BBWAA Career Excellence Award

The BBWAA Career Excellence Award, formerly the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, is the highest award given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). It is given "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing" and voted on annually by the BBWAA.[1] Winners are typically announced in December, with the award presented during induction festivities of the Baseball Hall of Fame in July.

"Spink Award" redirects here. For the former minor league baseball honor, see Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award.
BBWAA Career Excellence Award
J. G. Taylor Spink, the award's first recipient and former namesake
SportBaseball
Awarded for"Meritorious contributions to baseball writing"
LocationNational Baseball Hall of Fame
Cooperstown, New York
Presented byBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA)
History
First award1962
First winnerJ. G. Taylor Spink
Most recentJohn Lowe (2023)
WebsiteOfficial website

Winners of the award are not members of the Hall. They are not "inducted" or "enshrined." They are not "Hall of Fame sportswriters." There is no "writers' wing of the Hall of Fame." But winners are permanently recognized in an exhibit at the Hall's library.

The award was instituted in 1962 and named after J. G. Taylor Spink, publisher of The Sporting News from 1914 to 1962, and the award's first recipient. In February 2021, the BBWAA voted to remove his name from the award "due to Spink’s troubled history in supporting segregated baseball."[1][2][3]

Eligibility

The honoree does not have to be a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), but every recipient from the award's 1962 inception through 2013 had been a BBWAA member at some time. The first recipient who had never been a BBWAA member was 2014 recipient Roger Angell.[4] Despite having written on baseball for more than a half-century, Angell never worked a specific baseball writing beat, thereby making him ineligible for BBWAA membership.

Veterans Committee role

For several years in the early 2000s, honorees became life members of the Veterans Committee, which elects players whose eligibility for BBWAA consideration has ended, and is also the sole body that elects non-players for induction into the Hall. Starting with elections for induction in 2008, voting on the main Veterans Committee, which then selected only players whose careers began in 1943 or later, was restricted to Hall of Fame members. After further changes announced for the 2011 and 2017 elections, BBWAA Career Excellence Award winners are eligible to serve on all of the era-based voting bodies that succeeded the Veterans Committee (and are still colloquially referred to as such).

Recipients

Through 2006, the BBWAA designated honorees based on the announcement year (typically in December). In the below table, winners through 2006 are listed with both their announcement year, and their induction ceremony year (the ensuing summer). In 2007, the BBWAA changed the year designation for the award to coincide with the induction ceremony. Thus, while the official BBWAA year designations jump from 2006 to 2008, the award has been bestowed annually since inception, except for one year missed due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.

From 1972 through 1981, there were multiple honorees each year. This again occurred in 1988 and 1992. Since that time, there has been a single winner each year.

Through 2010, the award was presented during the actual induction ceremony; since then, it has been presented at the Hall of Fame awards presentation, held the day before the induction ceremony. In recent years, the Hall of Fame has announced the finalists for the award and final vote totals. Previously, such detail was not made public, with only the winner announced.

