MLBlogs pioneer receives major award

Please join me in congratulating our friend Scott Reifert, who was the first-ever professional sports senior executive to be an everyday blogger and a non-stop force in growing the MLBlogs community. Well deserved! Here is today's news release:

SCOTT REIFERT NAMED RECIPIENT OF THE 2008 FISHEL AWARD

            Scott Reifert, Vice President of Communications for the Chicago White Sox, has been named the 2008 winner of the Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence, it was announced last night.

Reifert, who is in his 18th season with the White Sox, joined the club in 1991 as Assistant Director of Public Relations and was promoted to Director of Public Relations in 1997. He was named Vice President of Communications in April 2004 where he oversees the club's strategic communications efforts, media services, mass communications functions, branding, public relations activities, community relations initiatives and the team's website. In addition, Scott administers the team's market research initiatives and is a member of the club's advertising committee.

Prior to joining the White Sox, Scott worked at Wirz & Associates, a Connecticut-based sports marketing and public relations firm with a variety of baseball-related clients. Scott is a 1988 graduate of the University of Iowa, and also has a master's degree in sport management from Western Illinois University.

 The Robert O. Fishel Award, named after the long-time baseball executive, goes to the "Active, nonuniformed representative of Major League Baseball whose ethics, character, dedication, service, professionalism and humanitarianism best represent the standards propounded by Robert O. Fishel."

 Fishel award nominees are submitted by the 30 clubs and league officials. The nominees are voted upon by active past winners, MLB officials and the BBWAA. Winners of the award are as follows:

 

1981 Robert O. Fishel

1982 Bob Brown

1983 Larry Shenk

1984 Red Patterson

1985 Jim Ferguson

1986 Fred Claire

1987 Jim Toomey

1988 Tom Mee

1989 Donald Davidson

1990 Ned Colletti

1991 Phyllis Merhige

1992 Richard Griffin

1993 John Blake

1994 Katy Feeney

1995 Howard Starkman

1996 Bill Guilfoile

1997 Dick Bresciani

1998 Jay Horwitz

1999 Bob DiBiasio

2000 Tim Mead

2001 Rob Matwick

2002 Mike Swanson

2003 Rick Vaughn

2004 Jeff Idelson

2005 Randy Adamack

2006 Rob Butcher

2007 Rich Levin

2008 Scott Reifert

Here's hoping our friend Josh Rawitch, another blogging trailblazer for the Dodgers, is a candidate at this time next year. Blogging definitely can be an advantage for today's pro sports executive, whether in communications or beyond.

Curt Smith's influence: Also just noticed that our own Curt Smith, the acclaimed author and former presidential speechwriter, is part of the 20-person electorate that decides the Ford Frick Award winner. In this case, they just gave the 2009 honor to Tony Kubek, so Kubek willl be part of the induction ceremony next July. Another example of the influence of MLBloggers!