Longtime MLB writer Tom Singer passed away this week at the age of 67. The sad news was announced on Wednesday, and Singer’s many friends, colleagues and readers expressed their condolences.
Moment of silence. Lost a great one today. Tom Singer was a special person, top-notch reporter/writer, and someone I considered a friend.
— Tracy Ringolsby (@TracyRingolsby) February 10, 2016
We've lost Tom Singer, a great friend & teammate at https://t.co/jRpRTs8esg. A sharp-dressed man & an idea man who truly loved the game. RIP
— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) February 10, 2016
Covering baseball since 1974, Singer had written for MLB.com during the past 15 years, the past three covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.Like many baseball writers, he also enjoyed the sport’s history, as this profile of Josh Gibson displays.)
Singer moved back to a regular baseball beat after working as a national columnist. It appeared to be a somewhat surprising career turn, especially since he seemed to truly enjoy writing his column. But when you consider that the Pirates were the team he grew up watching, it made complete sense. How many fans (and fellow baseball writers) would enjoy such an opportunity?
Sad to hear https://t.co/NzRIq0nn8W writer Tom Singer passed away on Monday. He had a uniqueness about him and undoubtedly loved baseball
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) February 10, 2016
Prayers to the family of Tom Singer, the fabulous baseball writer for https://t.co/wPlWI8xrsw, who died this week.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 10, 2016
His tenure covering the Pirates occurred during one of the most successful spans in team history, making the postseason for the past three years and winning at least 94 games in two of those seasons. But Singer may have known what sort of prosperity he’d bring to his childhood team, as he alluded to in his Twitter bio.
From Pirates to doing it all for MLB.com. The season after I left the Angels beat, they won the World Series. Plan the parade, Pittsburgh.
The Pirates didn’t quite give Pittsburgh that parade during his stint as beat reporter. But three NL Wild Card bids and getting to watch Andrew McCutchen on a daily basis made for a rather nice run.
A beatwriter for us the past few years.Well respected in our clubhouse. May you rest in peace @Tom_Singer pic.twitter.com/B7g12e1e8V
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) February 10, 2016
Wow. Tom Singer was incredibly kind to this rookie ball writer last year. A one-of-a-kind man. https://t.co/kaiImsiUti
— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) February 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/BiertempfelTrib/status/697532730427498496
Above all, Singer helped create something special at MLB.com. No other sport’s website provides as much in-depth coverage, nor the resources to enjoy nearly every aspect of the game. Every other league is still catching up to what MLB pioneered. In what turned out to be his final blog post for the site, Singer gave his colleagues a pat on the back for their role in changing baseball’s image and ushering in a modern age.
“[…] the makeover was swift and dramatic and in 2016, baseball is firm on the cutting edges of sport and technology — hip, global, social, 24/7, accessible, urban AND urbane.
[…]
Bud Selig, Bob Bowman, Dinn Mann, all 30 club owners brilliantly masterminded the caper … and I, along with all the charter staffers of MLB.com, were accessories to the crime.
Guilty, as charged.”
Saddened to hear the news that my former colleague Tom Singer passed away. A true gentleman. Thinking of my https://t.co/uEMJm1ZPs1 family.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 10, 2016
Joe Strauss, Juan Rodriguez, Tom Singer. Just a heartbreaking off-season. RIP. https://t.co/V5zBcf6Wu7
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 10, 2016
[MLB.com]
