BBWAA CAREER EXCELLENCE AWARD

Meritorious Contributions to Baseball Writing | Baseball Almanac

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.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"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 Award

In Chronological Order

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 --
BBWAA Award | Research by Baseball Almanac | Baseball Awards
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baseball almanac fast facts

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.