Broadcaster Coleman Honored

By Lou Parrotta

The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum announced last week that the longtime voice of the San Diego Padres, Jerry Coleman, is the recipient of this year's Ford C. Frick Award. 

The Ford C. Frick Award is named after Hall of Famer Ford C. Frick, who was a sportswriter, radio broadcaster and National League President for 17 years prior to being named Commissioner of Baseball in 1951. According the Hall of Fame's website, "The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for 'major contributions to baseball.'" The winners must be active or retired broadcasters with a minimum of ten years of continuous major-league broadcast service with a club, network, or a combination of the two. The Award winners, while not actual inductees to the Hall of Fame, are recognized at the Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown in July and receive a calligraphy of the award during the ceremony.  

Coleman, a former solid player with the famed New York Yankees teams of the 1949-1957 era, joins such noted Frick Award winners as Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Brickhouse, Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, Curt Gowdy, Jack Buck, Lindsey Nelson, Joe Garagiola, Bob Murphy, Bob Wolff, Harry Caray and Bob Uecker. 

Jerry Coleman, who has called Padres' ballgames for the past 32 years, has become "synonymous with baseball in San Diego," according to Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey in announcing Coleman's selection. He was correct. Since 1972, the fans in Southern California have heard familiar cries of "Oh Doctor!" and "Hang a Star" from Coleman as he uniquely described terrific hits and stupendous plays.  

Before joining the Padres' organization, though, Coleman handled pre-game interviews from 1960-63 for the CBS television Game of the Week. He went on to work for the New York Yankees, where he appeared as a player in six World Series in nine seasons, batted .263 over his career, was named the Associated Press' Rookie of the Year in 1949, was an All-Star in 1950 and also the 1950 World Series Most Valuable Player, from 1963-69. Finally, he handled the pre-game show for the California Angels from 1970-72. 

Coleman, who is 80, counts among the people he has worked alongside as Dizzy Dean, Pee Wee Reese, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Joe Garagiola, and Phil Rizzuto, all who have been honored in one way or another by the Hall of Fame. It is only fitting that the last member of these teams, Jerry Coleman, be honored also.  

I look forward to him walking up to the lectern and upon accepting his honor yelling out an "Oh Doctor!" into the microphone for the audience to cherish and appreciate properly.