Sports
Ohio University Alum To Be Honored In Cooperstown
< < Back to ohio-university-alum-be-honored-cooperstownOhio University alum and MLB.com writer Paul Hagen has been voted the winner of the annual J.G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Writer's Association of America.
The award recognizes a lifetime in excellence in baseball writing. Hagen was one of three candidates. Joining him on the ballot were Jim Hawkins of the Detroit Free Press and Russell Schneider of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Hagen received 269 votes from the 421 ballots.
The award will be presented to Hagan July 27-28 in Cooperstown during the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction weekend.
The J.G. Taylor Spink Award is named after the late editor of Sporting News and has existed since 1962. Spink himself was the inaugural winner. Other notable winners include Grantland Rice in 1966, Damon Runyon in 1967 and Ring Lardner in 1963. Bob Elliott of the Tornoto Sun won in 2012.
Paul Hagen worked for The Post, Ohio University's student-run newspaper, from the fall of 1968, until the Spring of 1972.
"I had the pleasure of working with Paul at The Post when he was a freshman, I was a sophomore and he succeeded me as a sports editor when I graduated," Marc Rosenweig, former sports editor of the Post, said. "I always knew he was an outstanding reporter and a hardworking individual. It's great to see his body of work recognized after decades of covering the Phillies, the Texas Rangers and really being one of the top baseball reporters in our country."
After graduating from Ohio University, Hagen began his baseball writing career with the San Bernadino Sun covering the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974. Three years later, he was off to Texas where he spent ten years covering the Texas Rangers for the Dallas Times Herald and the Forth Worth Star Telegram.
In 1987, Hagen moved to Philadelphia to cover the Philadelphia Phillies for the Philadelphia Daily News. He spent 15 seasons covering the team, and in 2002, became the paper's national baseball columnist. He is now a national reporter for MLB.com, focusing on the Phillies and Major League Baseball news.
"He's a great model for all of us, students, faculty, staff and alums and I am happy to call him a friend as well, " Rosenwieg said.