[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 122 (Thursday, July 24, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S7270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JEROME HOLTZMAN

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
remarkable and legendary Illinoisan, Jerome Holtzman. Mr. Holtzman was 
a pioneer of baseball writing and renowned for his numerous 
accomplishments. He passed away on July 19 at the age of 81.
  The first official historian of Major League Baseball, Holtzman wrote 
about the game, but truly he cared about the people. He was known for 
spending time with umpires before games and was able to bring 
generations of fans together through his columns.
  Jerome Holtzman was a true American success story. In 1943, at the 
youthful age of 17, he started his newspaper career as a copy boy for 
the Chicago Times. After 2 years in the U.S. Marine Corps during World 
War II, he covered high school sports at the Times and Sun-Times.
  He started at the bottom, but he impressed many along the way. 
Holtzman stayed on as a baseball beat writer and columnist at the 
Chicago Sun-Times for 30 years. It was at the Sun-Times where Holtzman 
met his wife Marilyn Ryan. With their five children, they lived in 
Evanston--in a home frequented by baseball fans and Jerome Holtzman 
fans. He spent the last 10 years of his career writing for the Chicago 
Tribune.
  One of the most distinguished honors Holtzman achieved over his 
remarkable career was the induction into the writers' wing of the 
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. His colleagues knew him as ``the Dean,'' 
a nickname given to him by fellow Hall of Famer Billy Williams. The 
nickname reflects his stature as a baseball-writing ``lifer'' and his 
loyal dedication to the game.
  Among his accomplishments was the creation of the save. Holtzman's 
save rule became an official Major League Baseball statistic that 
acknowledges effective relief pitching. Acknowledging his profound 
influence, former Sun-Times columnist Bill Gleason stated, ``The 
reality is, he revolutionized baseball.''
  In addition to his columns, Holtzman was the author of six books, 
including a classic titled ``No Cheering in the Press Box.'' Many 
columnists considered his book required reading and a foundation to 
baseball writing. Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney remembered Holtzman as 
``an accomplished writer who earned respect from both his readers and 
from those whom he covered.''
  Jerome Holtzman will be remembered as a great friend and mentor. 
Chicago and baseball fans across the Nation have lost a celebrated 
sportswriter and icon, but future generations will continue to remember 
his great legacy and influential contributions to the game.

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