Florida Marlins announcer Dave Van Horne is this year’s recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually to a baseball broadcaster by the Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence.
Van Horne began his pro baseball broadcasting career four decades ago with the Montreal Expos. Ironically, as the Marlins broadcaster he called the last Expos home game (against the Marlins). He started with the Marlins in 2001.
In the booth Van Horne has worked with such notables as Pee Wee Reese, Don Drysdale, Duke Snider, Ken Singleton and Buck Martinez. He has also won, in 1996, the Jack Graney Award, given by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to an outstanding broadcaster.
Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson stated: “Dave Van Horne introduced Major League Baseball to English-speaking fans in Montreal, and his voice became the standard for two generations of Expos fans … Since 2001, Dave has energized Marlins fans in South Florida with his infectious love for the game, his excitable play-by-play, and his signature ‘up, up and away’ home run calls.”
Van Horne joins past Frick recipients Mel Allen, Red Barber, Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, Bob Prince, Jack Buck, Lindsey Nelson, Harry Caray, Joe Garagiola, Chuck Thompson, Harry Kalas, Bob Uecker, Gene Elston, Tony Kubek and last year’s winner Jon Miller.
A combination of previous Frick winners, baseball writers and historians select the winner. Van Horne will be honored July 22–25 at the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
