Congratulations, Mr. Kubek

I completely whiffed on this yesterday and I shouldn't have.

Tony Kubek is heading to the Hall of Fame as the latest Ford C. Frick Award Winner.

A former all-star shortstop and AL rookie of the year with the New York Yankees, Kubek became a fixture on NBC's "Game of the Week" telecasts for more than two decades. On Tuesday, he was honored with the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award.

"I'd like to say it's an award that I've received because of what I did, but (my bosses) share an award like this," Kubek said on a conference call. "An award like this really shouldn't be about one person."

The award is presented annually for major contributions to baseball broadcasting. Kubek, 73, will be honored July 26 during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.

After retiring following a nine-year playing career, Kubek worked for NBC, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees for 30 years. He was behind the microphone for 11 World Series, 14 AL Championship Series and 10 All-Star Games. He also was the color commentator for the final NBC "Game of the Week" telecast on Sept. 30, 1989.

He has been out of baseball for a few years and is doing just fine.

Kubek quit broadcasting with two years left on his Yankees deal with MSG, a deal that was paying him $525,000 per season at the end.

"It was time to come home," Kubek said.

Kubek said he never seriously considered returning to baseball broadcasting, although there were inquiries about his availability.

"I had a slight overture, which I turned off immediately, from the Milwaukee Brewers," Kubek said. "I did have a call from ESPN. There may have been a few others in there, but I never (took) them seriously."

Kubek, who has five grandchildren, said he had not watched any baseball telecast since he left broadcasting.

"Not being a part of all of it, I didn't want to be part of any of it," Kubek said.

Kubek does admit that he has listened to Brewers games on radio "a couple of times" when he has been in the Upper Peninsula in order to hear Uecker's call "once in a while."

I wish that the article Mike Woods did in the Post-Crescent last year -- and that was highlighted in this post -- was available free on-line. Just click that link in the previous sentence to get an idea of what Tony Kubek has been doing lately.

Again, congratulations to Tony Kubek.