SI’s Tom Verducci wins Sportswriter of the Year, Gary Smith added to HOF

SI’s Tom Verducci has been named NSSA’s National Sportswriter of the Year. Former SI writer Gary Smith is set to be inducted into the organization’s hall of fame.

Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci has been named National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters Association for the second consecutive year, the organization announced Monday. The NSSA also announced that former SI writer Gary Smith will be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame

Verducci has covered Major League Baseball for SI since 1993 and has spent more than a decade as the lead baseball writer. In addition to writing for SI, Verducci is a commentator for Fox and an insider for the MLB Network.

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Before joining the SI staff, Verducci spent 10 years as a reporter and baseball columnist for Newsday. He also spent a year at Florida Today covering the Miami Dolphins.

Other writers to win the award for work at Sports Illustrated include Rick Reilly (11), Frank Deford (6), Peter King (3), Steve Rushin, Peter Gammons and Joe Posnanski.

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Smith spent 32 years at SI before his retirement in 2014. His Hall of Fame class includes David Halberstam, Billy Packer and Chris Berman.

Smith won four National Magazine Awards and 13 of his stories appeared in The Best American Sports Writing. A look back at some of Smith’s best work can be found here.