Hubbry Logo
Joe PosnanskiJoe PosnanskiMain
Open search
Joe Posnanski
Community hub
Joe Posnanski
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Joe Posnanski (/pəzˈnænski/) (born January 8, 1967), nicknamed "Poz" and "Joe Po",[1] is an American sports journalist. A former senior columnist for Sports Illustrated (where he wrote a blog called "Curiously Long Posts") and columnist for The Kansas City Star, he currently writes for his personal blog JoeBlogs.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Posnanski grew up in South Euclid, Ohio, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, during high school. He studied accounting, but switched his major to English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.[2]

Journalism

[edit]

Posnanski began his journalism career as a multi-use reporter and an editor at The Charlotte Observer. He worked as a columnist at The Cincinnati Post, The Augusta Chronicle, and The Kansas City Star.[3] He was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated until April 2012 when he announced that he would work for Sports on Earth, a new internet joint venture between USA Today and Major League Baseball Advanced Media.[4] His first column for Sports on Earth was published on August 26, 2012.[5] In February 2013, he became the national columnist for NBC Sports. In February 2017, he became a national columnist for MLB.com and contributor on the MLB Network.

A selection of his columns about the magic of sports is compiled in the book The Good Stuff. His book The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America[6] was published by William Morrow & Company and won the CASEY Award as best baseball book of 2007.[7] MLB.com included the book in its list of the "Best baseball books of all time" in 2021.[8]

Another book, about the Big Red Machine, titled The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, was published in 2009 and reached Number 17 on the New York Times Bestseller List.[9] Posnanski wrote a biography of longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno[10] for Simon & Schuster, which was released on August 21, 2012 and debuted at Number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.[11] Posnanski's fourth book, The Secret of Golf, details the longstanding rivalry and friendship of golfers Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. His book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini was released on October 22, 2019.[12] His latest book was The Baseball 100 was released on September 28,2021.[13] In October 2007, he debuted his website at joeposnanski.com, later converted to a blog and titled Joe Blog. In 2011, his blog post on The Promise was named one of "Nearly 100 Fantastic Pieces of Journalism" by The Atlantic.[14] The blog was nominated for a National Magazine Award.[15]

Journalism awards

[edit]

In 2002 and 2005, Posnanski was named the best sports columnist in America by the Associated Press Sports Editors.[16] In all, he has been nominated 26 times for APSE Awards,[3] and he also has won in the features and projects categories. In 2009, he won the National Headliners Award for sports column writing, and he won back-to-back National Headliners Awards in 2011 and 2012 for Online Writing. In January 2012, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) named Posnanski National Sportswriter of the Year. In 2014 and 2016, he won Sports Emmy Awards as part of NBC's Olympic coverage.

Posnanski has won many other awards, including the Missouri Press Association award for best sports columnist in Missouri ten times, and he was the first recipient of the Joe McGuff journalism award, presented by the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission.[17] In 2011, the Baseball Bloggers Alliance named Posnanski the inaugural winner of their online writer of the year award. The BBA also announced that they will rename the award "The Joe Posnanski Award."[18] At the Blogs With Balls 4 conference, he won best sportswriter in the first Untitled Sports Media Award Project (USMAP).

The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame held its 48th Annual Induction Banquet in September 2021, inducting Bronko Nagurski, J.R. Cielski, A.J. Pierzynski and Mike Krukow. Joe Posnanski was honored with the Tony Kubek Media Award.

Miscellaneous

[edit]

He is on the 10-person voting panel for the Fielding Bible Awards, an alternative to the Gold Glove Award in Major League Baseball.[19]

The PosCast is a weekly podcast on the Le Batard and Friends podcast network hosted by Posnanski and is co-hosted by Michael Schur. The podcast primarily discusses baseball but meanders into other sports, subjects, drafts of random items, and prides itself in being nonsensical. The podcast has featured notable guests and co-hosts such as Linda Holmes, Ken Rosenthal, Nick Offerman, Ellen Adair, Stefan Fatsis, Brandon McCarthy, Joey Votto, and Sean Doolittle.

Personal life

[edit]

He and his wife Margo live in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have two daughters.[20]

Filmography

[edit]

Posnanski has appeared on several television programs and documentaries.

Year Title Credited as Notes
2022 Facing Nolan Himself documentary film
The Jackie Stiles Story Himself documentary film
2021 If You Build It: 30 Years of Field of Dreams Himself documentary film
Rulon Gardner Won't Die Himself documentary film
2020 Curious Life and Death of... Himself season 1, episode 5
2016 Fastball Himself documentary film
2014 Happy Valley Himself documentary film
2013 A Football Life Himself season 3, episode 16
2012 NFL Top 10 Himself season 5, episode 12
2011 NFL Top 10 Himself season 6, episode 1
2006 Countdown with Keith Olbermann Himself
ESPN Outside the Lines Nightly Himself

