[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3267-S3268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING JACK GRANEY

 Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring Jack Graney, Cleveland Indians player and broadcaster, as he 
is posthumously awarded the Ford C. Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of 
Fame on July 23, 2022.
  Jack Graney was born on June 10, 1886, in St. Thomas, Ontario, 
Canada, but his professional career on the baseball diamond began with 
the Cleveland Naps in 1908. Over his 14-year Major League career, Jack 
led the American League in walks during the 1917 and 1919 seasons and 
played in three World Series games, helping the Naps to victory in 
1920. His daughter fondly remembers growing up on the road and

[[Page S3268]]

watching her father in action on the field.
  Jack spent each of his seasons in Major League Baseball with 
Cleveland. After 14 seasons, Jack retired with 1,178 hits, 420 runs 
batted in, and a career .250 batting average.
  Jack made baseball history over the course of his career; he was the 
first at bat against Babe Ruth in the big leagues, the first 20th 
century big league player to bat with a number on his uniform, and the 
first to transition from player to broadcaster.
  In 1932, Jack returned to baseball when he joined WHK-AM, which had 
just began broadcasting Cleveland games. He would go on to be the voice 
of the Cleveland Indians for the next 22 years. Rumor had it, when the 
Indians played, you could hear Jack's voice echoing through the streets 
of Cleveland. While radio was only local at the time, Jack was 
committed to providing a narrative of every single game to Cleveland 
fans. During away games, he broadcasted from Cleveland, using the 
ticker-tape that came through from the live game.
  Jack's detailed descriptions of plays, stadiums, and fans brought the 
game to life. Throughout his career, he broadcasted for various 
Cleveland stations and with different partners. In 1935, he commentated 
on the World Series and the All-Star Game for national audiences.
  Jack's final broadcast aired in 1953. For more than 20 years, Jack 
brought baseball to Cleveland fans. On April 20, 1978, Jack passed away 
at age 91. His legacy lives on today through his family and through all 
those he inspired to love America's game and to pass on that love to 
their own children and grandchildren.
  In 2012, Jack was posthumously inducted into the Cleveland Baseball 
Hall of Fame for his tenure as a player. And this month, the Baseball 
Hall of Fame will present the Ford C. Frick Award to Jack for his major 
contributions to baseball. Recipients are chosen based on their 
commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence 
within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.
  Jack embodied each of these qualities and made our city proud. Today, 
we celebrate his contributions to baseball, his commitment to 
Cleveland, and his extraordinary life.

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