John Miller Wins Ford Frick Award
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
The Baseball HOF recently announced that ESPN's Jon Miller has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Ford C. Frick broadcasting award. The Ford C. Frick Award. awarded annually, and is based on the following criteria: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, including national assignments such as the World Series and All-Star Games; and popularity with fans....
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced today that Jon Miller, who has spent parts of four decades as the voice of five Major League Baseball teams and has been the voice of ESPN’s national Sunday Night Baseball telecasts for 20 years, has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for major contributions to baseball broadcasting. Miller will be honored during Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies on Sunday, July 25, 2010 in Cooperstown, N.Y.Surprisingly it was not given to Miller because he's carried Joe Morgan for years. Who would have thunk it? Everyone knows the Miller has lost some of his luster over the past few years, but I would still take him over anyone else in the business. Obviously this is because I grew up with him broadcasting Orioles games, and I'm biased, but that aside I definitely think he deserves this award.
"Jon Miller is one of baseball's most recognizable voices and is extremely deserving of this prestigious honor," said Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "With a national audience on Sunday nights for the last 20 years, an entire country has been able to enjoy on a weekly basis what fans in San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, Texas and Oakland have known with Miller as their home team's broadcaster for varied points over the last four decades. His soothing play-by-play, his affable and welcoming personality and his relaxed nature on-air give every baseball fan a personal invitation to enjoy the game, as if each were sitting in the front row."
16 Comments:
I am a Giants' fan and listen to a lot of home games; Miller is great. And yes, Miller's lower back has to be killing him from carrying Morgan all of these years. I agree with dcs that Miller isn't as good on ESPN broadcasts and I think that has something to do with not being as familiar with other teams as he is the Giants and being distracted by frequent thoughts of choking Joe out.
Not considered for this award: Caray, Chip.
Any hope that Joe Morgan will boycott the induction ceremony? One can only hope.
Here are the past winners of this award:
1978 - Mel Allen and Red Barber
1979 - Bob Elson
1980 - Russ Hodges
1981 - Ernie Harwell
1982 - Vin Scully
1983 - Jack Brickhouse
1984 - Curt Gowdy
1985 - Buck Canel
1986 - Bob Prince
1987 - Jack Buck
1988 - Lindsey Nelson
1989 - Harry Caray
1990 - By Saam
1991 - Joe Garagiola
1992 - Milo Hamilton
1993 - Chuck Thompson
1994 - Bob Murphy
1995 - Bob Wolff
1996 - Herb Carneal
1997 - Jimmy Dudley
1998 - Jaime Jarrin
1999 - Arch McDonald
2000 - Marty Brennaman
2001 - Felo RamÃrez
2002 - Harry Kalas
2003 - Bob Uecker
2004 - Lon Simmons
2005 - Jerry Coleman
2006 - Gene Elston
2007 - Denny Matthews
2008 - Dave Niehaus
2009 - Tony Kubek
2010 - Jon Miller
Miller does a nice job and is pleasant to listen to. Yes he does mess up on names sometimes but at least he is self-deprecating about it and will apologize if he has time to correct it.
What is nice about Miller is his voice sounds natural and not like a switch was flipped when the game started. That is a gift that some have and congratulations to him for using it to his advantage.
Still disappointed that Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren haven't made the cut.
And yet again... all us Jays fans have to wait another year for the late (and great) Tom Cheek to win this thing. Sigh.
I'm lucky enough to hear Jon on Giants games. Funny guy.
It's ridiculous that the late Bill King has not won this award yet.
This will be the last year Vin Sculley broadcasts for the Dodgers. He should win it every year.
Very xcellent blog.the two men could tell stories and recall history of the game that was so prevelant to the game that they were calling.thanks.yeast infection
Aldawg, you can only win the award once and Vin deservedly won in '82. Good for Jon! I used to listen to him when he broadcast for the Red Sox and occasionally have the sound on during the Sunday night games. I usually mute it because of Joe Morgan. We need Alice from Dilbert to use the Fist of Death on Joe.
John miller blows unless you're a sox or yankee fan. Horrible at names, way too excitable on mundane plays, and i really can't stand the way he over-pronounces words....but he has been there a while, and pretty much everyone knows who he is.
He is the king of over-pronouncing words and emphasizing the wrong syllabul on a players name.
Skip Carey got hosed yet again, may he rest in peace.
I think that Joe Castiglione, the radio announcer of the Boston Red Sox, is deserving of this award.
He has been with the team since 1983 and has had many memorable calls for such a great franchise, including the 2004 ALCS comeback and the 2004 World Series.
"Can you BELIEVE IT??"
I have never heard Jon Miller call a Giants game locally, so my opinion may be biased, but I think that me is an average play by play broadcaster on ESPN. He often makes mistakes and inserts the wrong name, with the player whom he is referring to.
Castiglione, however, makes it so enjoyable to listen to a game on the radio. Back when he was with Jerry Trupiano, who the Red Sox should not have gotten rid of, the two men could tell stories and recall history of the game that was so prevelant to the game that they were calling.
There was nothing like a summers night down on Cape Cod listening to Castiglione and Trupiano call a game.