Hawk Harrelson won the Ford C. Frick Award back in December 2019. Thanks to the pandemic, he wasn't able to receive it until Sunday, or "July 2021" if we're keeping the date format consistent.
He didn't get to experience the standard Induction Weekend pageantry, nor receive first-hand feedback from an appreciative crowd at Doubleday Field, but he still reported to Cooperstown to accept the honor in front of family and friends. If it's any consolation, winning the award a year later wouldn't have changed things, because he shared the stage with 2021 Frick honoree Al Michaels. Even Derek Jeter's party will have a lot lower of a profile, as the Hall is hosting his induction on a September Wednesday in order to suppress the number of people who can descend upon the village. However it happened, Harrelson got his spotlight.
The last time he spoke at a podium for the public, it was for Hawk Day at Guaranteed Rate Field, and it wasn't his best moment in front of a microphone. He worked without notes, and it resulted in a one-sided rehashing of the last 40 years of White Sox baseball, and 15 minutes gave him enough time to indulge some grievances that just weren't appropriate for the day.
Harrelson gave himself an outline over nine minutes on Sunday. He produced a speech that reflected only love for the game, the craft, his family and the White Sox, although he'd probably lump in the fourth item as part of the third.
After two biographies, two documentaries and two victory-lap speeches, it's clear that Hawk Harrelson is never truly going to bare Ken Harrelson's soul. He shows what he wants you to see. That's OK, provided he also keeps in mind what people want to see from him. The Frick Award was long overdue even for something that was long overdue, and I'm glad he was able to rise to the occasion. It was nice to see Steve Stone take the high road as well.
This weekend Ken Hawk Harrelson officially joins the best of the best as the Ford Frick Award recipient. White Sox fans enjoyed 33 years of Hawkisms and stories. We didn’t always agree but I respected his knowledge and his enthusiasm for the team we both love. Long Live The Hawk
— Steve Stone (@stevestone) July 25, 2021
The last loose end is whether Harrelson will make an appearance that allows him to qualify for eight decades in professional baseball. He placed a lot of emphasis on reaching that milestone as he approached the end of his career, but he accepted the end of his road as an everyday broadcaster in 2018, and the combination of the pandemic and unrelated health issues have sidelined the talk of any possible pinch-hitting appearance 1½ years into the 2020s.
Considering he was the only person I've ever heard use that unit of measurement, another qualifying appearance isn't necessary. He didn't even need the Frick Award to validate the impact he made on the game, but now that he has officially accepted broadcasting's highest honor, the pursuit of lesser titles might not hold the same importance anymore.
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire)
