Baseball Writers Association of America, St. Louis Chapter’s 58th Annual Dinner

The Baseball Writers Association of America-St. Louis Chapter hosted its 58th Annual Dinner, “A Celebration of St. Louis Baseball”, Sunday, January 17, 2016 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel. This dinner offered not only the customary award presentations but also honored the 10th Anniversary of the Cardinals’ 2006 World Champion team, the Red
Schoendienst Award to the DeWitt Family, and the 2015 National League Central Division champion Redbirds.

St. Louis Cardinals field manager Mike Matheny and closer Trevor Rosenthal shared the honor as J.G. Taylor Spink Baseball Men of the Year, one of the baseball writers’ most prestigious award. Rosenthal compiled a 2-4 record, 48 saves in 51 opportunities, and a 2.10 ERA. Coaching the team over the last four seasons, Matheny has reached the postseason every year and until 2015, had won three straight division championships and one National League pennant, 2013. Although Matheny had to miss the dinner because of a family obligation, he expressed his pride in the relentless determination of the 2015 team, which won 100 regular season games but lost in the division championship series to the Cubs.

Yadier Molina, all-star, gold glove catcher, won the Darryl Kile Award, voted annually by the team and given to the player who best exemplifies the leadership qualities that marked the late St. Louis pitcher. Yadier also earned his 8th gold glove and fourth platinum glove award bestowed on a player considered the finest fielder at any position. The  writers also recognized outfielders Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscottys with the Jack Herman/Joe Ostermeier Award- Rookies of the Year; Anthony Reyes, Austin Gomber (Cardinals Minor League Pitchers of the Year) and Stephen Piscotty (Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year).

The Red Schoendienst Medal for “Invaluable Service to Baseball”, presented by Red Schoendienst, is named for the man who has served baseball for over 70 years as a Hall of Fame player, manager, coach, and adviser. The award represents the highest honor bestowed by the St. Louis BBWAA and commemorates the greatest living Cardinal and one of the most valued, yet one of the most modest, individuals in the history of the organization. This year’s medal went to the DeWitt Family, who have dedicated 100 years to the national pastime. Since gaining ownership of the Cardinals before the 1996 season,
the group led by Bill DeWitt Jr. has set the gold standard for major league baseball. With Bill DeWitt Jr. as chairman and Bill DeWitt III as team president, the Cardinals have attracted over three million fans 17 of the past 18 seasons and have attained the playoffs 12 times in the 16 seasons, winning nine division titles and tying for another during the span.

More notable, the Cardinals have played in four World Series, winning in 2006 and 2011, and had a recent run of four straight appearances in the National League Championship Series. Certainly, much of the success under the DeWitt’s guidance relates to their bloodlines: William O. DeWitt and his brother Charlie were involved with the Cardinals in 1916 and later with the ownership group of the Browns. In fact, Bill DeWitt Jr. even served as the the Browns batboy.

A couple of somber, yet amusing, moments occurred with reference to St. Louis native and Yankees great, Yogi Berra, and Post-Dispatch columnist and Cardinals beat writer Joe Strauss. Yogi Berra, who “really didn’t say everything” he said, received the Dr. Robert F. Hyland/Rick Hummel Award for Meritorious Service to Sports. Known as much for his “Yogisms” as his superb play at catcher, Yogi never forgot his St. Louis “hill roots” or his love for the Cardinals. “Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical” and “It’s not over ’til it’s over” became part of baseball’s lore. A three-time American League MVP, the Hall of Famer earned 18 All-Star berths and played in 75 World Series games, including catcher for Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 Series. Larry Berra and his daughter, Lindsay, graciously accepted for the family.

Joe Strauss’ familiar place on the dais looked strangely absent. Former Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, whose postgame interviews usually involved Strauss, quipped: “You hear the expression love-hate; it was never that bad. It was tolerate on good days”. More candidly, Tony indicated that “Joe was very, very knowledgeable about the game of
baseball. I would say he was tied for first with anyone I ever met in the media about knowledge of the game. He would apply that knowledge to whatever story he was covering. Joe was fierce in following that story.”

A special ovation came for Mitch Harris, the Cardinals reliever who graduated from the Naval Academy and served his country for five years. He expressed his appreciation to the Cardinals not only for drafting him but also remaining committed through his military service.

Tom Ackerman, KMOX 1120 Sports Director, held two rounds of panel discussions with some fan favorites from the 2006 World Series champions, including relief pitchers Josh Finney, Adam Wainwright, Jason Isringhausen, Brad Thompson, National League Championship Series MVP Jeff Suppan, World Series MVP shortstop David Eckstein, outfielder Jim Edmonds, and Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa. The Cardinals, after surviving the regular season, became healthy at the right time to surprise the Padres, Mets, and then the Detroit Tigers and claim their 10th World Series. Some from the 2006 team believed the 2015 might repeat the feat, but alas, deja vu did not occur.

The St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner originated with Bob Broeg, a Hall of Fame baseball writer and the former sports editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With the assistance of his newspaper rival, the Globe-Democrat’s Bob Burnes, and the inspiration of the national organization of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, Broeg established the
dinner in 1958. It has transpired every year since, save one. The list of honorees appears both regal and robust, ranging from Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, Ozzie Smith and Stan Musial to Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa, Bob Costas, Whitey Herzog, Albert Pujols, former commissioner Bud Selig, and every championship team the Cardinals have fielded.

The writers dinner represents one of three remaining in the country; the others occur in New York and Boston. Tickets to the event cost $150.00 per person, or $175 with a pass to the Winter Warm-Up. A portion of the funds go to the Bob Broeg Endowed Athletic Scholarship, University of Missouri; Robert L. Burnes Endowed Scholarship, St. Louis University; Jack Buck Journalism Scholarship, University of Missouri; the Bryan Burwell Scholarship, targeting minority students pursuing a career in sports journalism; the Cathie Burnes Beebe Scholarship for qualified females; the Amadee BBWAA Annual Graphic
Communications Scholarship, St. Louis Community College; the Journalism Foundation; Cardinals Care; and the Rick Hummel Internship, University of Missouri.