About Joe
Joe Posnanski has been sports columnist at The Kansas City Star since 1996. He has twice been named the best sports columnist in America by The Associated Press Sports Editors. As his mother says, that and about four bucks could get him a Grande Mocha at Starbucks.
Joe started this blog to promote his book “The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America,” winner of the prestigious 2007 Casey Award as baseball book of the year. Soul was also named one of the ten best sports books of 2007 by Booklist, was called engaging and spirit-lifting by Sports Illustrated and was given a B+ by Entertainment Weekly, which was considerably better than Joe did in most of his English classes. Joe has written essays for several books, including ESPN’s best-selling College Football Encyclopedia and an upcoming book on football and philosophy called, uniquely, “Football and Philosophy.” His work has been anthologized in “The Best American Sportswriting.”
Joe is currently at work on a book about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds tentatively called “The Machine.” Well, no, he’s CURRENTLY at work writing some stupid blog post about the old game show Passworld Plus or Pam Dawber or he’s creating some stupid baseball statistic. But he SHOULD be working on the book.
Joe was a sports columnist at The Cincinnati Post and The Augusta Chronicle, and he began his career at The Charlotte Observer. Joe grew up in Cleveland, where he idolized Duane Kuiper, and he now lives in Kansas City with his wife, Margo, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Katie. This blog is a look into his confused mind.
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10 Comments
January 21st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Joe, I appreciate that you put off writing your book for this blog. I find that I don’t have a long enough attention span to sit and read 150 or so pages of someone else’s thoughts. I’d much rather read their thoughts in 2 or 3 page doses.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Hey Joe, love your blog. One small thing, you no longer have a link to your columns at the Star. Was that a conscious decision to remove that link? Just saved us looking you up in two places is all.
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Joe,
I’m doing a “Great Debates” set of blogs, where I argue the mertis about young players in baseball.
My second post is up, as I debate with Yankee blogger EJ Fagan about who’s the better player, BJ Upton or Robinson Cano. It’s an interesting look at two different positions, while taking in account the youth and production of each player. I thought it was really interesting,
and would love to hear what side of the debate you fall on. Thanks and hope all is well. Keep up the good work.
http://www.mvn.com/mlb-rays
Eric
February 24th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Joe,
It has been astonishing to me (and a bit scary) to realize the extreme degree to which I find myself agreeing with the views you express via your blog. I have decided that you are on the cusp of qualifying as my cultural icon. Now just hold on a mnute before you summon the mental health professionals in my area- I have actually thought this through Okay, not very far, but the entire idea is pretty shallow. I figure that if anyone asks me my personal philosophy (outside of my religious views, which are not something for indescriminate broadcast over the web), it is most likely the case that the questioner has a screw loose or is just incredibly nosy. My wife and kids are burdened by my idiosyncrasies but no one else should give a flip. Anyway, it would be nice to be able to say, “I find myself sharing the Weltanschaung of Joe Posnanski. Go check out his website and educate yourself in his incisive vision.” Either the person will blow me off or actually go to your blog and be thorougly confused. No matter which, I get the person out of my hair. To qualify for this unique position, though, you must pass one final test, upon which rests your credibility (at least with me).
How do you feel about Krispy Kreme doughnuts?
March 14th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Joe,
I’m the editor of Cincinnati Magazine. Just wondering how the book on the Big Red Machine is coming along and if I could (eventually) check it out for a possible excerpt. Or perhaps you’ve already got some material that could stand on its own as a story? Let me know at the e-mail address above. Thanks.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Your blog is great–it’s literary, for cryin out loud, & that makes me happy (I’m a literature perfessor).
I was just thinking that you have something in common with a good Ween song: “Kansas City Star” (if you haven’t heard it, it’s available at the Internet Archive somewhere).
Brian Griffin Loves You.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Joe,
You are hilarious. I’m gonna be honest, I’ve only read “three screw-ups” but you’ve already made it to the top of my favorite sports journalist list. I’m an aspiring sportswriter at Arizona State (we got screwed) and it’s hilarious people like you that make me want to do this for a living.
Thanks
Alex
May 6th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Joe, just a quick note to say I LOVED your book and look forward to the Big Red Machine one coming. And your blog should be required reading for any true baseball or sports fan. GREAT work; please keep it up!
Brian
Columbus, OH
May 6th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Why baseball for you? What about it caught your fascination at an early age and what keeps it now? I just don’t get it, and never have. My kids play soccer,er, futbol, and I don’t understand why more people (Americans?) don’t fall in love with THAT game! Soccer vs Baseball? For me, not even a tough question, always soccer. Baseball is like watching paint dry. Why do I feel that way but feel as if I’m out of step? Whatever, just some musings. Wanna go see a great soccer game?
David Brown, Lenexa, KS
Glory, Glory Man United!
May 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m a big Pat Jordan fan, and recently picked up “A False Spring” for a long overdue reread. When I first read it, the Internet was a young pup, and there wasn’t much to be found about Jordan. This time, there’s loads. Including your teaser of the interview you did with him.
Question: WHEN THE HECK ARE YOU GONNA POST THE WHOLE INTERVIEW????? I really would love to read it.
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