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Longtime NBC announcer Tony Kubek, who retired from broadcasting after the 1994 season, was honored with the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick award.
Kubek worked for NBC from 1965 through 1989 and then worked for the Yankees from 1990-1994. Kubek also called Toronto Blue Jays games from 1977-1989.
Back in July of 2008, Kubek was interviewed by Harvey Araton of the New York Times, where he said that he had not watched a baseball game since he left MSG and the Yankees after the 1994 season.
“Part of it was that I didn’t like what was happening in the game, or what was going to happen. But part of it was that I had been around baseball my whole life. Everyone around me had been in baseball. I decided I didn’t want to be in it anymore, to go home and spend time with my family. I said goodbye, and that was it. I haven’t seen a major league game since I retired, even on television. I’ve never seen Derek Jeter play, though I do recall seeing him work out when he was very young and still in the minor leagues.”
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Do not expect Kubek back in the Bronx anytime soon. The year after he retired from the broadcast booth, he made his feelings clear about George Steinbrenner in an interview with the Daily News.
“George is a detriment to an organization,” he said. “He’s a loser, is what he is. The guy is a loser, and you don’t work for losers. I don’t care how much money he throws at people or charities, you don’t balance the scale by treating people like crap.”
It was no different than Jon Miller working for the Giants and ESPN or Vin Scully working for NBC and the Dodgers.
Remember that during that time, the Blue Jays would only be televising 50-80 games a year.
>>1960 World Series
In game 7 of the 1960 World Series Kubek was victimized by a bad-hop ground ball that struck him in the throat; Kubek was badly injured and the batter, Bill Virdon, reached first base, enabling the Pittsburgh Pirates to rally in a game they eventually won 10-9 on a ninth inning homer by Bill Mazeroski.<<
I watched this game on our black and white television.
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