Spink Award finalists

I think Angell belongs in the writers wing of the Hall.[/trollingbuckdub]

 

RIP spnited.

 

Their careers overlapped greatly and Murray was the far more widely syndicated, so Mel toiled in Jim's shadow pretty much the whole time. Each was a craftsman in his own way, though, and it was great being able to read them both. (Full disclosure: I worked with Mel at the HerEx and, hey, we're both TV Guide alumni, too.)

 

I am the person who nominated Roger Angell for the Spink, with a great deal of help from fellow chapter member Chris Haft - Angell's nomination is coming from the Bay Area chapter of the BBWAA, not New York - and I am someone who has spent 17 years on baseball beats. I love baseball beat writers. My husband was one. The majority of my friends are or were baseball beat writers.

Most of the time, the Spink comes from the ranks of columnists and national baseball writers who also have been on baseball beats. Beat writers are plenty recognized by the Spink.

Roger Angell, however, is a special case - special, period. He is, in my opinion, the greatest writer to write regularly about baseball in the past half century, maybe all-time. For writers to have any recognition at the Baseball Hall of Fame and for Angell not to be among them would be a terrible thing, to my mind.

Writing ability is not necessarily always rewarded by the Spink; there have been numerous winners whose style is at best average. Roger Angell is a remarkable writer of baseball, even if never a baseball beat writer. Why can't there be room for many great former baseball beat writers and also a few tremendous writers of baseball? I don't see why it has to be an either-or proposition.

I am proud the Bay Area chapter voted to nominate Roger Angell, and I will be prouder still if he wins the Spink next month.

 

Good heavens.

Your worst idea since helping MLB hatch a press box dress code.

 

What part about her saying "my opinion" went over your head? Your opinion obviously doesn't mesh with hers. Jesus.

 

Yeah, that's called d-i-s-a-g-r-e-e-m-e-n-t. Got it? Allah.

 

Angell is your winner.

https://twitter.com/officialBBWAA/status/410425307972530176

 

Long overdue. Congrats, Roger.

A compilation of some Angell essays here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2013/12/roger-angell-baseball-hall-of-fame.html

 

I cracked open my copy of "Game Time" earlier today ... Angell's 1980 piece on Bob Gibson ("Distance") is one of the best long features I've ever read on any subject:

http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1980-09-22#folio=082