George Vecsey: Difference between revisions

George Vescey
George Vescey
Born	George Spencer Vescey; July 4, 1939 (age 84); New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Hofstra University
Occupations	Journalist; sportswriter;
Years active	1961–present
Employer	The New York Times
Spouse	Marianne Graham (m. 1960)
Relatives	Peter Vecsey (brother)

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George Spencer Vecsey (born July 4, 1939) is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for The New York Times. Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures. He is also the older brother of fellow sports journalist, columnist, and former NBATV and NBA on NBC color commentator Peter Vecsey.

Life and career[edit]

Vecsey was born on July 4, 1939, in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens in New York City to George and May Vecsey.^[1]

Vecsey has written about such events as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics and on a wide variety of sports including tennis, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and boxing, but considers baseball, the sport he's covered since 1960, his favorite,^[2] and has written more books about it than any other sport.

He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game and Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter (with American country singer Loretta Lynn), which was made into an Academy Award–winning film. Vecsey has also served as a national and religion reporter for The New York Times,^[3] interviewing the Dalai Lama, former British prime minister Tony Blair, American Christian evangelist Billy Graham, and a host of other noteworthy figures.^[4]

In addition to assisting Loretta Lynn, Vecsey has also helped several other celebrities and high-profile figures write their autobiographies, including American country singer Barbara Mandrell and Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu. His work in this field has ranged from co-writing credits, to being listed as a contributor (as in Lynn's Coal Miner's Daughter), to being listed as a consultant.

Works[edit]

Vecsey's baseball books cover several different periods of the game. In The Rivals, he covers the entire history of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry from the first half of the century up until recent years. He has also written books exclusively about modern baseball history such as McGwire and Sosa, about the home run record chase by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa that took place in 1998, and Subway 2000, about the New York Mets and New York Yankees Subway Series that took place in 2000.

Vescey co-wrote Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch's 1991 autobiography, Five O'Clock Comes Early, chronicling Welch's rise to Major League Baseball stardom and his struggle against alcohol addiction.

Vecsey also authored a chapter of the literary hoax Naked Came the Stranger.^[5]

His Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game (Modern Library, 2006) is a concise history of the game of professional baseball.

In 2011, ESPN published Stan Musial: An American Life, Vecsey's biography of twenty-time All-Star and St. Louis Cardinals icon Stan Musial. Reviewing the book, George Will wrote, "At long last, George Vecsey has taken Musial's measure in this delightful biography of a man and a baseball era."^[6] Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer for ESPN Magazine and analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter, said that the book was "a fascinating and profound look at the most underrated great player of all time, and one of the true gentlemen of the game."^[6]

He was the 2013 recipient of the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Colin Jose Media Award.^[7] His book Eight World Cups: My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer was published in May, 2014.^[8]

Personal life[edit]

Vecsey is the older brother of New York Post sports columnist Peter Vecsey and the father of Laura Vecsey, the Harrisburg Patriot-News political columnist; David Vecsey, a copy editor at The New York Times Magazine; and Corinna Vecsey Wilson, president of the consulting firm Wilson500, Inc.

Vecsey received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University in 1960. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hofstra in 1990.^[1]

Unlike many other well-known sports columnists, Vecsey does not often appear on television.^[9]

Vecsey lives in Port Washington, New York, with his wife, Marianne, an artist.^[10]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b "Columnist biography". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
^ Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game, amazon.com, accessed January 13, 2007.
^ Columnist Biography: George Vecsey, accessed January 13, 2007
^ [1], amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011
^ Woestendiek, John. "Naked comes the stranger, once again," The Baltimore Sun, Sunday, February 22, 2004. Retrieved December 15, 2019
^ ^a ^b "Stan Musial: An American Life", Amazon.com, review of George Vecsey's "Stan Musial: An American Life" (ESPN: May 10, 2011), accessed May 18, 2011
^ "News & Stories | U.S. Soccer Official Website".
^ "Eight World Cups | George Vecsey | Macmillan". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
^ Gillette, Felix. George Solomon on ESPN, Redskins Fans and Petitions, cjrdaily.org, January 20, 2006, accessed March 25, 2007.
^ Review: "Stan Musial: An American Life", amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011.

External links[edit]

[NYT-1] "Columnist biography". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2012.

[2] Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game, amazon.com, accessed January 13, 2007.

[3] Columnist Biography: George Vecsey, accessed January 13, 2007

[4] [1], amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011

[5] Woestendiek, John. "Naked comes the stranger, once again," The Baltimore Sun, Sunday, February 22, 2004. Retrieved December 15, 2019

[Stan_Musial:_An_American_Life-6] "Stan Musial: An American Life", Amazon.com, review of George Vecsey's "Stan Musial: An American Life" (ESPN: May 10, 2011), accessed May 18, 2011

[7] "News & Stories | U.S. Soccer Official Website".