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Joe Posnanski

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Joe Posnanski (born January 8, 1967) is an American sports , bestselling , and podcaster renowned for his narrative-driven writing on and broader athletic pursuits. Posnanski's career spans nearly four decades, beginning with columns for local papers like the Cincinnati Post and Augusta Chronicle before establishing prominence at , where he earned acclaim for evocative sports commentary. He later contributed as a senior writer for and now serves as a national columnist for , while maintaining JoeBlogs, a platform launched in 2007 for essays, rankings such as , and cultural reflections on sports. His work emphasizes storytelling rooted in historical context and personal encounters, as seen in books like The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America, which chronicles travels with Negro Leagues figure and won the 2006 Casey Award for best book of the year. Among his notable achievements, Posnanski has secured two for digital Olympic coverage with and was named best sports columnist in America by the Sports Editors in 2002 and 2005, with 26 total nominations across categories. His authorship extends to multiple New York Times bestsellers, including The Baseball 100 (2020 Casey Award winner), Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments (2022 Casey Award), and Paterno, a biographical examination of Penn State coach . Posnanski co-hosts The PosCast podcast, exploring sports' emotional and historical dimensions, and resides in , with his family.

Early Life and Education

Childhood in Cleveland

Joe Posnanski was born in 1967 in , . His parents, born in the during , immigrated to the and settled in three years prior to his birth before relocating the family to , where Posnanski spent his early years. In , his father worked in a textile factory, supporting the family's life in the city during Posnanski's formative childhood. Posnanski's childhood in was deeply intertwined with local sports culture, particularly his for the Indians amid the team's prolonged struggles. He identifies his core period of engagement with the Indians as spanning ages 8 to 14—approximately 1975 to 1981—during which the team played 532 home games but achieved only limited success, fostering a sense of enduring optimism tempered by frequent disappointment. This era instilled in him a perspective on sports as a source of hopeful narrative, even in the absence of victories, with reflections often highlighting the melancholy of rooting for underperforming franchises. A recurring motif in Posnanski's accounts of his upbringing is the feeling of having missed the city's golden age of sports icons, such as , arriving instead during a time of faded glory and rebuilding efforts across teams like , Cavaliers, and Indians. Figures tied to , including local heroes and cultural influences, shaped his early , blending personal dynamics with the broader of resilience in a sports-obsessed, industrially rooted environment. His father's unexpected talents and the immigrant 's adaptive spirit further colored these years, emphasizing discovery and ingenuity amid everyday challenges. The Posnanski family's time in Cleveland concluded when he was 14 years old, prompted by his father's job opportunity that led to a move southward, marking the end of his direct immersion in the city's sports and cultural fabric.

College Years at UNC Charlotte

Posnanski attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he majored in English. He graduated in 1989. During his time at UNC Charlotte, Posnanski immersed himself in student journalism, serving as sports editor of the Forty-Niner Times—the university's student newspaper—for two years. In this role, he not only wrote sports features but also honed skills in reporting and editing local athletic events. One notable early effort involved profiling Byron Dinkins, a standout player for the 49ers, which Posnanski submitted to as an unsolicited freelance piece. Reflecting on his college experience in a 2024 campus talk, he credited the program's instruction with equipping him to pursue sports writing professionally. Posnanski's undergraduate involvement laid foundational experience for his entry into professional journalism, including initial stringer assignments covering local games. These activities aligned with his growing interest in sports narrative, bridging academic study in English with practical reporting on UNC Charlotte's teams, such as its basketball program during the late 1980s.

Journalistic Career

Initial Reporting Roles

Posnanski began his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from the at Charlotte in 1989, initially working as a stringer for . In this entry-level role, he primarily covered high school sports, gaining foundational experience in local reporting while building clips in a competitive market. He advanced to sports columnist positions at smaller daily newspapers, first at The Augusta Chronicle around age 25 (circa 1992), where he handled opinion-driven columns on topics including , leveraging the paper's proximity to major events like the . This role allowed him to experiment with narrative styles and broader commentary, though the outlet's limited reach constrained national exposure. From 1994 to 1996, Posnanski wrote sports columns for The Cincinnati Post over two and a half years, focusing on regional teams like the Reds and Bengals while honing his distinctive voice blending statistical insight with cultural observation. These early assignments emphasized versatility, often requiring him to report on beat games, features, and deadlines under resource constraints typical of mid-sized papers. By fall 1996, this groundwork positioned him for larger platforms, though his initial roles were marked by the grind of local beats rather than immediate acclaim.

Breakthrough at the Kansas City Star

Joe Posnanski joined as a sports columnist in 1996, following earlier roles in smaller markets. Under editors Dinn Mann and Mike Fannin, who emphasized storytelling and talent development, Posnanski's career accelerated, establishing him as a leading voice in . His coverage of , particularly the , became his hallmark. The Royals endured extended futility, losing 100 or more games in four of five seasons during his tenure and never contending seriously until after his departure. Posnanski's columns, blending humor, historical context, and player profiles, transformed routine losses into compelling narratives, attracting a dedicated local audience and broader acclaim. He earned the Associated Press Sports Editors' award for best sports columnist in both 2002 and 2005. In 2007, Posnanski published The Soul of Baseball: The High Life of , a biography of the Royals legend and Negro Leagues figure, which showcased his narrative depth and drew national praise. This acclaim paved the way for his appointment as a senior writer at in 2008, though he retained a column at the Star until fully departing in 2011 to relocate to .

