The 2000 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award was Marty Brennaman, the radio voice of the Cincinnati Reds for over a quarter of a century.
A 1965 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Brennaman began his broadcasting career at WGHP-TV in High Point, N.C., and followed with stints in Salisbury, N.C., and Norfolk, Va.
In 1970, he received his first sports play-by-play opportunity, as the radio voice of the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association.
He added baseball to his resume in 1971, calling the action for the Triple-A Tidewater Mets.
In 1974, he was selected from over 200 applicants to succeed Al Michaels as the play-by-play "Voice of the Reds" on WLW Radio. He held that position through the 2019 season.
Throughout his longtime broadcasting tenure with the Reds, Brennaman teamed primarily with one partner: Joe Nuxhall. With his expressive style and enthusiasm, Brennaman forged his trademark less than two weeks into his first season. Following a remarkable Cincinnati rally to win a game, he bellowed, "This one belongs to the Reds!"