Thursday, 16 April 2026

    Ken Harrelson

    • Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
    • Embed from Getty Images
    • Sport(s): Baseball
    • Statistics & Accolades: Ford C. Frick Award
      Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
    • Credited as being the first baseball player to regularly wear a batting glove, Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson had a far more successful career as a Major League Baseball broadcaster, most notably through his work with the Chicago White Sox.

      Harrelson got his broadcasting start with the team he earned his lone All-Star Game selection with, the Boston Red Sox, and from 1975 to 1981, he quickly became a popular figure in New England. Nevertheless, he did not get along with BoSox co-owner Haywood Sullivan, and he covered the White Sox for three years before joining their front office. That lasted for two years, and three years later, he returned to Comiskey Park, where he would stay until 2018.

      Harrelson was unique in that he made no apologies for his homerism. He loved using “Hawkisms”, such as “You can put it on the board…YES” following a White Sox tater, or “He gone” after a strikeout. To the delight of old school fans, Harrelson eschewed modern analytics and judged a player on what he saw. While it made him controversial in some circles, it made him legendary in others.

      We are proud to nominate Ken Harrelson for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
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