The Jack Lang Award, which was previously called the Slocum Award from 1930 through 2009, is presented annually by the New York Baseball Writers Association to a person judged to have a long and meritorious service to baseball.
William J. Slocum, whom the Slocum Award was named in honor of, was a well known sportswriter in New York City during the roaring twenties. All four of Bill Slocum's sons followed their father into writing: Bill Jr. was a sports writer, Jack was a newspaper reporter, Charlie wrote for the old Arthur Godfrey Show, and Frank wrote television scripts (between stints at MLB). Bill's grandson — also Bill — is also a writer whose articles have appeared in Connecticut Magazine and the New York Times. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"I have been in baseball for over, well for thirty or forty years at least and I'll be darned if I ever knew a ball player anywhere with the priceless, perfect disposition of (Phil) Rizzuto." — John 'Lollipop' Corriden
Slocum AwardPhoto of 1959 Slocum Award By The New York Baseball Writers Association |
|
Year | Slocum Award Winner (Brief Description) |
1930 | William B. Hanna (Sports Writer) |
1931 | Babe Ruth (Hall of Fame Player) |
1932 | Wilbert Robinson (Hall of Fame Player) |
1933 | John McGraw (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1934 | Walter Johnson (Hall of Fame Player) |
1935 | Connie Mack (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
Rabbit Maranville (Hall of Fame Player) | |
1936 | Frankie Frisch (Hall of Fame Player) |
1937 | Travis Jackson (Hall of Fame Player) |
1938 | Kenesaw Mountain Landis (Commissioner of Baseball) |
1939 | Bill Klem (Hall of Fame Umpire) |
Joe McCarthy (Hall of Fame Manager) | |
1940 | Edward G. Barrow (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1941 | J.A. Robert Quinn (Baseball Executive) |
1942 | Mel Ott (Hall of Fame Player) |
1943 | Sid Mercer (Spink Award Winner) |
1944 | Branch Rickey (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1945 | Bill McKechnie (Hall of Fame Player) |
1946 | Al Schacht (Player / Clown Prince of Baseball) |
1947 | Shag Shaughnessy (Player / Manager / Pioneer) |
1948 | Bucky Harris (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1949 | Ford Frick (Commissioner of Baseball) |
1950 | Casey Stengel (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1951 | Will Harridge (Hall of Fame Pioneer) |
1952 | Edward T. Brannick (Team Secretary) |
1953 | George M. Weiss (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1954 | Paul Krichell (Player / Scout) |
1955 | Horace Stoneham (Team Owner) |
1956 | Tom Yawkey (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1957 | Phil Wrigley (Team Owner) |
1958 | Larry Goetz (Baseball Umpire) |
1959 | Dan Daniel (Baseball Writer) |
1960 | Al Lopez (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1961 | Frank Graham (Spink Award Winner) |
1962 | J.G. Taylor Spink (Sporting News Publisher) |
1963 | Roy Hamey (Executive) |
1964 | Stan Musial (Hall of Fame Player) |
1965 | Jocko Conlan (Player / Hall of Fame Umpire) |
1966 | Warren Giles (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1967 | Yogi Berra (Hall of Fame Player) |
1968 | Lee MacPhail (Hall of Fame Executive) |
1969 | Johnny Murphy (Player / Coach) |
1970 | Tom Gorman (Baseball Umpire) |
1971 | Don Davidson (Team Secretary) |
1972 | Bob Fishel (New York Yankees & A.L. Public Relations) |
1973 | Al Kaline (Hall of Fame Player) |
1974 | Willie Mays (Hall of Fame Player) |
1975 | Joe Cronin (Hall of Fame Player) |
