I just heard Eric Nadel, the radio voice of the Texas Rangers for 35 years, will receive the coveted 2014 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting.
Nadel was a finalist for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Ford C. Frick Awards. This year he finally pulled in the largest number of votes than the other 20 finalists. Nadel will be honored in Cooperstown, NY at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies on July 26, 2014.
I just got off the phone with Eric who was pouring himself a cup of coffee in his kitchen. Here’s how his morning went down:
My wife, Jeannie, and I set the alarm for 8am because we knew the call was coming this morning. They told me they were going to call everyone whether they won or not. We didn’t need to because we’ve been up all night. We were just lying here in bed and the phone rang at 8:15. When I heard (presidents of the Baseball Hall of Fame) Jeff Ideloson’s voice, I knew I’d won. In the past it (the call) came from someone else. I have never been happier to hear his voice. I heard him say ‘I have some good news for you’ and after that I’m not sure what else he said.
During the three minutes we were on the phone, Nadel’s received 20 texts and eight voicemails. Eriç’s wife, Jeannie, is not a baseball fan. “She is this morning,” Nadel says. “I’ve never seen her this excited about anything to do with baseball.”
