Rick Hummel

Last updated

Rick Hummel
Born
Richard Lowell Hummel

(1946-02-25)February 25, 1946
Quincy, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 20, 2023(2023-05-20) (aged 77)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
OccupationSportswriter
Employer St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Spouses
  • Connie Karr
    ​
    (before 2008)​
  • Melissa
Children3
Awards J. G. Taylor Spink Award

Richard Lowell Hummel (February 25, 1946 – May 20, 2023) was an American author and sports columnist best known for his work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Hummel was honored in 2007 with the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing. [1] Known throughout baseball by his nickname "The Commish", he was a former president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. [2]

Contents

Early life

Richard Lowell Hummel was born on February, 25, 1946, [3] in Quincy, Illinois. [4] He graduated from Quincy Senior High School in 1964. [1] At first Hummel remained in his hometown for higher education, attending Quincy College before transferring to the University of Missouri to attend their School of Journalism. Hummel expressed an interest in sports journalism and broadcasting at an early age, having auditioned for a job at Quincy station WGEM when he was twelve years old. [1]

Hummel worked as a spotter for former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and coach Elvin Tappe and his twin brother Melvin as they broadcast Quincy High School games. [1] Melvin Tappe encouraged Hummel to pursue a career as a sports writer. While attending the University of Missouri, Hummel returned home during two summers to work for the Quincy Herald-Whig . [1] At Mizzou, he worked on the Sports Information department's statistics crew for football games alongside another future sports notable, John Walsh, now executive vice president and executive editor of ESPN. [5]

Professional career

Following graduation from the University of Missouri in 1968, Hummel served three years in the U.S. Army. [1] While stationed in Colorado he also worked as a part-time employee for two years on the Colorado Springs Free Press-Sun . [5] After his discharge from the Army in 1971, Hummel was hired by fellow Mizzou alum Bob Broeg to work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Broeg, who himself would earn the Spink award and be inducted into Cooperstown in 1979, at first assigned Hummel to cover secondary and St. Louis regional teams for the newspaper. [5] Hummel worked as a beat writer for the St. Louis Stars of the North American Soccer League, Spirits of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association, and Saint Louis University hockey, among others. [5] Hummel earned his nickname "The Commish" or "The Commissioner" for running an APBA board game with colleagues [6] and for his exhaustive knowledge of the rules involved in the softball, football, and bowling leagues he and Post-Dispatch teammates participated in. [4] [5]

The first of Hummel's big breaks at the Post-Dispatch came in 1973 when he covered around eight St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) home games for the newspaper, his first being a 1–0 rain-shortened victory over the Montreal Expos. [5] Another milestone came in 1978 when long-time Cardinals beat writer Neal Russo was unable to make a trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. Hummel was sent in his place and ended up covering a historic game as Hall of Famer Tom Seaver pitched his only career no-hitter in a 4–0 victory for the Reds. [5] In 1994 his peers elected Hummel President of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He has also served on the Baseball Hall of Fame Overview Committee, reviewing the careers of potential inductees by the Veterans Committee. [1] Hummel continued to work as the game-day beat reporter until 2002 when he transitioned to the primary role of weekly baseball columnist. [7]

In 2007, Hummel won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award. [8] He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame the following year. Hummel was a three-time "Missouri Sportswriter of the Year" as selected by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, [1] and was inducted into the Quincy High School Blue Devils Hall of Fame. [1]

Personal life

Hummel had three children, one son and two daughters. [5] One of Hummel's ex-wives, Connie Karr, the mother of his daughter Lauren, was one of five people murdered during the Kirkwood City Council shooting in February 2008. [9] Hummel's last wife was Melissa. [10]

Hummel died at his home on May 20, 2023, at the age of 77. [10] [11]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzie Smith</span> American professional baseball player, shortstop (born 1954)

Osborne Earl Smith is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National League Gold Glove Award for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. A 15-time All-Star, Smith accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career, and won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2002. He was also elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Buck</span> American sportscaster (1924–2002)

John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous halls of fame. He has also been inducted as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Musial</span> American baseball player (1920–2013)

Stanley Frank Musial, nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, Musial spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1941 to 1944 and from 1946 to 1963, before becoming a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He batted .331 over the course of his career and set National League (NL) records for career hits (3,630), runs batted in (1,951), games played (3,026), at bats (10,972), runs scored (1,949) and doubles (725). His 475 career home runs then ranked second in NL history behind Mel Ott's total of 511. A seven-time batting champion, he was named the National League's (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and was a member of three World Series championship teams. He also shares the major league record for the most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

