Who was Larry Whiteside
Lawrence W. Whiteside, nicknamed "Sides", was an American journalist known for his newspaper coverage of baseball, most notably of the Boston Red Sox for The Boston Globe. He was one of the first Black sportswriters to cover Major League Baseball on a full-time basis and was known for his excellence in reporting, as well as his dedication to mentoring young Black journalists.
Career and early life
Whiteside was born in Chicago, in 1937. He graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959. While at Drake, he wrote for The Des Moines Register.
Whiteside became a full-time writer with the Kansas City Kansan in 1959. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he covered the Milwaukee Braves as well as civil rights issues for The Milwaukee Journal.
In 1971, Whiteside started The Black List to help sports editors find qualified black journalists to hire. Initially The Black List only had nine names, but by 1983 it had expanded to more than 90.
Boston
Whiteside moved to Boston in 1973, where he worked for The Boston Globe through the end of his career At the time, he was the only black journalist covering Major League Baseball on a daily basis for a major paper.
Whiteside was an expert on Negro league baseball, and was one of the first American journalists to follow baseball in other countries. The National Association of Black Journalists gave Whiteside a lifetime achievement award in 1999. He was part of the panel that chose the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Whiteside developed Parkinson's disease early in the 21st century, which led to the end of his reporting career in 2004. In September 2003, the Red Sox had Whiteside throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park. Whiteside died in Boston in June 2007, survived by his wife and one son. The day that Whiteside died, the Red Sox observed a moment of silence in his honor prior to their home game against the San Francisco Giants.
LEGACY
In July 2007, Whiteside was selected by a Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) committee as one of three finalists for the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, and he was announced as the winner on December 5 following a vote by the BBWAA membership; he was honored in July 2008. Whiteside became the first African-American beat writer to receive the Spink Award.
SCHOLARSHIP AND SUPPORT
The NABJ Sports Task Force Larry Whiteside Scholarship is awarded by the National Association of Black Journalists Sports Task Force to support aspiring Black sports journalists. Named after Larry Whiteside, a pioneering Black sportswriter, the scholarship is designed to help students pursuing a career in sports journalism by providing financial assistance and mentorship opportunities.
Whiteside was deeply committed to increasing diversity in sports journalism. He would go out of his way to support younger Black journalists by:
Approaching them in press boxes – Whenever Whiteside traveled to different cities for work, he made a point to find Black sportswriters who were covering the same events. He’d introduce himself, offer advice, and make them feel welcomed in an industry that often lacked diversity.
Calling them at home – Whiteside didn’t just limit his support to press boxes; he would reach out to Black sportswriters personally, sometimes calling them at home to check in on their progress, offer career advice, and encourage them.
Inviting them to lunch – He regularly invited young Black journalists to lunch, where he’d share his experiences, introduce them to key industry figures, and ensure they had guidance navigating the sports media landscape.
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