Constitution

ARTICLE I:

NAME:

The name of this organization shall be the BASEBALL WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.

ARTICLE II:

OBJECTS

Section 1: The objects of this Association are:

A: To ensure proper facilities for reporting baseball games and to provide competent regulation of press boxes of the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs and the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, hereinafter designated as the Major Leagues;

B: To assist in clarifying baseball scoring rules, thereby promoting uniformity in official scoring;

C: To sustain cooperation and fellowship with the baseball writers of the minor leagues;

D: To foster the most creditable qualities of baseball writing and reporting.

Section 2:

A: The Association shall be independent and shall neither ask nor receive favors from the club managements or leagues beyond the rights and privileges necessary to the quicker and more comfortable discharge by members of the Association of their duties to their employers.

B: The Association shall not sponsor or endorse any marketable physical product or suffer any unauthorized use of its insignia. It may, however, elect to make available to commercial television the presentation of its annual awards, provided that all net financial revenues obtained by the Association from such a pre- sentation are distributed to legitimate charitable organizations of the Association’s choosing, at the earliest possible date, in order for the Association to maintain its not-for-profit status.

C: The Association admonishes against any use of its name in publicizing player-award polls other than those for which members are designated as the electorate by agreement with the Baseball Hall of Fame, or those conducted by Association-sponsored committees.

D: The Association shall extend press box courtesies to non-members on legitimate assignment, but shall not invite regular occupancy by extending recognition to credentials of other organizations.

SERVICES:

Section 3:

A: In acknowledgement to the Baseball Commissioner and member clubs, who recognize the Association as the custodian of Major League press boxes, the Association accepts responsibility for special services as an empowered agent of the Commissioner at All-Star, League Championships and World Series games.

B: Host chapters shall assist in processing all requests for working press accommodations, shall oversee the charting of seating arrangements, allocate non-transferrable credentials, and appoint Association wardens to police press-section occupancy. Any misused credential shall be revoked, its unauthorized holder ejected, and the violating applicant, whether member or non-member, shall be censured in written protest to his or her publication’s management by the Secretary-Treasurer.

C: The Association’s Commissioner-appointed official scorers and host chapters shall waive fees for All-Star services in favor of the Association, to which such fees shall be deposited.

ARTICLE III

CHAPTERS: Qualification

Section 1: A chapter of the Association shall be located in each Major League area. Chapter membership affiliation shall be governed by the geographical location of the team being covered.

A: Any change in the composition of the Major Leagues that eliminates or adds to any of the Major League areas shall call for an immediate re-evaluation of the chapter structure by the national officers and board of directors, and for subsequent action by national memberships.

a period of 10 years. That chapter shall not be eligible to nominate officers nor shall its members serve on any committee or vote on any special awards.

CHAPTERS: Rules of Order

Section 2: Each chapter shall adopt such rules for conducting business as are compatible with the rules of the Association.

CHAPTERS: Duties

Section 3: Each chapter shall elect annually a Chapter Chair, who will also serve as a deputy to the National Association.

A: Election results shall be reported to the Secretary-Treasurer no later than December 1 of each year.

B: Any chapter that fails to report the Chair-elect by December 1 shall be declared to have re-elected the incumbent Chair.

Section 4: Local press box supervision shall be a primary duty of the chapters of the Association.

A: For each press box, an Association warden shall be appointed to police against incursions, empowered to decide the legitimate occupancy of working facilities and to eject unauthorized persons.

B: Chapters shall instruct club-appointed monitors stationed at press box entrances concerning the Association’s restrictions.

Section 5: Chapters shall insist upon efficient, comfortable working conditions for both visiting and local members.

A: Physical improvements within club premises shall be encouraged locally.

B: Uncorrected inadequacies and suggestions for further improvements of facilities shall be submitted to the Association’s Press Box Committee for negotiation.

Section 6: Each chapter shall require the unanimous approval of its members for nomination by the Chapter Chair of its candidates for Honorary membership.

Section 7: Each Chapter Chair shall be responsible for the collection of dues in his or her chapter and shall forward them to the Secretary-Treasurer by January 31.

Section 8: When it is the turn of a local chapter to supply a Vice President for the National Association, as noted in Article V, the Chapter Chair shall conduct a secret ballot among the eligible members of the chapter to determine the chapter’s candidate. The candidate must be elected by a majority of members voting and must be determined prior to the Annual Meeting at the World Series.

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERS: Classification and Election

Section 1: Membership in this Association shall be classified as Active and Honorary.

Section 2: Active membership in this Association shall be reserved for professional journalists whose primary responsibility is the coverage of Major League Baseball.

