Bill Conlin
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Short description|American sportswriter (1934 – 2014)}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Bill Conlin
|image=Bill Conlin.JPG
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|5|15|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|1|9|1934|5|15|mf=yes}}
| death_place = Largo, Florida, U.S.
| education = Temple University
| occupation = Sportswriter
| subjects = Baseball
| years_active = 1960–2011
| employer = {{ubl|Philadelphia Bulletin (1960–1965)|Philadelphia Daily News (1965–2011)}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Irma S. Conlin|1960|2009|end = died}}Morrison, John F. [http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/59205262.html "Irma Conlin, 72, real estate agent & wife of sports columnist"]. The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 14, 2009.}}
William T. Conlin Jr. (May 15, 1934{{spaced ndash}}January 9, 2014) was an American sportswriter. He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News for 46 years.{{cite web|title=Bill Conlin|url=http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/bill_conlin/|work=Philly.com Sports|access-date=December 20, 2011}} Prior to that, Conlin worked at the Philadelphia Bulletin.{{cite web|title=Longtime Philadelphia Writer Bill Conlin Honored|url=http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/longtime-philadelphia-writer-bill-conlin-honored|work=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=December 20, 2011}} He was a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Conlin received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award in 2011.{{cite web|title=Special Section: Conlin enters Baseball Hall|date=July 23, 2011|publisher=Philadelphia Media Network|work=Philly.com|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/125898553.html?c=r|access-date=August 6, 2011}} However, he resigned from the Daily News and ended his career later that year, when seven people accused him of sexually abusing them as children.
Biography
Conlin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. While in school, he was a champion swimmer. He attended Peekskill Military Academy on an athletic scholarship, worked as a lifeguard in the 1950s. He was inducted into the Ocean Rowing Hall of Fame in 1983.Conlin, Bill (1997). [https://books.google.com/books?id=pUMa89SMrjsC Batting Cleanup, Bill Conlin]. Temple University Press. p. xiv.
Conlin was a 1961 graduate of Temple University, where he was an editor-in-chief for The Temple University News. Before being hired by the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in June 1960, he received the Sword Award for service to Temple University. After five years at the Evening Bulletin, he joined the Philadelphia Daily News in 1965. He appeared on more than 300 editions of ESPN's The Sports Reporters, a Sunday morning show of debate among American newspaper columnists. In 2009, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.[http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20110721_Bill_Conlin_bio_box.html "Bill Conlin bio box"]. philly.com. July 21, 2011; retrieved December 20, 2011.
Conlin died on January 9, 2014, in the Largo Medical Center in Largo, Florida. He had been admitted with multiple illnesses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and a colon infection.{{cite news|last=Morrison|first=John F.|title=Bill Conlin, Daily News sports columnist whose career ended in disgrace, dies at 79.|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140109_HED_TOO_LONG__Bill_Conlin__Daily_News_sports_columnist_whose_career_ended_in_disgrac.html|access-date=January 10, 2014|newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News|date=January 9, 2014}}
Sportswriting
Conlin's sportswriting has been praised for its wit and intelligence. Fellow columnist Mitch Albom wrote, "For years, sitting next to him on The Sports Reporters all I got from Bill Conlin was the spit of his opinions in my ear. His writing is far less messy. It's also brash, charming, intelligent, historical, and at times almost elegant."{{Cite web |title=Kevin Kerrane: Batting Cleanup, Bill Conlin |url=https://alt.library.temple.edu/tupress/titles/1319_reg.html |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=alt.library.temple.edu}}
However, Conlin drew criticism for failing to include pitcher Nolan Ryan on his Hall of Fame ballot.[http://amarillo.com/sports/sports-columnist/2011-07-19/short-list#.TvEqYDWwxqw "The Short List"]. amarillo.com. July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011. In November 2007, he caused controversy after quipping in an email that "the only positive thing I can think of about Hitler's time on earth: I'm sure he would have eliminated all bloggers."{{cite web|title=The time Bill Conlin didn't give his Hall vote to Nolan Ryan |url=http://www.blitzcorner.com/MLB/The-time-Bill-Conlin-didnt-give-his-Hall-vote-to-Nolan-Ryan |work=blitzcorner.com |access-date=January 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708014058/http://www.blitzcorner.com/MLB/The-time-Bill-Conlin-didnt-give-his-Hall-vote-to-Nolan-Ryan |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}Neyer, Rob. [http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/12/20/2649884/bill-conlin-resigns-philadelphia-hall-of-fame "Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Baseball Writer, Accused Of Child Molestation"]. mlb.sbnation.com. December 20, 2011; retrieved December 20, 2011.[http://crashburnalley.com/?p=47 e-mail exchange, Crashburn Alley]