National Platforms and MLB Affiliation

In 2009, Posnanski transitioned from his role at the Kansas City Star to become a senior columnist at Sports Illustrated, where he launched the blog "Curiously Long Posts," known for its extended essays on baseball history, player analyses, and the cultural significance of the sport. This platform elevated his profile nationally, attracting a dedicated readership through detailed, narrative-driven pieces that often exceeded 5,000 words, focusing on topics like the 2010 Kansas City Royals' rebuilding efforts and historical figures such as Buck O'Neil. The blog's popularity stemmed from Posnanski's emphasis on storytelling over conventional game recaps, amassing significant online engagement during a period when digital sports content was expanding. Following his tenure at Sports Illustrated, Posnanski contributed as a senior writer for , further solidifying his national presence with baseball-focused commentary. In February 2017, he joined MLB.com as an executive , a role that involved producing in-depth columns on league-wide trends, player evaluations, and seasonal narratives, such as the inaugural "Oscar Azocar" awards recognizing overlooked features and supporting performers. This affiliation marked a direct tie to Major League Baseball's official media arm, allowing Posnanski to cover all 30 teams without regional bias and contribute to segments analyzing historical and contemporary baseball dynamics. He maintained this MLB.com position into 2018 and beyond, even as he expanded to other outlets, providing consistent national coverage of events like the integration of Negro Leagues statistics into official records.

Current Role at The Athletic

Joe Posnanski joined The Athletic in April 2018 as a senior writer, focusing primarily on baseball columns while occasionally covering other sports topics. This role allowed him to maintain dual affiliations, continuing to contribute to MLB.com alongside his Athletic output, which emphasized analytical pieces, player evaluations, and historical retrospectives consistent with his established style. During his tenure, Posnanski produced content that leveraged The Athletic's subscription model for deeper dives, such as extended essays on and cultural impact, earning praise for blending statistical insight with narrative . He was recognized in his bio as having been named national of the year by five organizations and winning two Emmys for prior Olympics coverage, underscoring his credentials at the platform. As of October 2025, Posnanski's official bio on employs past tense ("was a Senior Writer"), with no recent articles attributed to him on the site, indicating the end of his regular role there sometime in the preceding years. His current primary writing outlet is the independent JoeBlogs newsletter and , where he publishes frequent essays, rankings, and commentary on sports and culture, alongside co-hosting The PosCast. This shift aligns with his pattern of transitioning between platforms, prioritizing direct subscriber engagement over traditional media affiliations.

Authorship and Literary Contributions

Key Non-Fiction Books on Sports

Posnanski's oeuvre emphasizes 's cultural and historical depth, often blending personal narratives with analytical insights into players, teams, and pivotal moments. His works have collectively achieved multiple New York Times bestseller listings and Casey Awards from the Baseball Research Center, recognizing excellence in literature. His debut sports book, (2007), documents Posnanski's cross-country journey with Negro Leagues Hall of Famer , portraying O'Neil's unwavering positivity amid racial barriers and 's evolution. Published by William Morrow, the book highlights O'Neil's role in preserving Negro Leagues history and received the 2007 Casey Award for best non-fiction. The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping : The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds (2009) examines the dominance of the "," drawing on interviews with players like and to reconstruct their 108-win season and victory over the Boston Red Sox. Harper published the work, which debuted as a New York Times bestseller and is praised for capturing the era's intensity without romanticizing flaws such as Rose's issues. Paterno (2012), a biography of Penn State football coach , traces his 409 victories and program-building from 1966 to 2011, incorporating over 100 interviews while addressing the scandal's impact on Paterno's legacy. released the initial edition amid the controversy, which hit bestseller lists but drew scrutiny for Posnanski's initial rating of Paterno's legacy as 28 out of 30 before revision. The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and (2015) explores the rivalry and philosophies of two icons through their 1977 British Open duel and personal reflections, arguing that 's essence lies in embracing imperfection. Simon & Schuster's publication became a New York Times , lauded for its on mental resilience over technical mastery. The Baseball 100 (2021) ranks 100 pivotal figures in baseball history using metrics like WAR alongside subjective storytelling, covering icons from Babe Ruth to modern stars like Mike Trout. Avid Reader Press issued the 880-page volume, a New York Times bestseller that won the 2020 Casey Award and is noted for democratizing advanced analytics for general readers. More recently, Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments (2023) dissects the sport's allure via episodes like the 1951 and Jackie Robinson's debut, blending statistics with emotional resonance. Dutton published the New York Times bestselling work, which earned the 2023 Casey Award and emphasizes 's narrative power over other sports. Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments (2024) extends this format to gridiron annals, from Jim Thorpe's 1912 feats to innovations, underscoring football's communal drama. Also from Dutton, it debuted amid the NFL's 2024 season, positioning football as America's most visceral through data-informed vignettes.

