, 1987-88), the last 22 with the White Sox…The 2000 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year…The Hawk’s exuberant “YES” call and colorful nicknames have become familiar to Sox fans…Worked in the broadcast booth for the Sox from 1982-85, leaving to become executive vice president for baseball operations…After serving as the club’s general manager for one season, he resigned to resume his broadcasting career…In New York, teamed with Spencer Ross in 1987 and Bobby Murcer in 1988…Also served as a broadcaster on The Baseball Network in 1994-95…Played major league baseball for nine seasons, helping lead the Red Sox to the American League pennant in 1967…Appeared in 900 major-league games, batting .239 with 131 home runs and 421 RBI…Credited with bringing the batting glove to baseball, he played golf professionally for a time before entering broadcasting.

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.

DUANE KUIPER

28 years (Giants, 1985, 1987-92, 94- ; Rockies, 1993), 26 with the Giants including the last 18, currently, in the Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and KNBR Radio broadcast booths…Received the first Bay Area Emmy award of his distinguished broadcasting career in the category of “On Camera Sports” in 1999, and won the prestigious award a second time in 2001…Has won a total of seven Emmy Awards… Spent 11 seasons in the majors as an infielder, the last four years with the Giants, following seven with the Cleveland Indians…After retiring in 1985 provided commentary on Giants radio broadcasts through the end of that season.

ERIC NADEL

35 years (1979- ), all with Texas, the last 20 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 seven-time selection 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…Elected to the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.

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.

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. 

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). 

PETE VAN WIEREN

33 years (1976-2008), all with the Braves….Earned the prestigious Georgia Sportscaster of the Year Award nine times, the first coming in 1980…Received the 1998 Ivan Allen, Jr. "Mr. Baseball" award, presented to "the person who has contributed significantly to the promotion of baseball in the Atlanta area" by the Braves 400 Club…Began his Major League broadcasting career with the Braves in 1976 after working as the play-by-play man for the Tidewater Tides of the International League for two years.