Legendary Baseball Writer Roger Angell Dies at 101 Years Old

Famed baseball journalist Roger Angell died Friday of congestive heart failure at 101, his longtime employer, The New Yorker, confirmed.

Angell covered America’s past time for 56 years, beginning in 1962 and concluding in 2018 for The New Yorker.

Angell wrote hundreds of essays and stories for The New Yorker, and also authored several books including “The Five Seasons,” which covered baseball from 1972-76 and was described by Angell as the “most significant half decade in the history of the game.”

The Harvard graduate and Air Force vet was given the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, which acknowledged his career excellence in baseball journalism. 

Angell’s recognition as one of baseball’s top writers was significant, as he was the first journalist to receive the award despite never being a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The tribute piece from The New Yorker described Angell best. 

“He was a hundred and one. But longevity was actually quite low on his list of accomplishments. He did as much to distinguish the New Yorker as anyone in the magazine’s nearly century-long history…”

What a legacy for Angell to leave, as baseball journalism lost a giant in the industry with his passing.