Ernie Johnson Sr. named finalist for 2023 Frick Award

While this generation of Braves fans is still riding the high of Atlanta’s professional baseball club of record clinching their fifth straight division title last night, Braves fans that have been around a while can remember when they were younger and the broadcast voices that narrated their Braves baseball experiences. You will find no shortage of people that talk about remembering Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, Don Sutton, and many others calling games and all of their little quirks that still live on today. One name that looms large in that discussion is long time Braves broadcaster Ernie Johnson Sr. who called Braves games for 35 seasons.

It looks like Ernie is getting some recognition for his lifelong devotion to baseball as he was named a finalist for the 2023 Ford C. Frick Award along with nine other broadcasting luminaries.

Before being a broadcaster, Ernie Johnson was a big league pitcher where he won a World Series ring with the Braves in 1957. After his playing days were over, he broadcast Braves games from 1961-1991 and then returned from 1995-1999 before calling it a career. Unfortunately, Ernie passed away in 2011 while his son, Ernie Johnson Jr., has continued the family legacy as a baseball and basketball broadcaster for Turner Sports.

Here’s hoping that Ernie finds his way into the Hall of Fame.