Allegations of child molestation
On December 20, 2011, Conlin resigned from his sportswriting position just hours prior to the publication of allegations of child molestation from four people. One of Conlin's accusers was his niece, Kelley Blanchet, a prosecutor in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The claims of abuse were first reported to the police in 2009 when Blanchet said she became concerned for the safety of Conlin's other young relatives.{{cite web |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/year-in-review/20111220_Four_say_Philly_Daily_News_writer_Bill_Conlin_sexually_abused_them_as_children.html|title=Four say Philly Daily News writer Bill Conlin sexually abused them as children|author=Nancy Phillips|date=December 20, 2011|website=The Philadelphia Inquirer|access-date=December 20, 2011}}Conlin, Bill. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120103205308/http://articles.philly.com/2011-11-11/sports/30387518_1_penn-state-trustees-paterno-joepa "'Tough' guys are talking about Sandusky"]. philly.com. November 11, 2011; retrieved December 20, 2011. Three more people later claimed they had been abused by Conlin.Phillips, Nancy. [http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20111221_Another_woman_comes_forward_over_abuse_by_Bill_Conlin.html "Another woman comes forward over abuse by Bill Conlin"]. philly.com. December 21, 2011; retrieved December 22, 2011.{{cite web|title=6th person alleges sportswriter abused her|date=December 22, 2011|publisher=UPI|work=UPI.com|url=http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2011/12/22/6th-person-alleges-sportswriter-abused-her/UPI-91401324596701/?spt=hs&or=sn|access-date=December 23, 2011}}{{cite web|title=Seventh victim tells of Conlin abuse|date=December 23, 2011|publisher=Philadelphia Media Network|work=Philly.com|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-23/news/30551429_1_molested-woman-bill-conlin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717125619/http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-23/news/30551429_1_molested-woman-bill-conlin|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 17, 2012|access-date=December 23, 2011}}
The Baseball Writers Association secretary/treasurer Jack O'Connell issued a "member in good standing" statement on December 20. It said in part, "The allegations have no bearing on [Conlin's] winning the 2011 J.G. Taylor Spink Award, which was in recognition of his notable career as a baseball writer".[http://bbwaa.com/conlin-statement "Official statement"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107191306/http://bbwaa.com/conlin-statement/ |date=January 7, 2012 }}, BBWAA webpage, December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
The day before the story broke, Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio reported he had an email conversation with Conlin in which Conlin talked about suicide and criticized his accusers and Inquirer reporter Nancy Phillips. According to Daulerio, Conlin's attorney, George Bochetto, called Daulerio in the afternoon and requested him not to post the story, and said Conlin denied emailing Daulerio. The story was posted, and about three hours later, the Inquirer posted its story.{{Cite web |last=Daulerio |first=A.J. |author-link=A. J. Daulerio |date=December 21, 2011 |title=A Conversation With Bill Conlin The Day Before The Inquirer Dropped Its Molestation Story |url=https://deadspin.com/a-conversation-with-bill-conlin-the-day-before-the-inqu-5870204/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Deadspin |language=}}
Bibliography
- The Rutledge Book of Baseball (1981), {{ISBN|0-8317-7596-3}}
- Batting Cleanup, Bill Conlin, a collection of Conlin's sportswriting, edited by Kevin Kerrane, foreword by Dick Schaap. Temple University Press (1997), {{ISBN|1-56639-541-0}} (Baseball in America series, edited by Rich Westcott)[http://www.temple.edu/tempress/baseball.html "Baseball in America"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208083016/http://www.temple.edu/tempress/baseball.html |date=February 8, 2012 }}. temple.edu.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://baseballhall.org/discover/awards/j-g-taylor-spink/bill-conlin Baseball Hall of Fame]
- [http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/bill_conlin/ Bill Conlin Archive on Philly.com]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFpdsouboTw Video of Bill Conlin on receiving 2011 J.G. Taylor Spink Award]
{{Philadelphia Phillies HOF}}
{{2011 Baseball HOF}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers
Category:21st-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers
Category:American male non-fiction writers
Category:BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipients
Category:Deaths from diabetes in Florida
Category:Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Category:Infectious disease deaths in Florida
Category:Sportswriters from New York (state)
Category:Sportswriters from Pennsylvania
Category:Temple University alumni