1963 recipient Ring Lardner
1967 recipient Damon Runyon
1975 recipient Shirley Povich
2004 recipient Peter Gammons
2014 recipient Roger Angell
2019 recipient Jayson Stark
2022 recipient Tim Kurkjian
Year Honoree Beat Ref.
Name Born Died
1962 (1963) J. G. Taylor Spink 18881962 St. Louis [5]
1963 (1964) Ring Lardner 18851933 Chicago [6]
1964 (1965) Hugh Fullerton 18731945 Chicago [7]
1965 (1966) Charles Dryden 18601931 Chicago [8]
1966 (1967) Grantland Rice 18801954 New York City [9]
1967 (1968) Damon Runyon 18801946 New York City [10]
1968 (1969) H. G. Salsinger 18851958 Detroit [11]
1969 (1970) Sid Mercer 18801945 New York City [12]
1970 (1971) Heywood Broun 18881939 New York City [13]
1971 (1972) Frank Graham 18931965 New York City [14]
1972 (1973) Dan Daniel 18901981 New York City [15]
Fred Lieb 18881980 New York City [16]
J. Roy Stockton 18921972 St. Louis [17]
1973 (1974) Warren Brown 18941978 Chicago [18]
John Drebinger 18911979 New York City [19]
John Kieran 18921981 New York City [20]
1974 (1975) John Carmichael 19021986 Chicago [21]
James Isaminger 18801946 Philadelphia [22]
1975 (1976) Tom Meany 19031964 New York City [23]
Shirley Povich 19051998 Washington, D.C. [24]
1976 (1977) Harold Kaese 19091975 Boston [25]
Red Smith 19051982 New York City [26]
1977 (1978) Gordon Cobbledick 18981969 Cleveland [27]
Edgar Munzel 19072002 Chicago [28]
1978 (1979) Tim Murnane 18511917 Boston [29]
Dick Young 19171987 New York City [30]
1979 (1980) Bob Broeg 19182005 St. Louis [31]
Tommy Holmes 19031975 New York City [32]
1980 (1981) Joe Reichler 19151988 New York City [33]
Milton Richman 19221986 New York City [34]
1981 (1982) Allen Lewis 19162003 Philadelphia [35]
Bob Addie 19101982 Washington, D.C. [36]
1982 (1983) Si Burick 19091986 Dayton, Ohio [37]
1983 (1984) Ken Smith 19021991 New York City [38]
1984 (1985) Joe McGuff 19262006 Kansas City, Missouri [39]
1985 (1986) Earl Lawson 19232003 Cincinnati [40]
1986 (1987) Jack Lang 19212007 New York City [41]
1987 (1988) Jim Murray 19191998 Los Angeles [42]
1988 (1989) Bob Hunter 19131993 Los Angeles [43]
Ray Kelly 19141988 Philadelphia [44]
1989 (1990) Jerome Holtzman 19262008 Chicago [45]
1990 (1991) Phil Collier 19252001 San Diego [46]
1991 (1992) Ritter Collett 19212001 Dayton, Ohio [47]
1992 (1993) Leonard Koppett 19232003 New York City [48]
Bus Saidt 19201989 Philadelphia [49]
1993 (1994) Wendell Smith 19141972 Pittsburgh [50]
1994 (1995) (not presented) —— —  
1995 (1996) Joe Durso 19242004 New York City [51]
1996 (1997) Charley Feeney 19242014 New York City [52]
1997 (1998) Sam Lacy 19032003 Washington, D.C. [53]
1998 (1999) Bob Stevens 19162002 San Francisco [54]
1999 (2000) Hal Lebovitz 19162005 Cleveland [55]
2000 (2001) Ross Newhan 1937 Los Angeles [56]
2001 (2002) Joe Falls 19282004 Detroit [57]
2002 (2003) Hal McCoy 1940 Dayton, Ohio [58]
2003 (2004) Murray Chass 1938 New York City [59]
2004 (2005) Peter Gammons 1945 Boston [60]
2005 (2006) Tracy Ringolsby 1951 Seattle, Kansas City, Dallas, Denver [61]
2006 (2007) Rick Hummel 19462023 St. Louis [62]
2008 Larry Whiteside 19372007 Kansas City, Milwaukee, Boston [63]
2009 Nick Peters 19392015 San Francisco [64]
2010 Bill Madden 1946 New York City [65]
2011 Bill Conlin 19342014 Philadelphia [66]
2012 Bob Elliott 1949 Montreal / Toronto [67]
2013 Paul Hagen c. 1950 Dallas–Fort Worth / Philadelphia [68]
2014 Roger Angell 19202022 The New Yorker [69]
2015 Tom Gage 1948 Detroit [70]
2016 Dan Shaughnessy 1953 Baltimore, Boston [71]
2017 Claire Smith c. 1954 New York City [72]
2018 Sheldon Ocker 1942 Akron, Ohio [73]
2019 Jayson Stark 1951 Philadelphia [74]
2020 Nick Cafardo 19562019 Boston [75]
2021 Dick Kaegel c. 1940 St. Louis, Kansas City [76]
2022 Tim Kurkjian 1956 Dallas, Baltimore, Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com [77]
2023 John Lowe c. 1959 Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit [78]

Notes

This award should not be confused with the Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award, which was also known as the "J. G. Taylor Spink Award".

