Before I'd heard of Bill James or the Internet -- shoot, before I got married, had kids and went all gray in the hair -- there was Peter Gammons. I lived in Boston in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and every Sunday the highlight of my baseball addiction came to me via the Boston Globe: Gammons' Sunday column. It was full of notes and insights and, yes, gossip, that the intelligent fan literally couldn't get anywhere else. Days when he actually ran a column during the week were like holidays. To me, it is the archetype, the standard by which I judge all baseball writing.
So when I heard that he had won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award from the BBWAA, my main reaction was surprise that he hadn't won it already. Congratulations, Mr. Gammons. And thanks for the inspiration. See you in Cooperstown.
Dave was called a "national treasure" by Rob Neyer. Seriously. Comments about this article can be sent to him through the miracle of e-mail.
