Jack Brickhouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Brickhouse
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Brickhouse in 1958
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| Born |
John Beasley Brickhouse
January 24, 1916 |
| Died | August 6, 1998 (aged 82) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Sports commentary career | |
| Team(s) | Chicago White Sox (1940–45, 1948–67) Chicago Cubs (1941–45, 1948–81) Chicago Bears (1953–77) Chicago Bulls (1966–73) |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
| Sports | Major League Baseball National Football League National Basketball Association |
John Beasley "Jack" Brickhouse (born January 24, 1916 – died August 6, 1998) was a famous American sportscaster. A sportscaster is someone who announces sports games. Jack Brickhouse was best known for his "play-by-play" announcing of Chicago Cubs baseball games. He worked for WGN-TV from 1948 to 1981. In 1983, he received a special award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Brickhouse also announced games for the Chicago White Sox until 1968. He sometimes covered big national sports events too. This included three World Series for NBC television. You can hear his voice on the famous audio of Willie Mays' amazing catch in the 1954 World Series. He announced that game with New York Giants broadcaster Russ Hodges.
Jack Brickhouse also announced many other sports. He called Chicago Bears football games on WGN-AM radio for many years. He was also a boxing commentator. From 1966 to 1973, he announced Chicago Bulls basketball games for WGN-TV.
Early Life and Career
Jack Brickhouse was born in Peoria, Illinois. His father passed away when Jack was only two years old. His mother mostly raised him. Jack's first job was delivering newspapers when he was 11. This was during the Great Depression, a tough economic time. He went to high school in Peoria.
Brickhouse started his broadcasting career at age 18. He worked at a radio station in Peoria in 1934. In 1940, a Chicago radio station called WGN hired him. He was hired to announce Cubs and White Sox games. He was also the very first person shown when WGN-TV started broadcasting in 1948. Jack served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Because of this, he missed the 1945 baseball season. That was the only time the Cubs won the National League pennant during his long career. The only pennant he announced was when the White Sox won in 1959.
Jack's Announcing Style
Jack Brickhouse had a unique way of announcing games. He liked to let the TV pictures tell most of the story. He used short, quick phrases instead of long sentences. He knew that the cameras at WGN-TV were very good.
Instead of describing every little detail, "Brick" added excitement. He sounded like a kid who loved the game. He used fun, old-fashioned sayings. For example, he would say "Whew, boy!" when the home team made a great play. If things went wrong, he might say "Oh, brother!" When a team did something really well, he'd shout "Wheeeee!"
He was most famous for his phrase "Hey-hey!" He used it for many things. He'd say it when a baseball player hit a home run. He also used it when a football team scored a touchdown. This home run call became very popular with fans. Today, that phrase is written vertically on the foul poles at Wrigley Field.
Later Life and Legacy
On February 27, 1998, Jack Brickhouse became ill. He collapsed while getting ready for the funeral of another Chicago announcer, Harry Caray. He had brain surgery in March to remove a blood clot. He seemed to get better quickly after that. He even made a few appearances on TV.
Even though his voice sounded a bit rough, he seemed to be recovering. Sadly, Jack Brickhouse passed away on August 6, 1998. He died from a cardiac arrest, which is a sudden heart problem. He was buried in Chicago. In 1998, he was honored and inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Bust of Jack Brickhouse in Chicago
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Brickhouse in the press box in 1948, getting ready to announce a White Sox game on TV
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Cubs broadcasters, June 11, 1981 – Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, Milo Hamilton, Jack Brickhouse
