ST. LOUIS -- Mike Shannon was already honored once this year, when the Cardinals recognized him for 50 years service to the organization. Now he's once again up for an even bigger honor -- the Ford C. Frick Award.

The Frick Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." The award, named after the late broadcaster, National League President, Commissioner, and Hall of Famer, has been presented annually since 1978. Frick was a driving force behind the creation of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and he helped foster the relationship between radio and the game of baseball.

The award is presented annually during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Each award recipient is presented with calligraphy of the award during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and is recognized in the "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit in the Library of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The 2007 recipient was longtime Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews.

Fans can determine three of the 10 candidates on the final ballot by voting at baseballhall.org, beginning Thursday and continuing throughout November. Active or retired broadcasters with a minimum of 10 years continuous broadcast service with a Major League club or a network or a combination of the two are eligible.

Fans may cast votes for as many as three broadcasters once daily, basing their decisions on four criteria: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, including awards and national assignments, such as the World Series and All Star-Games; and popularity.

The final ballot of 10 candidates, to be announced in early December, will include the top three fan selections and seven other candidates determined by a Hall of Fame staff research team. The Frick electorate includes all past winners and six historians appointed by the Hall of Fame.

Shannon was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his popularity and performance on the air and, as a player, on the field. He broke into the big leagues with the Cardinals in 1962 and went on to star for the Redbirds' World Series championship teams in 1964 and 1967, and their NL pennant winner in 1968. He joined the Cardinals' front office in 1971 as assistant director of promotions and sales, then moved into the booth in 1972.

Five men who called Cardinals games in some capacity in 2007 are on the ballot: Shannon, Joe Buck of FOX and FSN Midwest, Al Hrabosky of FSN Midwest, Jay Randolph of KSDK-TV and Shannon's partner in the KTRS radio booth, John Rooney.

Another 11 candidates have called Cardinals games at some point in the past: Buddy Blattner, Lorn Brown, Dizzy Dean, Wayne Hagin, France Laux, Jay Randolph, Bob Starr, Ken Wilson, Jim Woods, Bob Carpenter and George Grande.

Additionally, seven other candidates actually played for St. Louis at some point: Tom Grieve, Joe Magrane, Tim McCarver, Dave Campbell, Ron Fairly, Jim Kaat and Bill White.