Pat Hughes has been dubbed the “Voice of the Cubs” for 26 years and on Thursday night in Chicago, he was honored for that incredible career.

Hughes was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame this week, joining a class that included Chicago Sky champion Candace Parker, Blackhawks legend Patrick Sharp and baseball stars Curtis Granderson and A.J. Pierzynski.

“Happy to be here; very exciting night,” Hughes said. “When you think about Chicago and what a great sports city it is, one of the best in the world. To be honored by the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame is certainly a special honor.”

On the momentous occasion, Hughes was surrounded by some of his closest friends and family, including his wife, Trish.

Hughes signed on as the Cubs radio play-by-play broadcaster before the 1996 season and before the night’s festivities kicked off, he reflected back on some of his favorite memories. Most centered around his broadcast partners – Ron Santo and Ron Coomer, who are both members of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

“I’m thinking about all the people that are really close to me right now,” Hughes said. “And then I start thinking back to when I got this job way back in November of 1995 – Bill Clinton was president at that time. So many things have happened in the world.

“And Ron Santo was here so I thought a lot about Ronnie these last few days. All the fun times we’ve had, the outrageous conversations and behavior and mainly the laughter and the fun that we had. They called it the Pat and Ron Show. It went for 15 years. I know he would be proud to be here tonight.”