The BBWAA Career Excellence Award, formerly known as the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, was first given in 1962, to recognize a baseball writer for his or her meritorious contributions to the field of baseball writing.
The recipients are selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) annually and voted on during the Winter Meetings. The winner is announced during the annual induction ceremonies at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, presented with a certificate, then recognized on the "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit in the Research Library.
On February 5, 2021, the BBWAA voted (325-9) to remove J.G. Taylor Spink's name from the BBWAA Career Excellence Award because of his role in supporting segregated baseball saying, "The BBWAA does not feel that Spink’s words and actions upholds our values as an organization nor do they reflect what we should recognize for our highest honor." The winners of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award are presented below in chronological order, research by Baseball Almanac.
"Nothing on Earth is more depressing than an old baseball writer." - Lardner, Ring. The Dayton Daily News. And Then The Great Men Said This About Baseball. 3 June 1982. Page 44.
BBWAA Career Excellence AwardIn Chronological Order |
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Year | BBWAA Award | Beat | 1st BBWAA Year |
1962 | J.G. Taylor Spink | St. Louis, Missouri | 1912 |
1963 | Ring Lardner | New York, New York | 1910 |
1964 | Hugh Fullerton | New York, New York | 1908 |
1965 | Charles Dryden | Chicago, Illinois | 1909 |
1966 | Grantland Rice | New York, New York | 1912 |
1967 | Damon Runyon | New York, New York | 1911 |
1968 | Harry G. Salsinger | Detroit, Michigan | 1909 |
1969 | Sid Mercer | New York, New York | 1909 |
1970 | Heywood C. Broun | New York, New York | 1911 |
1971 | Frank Graham | New York, New York | 1915 |
1972 | Dan Daniel | New York, New York | 1913 |
Fred Lieb | New York, New York | 1911 | |
J. Roy Stockton | St. Louis, Missouri | 1922 | |
1973 | Warren Brown | Chicago, Illinois | 1922 |
John Drebinger | New York, New York | 1923 | |
John F. Kieran | New York, New York | 1922 | |
1974 | John Carmichael | Chicago, Illinois | 1932 |
James Isaminger | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1908 | |
1975 | Tom Meany | New York, New York | 1924 |
Shirley Povich | Washington, D.C. | 1925 | |
1976 | Harold Kaese | Boston, Massachusetts | 1934 |
Red Smith | New York, New York | 1929 | |
1977 | Gordon Cobbledick | Cleveland, Ohio | 1928 |
Edgar Munzel | Chicago, Illinois | 1929 | |
1978 | Tim Murnane | Boston, Massachusetts | 1908 |
Dick Young | New York, New York | 1943 | |
1979 | Bob Broeg | St. Louis, Missouri | 1942 |
Tommy Holmes | Brooklyn, New York | 1923 | |
1980 | Joe Reichler | New York, New York | 1944 |
Milton Richman | New York, New York | 1946 | |
1981 | Allen Lewis | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1950 |
Bob Addie | Washington, D.C. | 1942 | |
1982 | Si Burick | Dayton, Ohio | 1946 |
1983 | Ken Smith | New York, New York | 1927 |
1984 | Joe McGuff | Kansas City, Missouri | 1955 |
1985 | Earl Lawson | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1949 |
1986 | Jack Lang | Brooklyn, New York | 1946 |
1987 | Jim Murray | Los Angeles, California | 1961 |
1988 | Bob Hunter | Los Angeles, California | 1958 |
Ray Kelly | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1946 | |
1989 | Jerome Holtzman | Chicago, Illinois | 1957 |
1990 | Phil Collier | San Diego, California | 1962 |
1991 | Ritter Collett | Dayton, Ohio | 1947 |
1992 | Leonard Koppett | New York, New York | 1951 |
Bus Saidt | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1967 | |
1993 | Wendell Smith | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1948 |
1994 | No Award Given | n/a | n/a |
1995 | Joseph Durso | New York, New York | 1964 |
1996 | Charley Feeney | New York, New York | 1946 |
1997 | Sam Lacy | Washington, D.C. | 1934 |
1998 | Bob Stevens | San Francisco, California | 1940 |
1999 | Hal Lebovitz | Cleveland, Ohio | 1946 |
2000 | Ross Newhan | Los Angeles, California | 1961 |
2001 | Joe Falls | Detroit, Michigan | 1945 |
2002 | Hal McCoy | Dayton, Ohio | 1961 |
2003 | Murray Chass | New York, New York | 1962 |
2004 | Peter Gammons | Boston, Massachusetts | 1979 |
2005 | Tracy Ringolsby | Denver, Colorado | 1976 |
2006 | Rick Hummel | St. Louis, Missouri | 1982 |
2007 | Not Awarded * | See Fast Fact #3 (below) | n/a |
2008 | Larry Whiteside | Boston, Massachusetts | 1969 |
2009 | Nick Peters | San Francisco, California | 1961 |
2010 | Bill Madden | New York, New York | 1978 |
2011 | Bill Conlin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1961 |
2012 | Bob Elliott | Montreal & Toronto, Canada | 1978 |
2013 | Paul Hagen | Dallas—Fort Worth/Philadelphia | 1971 |
2014 | Roger Angell | The New Yorker | 1962 |
2015 | Tom Gage | Detroit, Michigan | 1978 |
2016 | Dan Shaughnessy | The Boston Globe | 1977 |
2017 | Claire Smith | ESPN, News Editor | 1983 |
2018 | Sheldon Ocker | Akron Beacon Journal | 1984 |
2019 | Jayson Stark | The Athletic / MLB Network | 1979 |
2020 | Nick Cafardo | Boston Globe | 1991 |
2021 | Dick Kaegel | The Sporting News | 1974 |
2022 | Tim Kurkjian | ESPN Analyst / Author | 1989 |
2023 | John Lowe | Detroit Free Press | 1993 |
2024 | Gerry Fraley | Dallas Morning News | 1986 |
2025 | Not Yet Awarded | Announced December 2024 | -- |
Year | BBWAA Award | Beat | 1st BBWAA Year |
BBWAA Award | Research by Baseball Almanac | Baseball Awards |
Si Burick was, "on the same job for fifty-four years without receiving a promotion" and in 1982, he became the first recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award from a non-Major League city. Claire Smith, 2017, was the first woman to win a BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
Wendell Smith was the first black recipient of a BBWAA Career Excellence Award and he is credited with the writing of the first ever Jackie Robinson biography.
* In 2007, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) changed the year designation for the BBWAA Career Excellence Award so it would coincide with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Day ceremonies.