Section 3: Active membership shall be divided into Access Membership and General Membership. The MLB credential that grants access to all MLB ballparks shall be provided to Access Members. A BBWAA membership card shall be provided to General Members, who can apply to individual clubs for credentials on an as-needed basis.

A: All members in good standing as of the adoption of this amendment shall remain Access Members, job responsibilities notwithstanding, so long as they remain active members.

B: All members shall renew their membership annually – and all prospective members shall apply – through a local chapter chairman. The national board of directors shall refer prospective members to an appropriate local chapter.

C: By the end of the 2015 season, each local chapter shall adopt – and each local chapter chairman shall make available – guidelines to use in determining how members shall be classified Access Members and General Member. Such guidelines shall specify how much in-person coverage is necessary for Access Membership, as well as whatever other criteria each local chapter chooses to adopt. The guidelines may vary among local chapters, but all guidelines shall be subject to review by the national board of directors.

D: Each local chapter chairman shall evaluate prospective members based on the guidelines cited in Paragraph C. All members shall be subject to annual review to ensure they are classified in the proper tier, albeit with the grandfather clause cited in Paragraph A.

E: Statisticians who supply baseball records to daily newspapers, baseball public relations personnel and other specialists may be deemed eligible for membership by the national board of directors. Any such members shall be classified as “members at large.”

F: The national board of directors shall hear any appeals from parties with regard to rejection of membership or classification among membership categories.

G: Honorary members shall have fulfilled 10 years of active membership and shall have ceased to be active members.

MEMBERS: Tenure

Section 4: Tenure for various privileges of the Association shall be credited as follows:

A: Tenure for Active members shall accrue only for dues-paid years and periods of interruption for military service.

B: Any member is retired automatically through severance from qualifying circumstances of employment and may request refund of current dues. Such retirement may be rescinded upon subsequent re-qualification. Tenure shall not accrue during retirement.

C: Any member may retire voluntarily. Such retirement may be rescinded only by the Board of Directors. Tenure shall not accrue during retirement.

D: Honorary Memberships are of lifetime tenure. Such members shall be privileged, upon re-qualification, to optional concurrent Active Membership.

E: Suspension shall forfeit one year of accrued tenure.

F: Expulsion shall forfeit all accrued tenure.

MEMBERS: Duties and Penalties

Section 5:

A: Membership dues, the amount to be determined by the National Board of Directors, shall be forwarded to the Secretary-Treasurer each year during the period between the Annual Meeting at the World Series and January 31 of the following year. Dues are refundable to applicants who fail of election.

B: Members shall adhere to the objects and ethics of the Association and shall exercise utmost care in the duties and privileges of memberships.

C: Members shall respect the selectivity of the Association’s credentials. In no case does a membership card entitle its holder to press box privileges for any person other than himself or herself.

MEMBERS: Privileges

Section 6: Privileges of membership, unless withheld as provided in Section 5 of this Article, shall include the following:

A: All members shall be entitled annually to a membership card, properly validated for the calendar year of Major League operation.

B: All members shall have the privileges of attendance and debate at all meetings, and of service on special committees.

C: Only Active Members shall have the rights to hold National Office, serve as a Chapter Chair, head committees and serve on standing committees. Honorary members may hold clerical or bookkeeping positions in a local chapter at the discretion of the chapter.

D: Only Active Members shall have the right to vote.

E: The electorate for Association-approved awards shall be subject to the rules of each poll.

F: Members shall be privileged to apply for World Series reserved-seat tickets from the Association’s limited allotments.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS: Designation

Section 1: The officers of this Association shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary-Treasurer and four Directors, which seven shall comprise its Board of Directors.

A: There also may be an Executive and/or Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, as the Board may designate, but the Executive and/or Assistant shall not be member(s) of the Board of Directors.

B: The outgoing President shall become one of the four Directors for the following year.

Section 2: Method of officer selection

A: Officers shall be selected at the Annual Meeting at the World Series, with the exception of the Executive/Assistant Secretary-Treasurer(s), who shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.

B: The National President shall be the person who served the previous year as the National Vice President. In the event the National Vice President is unable to serve, the Board of Directors shall determine substitute selection procedures.

C: The incoming National Vice President shall be supplied by one of the local chapters on a rotating basis. The order of rotation is listed in an addendum to this document.

D: The Secretary-Treasurer will be elected on an at-large basis by majority vote, following nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting at the World Series.

Section 3: Tenure

A: Officers shall serve for one year, or until their successors are elected, except as provided by Section 4 and Section 6 of this Article.

Section 4: In the event of vacancy, succession to office for the balance of the unexpired term shall be as follows:

A: Presidency: the Vice President will succeed, and his or her office shall be filled as provided below.

