Blue Jays play-by-play commentator and ESPN broadcaster Dan Shulman is the latest journalist to receive the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Jack Graney Award, named after the legendary Cleveland Indians outfielder and St. Thomas native.
In 1987 the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame instituted the award in the name of Jack Graney and presents it annually to a member of the media who has made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life’s work.
In 1991, Dan Shulman landed his first sports broadcasting gig on to the FAN 1430 (now Sportsnet 590 The FAN) where he hosted a number of shows, including Prime Time Sports, The Major League Report and Baseball Today.
In 1995, he began serving as the Blue Jays’ play-by-play commentator alongside Buck Martinez and also working part-time for ESPN.
“I am tremendously honoured to be receiving this award,” said Shulman. “As a Canadian kid who fell in love with baseball very early on, the opportunity to cover the sport for as long as I have has been one of the great joys of my life. To be part of a list with so many people I have admired for so many years is very humbling. I want to thank the selection committee and the Board of Directors at the Hall for considering me worthy of this honour.”
Born in St. Thomas, Jack Graney was a scrappy leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Indians, whos big league resume boasts a number of firsts.
When he walked to the plate in a game against the Boston Red Sox on July 11, 1914, he became the first batter to face Babe Ruth.
Almost two years later, on June 26, 1916, he was the first major leaguer to bat wearing a number on his uniform.
After hanging up his spikes, Graney became the first ex-player to make the transition to the broadcast booth, performing radio play-by-play for the Indians from 1932 to 1953.
Previous Winners of the Jack Graney Award:
1987 – Neil MacCarl – Toronto Star
1988 – Milt Dunnell – Toronto Star
1990 – Austin “Dink” Carroll – Montreal Gazette
1991 – Joe Crysdale & Hal Kelly – CKEY
1996 – Dave Van Horne – Montreal Expos
2001 – Tom Cheek – Sportsnet 590/The Fan
2002 – Ernie Harwell – Detroit Tigers
2003 – Allan Simpson – Baseball America
2004 – Jacques Doucet – Montreal Expos
2005 – Len Bramson – TBS Sports
2009 – Ian MacDonald – Montreal Gazette
2010 – Bob Elliott – Sun Media & canadianbaseballnetwork.com
2011 – W. P. Kinsella – “Shoeless Joe” novel adapted to film “Field of Dreams”
2012 – Jerry Howarth – Sportsnet 590/The Fan
2013 – Rodger Brulotte – Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays
2014 – Richard Griffin – Toronto Star
2015 – Serge Touchette – Le Journal de Montreal
2016 – Larry Millson – Globe and Mail
2017 – Alison Gordon – Toronto Star
2018 – Jeff Blair – Sportsnet
2019 – Ken Fidlin – Toronto Sun
2020 – Dan Shulman – Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN
