Two great players and a beloved broadcaster are being honored by the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts announced at Friday night’s Cubs Convention Opening Ceremony that former Cubs catcher Jody Davis and pitcher Jon Lester will be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this year.
Also, former broadcaster Vince Lloyd will be inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame and given a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” a new award honoring individuals who made a significant contribution to the Cubs organization over their lifetime. The 2026 Cubs Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Wrigley Field at a date to be announced later.
Ricketts said, “The Cubs Hall of Fame Committee selected three people representing three eras of Cubs baseball—fitting as the team celebrates its 150th anniversary. Jody Davis was a part of the legendary 1984 Cubs team that helped create a generation of fans across the country—legions of whom can still sing Harry Caray’s theme song for this durable catcher who made the All-Star Game that year. He rarely took a day off from catching and was a tough out who hit 129 homers as a Cub.
“Jon Lester was perhaps the greatest free agent signing in team history. He already had two World Series rings and when we announced his signing in December of 2014 as we headed into the 2015 season, it was an inflection point for this team. His leadership helped power our team to the NLCS that seasons. In 20216, in Game 5 of the World Series, with our backs against the wall, he earned the win with a six-inning performance that saved the series for us.
“For over 34 seasons, Vince Lloyd was the ‘Voice of Summer’ for Cubs fans. From the earliest days of Cubs baseball on television in the 50s all the way through the 80s on radio, Lloyd brought Cubs games into people’s homes. The former U.S. Marine brought the ‘Holy Mackerel’ to Jack Brickhouse’s “Hey Hey.’ For 23 years on the radio, he was the play-by-play voice alongside Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau, including the great runs of 1969 and 1984. Vince’s dedication to his craft on the radio made him like family to generations of Cubs fans.”
Davis was a Cubs catcher for eight seasons (1981-1988) and a two-time all-star (1984, 1986) during his tenure. He was a key member of the 1984 National League Eastern Division Champions team hitting .256 with 19 home runs and 94 RBI that season.
Lester played six of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, including the 2016 World Series championship team. A fierce competitor and big-game pitcher, he was Co-MVP of the 2016 National League Championship series and a two-time All-Star (2016, 2018). He played on four Cubs postseason teams and will go down in history as one of the greatest free agent signings in Chicago sports history.
Lloyd was a beloved and versatile broadcaster of Chicago sports for almost four decades and served 34 seasons (1950, 1954-1986) as a Cubs broadcaster. He called over 6,000 major league games in his career, including 5,000 for the Cubs. He started his Cubs broadcasting career on WGN-TV in 1950, broadcasting home Cubs games with Jack Brickhouse. In 1965, he moved to the radio booth to serve as play-by-play on WGN-AM where he spent the next twenty years. He was especially known for his trademark call, “Holy Mackerel!” and for ringing a bell after every Cubs home run. Lloyd passed away in 2003 and is receiving this honor posthumously.
The Cubs Hall of Fame will now include 68 plaques which represent individuals who dedicated their time to Cubs baseball, both on and off the field. Baseball legends, former players and managers, beloved broadcasters and announcers, team owners and front office executives grace the walls of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, immortalized at Wrigley Field since 2021 in the bleacher concourse under left field, open to all fans. The plaques included in the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame represent individuals previously enshrined in the original Cubs Hall of Fame (1982-86) and in the Cubs Walk of Fame (1992-98).
Category: General Sports
