Jerry Coleman, voice of the San Diego Padres and a former Major League Baseball player, is this year’s recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The award recognizes major contributions to baseball broadcasting.
Coleman, now 80, played with the Yankees from 1949 to 1957; he began broadcast work in 1960 and has spent 32 seasons (23 consecutive) covering the Padres. Hall of Fame officials noted his “strong and concise play-by-play calling style, which he effectively mixes with malapropisms, much to delight of his
listening audience.” He also has broadcast games for the Yankees, Angels and CBS Radio’s Game of the Week; in the 1960s he was part of a Yankees broadcast team that included Mel Allen, Red Barber, Joe
Garagiola and Phil Rizzuto. Of those five, now only Rizzuto has not been honored with a Frick Award.
Coleman will be honored during the Hall induction ceremonies at Cooperstown in July.
Other past winners include Jack Buck, Lindsey Nelson, Russ Hodges and Arch McDonald.
Oh, Doctor! Jerry Coleman Honored by Baseball Hall of Fame
Oh, Doctor! Jerry Coleman Honored by Baseball Hall of Fame
