Selig Hires Jerome Holtzman as Baseball’s Official Historian

Jerome Holtzman, known as “the dean” of Chicago sportswriters, is going to the big leagues.

After a 56-year career with Chicago newspapers that includes his current employer, the Chicago Tribune, Holtzman will become an official historian for major league baseball Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig.

The position is tailor-made for Holtzman, whose storied career has been honored by induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

The accomplishment that has endeared the veteran writer to scores of relief pitchers occurred in 1960, when Holtzman created the idea of using a save to recognize a reliever’s ability to protect a lead. Six years later, the save became an official statistic.

Holtzman broke into journalism as a newsroom copy boy on June 23, 1943, at age 17 on the same day he graduated from high school. His byline has appeared on a virtually daily basis since 1946.

Today’s Tribune carries Holtzman’s farewell column, in which he writes about his favorite baseball players. He lists Ted Williams as the best hitter and Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Greg Maddux as the best pitchers.

Holtzman considers Willie Mays to be the greatest all-around player. He also calls the 1969 Chicago Cubs late-season swoon baseball’s biggest flop.