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Claire Smith Named First

Female Spink Award Winner

Claire Smith
Claire Smith

COOPERSTOWN – Claire Smith, the first female to cover a Major League Baseball beat extensively and as an influential voice among African-American writers, was elected the 2017 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, it was announced today.

She will be honored with the award presented annually to a sportswriter “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing” during the Hall of Fame's Induction Weekend July 28-31.

Smith received 272 votes from the 449 ballots, including three blanks, cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years’ service in becoming the 68th – and first female – winner of the award since its inception in 1962.

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