Larry Whiteside elected to Hall of Fame as a writer

[Fenway]

It was an honor to know "Sides". Congrats Larry
http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/12/05/1196868235_4004.jpg (http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2007/12/whiteside_to_th.html)


NASHVILLE - Larry Whiteside, a pioneer among African-American journalists, was elected as the 2008 winner of the J.G. Spink Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America this morning. It is presented annually to a sportswriter "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing."

Whiteside, who died on June 15 from of complications from Parkinson's Disease, received 203 votes from the 415 ballots cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more years of consecutive years of service. Whiteside is the 59th recipient of the award.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2007/12/whiteside_to_th.html

This is a prime example at how good a writer he was

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/playoffs04/1986_playoffs/alcs_game5/

[Fenway]

All any of us need to say about Larry Whiteside was said by commissioner Bud Selig from his office in Milwaukee yesterday afternoon.
I loved Larry Whiteside," said Selig. "I knew Larry from the day we bought the Milwaukee Brewers, and Larry was there from the outset. He was one of the fairest reporters I ever encountered. He was a friend to me and I was a friend to him.

"I remember in 1971, I tried to hire Larry to be the head of public relations for the Brewers. I know he thought long and hard about it and it was a very difficult decision for him. But I think shortly after that, he had a chance to go to the Boston Globe and really be at the pinnacle of his career and he took it. He was a great journalist. A great man."

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/12/06/whiteside_receives_top_writing_accolade/

One funny story

One of the funniest Whiteside moments came in 1986, when he left the Red Sox' game against the Mariners after the second inning and headed to the Celtics' playoff game against Atlanta. For many years, Whiteside also covered the Celtics, but on that night, Roger Clemens struck out a record 20 Seattle batters. Ten years later at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Clemens struck out 20 again. Afterward, Clemens joked with Whiteside, "Glad you could stick around for this one."

Clemens, upon learning of Whiteside's death, said, "He was such a nice man. He was so fair. He respected what we did as athletes, and we respected his profession."