<i>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</i> Newspaper in Missouri, United States

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the Belleville News-Democrat, Alton Telegraph, and Edwardsville Intelligencer. The publication has received 19 Pulitzer Prizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitey Herzog</span> American baseball player and manager (born 1931)

Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager, most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McCarver</span> American baseball player, announcer, and singer (1941–2023)

James Timothy McCarver was an American catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and television sports commentator who played from 1959 to 1980 for four teams, spending almost all of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, and singer. A two-time All-Star, he helped the Cardinals to the 1964 World Series title, batting .478 in the Series, including a three-run home run in the tenth inning to win Game 5. In 1966, he became the first catcher since the 19th century to lead the National League (NL) in triples with 13. McCarver was runner-up for the 1967 NL Most Valuable Player Award, behind teammate Orlando Cepeda, after batting .295 and leading NL catchers in assists and fielding percentage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Shannon</span> American baseball player (1939–2023)

Thomas Michael Shannon was an American professional baseball third baseman and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1962 to 1970, and then worked as a Cardinals radio broadcaster from 1972 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Broeg</span> American sportswriter

Robert William Patrick Broeg was an American sportswriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Reuss</span> American baseball player

Jerry Reuss —pronounced "royce"—is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Conzelman</span> American football player and coach (1898–1970)

James Gleason Dunn Conzelman was an American football player and coach, baseball executive, and advertising executive. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964 and was selected in 1969 as a quarterback on the National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. G. Taylor Spink</span> American publisher and sportswriter (1888–1962)

John George Taylor Spink was the publisher of The Sporting News from 1914 until his death in 1962. He inherited the weekly American baseball newspaper from his father Charles Spink, younger brother of its founder Alfred H. Spink. In 1962, the Baseball Writers' Association of America established an annual J. G. Taylor Spink Award and named him the first recipient; Spink's name was removed from the award in February 2021 due to his history of supporting segregated baseball.

Marty Hendin was a baseball executive who worked in various marketing, public relations, and community relations posts for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Inducted into the University of Missouri-St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, Hendin began his career with the Cardinals in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan London</span> American sports physician (1925–2020)

Stanley L. London was an American doctor who worked with St. Louis Cardinals players beginning in 1956. The Springfield, Illinois, native became head physician for the team after I. C. Middleman died in 1968. He held this position for 29 seasons and became the team's senior medical adviser in October 1997. London was also team physician for the St. Louis Hawks for 11 seasons.

Bryan Ellis Burwell was an American sportswriter and author. He joined the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 2002, after leaving HBO's Inside the NFL, where he worked as a sports correspondent. Burwell also worked in radio as a co-host on CBS Sports 920 in St. Louis, Missouri, on weekday afternoons and as on-air talent at 101 ESPN Radio, also in St. Louis. Burwell was featured on two ESPN programs, Jim Rome is Burning and The Sports Reporters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Roy Stockton</span> American sportswriter

James Roy Stockton was an American sports writer who covered the St. Louis Cardinals from 1915 to 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Holmes (sportswriter)</span> American sportswriter (1903–1975)

Thomas Holmes was an American sports writer who covered the Brooklyn Dodgers for the Brooklyn Eagle and the New York Herald-Tribune, from 1924 to 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neal Russo</span>

Aniello "Neal" Russo was an American sportswriter.

Richard James Kaegel is an American sportswriter. As a beat writer, he covered the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball, and also served as the editor-in-chief for The Sporting News.

Morris Siegel was an American sportswriter who covered sports in Washington D.C. from the 1940s to 1990s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Hall of Fame inductee Rick Hummel". Quincy High School Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame. 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Rick Hummel biography". BookReporter. 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Rick Hummel: Media". St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Rick Hummel: Media". St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pollack, Joe (February 1, 2007). "Hummel inducted into baseball Hall of Fame". St. Louis Journalism Review. Retrieved May 13, 2013– via The Free Library.
  6. ↑ "Rick Hummel, esteemed St Louis-based baseball writer, dead at 77". AP NEWS. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Longtime Cardinals, MLB writer Hummel dies". ESPN.com. May 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ Curry, Jack (January 9, 2007). "Two Elected to Hall of Fame; McGwire Misses". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Slain councilwoman planned race for mayor". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . February 8, 2008. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Goold, Derrick (May 22, 2023). "Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick 'The Commish' Hummel dies at 77". STLtoday.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Rick Hummel, esteemed St Louis-based baseball writer, dead at 77". AP NEWS. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.