Dan Shaughnessy

Last updated

Dan Shaughnessy
Dan shaughnessy.jpg
Born (1953-07-20) July 20, 1953 (age 71)
Groton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education College of the Holy Cross (BA)
Occupations
  • Sports journalist
  • columnist
  • television personality
SpouseMarilou Wit
Children3
Relatives Meghann Shaughnessy (niece)
Awards J. G. Taylor Spink Award (2016)
Website Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Dan Shaughnessy (born July 20, 1953) is an American sports writer. He has covered the Boston Red Sox for The Boston Globe since 1981. In 2016, he was given the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame. The 1980s Boston Celtics team furnished Shaughnessy with his now-famous sobriquet, "Shank," for the often unflattering and critical nature of his articles. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Career

Shaughnessy was born in Groton, Massachusetts. After graduating from Groton High School, [4] [5] Shaughnessy subsequently attended the College of the Holy Cross, graduating in 1975. He began his career as a beat reporter covering the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Evening Sun in 1977 and 1978. He then was the national baseball writer for The Washington Star from 1979 until the newspaper folded in 1981. [6] He has been a sports writer for The Boston Globe since September, 1981. During that time, he has served as the beat writer for the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox, as well as a sports columnist for the Globe.

Shaughnessy has authored or contributed to several sports-related books, including on the fierce Yankees–Red Sox rivalry. His book, The Curse of the Bambino , details the travails of the Boston Red Sox and their search for a World Series championship after selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. He subsequently wrote Reversing the Curse after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series.

He is a contributor to ESPN The Magazine , and a regular guest on a Sunday night sports show, Sports Xtra. [7] Shaughnessy discusses sports and current events on radio shows airing on WTKK; on ESPN's Rome Is Burning; and on NESN's SportsPlus and Globe 10.0. [8] On July 9, 2008, he made his debut as a guest host on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption. He has a weekend radio show on WBZ-FM alongside Adam Jones.

Considered by some Red Sox fans and players as being overly negative and critical, he earned the pejorative nickname "Curly-Haired Boyfriend" from former Red Sox player Carl Everett. [9]

In an October 2005 column Shaugnnessy revealed information detailing negotiations between then-Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino. [10] [11] Shaughnessy and other Globe writers were accused by writers at the Boston Herald of routinely reporting information leaked from the Red Sox front office (the Red Sox were 17.75 percent owned by The New York Times Company, the Globe's parent company). [12] [13] [14] Then– Boston Herald columnist Tony Massarotti accused Red Sox management of smearing Epstein and suggested the Globe's coverage of the negotiations may be conflicted because of the Times ownership in the team. [15] In the weeks leading up to Epstein's decision, Red Sox owner John Henry said the leaks "had to stop".

In 2013, Shaughnessy and Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona released Francona, a biography focusing on Francona's years as manager of the Red Sox. The book immediately became a best-seller. [16]

On December 8, 2015, Shaughnessy was named the 2016 recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, presented annually by the Baseball Writers' Association of America "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing". He was presented with the award during induction weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2016. [17]

Personal life

He is married to Marilou Wit, [18] [19] with whom he has three children, Sarah, Kate, and Sam. [20] He is the uncle of tennis player Meghann Shaughnessy. [21]

Bibliography

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References

  1. ↑ "Prospectus Q&A: Dan Shaughnessy". 5 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Dan Shaughnessy Roots for Himself". 5 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Honoring Boston Legends- Dan "Shank" Shaughnessy". 12 November 2017.
  4. ↑ Coolbaugh, Gethin. "Dan Shaughnessy highlights night of celebration at Wellesley-Needham Football Rivalry Rally-Dinner". BostonSportsU18.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Reunited after 50 years, high school teammates are reminded that these memories never get old - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe .
  6. ↑ Abraham, Peter. "Dan Shaughnessy wins baseball’s J.G. Spink Award," The Boston Globe, Tuesday, December 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ Griffith, Bill (2003-11-09). "'XTRA' POINTS PUSH CH. 7 SHOW AHEAD OF 'SPORTS FINAL'". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  8. ↑ "The Globe 10.0 Presented by Verizon to Debut on June 26". BUSINESS WIRE via AEC Newsroom. 2007-06-26. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  9. ↑ "A Curt response". Boston Herald. Inside Track. 27 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Shaughnessy, Dan (2007-10-30). "Let's iron out some of this dirty laundry". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  11. ↑ Mulvoy, Thomas F. (2007-11-03). "Lucchino vs. Epstein: Media stew boils over". Dorchester Reporter. Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  12. ↑ "Greater Boston: Theo Departs and the Blame Game Begins". Archived from the original on 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  13. ↑ "Times Sells Remaining Stake in Fenway Sports Group". 11 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "Theo Departs and the Blame Game Begins". WGBH. 2005-11-04.
  15. ↑ "Smear Campaign?". Boston Media Watch. 2005-10-27. Archived from the original on 2006-11-21. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
  16. ↑ Cowles, Gregory. "Print & E-Books". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ "Dan Shaughnessy wins 2016 Spink Award". baseballhall.org. December 8, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "The Globe's Shaughnessy on Being a Lightning Rod: 'I Love My Job, and I'm Not in a Rush to Stop Doing It'". Boston Irish. 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  19. ↑ "Ludwik Wit Obituary (2016) The Times Herald". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  20. ↑ "2016 J.G. Taylor Spink Award Winner Dan Shaughnessy".
  21. ↑ Wilstein, Steve (2000-09-02). "Williams survives scare in U.S. Open". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
Preceded byBoston Globe Celtics beat writer
1982–1984		Succeeded by
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