20 Facts About Tony Kubek

Anthony Christopher Kubek was born on October 12,1935 and is an American former professional baseball player and television broadcaster.

Left-handed batter, Tony Kubek signed his first professional contract with the Yankees and rose rapidly through the team's farm system.

Tony Kubek was 21 years old when he played his first game in Major League Baseball in 1957, and—except for one year spent largely in the US military—remained with the Yankees until his retirement due to a back injury at the close of the 1965 season.

In 1957, teammate Sal Maglie praised Tony Kubek when talking to Robert Creamer of Sports Illustrated.

Tony Kubek's wrists are so quick he can wait to see where the pitch is thrown before he commits himself, and then he can push it to left or pull it to right.

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In 1982, Tony Kubek was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1986, Tony Kubek took part in Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium for the only time, as that year's event was a reunion of the 1961 Yankees, and marked the recent passing of Roger Maris.

Tony Kubek is one of five rookies to hit two home runs in a World Series game.

In Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Tony Kubek was shaken up by a bad-hop ground ball that struck him in the throat in the eighth inning.

Tony Kubek spent 24 years at NBC, teaming with such announcers as Simpson, Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, and Bob Costas.

Tony Kubek could be considered baseball's first network baseball analyst as contrasted with a color commentator, similar to Tim McCarver and Jim Kaat later.

Tony Kubek worked local telecasts for the Toronto Blue Jays on The Sports Network and CTV from their inaugural season of 1977 through 1989.

Costas was praised by fans for both his reverence and irreverence while Tony Kubek was praised for his technical approach and historical perspective.

When NBC lost its baseball TV rights to CBS after the 1989 season, Tony Kubek left the national scene, joining the Yankees' local cable-TV announcing team.

Tony Kubek spent five years calling games for the Yankees on the MSG Network with Dewayne Staats, where he earned fans and critics' respect for his honesty.

Tony Kubek explained his sudden retirement from sportscasting by saying:.

Tony Kubek lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, and is a supporter of the Fox Valley Lutheran High School and its baseball team.

On December 22,2008, Tony Kubek was named the recipient of the 2009 Ford C Frick Award, an honor bestowed on broadcasters by the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tony Kubek was selected for the honor by a committee of 15 prior Frick Award winners and five broadcast historians and columnists.

Tony Kubek became the first Frick Award winner whose broadcast career was solely in television, and the first to have called games for a Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, from 1977 to 1989.