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Published on Monday, 20 December 2010 21:19
WGN-AM announced this afternoon that the station agreed to a five-year contract extension with longtime Chicago Cubs play-by-play radio broadcaster Pat Hughes. This new agreement now solidifies Hughes in the WGN Radio broadcast booth through the end of the 2015 Chicago Cubs season.
Pat Hughes has been calling professional baseball games for the last twenty-eight years. The past fifteen years have been as the Cubs' highly respected radio broadcaster. Prior to his broadcasting in Chicago, Hughes was the radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers for twelve years and the television voice of the Minnesota Twins for one year. Before he was calling the pros, he spent five years calling minor league baseball games.
Virgil Patrick "Pat" Hughes has won the Sportscaster of the Year award eight times -- three times for the State of Wisconsin and then five times for the State of Illinois. This past January, he was given the
2009 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year award, plus he is a finalist yet again for the 2010 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year, the winner of which will be announced next month.
Hughes, 55, is a native of Tucson, AZ and a graduate of San Jose State University.
WGN-AM's Vice President and General Manager Tom Langmyer released a statement today saying: "Pat's voice on WGN has spoken to the legion of Cubs fans across the Midwest and beyond for many years -- and we're very fortunate to have such a great broadcaster behind the microphone for a long time to come. We look forward to warmer weather and once again hearing Pat say, 'This ball's got a chaaaance ... GONE!'"
Pat Hughes himself said today: "I am delighted to continue my career with WGN Radio and the Chicago Cubs. Chicago is one of the world's greatest sports cities, Wrigley Field one of the most famous venues, and I'm just happy to be a part of it all."
For these past fifteen years as a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, he has been side-by-side with his on-air partner and friend, Ron Santo. Santo, the former Cubs third baseman and fan favorite,
passed away at the start of this month at the age of 70. It has not yet been determined who will now be the color analyst working alongside Pat Hughes next season.
Pat Hughes Fun Fact: Hughes' voice was used as the baseball announcer in the 1997 Disney film "Flubber" starring Robin Williams.
