Baseball writer Bill Shannon dies in house fire

This news is indescribably awful. Bill was a wonderful, wonderful man with a distinctive flair for scorekeeping--as Smasher says, he sounded like a subway conductor in reading the official lines of a pitcher. SevenInningsThreeHitsTwoRunsBothEarnedFourWalksAndSix.....................Strikeouts.

Just pure class and a true press box character, looking slightly dissheveled in his suit and tie and showing up with an armful of newspapers. He'd alternate scorekeeping with cutting up newspapers and filing away stories he found interesting. For a while he was writing an annual record book about NY sports and he exhaustively maintained a necrology section. But he never--and I mean never--missed a play or a call. And I don't remember anyone arguing with him. I'm sure someone did, but I don't remember it. Everyone respected him. If Bill said it, it happened.

If he didn't exist you'd have to make him up.

He was always so nice to me even though I was a complete nobody. He was always so nice to everybody and he never forgot a name, no matter how much time had passed. I haven't seen him in years, which makes today doubly sad. May Bill rest in peace.

 

Re: Baseball writer dies in house fire

As somebody who has actually been on fire (third-degree burns over 25 percent of my body), I cringe every time it's mentioned. It's a horrible, horrible feeling.

And, yes, condolences to Shannon's family.

 

Sad, sad news. Bill was a great guy and a genuine New York character.

 

This was on another board and worth the cut and paste:

<i>To quote producer/engineer Chris Majikowski:

"The line on Shannon ... 69 years, many friends, countless stories, one great man. 69 years, many friends, countless stories and one....great man."</i>

 

That is horrific. RIP.

 

Pretty complete story here:

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/14192731/baseball-writer-bill-shannon-dies-in-nj-house-fire

 

perfect post. i met bill in '83 as a 26-year-old filling in for a few days for our beat guy. bill shannon seemed to go out of his way to make me feel welcomed and a part of the press-box corps, no easy feat. many among the collection of new york area beat folks weove welcoming a newbie to their lofty perch -- casty and his teammate at the star-ledger, longtime beat man moss klein were exceptions, thanks very much -- but mr. bill shannon immediately treated you with respect.

this was horrible, terrifying news. to say bill will be missed doesn't come close expressing how i can only imagine n.y.. baseball regulars must be feeling.

as i put it on another site upon hearing the details, give a huge ERROR to whatever higher power allowed that fire to take a man who, as far as i know, never had a cross word for anyone and treated all writers the same way: with class and generosity.

i pray that bill knew how everyone felt about him.

 

Lots of Bill stories coming to mind today. My favorite: In 2003 or so, he distributed a case of his NY sports record books (which I believe he published after lining up sponsorship from JP Morgan Chase--he was a hustler in the best possible way). I wasn't there, and the next time I was at Shea, I lamented that I'd missed out. The next day, he gave me a copy. To me. A complete nobody.

If everyone was like Bill Shannon, there would be no SportsJournalists.com.

 

Such awful news.

RIP, Mr. Shannon.

 

Marty Noble's take:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101026&content_id=15843440&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym

 

That was magnificent.

 

I've been away and found out about Bill's death today. He was a good guy and and even better friend. He will be missed.
RIP