Congrats to Bill Conlin, Hall of Famer
Conlin wins Spink award
Congrats to Bill Conlin, Hall of Famer
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
It has been, as you well know, a difficult week for the Daily News sports staff. The passing of longtime Hall of Fame basketball writer Phil Jasner on Friday night has hit everyone pretty hard. Phil will be buried on Wednesday, and the emotions are still pretty raw, as you might understand. In some ways, it seems an odd time to celebrate.
But we've all heard good news on Tuesday morning: Bill Conlin has been chosen as the 2011 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award. I wrote the other day in Phil's obituary how he was the definitive basketball voice in Philadelphia. Well, Conlin is the definitive baseball voice in Philadelphia, and has been for decades, and now he has been recognized by the Baseball Writers of America and will be honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer in Cooperstown, NY.
Not to brag on the place I work or anything, or the era in which I have worked, but it is hard to overstate what it means to have been surrounded over the years by people like Jasner (in the Basketball Hall of Fame), Ray Didinger (in the Pro Football Hall of Fame) and Conlin. These are giants in the business, all with different personalities and different approaches but all of whose influence has been unquestioned.
Conlin might be the most unique of that distinctive bunch: more opinionated, more elegant as a writer, more controversial, and an absolute must-read. That is true today, and it was true a decade ago, and it was true four decades ago. When Conlin hits it a long way, you really do need a tape measure.
And now, for the body of his work, he is being honored in Cooperstown. It is as big an award as a baseball writer can receive. For more information, here is the link at the BBWAA web site: bbwaa.com/
Mr Conlin My Mom used to snail mail me your articles when I lived in 8 of 9 Countries..Thanks for being a Legend!Thank God for email and the internet now we worldwide get to read you! from the State of Guerrero Mexico— Kevinmac
Congratulations, Bill!— nmlawyer- Bill One-Chair can now add HOF 2011 after his signature!
Nice going Bill!— BobbyD - Yo, Bill. Congrats and way overdue. I'm sure the missus is smiling somewhere.
- HOF: what a joke. they'll let any non-player in.— Don Cornelius
- Conlin makes the HOF by constantly writing about a past that most don't care about or are even interested in anymore. Good for him. Hey Al wilson, was my grammer correct? Schmuck.
- Congratulations Bill, Well deserved! It feels great to see one of our own make it in. First Gillick now Conlin!!! Great week for Philadelphia BaseBall inspite of Werth!— eojcod
- He is now King of the World...— kwasi2323
- Congrats, Bill. You've earned it— Polecat_39
- @Al Wilson: is it 'pedantic' or 'most pedantic'?— Shaggy
- Congratulations Bill, you are the best!— EL Zorro
Everyone knows it's uniquest!! Seriously though, only the young punks (under 35) wouldn't have an appreciation for Bill's talent and not have an interest in the colorful local history. But, let them forget and when they go through all of the "down" decades we've been through they'll think it's all unique to them. Congratulations Bill!!- Congrats to Bill Conlin! Well deserved!— TerryW
- New chair in the hall.— NewMick314
- Congratulations to Bill - this is a well-deserved honor.
