Pat Hughes Finally Gets The Call To The Hall
Today, we focus on longtime Cubs broadcaster Pat Hughes after the announcement he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Pregame Pepper - Pat’s Play-By-Play
Leading Off
At Last Pat Hughes Is Headed The Hall Of Fame
By Brian Harl
The Chicago Cubs have made a variety of moves this offseason, scooping up the likes of Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer, and Cody Bellinger just to name a few so it makes sense that the majority of Cubs-related news over the past few months has been focused on the guys who will suit up between the lines. But the most notable Cubs news this offseason should be the December announcement that the longtime Cubs' radio voice, Pat Hughes, was heading to Cooperstown after being named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Ford C. Frick award.
Pat Hughes started his broadcasting career in the minor leagues back in 1978 and has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the Cubs since 1996. He has been a staple in an otherwise volatile and inconsistent organization, orating the low seasons of tanking and late-season heartbreak along with the joys of victory including the miraculous Cubs World Series victory in 2016. And he bid farewell to many friends and colleagues along the way, including longtime friend and Hall of Famer Ron Santo who worked color commentary next to Hughes for 14 years until his death.
Hughes is one of those special radio broadcasters who really pulls you right into the game, preserving the detail-oriented style of the traditional radio broadcaster. Even more so, with Hughes behind the mic, you’re not just listening to some stranger, you’re experiencing the game with a friend. Driving home from work while the Cubs are playing a day game? You are in for a treat. Tune in to the Cubs radio broadcast and within minutes Pat will have you transported from being stuck in rush hour gridlock to your very own seat at Wrigley Field as he escorts you through not only the plays of the game but also the various atmospherics - sights, sounds, smells, and all - that surrounds it. Hughes is so good at what he does, that even if you are watching the Cubs game on TV from the comfort of your living room, you would still consider muting the TV broadcast to instead tune in to hear Hughes walk you through pitch by pitch.
While Hughes would never say it, it was only a matter of time before the Hall brought him into the fold. He was a candidate for the Frick award twice before in 2016 and 2020 and he now will join Cubs broadcasting legends Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray in Cooperstown. He’s also been named the Illinois sportscaster of the year nine times, Wisconsin sportscaster of the year three times, and inducted to the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame in 2022.
But don’t let all the awards and accolades fool you, Hughes is about as personable and approachable as a person can get. Just watch as he gets the news that he is going to the Hall of Fame:
If that doesn’t convince you, I can personally attest to his approachability and humbleness. Following the Cubs’ 2016 World Series Victory, signed copies of Hughes’ Game 7 scorecard were made available for purchase online. Being the avid Cubs fan and Hughes fan that I am, I purchased one quickly. Well, apparently I wasn’t the only one as a number of orders flowed in and eventually the date that I was supposed to receive mine in the mail came and passed. I didn’t think twice about the minor delay as processing and mail delivery can vary, but within 24 hours of me not receiving my copy in the mail, I received a voicemail from none other than Pat Hughes himself, apologizing for the delay, thanking me for my support and fandom, and wishing me a wonderful day. He went out of his way and left a message that was over a minute long, to a guy he had never met. I still have that voicemail saved and replay it every so often.
I say all that to say this. You would be hard-pressed to find a more deserving individual to enshrine on a plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If you know Pat Hughes, then you know how much of a treasure to the game of baseball he is. If you don’t I strongly recommend giving him a listen. Just don’t be surprised if, after a few of Pat’s words, you blink and find yourself in the Wrigley Field bleachers with a cold beer in one hand, a scorecard in the other, and a smile on your face. Pat can do that to you. And that’s a mighty good thing.
Brian Harl is a freelance baseball writer and an editor for the IBWAA Here’s The Pitch Newsletter. He is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and enjoys baseball history and trivia. He is actively involved in IBWAA and SABR groups. You can find him on Twitter at @cubs_corner.