Innovative Rankings and Analyses

Posnanski's rankings emphasize a blend of empirical statistical evaluation and depth, prioritizing peak performance, versatility, and contextual factors such as era-specific challenges over strict longevity metrics. In "The Baseball 100," initiated as a serialized project at on December 17, 2019, he compiled a countdown of the 100 greatest players, delivering one essay per player over 100 consecutive days. This format innovated by transforming rankings into storytelling vehicles, with each entry averaging the length of a novella chapter to explore players' lives, societal influences, and overlooked achievements rather than mere numerical lists. The project's methodology drew from a formula inspired by sabermetrician Tom , integrating quantitative data like adjusted batting and pitching metrics with qualitative assessments of impact, while adjusting for external disruptions such as service or the color barrier but excluding personal injuries. A key innovation was the prominent inclusion of Leagues players, based on pre-2020 historical and eyewitness accounts, positioning figures like at No. 5, at No. 15, and at No. 10—rankings derived from evidence of their dominance against integrated competition where available, without sentimental inflation. This approach challenged conventional MLB-centric hierarchies, valuing comprehensive historical data over mainstream narratives. Expanded into a 2021 book, the work further innovated by appending quirky, baseball-card-style one-line trivia to each profile, evoking nostalgic fan engagement while underscoring Posnanski's third iteration of such lists, refined through iterative analysis of player legacies. His rankings consistently undervalue modern players relative to historical peaks, attributing this to in contemporary evaluations, and favor multifaceted contributors like (ranked No. 1) for defensive and baserunning excellence alongside offensive stats. In subsequent analyses, such as his 2024 series on the best players since 1901, Posnanski applies similar hybrid criteria, incorporating updated datasets to reassess eras while critiquing overreliance on advanced metrics that ignore perceptual elements of play. Posnanski's frameworks extend to Hall of Fame evaluations on his JoeBlogs platform, where he constructs custom classes blending totals, peak dominance, and cultural resonance, as seen in his 2023 inaugural "JoeBlogs Hall of Fame" featuring Babe Ruth's 1920 season for its league-outpacing output amid dead-ball transition. These efforts prioritize causal factors like rule changes and competitive contexts, fostering analyses that resist algorithmic in favor of verifiable, player-specific evidence.

Collaborative and Miscellaneous Writings

Posnanski co-authored Big Fan: Two Friends, 81,589 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love with television producer and writer , released in 2024 by with a foreword by . The book chronicles their extensive travels across the and beyond to attend diverse sporting events, from games to niche competitions like lumberjack sports and , emphasizing the joy and communal aspects of through personal anecdotes and observations. Posnanski and Schur, who also co-host the Off the beaten path , drew from real-time experiences accumulated over thousands of miles to highlight lesser-known sports alongside mainstream ones, avoiding a strict ranking format in favor of narrative storytelling. In addition to full co-authorship, Posnanski has contributed forewords to works by other authors, such as the 2012 Pujols: More Than the Game by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth, where he provided introductory remarks on St. Louis Cardinals player ' career and character. These contributions reflect his broader influence in literature, offering endorsements and contextual insights without primary authorship. Among Posnanski's miscellaneous non- writings, The Life and Afterlife of , published in October 2019 by , stands out as a biography examining the escape artist's early 20th-century career, illusions, personal struggles, and posthumous cultural impact, including conspiracy theories about his death. Drawing on archival research and interviews, the extends Posnanski's biographical approach—typically applied to figures— to Houdini's world of magic and skepticism, underscoring themes of performance, fame, and legacy. This work diverges from his core focus, showcasing his versatility in narrative .

Awards and Accolades

Journalism Honors

Posnanski has been recognized as the top sportswriter in the United States by five distinct organizations, including the Sports Editors and the National Sports Media Association. These accolades reflect his consistent excellence in sports columns, features, and analytical pieces across newspapers and national platforms. In 2002 and 2005, the Sports Editors named him the best sports columnist in the country, honoring his work at for its depth and narrative style in covering and other sports. He also secured first place in the column writing category in 2003, further solidifying his reputation for insightful commentary on athletic performance and cultural impacts. Posnanski earned top-three finishes in the 's best writing contest in 2002 and 2004, with additional wins in features and projects categories over his career; he has received 26 nominations in total. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (now the National Sports Media Association) awarded him National Sportswriter of the Year in 2011 for his contributions at , praising his ability to blend statistical analysis with engaging storytelling. In 2021, he received the Media Award from the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing his lifetime achievements in and . These honors underscore Posnanski's influence in elevating sports writing through rigorous research and accessible prose, though specific criteria for the five-organization designation remain tied to peer evaluations rather than uniform metrics.

