Joe Posnanski has too many jobs. He is executive columnist for MLB.com, national columnist for The Athletic, co-host of the PosCast with Michael Schur, host of the Passions in America podcast, author of several books including an upcoming book on the impact Harry Houdini has on the world today, Uber driver for daughters, ineffective dog trainer, frequent contributor to MLB Network, less frequent but annual contributor to PBS, below average juggler and founder, CEO, CFO, CIA, CO2 and CAT of the blog and Website that bear his name.
Joe has been National Columnist at NBC Sports, Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated and writer of various titles for the Kansas City Star, The Cincinnati Post, The Augusta Chronicle and Sports on Earth and The Charlotte Observer.
He has written four books, including New York Times No. 1 Paterno and regular old New York Times bestsellers The Secret of Golf, The Machine and The Soul of Baseball, the last about a year he spent with traveling the country with his dear friend Buck O’Neil. Soul won the Casey Award for best baseball book.
He has won awards; as proof the photo above is of the personalized muppet he won for being named best sportswriter at the Blogs 4 Balls Conference. He will happily, without you even asking, show you his two Emmys, two Eddys, three National Headliner Awards, two national columnist of the year awards and the bat he won for being named the National Sportswriter of the Year. The Baseball Bloggers Alliance named its annual writer of the year award after him.
He grew in Cleveland, spent the bulk of his adult lucky life in Kansas City and now lives in Charlotte with his wife Margo, their two daughters Elizabeth and Katie and their dog Westley, named for the hero in “The Princess Bride.” They are all sick of him writing about them all the time. Especially the dog.
Well i also like to give credit where credit is due i believe in 19 century historic baseball player icons and i think that they need more recognition or palace of their own to really call home. with that said i am going to drop a bigger wrench on the fire. By luck i have com to own the winning game ball of the 1876 un-official five game series between the St Louis Brown Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings signed by St Louis ball players to also include icon historic players of that era such as George Washington Bradley ,the Irish Andy Leonard ,the coach Mason Griffin ,Gleason from 1882, Burkett, and your very own Adrian Cap Anson with many other signatures that will be identify with machines at a latter date. the initial story was written by Stephen Whitaker from the Echo News Paper in Helotes, Texas 78023 the 20 of November 2013 see it for your self.
tell me what you think about climate change
Dear Joe,
I love baseball and although I was thrilled that the Cubs won the series, I then realized baseball was over and that hurt. Now I get back to my pet peeve and something you also detest: the IBB. To stop it in MLB we can easily do it. I have a Facebook page called 2-4-4-0. That means if you get four balls without a strike, you get 2nd base, not first. That would also be the case if you are intentionally hit by a pitch in the ump’s judgement, it you were hit intentionally you get two bases, not just one.
People tell me this would mess up the game but I say “no it wouldn’t because nobody would do it.” I am convinced my idea is one of the things that will bring more fans, talent and money to the game.
With best regards,
Bowtie Dave Froelich 66
Orlando, Florida
Joe: I am an old man certainly by comparision with you at 67. I just read your piece about Wainwright and throwing against Jeter. It was one of those damned if you, damned if you don’t things. Had Wainwright struck out Jeter, the crowd would have booed him on a night when the All-Star game became a farewell to Jeter even moreso than about the showcasing of glittering stars.
He fired a hard ball and Jeter slammed a double. Granted, Matheney should have started Kershaw since Wainwright just finished a very good outing over the weekend.
Wainwright, Neshek and the rest of the Cardinals can put the All-Star aside and get back to focusing on the rest of th season now that they are well within range in the NL Central Division.
Your colunmn was very good and I’m not one to blow smoke on issues. I finally retired from the newspaper business after 32 years along with 13 years in corporate (public relations) journalism. I am disturbed by the way too many young journalists riddle grammar rules and often times biased and ignore balance reporting.
The tips is amazingly useful
Your Buck’s Best Day was terrific. I’m going out today and buy your book. If you ever leave the great state of Mecklenburg and drive north on I-77 1 hour to Statesville, give me a call. I’d enjoy buying your lunch. Sincerely, David Benbow (North Carolina’s biggest Minnesota Twins fan)
Am I missing something or is there no way to follow or subscribe to your blog? You might want to look into that – I for one would like to see it!
Joe: A quick message of “Thanks” for citing me and my book, BASEBALL’S FIRST INDIAN, in my continuing battle to get proper respect for Louis Sockalexis…and, of course, confront the hypocrisy of the Cleveland baseball team’s use of an inappropriate nickname and the most racist caricature mascot/logo in use in America today. I’m hoping, at some point, you’ll use my e-mail address so I can address some serious concerns I have about Sports Illustrated’s history of inaccuracy on the Sockalexis story. Interested?
You need to add a period to the end of the last sentence in the second paragraph. (“He clearly cannot keep a job.”) Other than that, I like the blog!
Joe P: Just discovered this page while researching SOM. I have followed your career from a distance since you left Augusta in the 80s/early 90s. Which means we are both old. I enjoy the smooth, seamless flow that is as natural in your writing as a Reggie Jackson swing.