See also

References
  1. "BBWAA Career Excellence Award". baseballhall.org. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  2. "BBWAA removes J.G. Taylor Spink's name from Hall of Fame writing award over racist language". ESPN.com. February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  3. Lucia, Joe (February 5, 2021). "BBWAA removes JG Taylor Spink's name from annual award, renames it as "Career Excellence Award"". Awful Announcing.
  4. "Roger Angell Wins Spink Award" (Press release). National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. December 10, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  5. "1962 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner J.G. Taylor Spink | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  6. "1963 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Ring Lardner | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  7. "1964 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Hugh Fullerton | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  8. "1965 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Charles Dryden | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  9. "1966 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Grantland Rice | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  10. "1967 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Damon Runyon | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  11. "1968 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Harry Salsinger | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  12. "1969 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Sid Mercer | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  13. "1970 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Heywood Broun | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  14. "1971 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Frank Graham | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  15. "1972 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Dan Daniel | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  16. "1972 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Fred Lieb | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  17. "1972 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner J. Roy Stockton | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  18. "1973 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Warren Brown | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  19. "1973 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner John Drebinger | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  20. "1973 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner John Kieran | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  21. "1974 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner John Carmichael | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  22. "1974 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner James Isaminger | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  23. "1975 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Tom Meany | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  24. "1975 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Shirley Povich | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  25. "1976 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Harold Kaese | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  26. "1976 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Red Smith | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  27. "1977 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Gordon Cobbledick | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  28. "1977 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Edgar Munzel | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  29. "1978 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Tim Murnane | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  30. "1978 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Dick Young | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  31. "1979 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bob Broeg | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  32. "1979 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Tommy Holmes | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  33. "1980 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Joe Reichler | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  34. "1980 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Milton Richman | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  35. "1981 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Allen Lewis | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  36. "1981 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bob Addie | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  37. "1982 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Si Burick | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  38. "1983 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Ken Smith | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  39. "1984 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Joe McGuff | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  40. "1985 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Earl Lawson | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  41. "1986 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Jack Lang | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  42. "1987 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Jim Murray | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  43. "1988 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bob Hunter | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  44. "1988 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Ray Kelly | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  45. "1989 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Jerome Holtzman | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  46. "1990 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Phil Collier | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  47. "1991 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Ritter Collett | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  48. "1992 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Leonard Koppett | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  49. "1992 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bus Saidt | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  50. "1993 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Wendell Smith | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  51. "1995 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Joseph Durso | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  52. "1996 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Charley Feeney | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  53. "1997 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Sam Lacy | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  54. "1998 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bob Stevens | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  55. "1999 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Hal Lebovitz | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  56. "2000 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Ross Newhan | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  57. "2001 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Joe Falls | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  58. "2002 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Hal McCoy | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  59. "2003 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Murray Chass | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  60. "2004 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Peter Gammons | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  61. "2005 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Tracy Ringolsby | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  62. "2006 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Rick Hummel | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  63. "2008 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Larry Whiteside | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  64. "2009 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Nick Peters | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  65. "2010 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bill Madden | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  66. "2011 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bill Conlin | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  67. "2012 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Bob Elliott | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  68. "2013 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Paul Hagen | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  69. "2014 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Roger Angell | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  70. "2015 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Tom Gage | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  71. "2016 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Dan Shaughnessy | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  72. "2017 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Claire Smith | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  73. "2018 BBWAA Career Excellence Award Winner Sheldon Ocker | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  74. "2019 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Jayson Stark | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  75. "2020 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Nick Cafardo | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  76. "2021 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Dick Kaegel | Baseball Hall of Fame".
  77. Rogers, Jesse (December 7, 2021). "ESPN's Tim Kurkjian is 2022 winner of BBWAA Career Excellence Award". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  78. Beck, Jason. "Longtime Tigers writer Lowe wins BBWAA's highest honor". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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