Sportsnet broadcaster Hazel Mae has been named the recipient of the 2025 Jack Graney Award, an honour that carries special significance for St. Thomas.
Presented annually by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the award recognizes a member of the media who has made outstanding contributions to baseball in Canada— named after St. Thomas native and Cleveland baseball great Jack Graney.
Graney, born and raised in the city, carved out a remarkable legacy both on and off the field. The former Cleveland outfielder was known as a gritty leadoff hitter and became the first major league batter ever to face Babe Ruth in 1914.
He was also the first MLB player to wear a numbered uniform and later broke new ground again as the first former player to transition into the broadcast booth, calling Cleveland games from 1932 to 1953. Since 1987, the award bearing his name has celebrated excellence in Canadian baseball media.
This year’s recipient, Hazel Mae, is widely regarded as one of the most respected voices in Canadian sports broadcasting. Known for her in-depth player interviews, insightful reporting, and long-standing role in Sportsnet’s Toronto Blue Jays coverage, Mae has become a central figure in how fans across the country experience the game.
“Hazel Mae has set the bar extremely high for Major League Baseball’s in-game reporters,” said Scott Crawford, the director of operations at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. “For many years, her in-depth player interviews and in-game insights have often been the highlight of Sportsnet’s Blue Jays coverage, but her impact on baseball in Canada reaches far beyond her work on the field. She has been a tremendous ambassador for baseball across the country.” said Scott Crawford, the director of operations at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.
Mae’s career includes major roles at Sportsnet, NESN in Boston, MLB Network, and postseason coverage for TBS.
In a statement, Mae said she was “deeply humbled and profoundly grateful,” adding that the group includes “incredible writers, broadcasters and storytellers whom I have long admired, been inspired by, and proudly call colleagues and friends. While each of us reached this milestone through our own very unique path, we all share a common passion and unwavering love for the game, and for this great country. Words cannot begin to express how honoured I am by this recognition.”
Previous Winners of the Jack Graney Award include:
1987 – Neil MacCarl – Toronto Star
1988 – Milt Dunnell – Toronto Star
1990 – Austin “Dink” Carroll – Montreal Gazette
1991 – Joe Crysdale & Hal Kelly – CKEY
1996 – Dave Van Horne – Montreal Expos
2001 – Tom Cheek – Sportsnet 590/The Fan
2002 – Ernie Harwell – Detroit Tigers
2003 – Allan Simpson – Baseball America
2004 – Jacques Doucet – Montreal Expos
2005 – Len Bramson – TBS Sports
2009 – Ian MacDonald – Montreal Gazette
2010 – Bob Elliott – Sun Media & canadianbaseballnetwork.com
2011 – W. P. Kinsella – “Shoeless Joe” novel adapted to film “Field of Dreams”
2012 – Jerry Howarth – Sportsnet 590/The Fan
2013 – Rodger Brulotte – Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays
2014 – Richard Griffin – Toronto Star
2015 – Serge Touchette – Le Journal de Montreal
2016 – Larry Millson – Globe and Mail
2017 – Alison Gordon – Toronto Star
2018 – Jeff Blair – Rogers Sportsnet
2019 – Ken Fidlin – Toronto Sun
2020 – Dan Shulman – Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN
2021 – John Lott, National Post, The Athletic
2022 – Richard Milo, Canadian Press
2023 – Buck Martinez, Rogers Sportsnet
2024 – Dave Perkins, Toronto Star
2025 – Hazel Mae, Rogers Sportsnet
Written by: Kennedy Freeman
