Claire Smith, the first African-American female newspaper reporter to cover Major League Baseball on a daily basis, has won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, the top honor for a baseball writer.The Spink Award goes to a writer for meritorious contributions to baseball writing and is presented during Hall of Fame Weekend, July 28-31, 2017, in Cooperstown, New York. The announcement, based on balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, was made Tuesday during the winter meetings.Smith, who received 272 votes from 449 ballots, including three blanks, represented the New York chapter of the BBWAA.Smith is a coordinating editor for ESPNs universal news group, with an emphasis on baseball. She previously worked as a reporter for the Hartford Courant, as a national baseball columnist at The New York Times and as a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.Smith was given a standing ovation when her election was announced, and she asked the other half dozen women in the room to stand alongside her as she spoke.Her voice quavering, Smith thanked the guys that stood up to the athletes and teams and said that we are your peers and we deserve to be treated like you.I want to thank you as well as the women who walked the walk and fought the battles and got all of us to this point, she said. No one does this by themselves.Among Smiths other honors, she has earned the Legacy Award from the National Association of Black Journalists in 2011 and the Mary Garber Pioneer Award from the Association for Women in Sports Media in 2000. Smith also has been honored with the Sam Lacy Legacy Award by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and MLB.com.Smith, 62, is a trailblazer for women in sports media and fought for equal access. Notably, she was physically removed from the clubhouse by San Diego Padres players in the 1984 National League Championship Series with the Chicago Cubs. Former MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who once fought to keep female sports writers out of major league clubhouses, later called her the best baseball writer in America.Scott Powers, deputy sports editor of the Courant, said he uses Claire as an example to new writers of how to treat co-workers. Such a kind person to editors working inside, and writers in the field, he said. Pure grace under fire.When an earthquake struck at the 1989 World Series in Oakland, California, Powers said Smith was there with another Courant writer, Jack OConnell. When Smith was finally able to find a working phone, her first question to Powers was, I cant find Jack. Have you heard from Jack? After he was able to reassure her that Jack was fine, and she made sure he contacted Jacks family, a magnificent, newsy story was filed by Claire, Powers said.Award finalist Jim Reeves, the longtime Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist and Texas Rangers beat writer, received 118 votes; Juan Vene, of the South Florida chapter, had 56. Chris Herndon Jersey . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. Jets Jerseys Sale . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. http://www.cheapnewyorkjetsjerseys.com/parry-nickerson-jersey/ . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Jets Jerseys Online . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Sam Darnold Jersey . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. CHICAGO -- Far removed from the playoff races, James Shields was trying to avoid his 19th defeat this season while facing the 103-loss Minnesota Twins.It resulted in a rare night of smiles for Minnesota while confusion surrounded White Sox manager Robin Venturas future.Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco each hit a two-run home run to send Shields to a major league high-tying 19th loss, and the Twins beat Chicago 6-0 on Saturday night.The Twins havent lost this many games since the franchise moved to Minnesota, but in this one, they got 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball from Hector Santiago (13-10) for their third win in 14 games.Buddy Boshers, J.T. Chargois and Brandon Kintzler completed the four-hitter.Weve lost enough games already, Santiago said. So you go out there and try to give your team a chance to compete and win.The Chicago Sun-Times reported during the game that Ventura, who is in the last year of his contract, would not return after five seasons and that Rick Renteria, a former manager of the Chicago Cubs, would likely replace him.Ventura wouldnt answer questions about his future.I just said all along that Im going to talk about it at the end, Ventura said.Meanwhile, White Sox players claimed they hadnt heard the news.I dont know whats going on, third baseman Todd Frazier.Shields (6-19) concluded a career-worst season split between San Diego and Chicago by allowing five runs and four hits over seven innings. His 40 home runs and 118 earned runs allowed are the most in the majors. Only Tampa Bays Chris Archer has as many losses.Polanco homered in the fourth and Buxton connected an inning later off Shields. Juan Centeno added run-scoring doubles in the seventh and ninth.Shields is 4-12 since being traded to the White Sox in June.Thats just the kind of year Im having, Shields said. I make two bad pitches, and it costs me.Buxton continued his late-season emergence. The former top prospect hit .193 with one homer in his first 63 games this season, but then batted .277 with seven homers, 18 RBI and a .936 OPS in September.The 34-year-old Shields was an All-Star in Tampa Bay, helped Kansas City to the World Seriees in 2014 and entered the year with a major league-high nine straight 200-inning seasons.dddddddddddd That streak ended as Shields finished with 181 2/3 innings and a 5.85 ERA.Santiago, who spent parts of three seasons with the White Sox, struck out six. He improved to 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in four starts against Chicago this year, with two coming before he was traded by the Angels on Aug. 1.Maybe a chip on the shoulder from being traded that first time, especially being there for so long and them moving me, Santiago said. Going against those guys it makes you step your game up because thats the team that brought you up and they got rid of you. So you want to go out there and beat them every time.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: Brian Dozier went 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts before exiting with right oblique soreness. Earlier stage of my career Id probably keep playing, Dozier said. I didnt want to be stupid. Dozier is in a 2-for-37 slump and remains at 99 RBI. ... Molitor decided not to start 1B Joe Mauer (quadriceps) again this season.LOT OF HOMERSShields is the first pitcher to allow 40 home runs in a season since Cincinnatis Bronson Arroyo gave up 46 in 2011.MOLITOR UNPLUGGEDMolitor was blunt when asked to evaluate his team, which has the franchises worst record since the Washington Senators went 50-104 in 1949.He described the pitching as at a level thats probably the most significant reason were setting a Twins record for losses.Asked about the AL-high 126 errors, Molitor said it would be a point of emphasis next spring because its been crazy the total weve been able to accumulate.Molitor described the toll of all the losing by acknowledging you can feel the attitude and the deflation each time that we walk off the field and arent able to shake hands.UP NEXTAmid speculation he could be traded in the offseason to accommodate a rebuild, White Sox ace Chris Sale (17-9, 3.21 ERA) seeks his career-best 18th win in Sundays season finale. 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