Peter Gammons to get HOF nod

[sahyder1]

ESPN's Gammons wins Spink Award

Sports Ticker

12/12/2004

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) - Peter Gammons will always remember 2004.

Gammons, the lead baseball analyst at ESPN, was named the 2004 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, an honor that carries with it induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The award, which is given to a sportswriter for "meritorious contributions to baseball writing," will be presented to Gammons during ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York on July 31.

Gammons was the overwhelming choice of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving 248 votes from the 448 ballots cast. Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News was second with 134 votes.

The honor caps a big year for the avid Boston Red Sox fan, who is known for his pleasant demeanor and infectious smile. While the most recent generation will recognize the Massachusetts native from his work on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter, Gammons made his initial mark as a newspaper man.

His work with the Boston Globe is legendary and many credit him with the Sunday notes column that has become a staple of sports sections today. He was voted National Sportswriter of the year in 1989, 1990 and 1993.

But he will always remember 2004 as the year his beloved Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years.

Gammons also is credited with helping to pave the way for sportswriters to transition to electronic media outlets across the country. He continues to maintain that he is a newspaper reporter that makes his living on television.

Past winners include Ring Lardner, Jim Murray, Red Smith and Hal McCoy.

[thatshortguy]

Agreed tenfold. I've always regarded Gammons as a fair voice. Look no further than his take on the steroid situation to see that he's not afraid to speak sternly about certain situations.

[JoeMimic]

If you call being a Boston homer being a help to Baseball Tonight then alright. He's a good reporter but everything the Red Sox do is the best move in the world and no one else can come close. Just my two cents.

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

Got nothing against this, have a lot of respect for Peter Gammons.

[sahyder1]

If you call being a Boston homer being a help to Baseball Tonight then alright. He's a good reporter but everything the Red Sox do is the best move in the world and no one else can come close. Just my two cents.

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[Greg The Smooth]

Gammons is my favorite guy on ESPN. I never thought he would be in the HOF, but its cool that he is.

[JustinCredible2k]

Congrats to the guy. Its about time he got some recognition for all his hard work. Now we just gotta look out for Boomer....Chris Berman that is. haha...he is the next ESPN man to go. I have a feeling..

[ACCBiggz]

Heard about this a couple days ago when it happened, and was very pleased. Thinking of getting friends to take road trip to Cooperstown.

[Sabu]

Good for him, he deserves it.