At a surprise announcement at Chattanooga’s AT&T Field, Lookouts play-by-play announcer Larry Ward was informed that he will be inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 Career class.
Mr. Ward will join the state’s most distinguished radio personalities, including the late Luther Masingill who was inducted in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2011. David Carroll, one of the original Hall of Fame board members, and current member Chip Chapman made the surprise announcement, which can be seen here on Mr.
Carroll’s YouTube channel. Recent inductee Bill “Dex” Poindexter was on hand to congratulate Mr. Ward, a longtime friend. The Lookouts congratulated Mr. Ward with a salute on the stadium’s jumbo screen and a commemorative Lookouts jersey with his name and the number 22 to signify the year of his induction.
After beginning his broadcast career in Oregon in 1970, and later Arizona, Mr. Ward joined the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball team to do play-by-play in 1985. He left at the end of the season after an offer to return to college sports full time. In 1989, he returned to the Lookouts and has remained the broadcast voice since.
For 32 years (and counting) as the voice of the Lookouts his many duties have included making appearances with players, conducting various baseball clinics, speaking engagements at schools, children’s hospitals and helping community fund raisers for various charities. He also was the team's Traveling Secretary for many years.
In 1990 and 1995, he was selected as the Broadcaster of the Year for the Southern League. In 2016, he was honored as being the first broadcaster inducted into the Southern League Hall of fame. In 2005 he was inducted to the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame as well.
He has done play-by-play for Lookouts games in five different decades and has been behind the mic for 5,221 baseball broadcasts.
In 1989 he obtained the broadcast rights to University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Women’s basketball. It was the first time they had a full-time radio schedule. Other than a brief hiatus in the mid 90’s he has called the Lady Mocs games ever since.
In 1990, he partnered with the then Lookouts owner and developed the first all-sports station in Tennessee. It was one of a handful of full-time sports broadcasting entities at that time. He has broadcast four SEC women's tournaments in the '90s when they played in Chattanooga.
He is still going strong after 50 years in broadcasting with participation in all phases of the business and the past 32 years in the great city of Chattanooga. Mr. Ward will be formally inducted on Aug. 6, at the Hall of Fame’s annual banquet in Murfreesboro, Tn.