Literary and Media Recognitions

Posnanski's literary works have garnered significant recognition, particularly through the CASEY Award, presented annually by Spitball Magazine for the best book. His 2020 publication The Baseball 100, a ranked of 's greatest players, won the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year. Similarly, Why We Love : A in 50 Moments (2023), co-authored with the Dutton imprint of , received the 2023 CASEY Award. His debut book, The Soul of : The High and Deep Game of (2007), earned an honorable mention from the CASEY Award judges. Several of Posnanski's titles, including The Baseball 100 and Paterno, have achieved New York Times bestseller status, reflecting broad commercial and critical acclaim in sports . In media contexts, Posnanski has been honored for contributions beyond print journalism. He received two for writing and production roles in NBC's Olympic coverage. Additionally, in 2021, the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame awarded him the Media Award, recognizing his lifetime achievements in sports media and Polish-American heritage contributions. These accolades highlight his versatility in blending literary depth with broadcast and engagement.

Controversies and Criticisms

Defense of Joe Paterno in Biography

In Joe Posnanski's 2012 biography Paterno, the author advanced several arguments portraying the coach's involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal as limited by incomplete information, adherence to institutional protocols, and personal limitations rather than deliberate malfeasance. Posnanski contended that Paterno harbored long-standing suspicions about Sandusky's interactions with young boys but possessed only vague awareness of any impropriety, without concrete knowledge of sexual abuse. He detailed a decades-long tumultuous relationship, including Paterno's repeated efforts to retire Sandusky in the 1990s over coaching disagreements and perceived defensive shortcomings, which Posnanski used to underscore Paterno's preexisting distrust. Central to Posnanski's defense was Paterno's response to assistant coach Mike McQueary's 2001 report of witnessing Sandusky in a shower with a young boy. Posnanski emphasized that Paterno immediately reported the incident upward to Tim Curley and university president , aligning with Penn State's internal guidelines for handling such matters, and viewed police involvement as outside his administrative purview. He attributed any lack of further inquiry to Paterno's naiveté, quoting the coach's testimony that "we were all fooled" by Sandusky's facade, and argued that Paterno deferred to superiors out of loyalty and integrity, refusing later to publicly shift blame. Posnanski further invoked Paterno's advanced age—nearing 76 at the time of the McQueary report—as a , citing anonymous associates who claimed a younger Paterno would have pursued more aggressive follow-up, such as pressing Curley for updates. In defending the against early , Posnanski highlighted his inclusion of newly uncovered facts about the , insisting the work balanced Paterno's documented achievements and flaws without excusing failures, while urging readers to assess the full text amid evolving details post-Paterno's January 22, 2012, death. These portrayals framed Paterno as a flawed but principled figure whose oversight stemmed from systemic and personal blind spots, rather than .

Debates on Sports Ethics and Cheating Narratives

Posnanski has frequently explored the ambiguities in defining within sports, arguing that the boundary between permissible and outright rule-breaking is often indistinct and context-dependent. In a 2019 Athletic column, he examined scandals like the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scheme, noting that while the Astros used video monitors and banging devices to relay pitches in 2017, such tactics echoed historical practices like the ' telescope-aided spying in the 1951 playoff against the , which went unpunished at the time. He contended that modern outrage often stems from technological escalation rather than the act itself, as has long tolerated subtle advantages like pitch-framing by catchers or mound visits for signaling. This perspective drew criticism for appearing to minimize ethical violations, with detractors arguing it undermines competitive integrity by equating minor infractions with systemic deception. For instance, in response to Pete Hamill's portrayal of baseball's steroid era as a unique moral fall, Posnanski's 2008 essay "Cheating and CHEATING" asserted that the sport has never been pristine, citing pre-steroid examples like the 1919 and corked bats, to challenge narratives of a "golden age" corrupted solely by performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Critics, including fellow writers like , countered that PED use constituted unambiguous cheating by violating explicit rules and disadvantaging non-users, rejecting Posnanski's relativism as overly permissive. Posnanski's stance on the steroid era further fueled debates, as he advocated forgiveness for admitted users like , writing in 2010 that public resentment had dissipated post-apology and that exclusion from baseball's Hall of Fame perpetuated unfair speculation about unproven guilt. He highlighted how the era's surge—from 3,010 in 1994 to peaks exceeding 5,000 annually by 2000—reflected broader cultural acceptance before testing began in 2003, but emphasized that steroids' impact on performance was overstated compared to training and nutrition advances. In a 2024 post on , he critiqued Hall of Fame voters for basing denials on like physique changes or statistical anomalies, arguing this ignores verified clean players' similar outputs and prioritizes moral posturing over empirical achievement. Opponents, including MLB executives and traditionalists, maintain that PEDs eroded trust, with Rob Manfred's administration imposing bans to restore ethics, a view Posnanski has questioned for inconsistent enforcement across eras. These writings position Posnanski as a skeptic of absolutist in sports, prioritizing historical continuity and player agency over punitive revisionism, though this has led to accusations of ethical laxity amid calls for stricter accountability in scandals like the Astros' win, which MLB fined $5 million for but did not vacate. His analyses, drawn from primary MLB records and player testimonies, underscore causal factors like lax oversight pre-2000s rather than inherent player villainy, contrasting with media-driven narratives amplified by outlets like that frame cheating as existential threats.

