| Journalist Peter Gammons is expected to receive | | | | The journalist has been elected three times |
| on Tuesday the Baseball America's Lifetime | | | | National Sportswriter of the Year in 1989, 1990 |
| Achievement Award during the annual banquet of | | | | and 1993 by the National Sportscasters and |
| the network held at baseball's winter meetings. | | | | Sportswriters Association. He also received the |
| Before Gammons, other renowned celebrities | | | | J.G. Taylor Spink Award grating a seat in the |
| received this award such as Frank Robinson, John | | | | writers' wing at the Baseball Hall of Fame in |
| Schuerholz and Buck O'Neil. But Gammons is also | | | | Cooperstown, N.Y., in 2004. |
| listed in the Baseball America's ranking of the 25 | | | | This year, the Baseball America decided to honor |
| most influential people in the sport over the past | | | | Gammons among sixteen other personalities. The |
| 25 years, along with such high-profile personalities | | | | other honorees include Detroit's David |
| such as Bud Selig, Donald Fehr, Sandy Alderson, | | | | Dombrowski for the Executive of the Year, Jim |
| Bill James, Pat Gillick and Sandy Alderson. | | | | Leyland for the Manager of the Year, Minnesota's |
| Whether at the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated | | | | Johan Santana for the Player of the Year, and |
| or ESPN, Gammons's36-year career had been | | | | Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr also |
| characterized by innovations. He is the inventor of | | | | recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award. |
| the weekend notes package in his Sunday | | | | Over the past years, Baseball America made |
| columns for the Globe. Gammons was also the | | | | donations in excess of $35,000 to MLB Charities |
| first to introduce the daily notebook as part of | | | | for youth baseball programs in disadvantaged |
| beat coverage and to popularize the reporting of | | | | areas through the RBI program. For instance, the |
| trade rumors, which can now be seen in the form | | | | donations collected last year allowed to help the |
| of "Rumor Central" features on most major | | | | New Orleans Zephyrs rebuild the only baseball field |
| sports Web sites. Eventually, he had his own way | | | | available to the children of New Orleans. As for |
| to present sport news incorporating more feature | | | | this year, the donations will be earmarked for |
| elements and relating to his readers by using | | | | scholarships for African-American baseball |
| music and pop culture references that had no | | | | prospects to assist their efforts to attend camps, |
| place on a sports page before him. | | | | clinics, tournaments and college programs. |