Illinois Hall of Fame: Jack Brickhouse

By Mark Rhoads

Award-winning sports broadcaster Jack Brickhouse (Hey Hey!!) was born in Peoria, Illinois on Jan. 24, 1916.  He announced for more sports events than any other American broadcaster.  Jack attended Peoria public schools and was only 18 when he started working as an announcer for WMBD radio in Peoria in 1934. He briefly attended Bradley University and covered Bradley sports teams on radio.  After six years of radio work in Peoria, Jack was hired by WGN radio in Chicago in 1940.  With the exception of military service, he worked for the next 41 years for both WGN radio and television.  In fact, Jack was the first broadcaster face to be seen on WGN-TV when it went on the air in 1948.

Jack missed covering the only championship season in the last sixty-one years for the Chicago Cubs in 1945 because he was on duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II.  The only league championship he ever covered was the American League Pennant for the Chicago White Sox in 1959.  He also was the announcer on the audio track for the 1954 World Series Game 1 and described the famous catch of Willie Mays at the Polo Grounds in New York.  He also announced Chicago Bears games on radio with former Chicago Sun-Times columnist and NFL player Irv Kupcinet for 24 years.  He announced White Sox games for 27 years and Cubs games for 40 years. 

By Mark Rhoads

Award-winning sports broadcaster Jack Brickhouse (Hey Hey!!) was born in Peoria, Illinois on Jan. 24, 1916.  He announced for more sports events than any other American broadcaster.  Jack attended Peoria public schools and was only 18 when he started working as an announcer for WMBD radio in Peoria in 1934. He briefly attended Bradley University and covered Bradley sports teams on radio.  After six years of radio work in Peoria, Jack was hired by WGN radio in Chicago in 1940.  With the exception of military service, he worked for the next 41 years for both WGN radio and television.  In fact, Jack was the first broadcaster face to be seen on WGN-TV when it went on the air in 1948.

Jack missed covering the only championship season in the last sixty-one years for the Chicago Cubs in 1945 because he was on duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II.  The only league championship he ever covered was the American League Pennant for the Chicago White Sox in 1959.  He also was the announcer on the audio track for the 1954 World Series Game 1 and described the famous catch of Willie Mays at the Polo Grounds in New York.  He also announced Chicago Bears games on radio with former Chicago Sun-Times columnist and NFL player Irv Kupcinet for 24 years.  He announced White Sox games for 27 years and Cubs games for 40 years. 

Jack broadcast more than 5,000 Chicago baseball games for the Cubs and White Sox on both radio and TV during his forty years as a broadcaster in Chicago until he retired in 1981.  From the 1950s on he was often paired in the Wrigley Field WGN booth with "rally specialist" Vince Lloyd.  The Cubs often needed a rally specialist in those years but it was seldom enough.  In 1983, Jack was given the Ford C. Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Jack was succeeded after 1981 by former St. Louis Cardinals radio announcer Harry Caray.  One stylistic difference often noted between Brickhouse and Caray was that Brickhouse was more attuned to let TV pictures tell the story in a play by play whereas Caray described plays in radio fashion even on TV.  Jack was always known as positive and a gentleman who avoided off color language of any sort at work or after work.   

Jack died in Chicago on March 3, 1998 at the age of 82.  The picture at right is of the Jack Brickhouse Memorial in Pioneer Plaza north of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and just south of Tribune Tower.   

Jack broadcast more than 5,000 Chicago baseball games for the Cubs and White Sox on both radio and TV during his forty years as a broadcaster in Chicago until he retired in 1981.  From the 1950s on he was often paired in the Wrigley Field WGN booth with "rally specialist" Vince Lloyd.  The Cubs often needed a rally specialist in those years but it was seldom enough.  In 1983, Jack was given the Ford C. Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Jack was succeeded after 1981 by former St. Louis Cardinals radio announcer Harry Caray.  One stylistic difference often noted between Brickhouse and Caray was that Brickhouse was more attuned to let TV pictures tell the story in a play by play whereas Caray described plays in radio fashion even on TV.  Jack was always known as positive and a gentleman who avoided off color language of any sort at work or after work.   

Jack died in Chicago on March 3, 1998 at the age of 82.  The picture at right is of the Jack Brickhouse Memorial in Pioneer Plaza north of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and just south of Tribune Tower.