Son of esteemed Cardinals broadcaster earns national award of his own

A proud St. Louis native is being recognized with the highest honor in his profession. Joe Buck, a longtime broadcaster for nationally televised baseball and football games and the son of the late St. Louis Cardinals broadcasting icon Jack Buck, was just announced as the recipient of the 2026 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented every year to a broadcaster who has provided "major contributions to baseball."

Joe Buck is the second in his family line to earn the Ford C. Frick Award.

Jack Buck received the award in 1987 after 33 years behind the microphone for the Cardinals, and with Joe joining him in the hallowed halls of broadcaster fame, they make up the first father-son duo to earn the award. Although Joe has never been a dedicated Cardinals broadcaster, he holds an iconic spot in Cardinals lore beyond St. Louis being his home.

Joe was on the broadcast for the 2011 World Series when postseason hero David Freese knocked one over the wall for the walk-off home run in Game 6, and Joe's call of "We will see you tomorrow night" lingers as music to the ears of Cardinals fans.

Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray was scheduled to call a game with Joe on May 24, 2024, until the game was declared a rainout. However, during the delay, Caray and Joe swapped stories of their time as broadcasters and their fathers' influence on their careers. Joe recounted the story of his Freese call, mentioning that he was honoring his dad, who had made the same "We will see you tomorrow night" utterance on Kirby Puckett's famous walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

Jack would have been thrilled to see his son take home this honor, and while they are the first father and son to be chosen as honorees for the award, they may not be the final family honored. Harry Caray, Chip's grandfather, received the Ford C. Frick Award in 1989 during a long and distinguished career that involved teams in St. Louis and Chicago. With Chip carving a strong career of his own, it's not out of the question that St. Louis continues its rich tradition of churning out Hall of Fame broadcasters.