Since 1962, the BBWAA has recognized its best and most accomplished members, honoring them at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The BBWAA Career Excellence Award is the most prestigious award for a baseball writer.
When the award was created, it was named for J.G. Taylor Spink, the longtime editor and publisher of The Sporting News. Spink was the inaugural winner of the award.
In 2021, the BBWAA voted to remove Spink’s name from the award because of his role in supporting segregated baseball.
Year | Award Recipient(s) |
---|---|
2022 | Tim Kurkjian |
2021 | Dick Kaegel |
2020 | Nick Cafardo |
2019 | Jayson Stark |
2018 | Sheldon Ocker |
2017 | Claire Smith |
2016 | Dan Shaughnessy |
2015 | Tom Gage |
2014 | Roger Angell |
2013 | Paul Hagen |
2012 | Bob Elliott |
2011 | Bill Conlin |
2010 | Bill Madden |
2009 | Nick Peters |
2008 | Larry Whiteside |
2007 | No award |
2006 | Rick Hummel |
2005 | Tracy Ringolsby |
2004 | Peter Gammons |
2003 | Murray Chass |
2002 | Hal McCoy |
2001 | Joe Falls |
2000 | Ross Newhan |
1999 | Hal Lebovitz |
1998 | Bob Stevens |
1997 | Sam Lacy |
1996 | Charles Feeney |
1995 | Joseph Durso |
1994 | No award |
1993 | Wendell Smith |
1992 | Leonard Koppett, Bus Saidt |
1991 | Ritter Collett |
1990 | Phil Collier |
1989 | Jerome Holtzman |
1988 | Bob Hunter, Ray Kelly |
1987 | Jim Murray |
1986 | Jack Lang |
1985 | Earl Lawson |
1984 | Joe McGuff |
1983 | Ken Smith |
1982 | Si Burick |
1981 | Bob Addie, Allen Lewis |
1980 | Joe Reichler, Milton Richman |
1979 | Bob Broeg, Tommy Holmes |
1978 | Tim Murnane, Dick Young |
1977 | Gordon Cobbledick, Edgar Munzel |
1976 | Harold Kaese, Red Smith |
1975 | Tom Meany, Shirley Povich |
1974 | John Carmichael, James Isaminger |
1973 | Warren Brown, John Drebinger, John F. Kiernan |
1972 | Dan Daniel, Fred Lieb, J. Roy Stockton |
1971 | Frank Graham |
1970 | Heywood C. Broun |
1969 | Sid Mercer |
1968 | H.G. Salsinger |
1967 | Damon Runyon |
1966 | Grantland Rice |
1965 | Charles Dryden |
1964 | Hugh Fullerton |
1963 | Ring Lardner |
1962 | J.G. Taylor Spink |