[8] "Eight World Cups | George Vecsey | Macmillan". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2014-01-26.

[9] Gillette, Felix. George Solomon on ESPN, Redskins Fans and Petitions, cjrdaily.org, January 20, 2006, accessed March 25, 2007.

[10] Review: "Stan Musial: An American Life", amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American journalist (born 1939)}}
 {{Infobox person
-| name   = George Vescey
+| name               = George Vescey
+| image              = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing [[brackets]] -->
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-| birthname =
+| caption            =
-| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|7|4|mf=y}}
+| birth_name         = George Spencer Vescey
-| birth_place = [[Queens, New York]], [[United States|U.S.]]
+| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1939|7|4|mf=y}}
-| death_date =
+| birth_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
-| death_place =
+| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (enter DEATH date then BIRTH date (e.g., ...|1908|31|8|1967|28|2}} use both this parameter and |birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
-| occupation = Sports columnist, journalist and sportswriter
+| death_place        =
-| yearsactive = 1961-present
+| alma_mater         = [[Hofstra University]]
-| spouse =
+| occupation         = {{hlist | Journalist | sportswriter}}
-| children =
+| years_active       = 1961–present
-| website =
+| employer           = ''[[The New York Times]]''
+| net_worth          = <!-- Net worth should be supported with a citation from a reliable source -->
+| spouse             = {{marriage|Marianne Graham|1960}}
+| awards             =
+| signature          =
+| signature_alt      =
+| relatives          = [[Peter Vecsey (sports columnist)|Peter Vecsey]] (brother)
 }}
+'''George Spencer Vecsey''' (born July 4, 1939) is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for ''[[The New York Times]].'' Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures. He is also the older brother of fellow sports journalist, columnist, and former ''[[NBATV]]'' and ''[[NBA on NBC]]'' color commentator [[Peter Vecsey (sports columnist)|Peter Vecsey]].
+==Life and career==
-'''George Vecsey''' (born July 4, 1939 in [[Jamaica, Queens]])<ref name=NYT>{{cite web |url=http://tv.nytimes.com/library/sports/backtalk/bio-vecsey.html |title=Columnist biography |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=January 1, 2012}}</ref> is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for ''[[The New York Times]].'' Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures. He is also the older brother of fellow sports journalist, columnist, and former ''[[NBATV]]'' and ''[[NBA on NBC]]'' color commentator [[Peter Vecsey (sports columnist)|Peter Vecsey]].
+Vecsey was born on July 4, 1939, in the [[Jamaica, Queens|Jamaica]] neighborhood of [[Queens]] in [[New York City]] to George and May Vecsey.<ref name=NYT>{{cite web |url=http://tv.nytimes.com/library/sports/backtalk/bio-vecsey.html |title=Columnist biography |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref>
+Vecsey has written about such events as the [[FIFA World Cup]] and the [[Olympics]] and on a wide variety of sports including [[tennis]], [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey|hockey]], [[soccer]], and [[boxing]], but considers [[baseball]], the sport he's covered since 1960, his favorite,<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0679643389 Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game], amazon.com, accessed January 13, 2007.</ref> and has written more books about it than any other sport.
-==Career==
-Vecsey has written about such events as the [[FIFA World Cup]] and the [[Olympics]] and on a wide variety of sports including [[tennis]], [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey|hockey]], [[soccer]], and [[boxing]], but considers [[baseball]], the sport he’s covered since 1960, his favorite,<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0679643389 Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game], amazon.com, accessed January 13, 2007.</ref> and has written more books about it than any other sport.
 He is the author of more than a dozen books, including ''Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game'' and ''Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter'' (with American country singer [[Loretta Lynn]]), which was made into an [[Academy Award]]–winning film. Vecsey has also served as a national and religion reporter for ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/ref/sports/bio-vecsey.html Columnist Biography: George Vecsey], accessed January 13, 2007</ref> interviewing the [[Dalai Lama]], former British prime minister [[Tony Blair]], American Christian evangelist [[Billy Graham]], and a host of other noteworthy figures.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0345517067], amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011</ref>
@@ Line 27: / Line 36: @@
 ==Works==