1976 | Gabe Paul (Executive) |
1977 | Walter Alston (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1978 | Bill Veeck (Team Owner) |
1979 | Ralph Houk (Player / Manager) |
1980 | Lou Brock (Hall of Fame Player) |
Carl Yastrzemski (Hall of Fame Player) | |
1981 | Charles "Chub" Feeney (National League President) |
1982 | Willie Stargell (Hall of Fame Player) |
1983 | Earl Weaver (Hall of Fame Manager) |
1984 | Johnny Bench (Hall of Fame Player) |
1985 | Calvin Griffith (Team Owner) |
1986 | Pete Rose (Player / Manager) |
1987 | Dick Young (Spink Award Winner) |
1988 | Reggie Jackson (Hall of Fame Player) |
1989 | Tom Seaver (Hall of Fame Player) |
1990 | Phil Rizzuto (Hall of Fame Player / Announcer) |
1991 | Ralph Kiner (Hall of Fame Player) |
1992 | Mel Allen (Sportscaster / Ford Frick Award Winner) |
Ernie Harwell (Sportscaster / Ford Frick Award Winner) | |
1993 | Doug Harvey (Hall of Fame Umpire) |
1994 | George Brett (Hall of Fame Player) |
Nolan Ryan (Hall of Fame Player) | |
1995 | Vin Scully (Sportscaster / Ford Frick Award Winner) |
1996 | Sparky Anderson (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1997 | Tommy Lasorda (Player / Hall of Fame Manager) |
1998 | Bob Sheppard (Yankees Public Address Announcer) |
1999 | Arthur Richman (New York Mets & Yankees Executive) |
2000 | Bob Murphy (Baseball Executive) |
2001 | Jack Lang (Baseball Writer) |
2002 | Seymour Siwoff (Statistician) |
2003 | Gene Michael (Player / Coach / Manager / GM / Scout) |
2004 | Phyllis Merhige (MLB Employee) |
2005 | Bill Gallo (Sports Writer / Cartoonist) |
2006 | Roland Hemond (Branch Rickey Award Winner) |
2007 | Frank Robinson (Hall of Fame Player / Manager) |
2008 | Joe Torre (Player / Manager) |
2009 | Greg Maddux (Player) |
Year | Slocum Award Winner (Brief Description) |
Jack Lang AwardBy The New York Baseball Writers Association |
|
Year | Jack Lang Award Winner (Brief Description) |
2010 | Don Zimmer (Player / Coach) |
2011 | Bill Shannon (Baseball Historian) |
2012 | Gene Monahan (Trainer) |
2013 | Chipper Jones (Player) |
2014 | Tim McCarver (Sportscaster / Catcher) |
2015 | Bud Selig (MLB Commissioner) |
2016 | LaTroy Hawkins (Retired Player) |
2017 | David Ortiz (Retired Player) |
Mark Teixeira (Retired Player) | |
2018 | Katy Feeney (Baseball Executive / Posthumous) |
2019 | Jay Horwitz (Communications Director) |
2020 | CC Sabathia (Retired Player) |
2021 | George King III (New York Post) |
2022 | Billy Blitzer (Cubs Scout / New York Resident) |
2023 | Albert Pujols (Retired Player) |
2024 | Dusty Baker (Retired Player / Manager) |
Miguel Cabrera (Retired Player) | |
Terry Francona (Retired Player / Manager) | |
2025 | Not Yet Awarded (11-2025) |
Year | Jack Lang Award Winner (Brief Description) |
Jack Lang Award | Baseball Awards |
Did you know that Bill Slocum was also the ghost writer for Babe Ruth? Slocum's grandson wroter in a letter, "Ruth once quipped, 'Bill Slocum writes more like me than anyone else I know.' To this date, that remains the biggest insult ever levied against the Slocum family name."
EVERY single name that appears above is a person who has dedicated their lives to our national pastime. Share stories abour them, learn more about them, or ask questions about any of them on our Baseball Almanac Facebook Group, on Baseball Almanac Twitter, via Baseball Almanac Messenger, or our baseball forum — Baseball Fever.
Bob Fishel, the 1972 receipient of the Slocum Award, has a baseball award named in his honor — click it's name to read more about the Fishel Award.