Media Presence Beyond Print

Blogging and Substack Ventures

Posnanski initiated his blogging efforts in 2007, establishing a platform that evolved into JoeBlogs, encompassing a broad array of sports analysis, cultural commentary, and personal reflections. This venture originated as an independent outlet for extended essays, reflecting his preference for detailed, narrative-driven posts over conventional short-form blogging. By 2019, he had maintained JoeBlogs for over a decade, producing content that defied strict categorization, including rankings, historical retrospectives, and non-sports topics such as music and film. During his tenure as a senior columnist at beginning in late 2009, Posnanski's contributions included the blog series "Curiously Long Posts," which gained recognition for its in-depth explorations of history, player evaluations, and contemporary sports issues. The format emphasized comprehensive arguments supported by statistical data and anecdotal evidence, distinguishing it from typical journalistic brevity. In September 2021, Posnanski formalized JoeBlogs on , expanding access to subscribers interested in his eclectic mix of daily essays on , pop culture, and life observations. The platform facilitated direct reader engagement and grew to over 43,000 subscribers, offering free weekly newsletters like The Batting Order focused on non-political insights, lists, and thematic dives. By late 2024, he reflected on the blog's adaptability across formats, from short updates to extended pieces, while hosting serialized projects such as player histories and cultural analyses. In March 2025, Posnanski transitioned JoeBlogs from to his independent website, joeposnanski.com, to implement custom features like enhanced community interactions and exclusive content series, while retaining email delivery for posts. This shift maintained the core emphasis on unfiltered, evidence-based writing, including quantitative rankings of athletes and qualitative assessments of sports narratives, free from institutional editorial constraints. The site continues to archive thousands of entries, underscoring the longevity and volume of his digital output.

Podcasting and Audio Content

Joe Posnanski co-hosts The PosCast with television producer , a blending sports analysis—primarily —with tangential discussions, humorous drafts, and non-sports "nonsense" segments. Episodes typically run 45–90 minutes and cover topics such as MLB playoff predictions, player legacies, openings, and debates on rules interpretation like the letter versus spirit of the law in sports. The show has produced over 190 episodes, including live recordings with guests like baseball authors Jane Leavy and Molly Knight. Listener ratings average 4.9 out of 5 on from more than 400 reviews, reflecting appreciation for its informal yet insightful format. Posnanski also produces A Few More Words, a linked to his Joe Blogs newsletter, featuring sports commentary, interviews, and event recaps focused on and football. Content includes discussions on Hall of Fame selections, World Series previews, insights, and themed drafts such as least favorite plays, often with recurring guests like Molly Knight. Episodes, generally 20–60 minutes long, tie directly to Posnanski's written analyses and have earned 4.8 out of 5 ratings on from over 500 reviews. Both podcasts emphasize Posnanski's signature style of blending statistical rigor with personal anecdotes and cultural references, extending his print work into audio without relying on scripted segments or heavy production. They are distributed via major platforms including and , with The PosCast occasionally featuring special editions like emergency playoff breakdowns.

Film, TV, and Public Appearances

Posnanski has made numerous television appearances promoting his books and discussing history. On September 5, 2023, he joined MLB Network's MLB Now to discuss Why We Love Baseball and highlight top moments in the sport's history. In 2021, he appeared on ESPN's Show on October 5 to explain his methodology for ranking the top 100 players in The Baseball 100, and on MLB Network's High Heat on September 17 to elaborate on the book's selections. Earlier, on November 15, 2012, he debated Miguel Cabrera's AL MVP candidacy with on MLB Network's Hot Stove. He has also featured on broadcast and public television outlets. On September 18, 2024, Posnanski appeared on to break down iconic moments from Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments. A September 21, 2023, segment on covered his analysis of 's enduring appeal in Why We Love Baseball. In December 2024, he participated in a full-length conversation on exploring Negro Leagues , and separately on The Show discussing Why We Love Football. Posnanski has contributed to content on figures like and the Negro Leagues. In film, Posnanski co-wrote the 2025 documentary The Diamond King, directed by Marq Evans, focusing on artist Dick Perez; the film was released on April 25, 2025. Posnanski frequently engages in public appearances tied to book promotions and sports discussions. His 2023 Why We Love Baseball tour spanned at least 20 cities, including a event in Nashville hosted by the Nashville Stars with Hall of Famer . He spoke at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 18, 2024, presenting Why We Love Baseball, and delivered a campus talk at UNC Charlotte on February 8, 2024. Additional events include panels at the National Card Convention and tributes.

Personal Life and Interests

Family and Residence

Posnanski has been married to Margo Posnanski (née Keller) since June 5, 1998. They have two daughters, Elizabeth (also known as ) and . Elizabeth graduated from college in May 2025, while Katie turned 18 in February 2023. The family also includes an aging named Westley. Posnanski resides in , with his wife and occasionally one of his daughters, both of whom attend college. He moved there with his family in 2011 after spending over a decade in , where he worked as a columnist for . Charlotte holds personal significance for Posnanski, as his family relocated there during his high school years due to his father's job transfer.

