Jim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray (December 29, 1919 – August 16, 1998) was an American sportswriter. He worked at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 until his death in 1998, and his column was nationally syndicated.
Jim Murray | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 29, 1919 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1998 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, 1943 |
| Employer | Los Angeles Times (1961–1998) |
| Notable awards |
|
| Spouse |
Geraldine Murray
(m. 1945; died 1984)Linda McCoy (m. 1997) |
| Children | 1 daughter, 3 sons |
Among his many achievements was winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award 14 times (12 of those consecutively). In 1990, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his 1989 columns, and the Baseball Writers' Association of America awarded him the J. G. Taylor Spink Award in 1987. Cited as an influence by countless sports journalists, Murray was a fixture at the L.A. Times for 37 years.
After he won the Pulitzer in 1990, Murray modestly said he thought the prize winner should have had "to bring down a government or expose major graft or give advice to prime ministers. Correctly quoting Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda shouldn't merit a Pulitzer Prize." He was offered $1 million to join The National Sports Daily, but declined.