Joe Buck, Paul Hoynes and Bill White Honored at Baseball Hall of Fame Awards Presentation in Cooperstown

The Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2026 Awards Presentation honored three of the sport’s most prominent non-player contributors Saturday in Cooperstown, New York, as Hall of Fame Weekend continued ahead of Sunday’s induction ceremony.

The program was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET at the Alice Busch Opera Theater at the Glimmerglass Festival, according to the Hall of Fame’s official weekend schedule. The event is part of Hall of Fame Weekend, which runs from July 24-27, and comes one day before the Class of 2026 Induction Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

This year’s honorees were Joe Buck, the 2026 Ford C. Frick Award recipient for major contributions to baseball broadcasting; Paul Hoynes, the 2026 BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipient for meritorious contributions to baseball writing; and Bill White, the 2026 John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Buck, a longtime national broadcaster, was announced as the Frick Award winner in December 2025. The award recognizes baseball broadcasters, underscoring that Hall of Fame Weekend also celebrates the voices who help shape how fans experience the game. Buck also made Hall of Fame history with the honor: he and his father, Jack Buck, the 1987 Frick Award winner, are the first father-son Frick honorees. When his selection was announced, Buck told MLB.com, “I come in [to broadcasting] as the luckiest guy in the world.”

Hoynes’ selection for the BBWAA Career Excellence Award was also announced in December 2025. The award honors baseball writers for long and meritorious service, and Hoynes has covered Cleveland baseball since 1983 for The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com. He has produced more than 6,000 bylines from major league games over that span. After the announcement, Hoynes told MLB.com, “They’re going crazy in Cleveland right now.”

White was announced as the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award recipient on March 9, 2026. Born in 1934, White built a career that stretched across baseball as a player, broadcaster and executive. He served as National League president from 1989 to 1994, and the Hall has described him as one of the highest-ranking Black executives in U.S. sports during that period. The Buck O’Neil award honors people whose careers broadened the game’s appeal and reflected O’Neil’s character. In remarks released by the Hall in March, White said, “I’d like to take the time to thank the Hall for recognizing my contributions to the sport.”

The same Saturday program was also set to include recognition of Rick Monday on the 50th anniversary of his 1976 flag rescue.

The awards presentation is one of the annual reminders that Hall of Fame Weekend extends beyond the induction of players, managers and executives, honoring the broadcasters, writers and ambassadors who have helped define baseball’s place in American life. The Hall said a record 61 Hall of Famers were expected in Cooperstown this weekend, with Sunday’s induction ceremony still to come.