Non-Sports Pursuits and Influences

Posnanski has extended his writing beyond sports to explore and through his 2024 book The Life and Afterlife of , which chronicles the performer's innovations, public persona, and posthumous myths. This work reflects a pursuit of historical narratives centered on human ambition and spectacle, distinct from athletic competition. His blog, JoeBlogs, incorporates essays on pop culture, including analyses of films, theater, and celebrity interactions, such as his long-term pen-pal correspondence with actor . Posnanski has highlighted joyful movies as a to cynicism in media, emphasizing their role in shared cultural experiences. Music, particularly 1970s rock and songwriting legacies, influences Posnanski's reflective style. He has written extensively on Springsteen's thematic depth in songs like "The Promise," viewing them as explorations of aspiration and resilience akin to sports storytelling. Similarly, he recommended John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs, praising its examination of ' collaborative dynamics and emotional songcraft as a model of creative partnership. References to musicals like Hamilton appear in his podcast discussions, underscoring influences from theatrical narratives on character and history. These elements inform his broader emphasis on joy, heroism, and cultural artifacts in non-athletic contexts.

References

  1. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/181627.Joe_Posnanski
  2. https://povichcenter.umd.edu/still-no-cheering-press-box/chapter/Joe-Posnanski/index.html
  3. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Joe_Posnanski
  4. https://ome.ksu.edu/lectures/boyd/bio/posnanski.html
  5. https://www.joeposnanski.com/about
  6. https://www.joeposnanski.com/books
  7. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-soul-of-baseball-joe-posnanski?variant=32206448263202/
  8. https://www.polishsportshof.com/joe-posnanski-tony-kubek-media-award-recipient/
  9. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/posnanski-joe-1967
  10. https://tht.fangraphs.com/joe-posnanski-interview/
  11. https://www.charlottemagazine.com/qa-with-prolific-charlotte-based-sportswriter-joe-posnanski/
  12. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/04/05/opening-day
  13. https://collectrea.com/questions-and-answers/qa-with-rea-a-conversation-with-sports-writer-joe-posnanski
  14. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/dont-knock-the-rock
  15. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/a-complicated-man
  16. https://medium.com/joeblogs/fathers-day-404a83aaf0d7
  17. https://media.charlotte.edu/joe-posnanski-speaks-campus
  18. https://pages.charlotte.edu/mark-west/blog/2024/05/12/joe-posnanski-baseball-and-the-charlotte-mecklenburg-library/
  19. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/welcome-to-joe-blogs
  20. https://ibwaa.substack.com/p/a-tribute-to-sportswriter-and-author
  21. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/giving-thanks
  22. https://awfulannouncing.com/2015/joe-posnanski-opens-sad-state-journalism-augusta.html
  23. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/2024/03/30/relive-baseball-history-2-books-go-beyond-the-game/73090550007/
  24. https://www.redreporter.com/2007/7/18/42314/1502
  25. https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article3007875.html
  26. https://www.kcur.org/sports/2011-06-06/sports-columnist-joe-posnanski-leaves-kansas-city
  27. https://sigroup.wordpress.com/category/si-writers-editors-and-executives/joe-posnanski/
  28. https://www.sloansportsconference.com/people/joe-posnanski
  29. https://medium.com/joeblogs/about
  30. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/video/joe-posnanski-s-oscar-azocar-c1225173783
  31. https://awfulannouncing.com/athletic/joe-posnanski-becomes-latest-big-name-writer-to-join-the-athletic-but-will-keep-writing-for-mlb-com-as-well.html
  32. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/joe-posnanski/
  33. https://muckrack.com/jposnanski/articles
  34. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/
  35. https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Posnanski/e/B001ILHF9Y
  36. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Baseball-100/Joe-Posnanski/9781982180591
  37. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/715577/why-we-love-baseball-by-joe-posnanski/
  38. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-soul-of-baseball-joe-posnanski
  39. https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Baseball-Through-ONeils-America/dp/0060854030
  40. https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Legendary-Season-Heart-stopping-Cincinnati/dp/0061582565
  41. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-machine-joe-posnanski
  42. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Paterno/Joe-Posnanski/9781451657500
  43. https://www.amazon.com/Paterno-Joe-Posnanski/dp/1451657498
  44. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Secret-of-Golf/Joe-Posnanski/9781476766447
  45. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joe-posnanski/the-secret-of-golf/
  46. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joe-posnanski/the-baseball-100/
  47. https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Love-Baseball-History/dp/0593472675
  48. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743107/why-we-love-football-by-joe-posnanski/
  49. https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Love-Football-History/dp/0593475526
  50. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1457115/2019/12/17/the-baseball-100-a-project-celebrating-the-greatest-players-in-history/
  51. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/my-baseball-masterpiece-really
  52. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/the-best-players-in-baseball-since
