The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini
Joe Posnanski | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1967 South Euclid, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Sports journalist, author |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Sports writing, columns for Sports Illustrated, The Kansas City Star, NBC Sports, MLB.com; author of several sports books |
| Notable work | The Soul of Baseball, The Machine, Paterno, The Secret of Golf, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini, The Baseball 100 |
| Spouse | Margo |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Joe Posnanski () (born January 8, 1967), also known by the nicknames "Poz" and "Joe Po", is an American professional in sports media. Previously a senior columnist at Sports Illustrated, where he authored the blog titled "Curiously Long Posts," and a columnist for The Kansas City Star, he now contributes to his own platform, the blog JoeBlogs.
Early life
Posnanski spent his early years in South Euclid, Ohio before relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina during his high school period. Initially, he pursued accounting studies but later transitioned to an English major at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Journalism
His career commenced as a reporter and editor with The Charlotte Observer, followed by roles as a columnist at The Cincinnati Post, The Augusta Chronicle, and The Kansas City Star. Until April 2012, he served as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. Subsequently, he joined Sports on Earth, a collaborative digital initiative between USA Today and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, with his first column appearing in August 2012. In February 2013, Posnanski took on the role of national columnist for NBC Sports, and by February 2017, he became a national columnist for MLB.com as well as a contributor to the MLB Network.
His essays on sports culture were compiled into the collection titled The Good Stuff. His book The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America (published by William Morrow & Company) earned the CASEY Award for best baseball book in 2007 and was recognized in 2021 by MLB.com as one of the "Best baseball books of all time."
In 2009, Posnanski authored The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, which reached number 17 on the New York Times Bestseller List. His biography of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, published by Simon & Schuster in August 2012, debuted atop that same bestseller list. Additional works include The Secret of Golf, which delves into the rivalry between golfers Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, along with The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini (2019). His most recent publication, The Baseball 100, was released in September 2021.
Posnanski established his website joeposnanski.com in October 2007, which eventually evolved into his blog Joe Blog. A notable 2011 entry about Bruce Springsteen's album The Promise was highlighted by The Atlantic as one of "Nearly 100 Fantastic Pieces of Journalism." The blog also earned a nomination for a National Magazine Award.
Journalism awards
In both 2002 and 2005, Posnanski was honored as America's top sports columnist by the Associated Press Sports Editors. Over his career, he has received 26 APSE Award nominations and has secured wins in categories including features and projects. He was awarded the National Headliners Award for sports column writing in 2009 and subsequently won consecutive National Headliners Awards for Online Writing in 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) recognized him as National Sportswriter of the Year. Additionally, he earned Sports Emmy Awards in 2014 and 2016 as part of NBC’s Olympic coverage team.
Posnanski has been named best sports columnist in Missouri ten times by the Missouri Press Association and was the inaugural recipient of the Joe McGuff journalism award from the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission. In 2011, he received the first online writer of the year honor from the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, which later renamed this accolade “The Joe Posnanski Award.” He also won best sportswriter at Blogs With Balls 4 conference’s Untitled Sports Media Award Project (USMAP).
In September 2021, Posnanski was presented with the Tony Kubek Media Award from the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.
Miscellaneous
Posnanski is a member of the 10-person voting committee for the Fielding Bible Awards, which serve as an alternative to Major League Baseball's Gold Glove Award.
The PosCast, a weekly podcast on the Le Batard and Friends network, is hosted by Posnanski alongside co-host Michael Schur. Although its primary emphasis is on baseball, the show also explores other sports and a variety of topics with a playful and often whimsical tone. Distinguished guests have included Linda Holmes, Ken Rosenthal, Nick Offerman, Stefan Fatsis, Brandon McCarthy, Joey Votto, and Sean Doolittle.
Personal life
Posnanski lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Margo. Together, they have two daughters.
Filmography
Posnanski has featured in numerous television shows and documentary films:
| Year | Title | Role | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Facing Nolan | Himself | Documentary film |
| The Jackie Stiles Story | Himself | Documentary film | |
| 2021 | If You Build It: 30 Years of Field of Dreams | Himself | Documentary film |
| Rulon Gardner Won't Die | Himself | Documentary film | |
| 2020 | Curious Life and Death of... | Himself | Season 1, episode 5 |
| 2016 | Fastball | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2014 | Happy Valley | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2013 | A Football Life | Himself | Season 3, episode 16 |
| 2012 | NFL Top 10 | Himself | Season 5, episode 12 |
| 2011 | NFL Top 10 | Himself | Season 6, episode 1 |
| 2006 | Countdown with Keith Olbermann | Himself | |
| ESPN Outside the Lines Nightly | Himself |
Bibliography
- The Good Stuff: Columns about the Magic of Sports (2001)
- The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America (2007)
- The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds (2009)
- Paterno (2012)
- The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus (2015)
- The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini (2019)
- The Baseball 100 (2021)
- Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments (2023)
- Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments (2024)