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Who are the '13 Spink award finalists?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Smasher_Sloan, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    That's my question.
     
  2. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Do you mean what are their names, or why have you never heard of them?
     
  3. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    And the answer is that the finalists are Paul Hagen, Russell Schneider and Jim Hawkins. Hagen was runner-up last year with about 40 more votes than Schneider.

    Schnedier, whom I had never heard of until I looked up wh the finalsits were, was a Cleveland writer in who retired in the 70's. I am sure he was really good at his job but I wonder why in the previous 35 years he was never voted in. And now he seems to be attracting a fair amount of love.

    While Hawkins, who has been around for 40+ years and is still semi-active, is only now getting on the ballot.
     
  4. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Thank you.

    Russ Schneider and Bob Sudyk covered the Indians for the Cleveland papers and couldn't stand each other. They would never speak to each other, which is something considering the Indians never had a large traveling media contingent. They would interview the manager separately. Frank Robinson did a diary of his first year as manager where he detailed some of the problems brought on by the Schneider-Sudyk hostilities. Schneider's daughter married an Indians player, which must have made for some interesting times.

    Seems like Jim Hawkins has been out of the business for at least 30 years. He was a memorabilia dealer at one point.

    How about Gordon Verrell, Bob Hertzel, the late John Kuenster or Roger Kahn?
     
  5. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Hagen is on there twice?
     
  6. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    By reading the rest of that post, I assumed Hawkins was the third. But it tripped me up as well.
     
  7. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    M
    My bad. I meant Jim Hawkins, not Hagen twice.

    And I have not followed the Tigers or read Detroit area papers for many years and but the following article says Hawkins was active in journalism until his retirement in 2011. And I googled a blog he was doing at the Oakland Press in 2010.

    http://dialog.newsedge.com/portal.asp?site=2007100814443105593225&searchfolderid=pg2007100814522209759333&block=default&portlet=ep&nzesm=on&display=Asia&action=sitetopics
     
  8. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    Is Kahn eligible? Is there some kind of rule that you have to cover baseball for X number of years. I think the Boys of Summer should qualify Kahn. And why hasn't Roger Angell been inducted?
     
  9. Screwball

    Screwball Active Member

    Anyone is eligible. Each local chapter of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America can submit one nominee per year. A BBWAA committee then selects the three finalists, and the membership as a whole votes to determine the winner.
     
  10. casty33

    casty33 Active Member

    I would gladly vote for Hertzel, but I'd also like to mention the too-long ovelooked Phil Pepe.
     
  11. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Yes, Pepe, too.

    I would argue that "The Boys of Summer" was a greater contribution to baseball writing than decades of lazy hackery from Jack Lang.
     
  12. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    But if the process involves each chapter making a nominations then I suspect each chapter is pushing one of their senior members. Cleveland pushes Schneider and Detroit Hawkins, etc. Which means some very good writers like Kahn and Angell will never get close.

    For example, does anyone here thinks that Tracey Ringolsby is a better writer than Roger Angell?
     
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