B: Vice Presidency: the Secretary-Treasurer, within 10 days, shall solicit nominations from each local Chapter Chair and conduct a mail ballot, within 10 more days, on which all the nominees will be submitted to all the Chapter Chairs. The new Vice President will be elected by majority vote.

C: Secretary-Treasurer: the Executive Secretary-Treasurer or the Assistant Secretary-Treasurer will succeed, the appointment to be made by the National Board of Directors.

D: Directorship: within 10 days of the vacancy, the National President shall appoint a new member from the vacating Director’s chapter.

Section 5: Duties

A: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall perform such other duties as are required by the Constitution.

B: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the event of absence or disability; shall serve as Chapter Chair to the Members-at-Large; and shall perform such other duties as are required by the Constitution.

C: The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the Association’s recording, corresponding and financial officer; registrar of memberships; executor of credentials; and shall perform such other duties as are required by the Constitution.

D: The Directors shall uphold the authority of the Association as members of the Board of Directors and shall rule on such matters as come before the Board.

E: The duties of the Executive and/or Assistant Secretary-Treasurer shall be defined by the Board of Directors.

OFFICERS: Penalties

Section 6: Any officer convicted by the Board of Directors of commercializing his or her office, or any other form of misconduct as defined by the Board, shall be requested to resign that office. Refusal to resign shall evoke declaration of immediate vacancy. (See Article VII, Section 3-B.)

OFFICERS: Salaries

Section 7: The salary of the President shall be $2.00 per annum, that of the Vice
President $1.00 per annum, and that of the Secretary-Treasurer to be determined at the Annual Meeting. The salary of the Executive/Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, if any, to be determined at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VI

MEETINGS: Regular

Section 1: Regular meetings of the Association shall be held at the time of the World Series, the joint Major League winter meetings and the All-Star Game, unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors. The exact date and place of each meeting shall be at the call of the President.

MEETINGS: Annual

Section 2: The World Series meeting shall be known as the Annual Meeting, and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving annual reports and for any other regular business that might arise.

MEETINGS: Quorum

Section 3: The quorum for any regular meeting shall consist of representation from a majority of the Association’s local chapters.

ARTICLE VII

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Executive

Section 1: The Board of Directors shall serve as an executive council, exercising the Association’s authority between regular meetings.

A: The President and Secretary-Treasurer, ex-officio, shall serve as President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Board.

B: The Board shall adopt, as necessary, such rules for conducting business as are compatible with the rules of the Association.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Judicial

Section 2: As the Association’s supreme tribunal, the Board shall decide:

A: All issues specifically limited to its jurisdiction, including:

B: Such questions are may be submitted to its consideration, including:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Disciplinary

Section 3: As the Association’s disciplinary commission, the Board shall be empowered to investigate charges and conduct trials in special meetings in the following manner:

A written statement of charges of any alleged misconduct against a member shall be served on the respondent at least 15 days in advance of any hearing or trial. The written statement shall include a reference to the provision in the Constitution or other governing rule or regulation alleged to have been violated, as well as a statement of the conduct of the respondent that is alleged to have violated that provision.

The Association and the respondent shall exchange lists of witnesses and copies of all exhibits that they propose to submit at the hearing or trial at least five days in advance of the hearing or trial.

At the hearing or trial, both the Association and the respondent shall be given a reasonable opportunity to cross-examine each others’ witnesses, as well as to present witnesses on their own behalf and to present relevant documentary evidence.

No adverse action shall be taken against the respondent based on information outside the record developed at the hearing or trial; provided, however, that the Association may present evidence on the record regarding a respondent’s past conduct and take such conduct into account in determining the appropriate disciplinary action in the event the respondent is found to have violated the Association’s Constitution or other governing rule or regulation.

Any disciplinary hearing or trial will be held at time, date and place determined by the Association’s Disciplinary Committee, which shall make a reasonable effort to accommodate the convenience of the respondent and the parties’ witnesses. The hearing or trial may be held by telephonic conference call if, in the Association’s sole discretion that is the only practical alternative. No person involved in the initial levying of charges against a respondent, and no person employed by any entity publishing a newspaper in the same geographical market as the newspaper for which the respondent is a reporter or writer shall serve on the Association’s Disciplinary Committee hearing the charges. At least one member of the Disciplinary Committee shall be a sports editor of a daily newspaper, the selection of whom shall be the sole discretion of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Action of the Board of Directors shall be final.

A: Conviction of charges punishable by expulsion from membership shall require a majority vote (4) of the Board.

