CHICAGO – Pat Hughes is entering his third decade as the soundtrack of summer for Cubs fans. The Hall of Famer was on the call for the home run chase of 1998, in the booth for the teams that tried to break the historic World Series drought and put his voice to the clinching moment for the group that ultimately triumphed in 2016.

With the Cubs once again trying to build toward a return to the October stage, Hughes will remain at the microphone.

On Wednesday, the Cubs and 670 The Score announced that they had reached multiyear extensions with both Hughes and his partner in the booth, Ron Coomer. The upcoming season will mark their 12th together calling games for the North Siders, while Hughes will be celebrating his 30th season with the Cubs.

“Pat and Ron have been with our fans for many of the most memorable moments in Cubs history,” Cubs chief commercial officer Colin Faulkner said in a release. “Their voices are synonymous with Cubs baseball and the voices of our summer. We are thrilled they will continue to bring their passion and expertise to our fans for years to come.”

Coomer – an Illinois native who played for the Cubs in 2001 as part of his nine-year Major League career – brings a jovial personality, combined with a strong knowledge of the game, to the booth. He creates a strong balance with Hughes, whose style fits with the steady, classic voices he grew up listening to as a Bay Area kid.

The 68-year-old Hughes counts Russ Hodges, Lon Simmons, Bill King and Vin Scully among his greatest influences as a play-by-plan man. They helped spark a love for the game and a legendary career that has now spanned 40-plus years between stops with the Twins, Brewers and Cubs.

Hughes joined those broadcasters among the Ford C. Frick Award winners, earning induction into the Hall of Fame in the summer of ‘23. He was added to the Cubs’ team Hall of Fame in ‘22. Inside the collar of his blue jacket, his famous home run call was stitched in red lettering: "That ball's got a chaaaance ... GONE!”

A nine-time Illinois Sportscaster of the Year, Hughes is one of three broadcasters in the Cubs’ Hall of Fame who are not former players. Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray – also Frick Award winners for the Cubs – are the others.

Brickhouse and Caray called some of the most memorable moments in Cubs history, but Hughes has the distinction of being at the mic for the World Series win that ended the team’s 108-year drought. Hughes has reiterated over the years how he does not take that for granted – nor does he discount the opportunity he has to be the voice for Cubs fans.

"I realized early on," Hughes said after receiving the Ford C. Frick Award in 2022, "when you're a big league announcer, it's a big responsibility, especially in a market like Chicago with the incredible fan base that the Cubs have. I don't take any game lightly."