New Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Kurkjian has been part of the baseball world for decades. One of the first writers to appear on screen for ESPN, Kurkjian still serves as an analyst for “Baseball Tonight” and “SportsCenter.”
Kurkjian, 65, started writing for the Washington Star in 1978 before joining many other publications to be where he is today. He covered baseball for the Dallas Morning News, Baltimore Sun and Sports Illustrated and signed with ESPN in 1998.
The Maryland graduate and Bethesda native has an overwhelming amount of passion for the game — not only because of his job, but because of how he grew up. Kurkjian’s contributions to the game led the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to honor him with the Career Excellence Award as part of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022.
Kurkjian’s father, Badrig, played baseball, and his two brothers, Andy and Matt, are part of Catholic University’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The dinner table talk usually centered on various baseball scenarios.
“Baseball was the primary language spoken in my house growing up,” Kurkjian said during a Facebook Live video with Stan “The Fan” Charles and Ross Grimsley. “… This is all we talked about. This is all we thought about.”
Kurkjian still uses the knowledge that he learned then in his present work. Being part of the baseball community has given Kurkjian a greater appreciation and understanding for the game.
Despite being an on-air personality for years, Kurkjian had the jitters when going up to the podium in Cooperstown for his speech on July 23, a day before players were inducted. Kurkjian practiced his speech 200 times, and he fretted about not looking at his cards.
“I’ve never been that scared, I’ve never been that nervous ever,” Kurkjian said. “When I walked to that podium I said a little prayer, ‘Please get me through this thing without falling down.'”
Kurkjian finished his speech and felt a weight off his shoulders. About 50 family members and 10 Hall of Fame players came to hear Kurkjian speak and celebrate the honor with him.
“Reggie Jackson, Alan Trammell, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Jim Kaat, Johnny Bench, they came to see me speak,” Kurkjian said. “… It was amazing.”
Bench, the legendary Cincinnati Reds catcher and 1989 Hall of Fame inductee, approached him back at the Otsego Resort Hotel. Bench led Kurkjian outside, just off the Otsego Lake in Cooperstown. They sat down to look out at the spectacular view.
“He said, ‘I want you to look at that lake, and I don’t want you to say a word. I just want you to look at the lake for one minute. I want you to think about where you are, how you got here, and how many people helped you get here,'” Kurkjian said.
Every year Bench does this ritual with new Hall of Fame players, but this was the first time he did this with a writer.
“So, I sat down next to the greatest catcher of all time, and for one minute I silently looked at that lake and I teared up again,” Kurkjian said. “It was unbelievable. I’m thinking, ‘I’m sitting with Johnny Bench, and we’re the only two people out here.'”
Kurkjian has been surrounded by baseball his entire life, has written and interviewed many all-time greats, but being granted this award with other Hall of Fame inductees who have impacted baseball history was one of his biggest accomplishments.
“The next story that I write, I keep thinking, ‘Well, it better be really good because I’ve reached a different level of status here,'” Kurkjian said. “… I’m sure I’ll write it 1,000 times, so it’s as good as it can be, because I have a certain attachment to it now.”
For more from Kurkjian, watch the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Adam Hagy/ESPN Images