B: Conviction of charges punishable by expulsion from National office shall require a two-thirds vote (5) of the Board, which shall allow such officer the courtesy of immediate resignation. If declined, a declaration of automatic vacancy shall be mandatory upon the Board.

ARTICLE VIII

COMMITTEES: Standing

Section 1: The following committees, appointed annually by the President-Elect before the Winter Meeting, shall function for their stated purpose throughout the year and shall submit annual reports.

A: The 3-man Rules Committee to solicit suggestions for revision of baseball’s playing and scoring rules and to prompt Association-endorsed changes through its chairman in conference with the Baseball’s Joint Rule Committee;

B: The 5-man Records Committee, including the two Service Bureau Members, to formulate non-retroactive standards of authenticity for official player records and to explore record inconsistencies flagrant enough to warrant possible change;

C: A 2-man Press Box Committee, each member a co-chairman representing the Association throughout a separate league, for:

D: A 3-man Clubhouse Committee, consisting of a Chairman and two Service Bureau Members, to suggest improvements to the Commissioner for accommodations of the working press at the All-Star, League Championships Series and the World Series games, and to work similarly with Club Managements in anticipation of heavily-covered regular-season or post-season games;

E: A 3-man Auditing Committee, selected from among the members of the Secretary-Treasurer’s chapter, to certify the correctness of the Financial Officer’s reports and to safeguard the Association’s control of funds through its Committee Chairman’s co-signature upon all Association bank accounts.

Section 2: Special committees created by resolution for specific purposes shall be appointed by the President to function until fulfillment of their select duties, when they shall report with formal resolutions covering their recommendations, if any.

Section 3: All committees for Association-conducted player-award elections shall be appointed annually by the President according to the rules of each poll, the announced results of which shall serve in lieu of any reports.

Section 4: The Association’s participating committee in Hall of Fame elections shall be appointed by the Secretary-Treasurer according to the rules set forth in agreement with the Hall of Fame’s Committee.

COMMITTEES: Members

Section 5:

A: Any member whose committee appointment is received by mail shall be empowered to serve immediately.

B: The President, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all committees.

ARTICLE IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the special rules of order and precedents of this Association.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENT PROCEDURE: Two-thirds Vote

Section 1: Amendments of this Constitution shall require a two-thirds vote of members present at any regular meeting.

AMENDMENT PROCEDURE: Previous Notice

Section 2: All proposals for amendment of this Constitution shall require previous notice and advance circulation to all chapters. An amendment must be presented for consideration at any regular meeting but may not be voted upon until the following regular meeting.

ADDENDUM A

(Article V, Section 2, Sub-section C)

For clarification purposes, here is the Presidential and Vice Presidential rotation through the year 2032, subject to additional change because of franchise shifts or expansion. The term of office begins at the Annual Meeting at the World Series in the month of October PRECEDING the listed year and terminates with the World Series of the listed year.

Year	President	Vice President
2021	Cincinnati	Seattle
2022	Seattle	Toronto
2023	Toronto	Boston
2024	Boston	Arizona
2025	Arizona	Tampa Bay
2026	Tampa Bay	San Diego
2027	San Diego	Philadelphia
2028	Philadelphia	Milwaukee
2029	Milwaukee	Dallas – Fort Worth
2030	Dallas – Fort Worth	Baltimore – Washington
2031	Baltimore – Washington	Cleveland
2032	Cleveland	Kansas City

