Jack Brickhouse
Sports commentator
Died when: 82 years 194 days (990 months)Star Sign: Aquarius
John Beasley Brickhouse (January 24, 1916 – August 6, 1998) was an American sportscaster.Known primarily for his play-by-play coverage of Chicago Cubs games on WGN-TV from 1948 to 1981, he received the Ford C.
Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.In 1985, Brickhouse was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame along with the Voice of the Yankees Mel Allen and Red Sox Voice Curt Gowdy.
Brickhouse served as the organization's Secretary/Treasurer and was a member of its board of directors.Brickhouse also called Chicago White Sox games prior to that team leaving WGN in 1968.
He covered national events from time to time, including three World Series for NBC television, although the Cubs never got there during his tenure.
The voice on the audio track of the famous Willie Mays catch in Game 1 of the 1954 Series at the Polo Grounds belongs to Brickhouse, who was doing the Series along with the New York Giants' regular broadcaster, Russ Hodges. (Brickhouse had also called Giants games locally in 1946.) Brickhouse called the 1959 Series, which featured the White Sox with Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, and the 1950 Series with Jim Britt.
In addition, Brickhouse partnered with fellow baseball broadcaster Mel Allen for NBC coverage of the 1952 Rose Bowl, and with Chris Schenkel for the network's coverage of NFL Championship Games in 1956 and 1963.
Brickhouse covered many other events in and outside of sports, such as professional wrestling for WGN and political conventions for the Mutual radio network.
From 1953 to 1977 he was the voice of Chicago Bears football on WGN-AM radio, in an unlikely and entertaining pairing with the famous Chicago Sun-Times gossip columnist Irv Kupcinet.
Brickhouse called Chicago Bulls basketball games for WGN-TV from 1966 until 1973, making him the voice of three of the major Chicago sports teams during that period.
He was a boxing commentator as well.Fights he worked include the 1949 fight between Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles and the 1951 fight between Johnny Bratton and Charley Fusari.