Tyler Kepner
{{Short description|American sportswriter (born 1975)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{infobox writer
|name=Tyler Kepner
|birth_name=
|birth_date={{birth year and age|1975}}
|birth_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|occupation={{flatlist|
- Author
- sports journalist
}}
|nationality=
|alma_mater=Vanderbilt University
}}
John Tyler Kepner (born 1975) is an American author and sports journalist who is currently a senior baseball writer for The Athletic, after spending more than 23 years writing baseball for The New York Times.{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/sports/tyler-name-baseball.html|title = Baseball Stars In Name Only|newspaper = The New York Times|last = Kepner|first = Tyler|date = June 30, 2017|accessdate = April 2, 2023|url-access = limited|page = B9}}
Early life
Kepner was born in Philadelphia and attended Germantown Academy and Vanderbilt University. He became interested in baseball as a child, and created a monthly baseball magazine as a teenager. While in high school, he received a press pass to cover the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1989, he was featured in Sports Illustrated Kids and The New York Times.{{Cite news |last=Lindner |first=Emmett |date=October 16, 2022 |title=Tyler Kepner Keeps It Close to the Plate |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/16/insider/tyler-kepner-mets-edwin-diaz.html |access-date=November 14, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Robert McG. Jr. |date=November 13, 1989 |title=Sports World Specials: BASEBALL; Pitcher-Outfielder-Publisher |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/13/sports/sports-world-specials-baseball-pitcher-outfielder-publisher.html |access-date=November 14, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}
Writing
While in college, Kepner interned for The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. He was hired by The Press-Enterprise as Angels beat writer in September 1997. He joined the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as Mariners beat writer in September 1998 and began writing for The New York Times in 2000. After two years as a Mets beat writer and eight as a Yankees beat writer, he became the newspaper's national baseball writer in 2010, moving on to The Athletic as a senior national baseball writer in September 2023.{{cite web |title=Profile: Tyler Kepner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/tyler-kepner/ |website=The Athletic}}
In 2019, he published his first book K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches. The book received mostly positive reviews from critics, and was praised for its writing style and informativeness.{{Cite news |last=Calhoun |first=Ada |date=May 21, 2019 |title=A History of Baseball in 10 Pitches |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/books/review/baseball-history-in-10-pitches-tyler-kepner.html |access-date=November 14, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Coyne |first=John R. Jr. |date=April 29, 2019 |title=BOOK REVIEW: 'K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches' by Tyler Kepner |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/29/book-review-k-a-history-of-baseball-in-ten-pitches/ |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}} Paul Dickson of The Washington Post called it "well-written, anecdote rich and filled with seldom-shared insights by players."{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=Paul |date=April 19, 2019 |title='K' Review: The Ace's Repertoire |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/k-review-the-aces-repertoire-11555680952 |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}} Kirkus Reviews wrote that it "belongs in the first ranks of books on America's most written-about sport."{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tyler-kepner/k-kepner/ |title=K {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}
Kepner published his second book, The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series, in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Stuart |date=October 26, 2022 |title=The World Series' biggest moments explored in Tyler Kepner's 'The Grandest Stage' |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/26/the-world-series-biggest-moments-explored-in-tyler-kepners-the-grandest-stage |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}} The book chronicles the history of the World Series and received critical praise.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tyler-kepner/the-grandest-stage/ |title=THE GRANDEST STAGE {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=A.R. |date=October 27, 2022 |title=An Ode to the World Series Arrives Just in Time for a Fall Classic Without — Again — New York |url=https://www.nysun.com/article/an-ode-to-the-world-series-arrives-just-in-time-for-a-fall-classic-without-again-new-york |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=The New York Sun |language=en}} Olive Fellows, writing for Christian Science Monitor, called it "quirky and engrossing."{{Cite news |last=Fellows |first=Olive |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Baseball columnist Tyler Kepner sets up a history of the World Series |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2022/1026/Baseball-columnist-Tyler-Kepner-sets-up-a-history-of-the-World-Series |access-date=November 14, 2022 |issn=0882-7729}} Richard Crepeau, in a review for the New York Journal of Books, praised the book for its nuanced overview of history.{{Cite web |last=Crepeau |first=Richard |date=October 31, 2022 |title=The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series |url=https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/grandest-stage-history-world-series |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=New York Journal of Books}}
Bibliography
References
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Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American male writers
Category:Sportswriters from Pennsylvania
Category:The New York Times journalists
Category:Vanderbilt University alumni
Category:Writers from Philadelphia