ADDENDUM B

BBWAA Presidents

Year	President	Location/Organization
2024	Chad Jennings	The Athletic (Boston)
2023	Shi Davidi	Sportsnet (Toronto)
2022	Larry Stone	Seattle Times
2021	C. Trent Rosecrans	The Athletic (Cincinnati)
2020	Paul Sullivan	Chicago Tribune
2019	Rob Biertempfel	The Athletic, Pittsburgh
2018	Clark Spencer	Miami Herald
2017	Patrick Saunders	Denver Post
2016	Derrick Goold	St. Louis Post Dispatch
2015	Jose de Jesus Ortiz	Houston Chronicle
2014	LaVelle E. Neal III	Minneapolis Star Tribune
2013	Susan Slusser	San Francisco Chronicle
2012	Bill Shaikin	Los Angeles Times
2011	Ken Davidoff	Newsday
2010	John Lowe	Detroit Free Press
2009	Dave O'Brien	Atlanta Journal Constitution
2008	Bob Dutton	Kansas City Star
2007	Paul Hoynes	Cleveland Plain Dealer
2006	Peter Schmuck	Baltimore Sun
2005	T.R. Sullivan	Fort Worth Star Telegram
2004	Drew Olson	Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
2003	Paul Hagen	Philadelphia Daily News
2002	Bill Center	San Diego Union Tribune
2001	Ian MacDonald	Montreal Gazette
2000	Charles Scoggins	Lowell Sun
1999	Bob Elliott	Toronto Sun
1998	Jim Street	Seattle Post Intelligencer
1997	Hal McCoy	Dayton Daily News
1996	Jerome Holtzman	Chicago Tribune
1995	Paul Meyer	Pittsburgh Post Gazette
1994	Rick Hummel	St. Louis Post Dispatch
1993	Neil Hohlfeld	Houston Chronicle
1992	Pat Reusse	Minneapolis Star Tribune
1991	Kit Stier	Oakland Tribune
1990	Gordon Verrell	Long Beach Press Telegram
1989	Phil Pepe	New York Daily News
1988	Vern Plagenhoef	Booth Newspapers
1987	Gerry Fraley	Atlanta Constitution
1986	Tracy Ringolsby	Dallas Morning News
1985	Sheldon Ocker	Akron Beacon Journal
1984	Jim Henneman	Baltimore Sun
1983	Randy Galloway	Dallas Morning News
1982	Tom Flaherty	Milwaukee Journal
1981	Raymond Kelly, Jr.	Camden Courier Post
1980	Phil Collier	San Diego Union
1979	Jean Paul Sarault	Montreal Matin
1978	Bill Liston	Boston Herald American
1977	Earl Lawson	Cincinnati Post
1976	Richard Dozer	Chicago Tribune
1975	Charley Feeney	Pittsburgh Post Gazette
1974	Jack Herman	St. Louis Globe Democrat
1973	Joe Heiling	Houston Post
1972	Max Nicols	Minneapolis Star
1971	Bob Stevens	San Francisco Chronicle
1970	Bob Hunter	Los Angeles Herald Examiner
1969	Dick Young	New York Daily News
1968	Watson Spoelstra	Detroit News
1967	Bob Addie	Washington Post
1966	Hal Lebovitz	Cleveland Plain Dealer
1965	Joe McGuff	Kansas City Star
1964	Lou Hatter	Baltimore Sun
1963	Bob Wolf	Milwaukee Journal
1962	Ray Kelly	Philadelphia Bulletin
1961	Ed Rumil	Christian Science Monitor
1960	Edgar Munzel	Chicago Sun-Times
1959	Les Biederman	Pittsburgh Press
1958	Bob Broeg	St. Louis Post Dispatch
1957	Dan Daniel	New York World Telegram
1956	Lyall Smith	Detroit Free Press
1955	Shirley Povich	Washington Post
1954	Edward J. McAuley	Cleveland News
1953	Joe Cashman	Boston Record
1952	Lou Smith	Cincinnati Enquirer
1951	Franklin W. Yeutter	Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
1950	Chester L. Smith	Pittsburgh Press
1949	Roscoe McGowen	New York Times
1948	Edward H. Burns	Chicago Tribune
1947	Tommy Holmes	Brooklyn Eagle
1946	Frank F. O’Neill/Leo Macdonell	Washington Times Herald/Detroit Times
1945	Martin J. Haley	St. Louis Globe Democrat
1944	John M. Malaney	Boston Post
1943	Gordon Cobbledick	Cleveland Plain Dealer
1942	Albert M. Horwits	Philadelphia Ledger
1941	Tom Swope	Cincinnati Post
1940	Sid Mercer	New York Journal American
1939	Paul Shannon/Charles J. Doyle	Boston Post/Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph
1938	Irving Vaughan	Chicago Tribune
1937	Charles M. Segar	New York Daily Mirror
1936	Stuart M. Bell	Cleveland Press
1935	James C. Isaminger	Philadelphia Inquirer
1934	H.G. Salsinger	Detroit News
1933	Denman Thompson	Washington Star
1932	J. Roy Stockton	St. Louis Post Dispatch
1931	William J. Slocum	New York American
1929-30	James Crusinberry	Chicago Daily News
1927-28	Burt Whitman	Boston Herald
1925-26	James M. Gould	St. Louis
1921-24	Fred Lieb	New York
1919-20	Irving E. Sanborn	Chicago
1908-19	Joseph Jackson	Detroit and Washington

ADDENDUM C

BBWAA Secretaries

Year	Secretary	Location
1993-	Jack O’Connell	New York
1988-92	Vern Plagenhoef	Detroit
1966-88	Jack Lang	New York
1957-66	Hy Hurwitz	Boston
1939-57	Ken Smith	New York
1924-39	Henry P. Edwards	Cleveland and Chicago
1917-24	Joseph M. McCready	Philadelphia
1908-17	William G. Weart	Philadelphia