NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gerry Fraley, a gregarious and tempestuous reporter over 4 many years till his demise 4 years in the past, received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award on Tuesday.
The honor was introduced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on the winter conferences. Fraley might be honored in the course of the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 19-22 in Cooperstown, New York.
Known for his fast humor and flamable mood, Fraley died in May 2019 at age 64 after a two-year battle with most cancers.
He obtained 173 of 370 ballots from BBWAA members with 10 or extra consecutive years’ service after ending second final yr, two votes behind John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins obtained 113 votes this yr and New York Post baseball columnist Joel Sherman acquired 83. There was one clean poll submitted in voting performed by mail in November.
“Frales,” as he was referred to as all through baseball, grew to become the seventy fifth winner of the respect, generally known as the J.G. Taylor Spink Award till 2021.
“Gerry was an accomplished writer and a keen observer of many sports,” former President and former Texas Rangers proprietor George W. Bush mentioned in an announcement on the time of Fraley‘s demise. “It always seemed to me that baseball was his real passion, thereby establishing a kinship and a lasting friendship.”
Growing up in Clearwater, Florida, Fraley attended Clearwater High School and Carnegie Mellon. He started his profession from 1979-81 at The Clearwater Sun, within the metropolis the place the Philadelphia Phillies maintain spring coaching, and moved to the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1982-89. At first protecting the Braves, Hawks and Falcons, baseball grew to become his focus.
He switched to The Dallas Morning News from 1989 to 2006, protecting baseball via 1998. He grew to become a normal project reporter till 2003, when he was promoted to columnist.
Fraley left in 2007 and wrote for The Sporting News, then returned to the Morning News two years later. After first protecting the Cowboys, he moved off that beat in 2011 and once more focused on baseball.
