White Sox broadcaster up for award

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: Fans can help 'Hawk' gain Frick Award : : : CHICAGO -- Win or lose, in good times or bad, White Sox fans can count on pure entertainment, raw honesty and more than a touch of hometown support concerning their team coming from Ken "Hawk" Harrelson in the television broadcast booth. : This particular set of skills, including the creation of catchphrases such as, "You can put it on the board, Yes," "Grab some bench," and "This game is ovah," along with the development of colorful player nicknames such as the "Big Hurt" and "One Dog," has made Harrelson an iconic figure in White Sox lore as he works in his 32nd year in broadcasting. Harrelson's baseball acumen expressed over the airwaves also has earned him a nomination for the 2009 Ford C. Frick Award. : Ed Farmer, who nears completion of his third year as the White Sox radio play-by-play man and his 18th year overall with the White Sox, also is on the ballot. Steve Stone, who added his expert commentary on a full-time basis to the White Sox radio broadcasts in 2008, joins both Harrelson and Farmer as a candidate for this prestigious honor. : Balloting for the 2009 Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence begins Monday, with the top three vote-getters by the fans automatically qualifying for the 10-person ballot that will be formulated by a 20-member committee and announced Oct. 6. The winner will be announced Dec. 9 at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas and will receive the award during an induction ceremony July 26, 2009, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. : Fans may vote for up to three of their favorites among 210 broadcasters eligible in balloting conducted exclusively on the Hall's Web site, baseballhalloffame.org, which will carry biographical sketches of each candidate. Fans can vote up to once a day throughout September. Results will be announced when voting concludes Sept. 30. There will be no updates provided during the voting period. : Dave Niehaus, the long-time voice of the Seattle Mariners, was the recipient at the 2008 induction in July, which marked the 30th anniversary of the award that was first presented to legendary figures Mel Allen and Red Barber. The award was named for the late broadcaster, National League President, Commissioner and Hall of Famer. Frick was a driving force behind the creation of the Hall of Fame and helped foster the relationship between radio and the game of baseball. : The three broadcasters named to the ballot last year through online voting were the Cincinnati Reds' Joe Nuxhall, the Oakland Athletics' Bill King and Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan of ESPN. The other nominees selected by the 20-member committee were former "Game of the Week" broadcasters Dizzy Dean and Tony Kubek; play-by-play voices Tom Cheek (Toronto Blue Jays), Ken Coleman (Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox), Dave Van Horne (Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins) and broadcasting legend Graham McNamee (NBC), who called 12 World Series beginning in 1923. : Harrelson earned a spot on this list of 10 final candidates in December 2006, but came up short of the ultimate honor. Harrelson is marking his 19th straight year of announcing with the White Sox, also having broadcasted for the Red Sox and Yankees. : Others on the ballot with a White Sox connection are Dave Wills, Lorn Brown, Don Drysdale, Pat Flanagan, Vince Lloyd, Frank Messer, Jack Quinlan, Hal Totten, Wayne Hagin, Jim Kaat, Ralph Kiner, Claude Raymond, Ken Korach, Hector Molina, Tom Paciorek, Jim Price, Gary Thorne, John Rooney, George Kell and Ron Santo. : : (White Sox)

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