The Times’ Plaschke Earns First Place for Columns in APSE Competition
Los Angeles Times Columnist Bill Plaschke has won first place in the Division A Column Writing category of the Associated Press Sports Editors’ contest. The APSE awards, voted on by sports editors from around the country, honor work published in 2022.
Plaschke was recognized for a collection of columns that included a tribute to Vin Scully, a profile of forgotten USC Heisman winner Charles White, commentary on the Dodgers’ 2022 playoff elimination and a critique of the Mater Dei football program following hazing allegations.
This is Plaschke’s ninth No. 1 finish in the column category, 20th top-10 finish and the 11th consecutive year he placed in the top 10.
“Bill Plaschke is a distinguished journalist who remains focused each day on writing the best columns possible that offer unique insight about the topics that matter most to Southern California readers,” said Iliana Limón Romero, assistant managing editor for sports. “I’m thrilled others continue to recognize his commitment to emotionally connecting with readers while holding those in power accountable. We’re fortunate to have such an exceptional writer on our staff and congratulate him on his latest recognition.”
Plaschke said he is “humbled and honored” by an award that he “gratefully shares” with his L.A. Times co-workers. “The sports department is a relentless championship team that has carried me for more than three decades,” he said. “Once again, I was blessed with compelling stories that tell themselves. Los Angeles is the sports capital of the world, and it is my good fortune to be working in the middle of it. It wasn’t difficult to write passionately about the Dodgers collapse, Charles White’s dementia, Vin Scully’s death and Bruce Rollinson’s scandal.”
Several members of the Times sports team have also earned individual honors in the competition:
Ben Bolch placed third in the short feature category for “UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet’s biggest inspiration: His sister Bella”
- Jorge Castillo tied for seventh place in the long feature category for his profile, “10 eye surgeries by age 10. How Julio Urías beat the odds to become the Dodgers’ ace” and placed 10th in the short feature category for “How the Dodgers’ mariachis have become a very L.A. tradition.”
- Castillo, Jack Harris, Dylan Hernández, Bill Shaikin and Houston Mitchell earned ninth place for event coverage for their coverage of the Dodgers’ elimination from the playoffs.
David Wharton, Mark E. Potts, Kent Nishimura, Li Anne Liew and Alison Sneag placed ninth in the projects category for “Meet the Savannah Bananas, who’ve captivated fans and MLB. ‘We exist to make baseball fun”; while Potts, Wharton and Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein earned general excellence in video recognition for their video coverage of the Bananas.
APSE previously announced The Times sports staff earned Grand Slam honors for the third consecutive year. The Times is the only media outlet to three-peat in the best-in-show category.
To earn a grand slam, publications must place in the top 10 in the print, digital, long feature and projects categories.
APSE contest winners and top-10 finishers will be honored at organization’s summer conference banquet in Las Vegas on July 12.
