Harrelson, 78, has been named the 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Wednesday. The honor is awarded annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting, and Harrelson will be recognized as part of the Hall of Fame weekend festivities in Cooperstown, New York next July.
A 15-member committee comprised of the 11 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians/columnists determined the winner. Harrelson earned the highest point total in a Ford Frick vote ever, the Hall of Fame said.
"Ken Harrelson created a bond between the White Sox and their fans with his unabashed love of South Side Chicago baseball," Hall of Fame president Tim Mead said in a statement. "Each time he stepped into the booth, Hawk called the game with the passion of a fan and the knowledge of an MLB All-Star. As the narrator for some of the greatest moments in White Sox history, including the franchise’s 2005 World Series championship, Ken’s voice will echo for all time throughout the Windy City."
Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes was one of the other finalists, along with Joe Castiglione, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Mike Shannon, Dewayne Staats and the late Ned Martin.