  53. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/joeblogs-hall-of-fame-the-first-class
  54. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/778607/big-fan-by-michael-schur-and-joe-posnanski-foreword-by-tom-hanks/
  55. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/book-announcement-day
  56. https://www.amazon.com/Big-Fan-Friends-Wonderful-Sports-ebook/dp/B0FN3BWQSN
  57. https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/POSNANSKI%252C-JOE
  58. https://www.esquire.com/author/257653/joe-posnanski/
  59. https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Joe-Posnanski/84843963
  60. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2003/02/28/Sports-Industrialists/Posnanski-Morrissey-Among-The-Winners-Of-APSE-Awards/
  61. https://apsportseditors.com/best-writing-of-2002/
  62. https://apsportseditors.com/best-writing-of-2004/
  63. https://epsteinreads.com/why-we-love-baseball-a-history-in-50-moments-by-joe-posnanski-3241/
  64. https://www.staythirstymedia.com/201507-089/html/201507-thirsty-posnanski.html
  65. https://www.spitballmag.com/
  66. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/unanimous
  67. https://abcnews.go.com/US/joe-paterno-biography-reveals-penn-state-coach-despised/story?id=17043830
  68. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/new-excerpts-of-paterno-biography-detail-a-tumultuous-relationship-with-sandusky/
  69. https://www.statecollege.com/articles/local-news/paterno-book-the-private-notes-of-the-late-penn-state-coach/
  70. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/paterno-a-relentless-failed-defense-of-penn-states-disgraced-coach/261376/
  71. https://www.businessinsider.com/posnanski-paterno-book-explanation-2012-8
  72. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/books/paterno-by-joe-posnanski-a-biography-of-the-coach.html
  73. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1378620/2019/11/14/posnanski-what-is-cheating-anyway-the-lines-between-gamesmanship-and-rule-breaking-are-blurrier-than-ever/
  74. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Cheating-And-Cheating-By-Joe-Posnanski-Summary-4995BD0C9ED4DC0E
  75. https://jeffpearlman.com/2010/12/30/jeff-bagwell-and-why-i-disagree-with-joe-posnanski/
  76. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/01/12/posnanski-mcgwire
  77. https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/378/steroid-era-gets-a-little-less-fun
  78. https://www.joeposnanski.substack.com/p/sosa-steroids-and-speculation
  79. https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/joe-posnanski-rob-manfred-bad.html
  80. https://nesn.com/2011/05/sports-illustrateds-joe-posnanski-argues-steroids-are-pretty-much-out-of-baseball/
  81. https://www.forbes.com/2010/03/23/tiger-woods-posnanski-lifestyle-sports-writer-illustrated.html
  82. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1192323/2019/09/09/joe-posnanski-ive-been-writing-joeblogs-for-more-than-a-decade-and-even-i-have-no-idea-what-its-about/
  83. https://baseballpastandpresent.com/interviews/my-curiously-long-interview-with-joe-posnanski/
  84. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/the-future-of-joeblogs
  85. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/come-on-over-to-the-new-joeblogs
  86. https://www.joeposnanski.com/
  87. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-poscast-with-joe-posnanski-michael-schur/id1595575940
  88. https://player.fm/series/1000266
  89. https://podbay.fm/p/the-poscast-with-joe-posnanski-and-michael-schur
  90. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/podcast
  91. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-few-more-words/id757346885
  92. https://open.spotify.com/show/6vqxEzle8fXGY7KIb7VVCR
  93. https://www.mlb.com/video/why-do-we-love-baseball
  94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRIR22j4Xho
  95. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/video/joe-posnanski-on-top-100-players?t=high-heat
  96. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQfQgR2XrU
  97. https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/IV0k_7BOOTuNhsOXRaN_mb_DWbKM99QY/
  98. https://www.pbs.org/video/full-length-conversation-with-joe-posnanski-nhsreb/
  99. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEWH-En1K-g
  100. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/hall-of-fame
  101. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/joes-notebook-and-the-diamond-king
  102. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/the-tour-and-the-journey
  103. https://www.facebook.com/JoePosnanskiSports/posts/the-why-we-love-baseball-book-tour-is-up-20-cities-so-far-more-to-come-exciting-/827866162032628/
  104. https://www.mlbmusiccity.com/stars-updates/ny-times-bestselling-author-joe-posnanski-teams-up-with-country-music-hall-of-famer-marty-stuart-for-nashville-event/
  105. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKxBPIDzCkA
  106. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/live-from-the-national-card-convention
  107. https://archivedinnings.com/2025/08/12/why-we-love-baseball-by-joe-posnanski/
  108. https://www.facebook.com/JoePosnanskiSports/posts/on-this-day-15-years-ago-i-married-margo-keller-and-it-was-the-luckiest-day-of-m/448288368600717/
  109. https://www.facebook.com/JoePosnanskiSports/posts/elizabeth-liz-now-graduates-today-read-through-my-favorite-father-daughter-stori/1229231555229418/
  110. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYqELWsAp_/
  111. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/happy-movies
  112. https://joeposnanski.substack.com/p/the-joeblogs-top-10-the-promise
  113. https://www.joeposnanski.com/p/joeblogs-book-of-the-month-john-paul-a-love-story-in-songs
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.