-Vecsey's baseball books cover several different periods of the game. In ''The Rivals,'' he covers the entire history of the [[Yankees – Red Sox rivalry]] from the first half of the century up until recent years. He has also written books exclusively about modern baseball history such as ''McGwire and Sosa'', about the [[1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase|home run record chase by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa]] that took place in 1998, and ''Subway 2000'', about the [[New York Mets]] and [[New York Yankees]] [[Subway Series]] that took place in [[2000 World Series|2000]].
+Vecsey's baseball books cover several different periods of the game. In ''The Rivals'', he covers the entire history of the [[Yankees–Red Sox rivalry]] from the first half of the century up until recent years. He has also written books exclusively about modern baseball history such as ''McGwire and Sosa'', about the [[1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase|home run record chase by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa]] that took place in 1998, and ''Subway 2000'', about the [[New York Mets]] and [[New York Yankees]] [[Subway Series]] that took place in [[2000 World Series|2000]].
-Vescey co-wrote Cy Young Award winner [[Bob Welch (baseball)|Bob Welch]]'s 1991 autobiography, "Five O'Clock Comes Early", chronicling Welch's rise to Major League Baseball stardom and his struggle against alcohol addiction.
+Vescey co-wrote Cy Young Award winner [[Bob Welch (baseball)|Bob Welch]]'s 1991 autobiography, ''Five O'Clock Comes Early'', chronicling Welch's rise to Major League Baseball stardom and his struggle against alcohol addiction.
-Vecsey also authored a chapter of the literary hoax ''[[Naked Came the Stranger]]''.
+Vecsey also authored a chapter of the literary hoax ''[[Naked Came the Stranger]]''.<ref>[https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2004-02-22-0402240445-story.html Woestendiek, John. "Naked comes the stranger, once again," ''The Baltimore Sun'', Sunday, February 22, 2004.] Retrieved December 15, 2019</ref>
 His ''Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game'' (Modern Library, 2006) is a concise history of the game of professional baseball.
-In 2011, [[ESPN]] published "Stan Musial: An American Life," Vecsey's biography of twenty-time All-Star and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] icon [[Stan Musial]]. Reviewing the book, [[George Will]] wrote, "At long last, George Vecsey has taken Musial's measure in this delightful biography of a man and a baseball era."<ref name="Stan Musial: An American Life">[https://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0345517067 "Stan Musial: An American Life"], Amazon.com, review of George Vecsey's "Stan Musial: An American Life" ([[ESPN]]: May 10, 2011), accessed May 18, 2011</ref> Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer for ESPN Magazine and analyst for ESPN’s [[Baseball Tonight]] and [[SportsCenter]], said that the book was "a fascinating and profound look at the most underrated great player of all time, and one of the true gentlemen of the game."<ref name="Stan Musial: An American Life"/>
+In 2011, [[ESPN]] published ''Stan Musial: An American Life'', Vecsey's biography of twenty-time All-Star and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] icon [[Stan Musial]]. Reviewing the book, [[George Will]] wrote, "At long last, George Vecsey has taken Musial's measure in this delightful biography of a man and a baseball era."<ref name="Stan Musial: An American Life">[https://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0345517067 "Stan Musial: An American Life"], Amazon.com, review of George Vecsey's "Stan Musial: An American Life" ([[ESPN]]: May 10, 2011), accessed May 18, 2011</ref> Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer for ''ESPN Magazine'' and analyst for ESPN's ''[[Baseball Tonight]]'' and ''[[SportsCenter]]'', said that the book was "a fascinating and profound look at the most underrated great player of all time, and one of the true gentlemen of the game."<ref name="Stan Musial: An American Life"/>
-''Eight World Cups: My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer'' was scheduled to be published in May, 2014.<ref>http://us.macmillan.com/eightworldcups/GeorgeVecsey</ref>
+He was the 2013 recipient of the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]]'s Colin Jose Media Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/13/23/george-vecsey-named-colin-jose-media-award-recipient|title=News & Stories &#124; U.S. Soccer Official Website}}</ref> His book ''Eight World Cups: My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer'' was published in May, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://us.macmillan.com/eightworldcups/GeorgeVecsey |title=Eight World Cups &#124; George Vecsey &#124; Macmillan |access-date=2014-01-26 |archive-date=2013-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231194526/http://us.macmillan.com/eightworldcups/GeorgeVecsey |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 ==Personal life==
-Vecsey is the older brother of ''[[New York Post]]'' sports columnist [[Peter Vecsey (sports columnist)|Peter Vecsey]] and the father of Laura Vecsey, the Harrisburg Patriot-News political columnist; David Vecsey, a copy editor at The New York Times Magazine; and Corinna Vecsey Wilson, president of the consulting firm [http://www.wilson500.com Wilson500, Inc.]
+Vecsey is the older brother of ''[[New York Post]]'' sports columnist [[Peter Vecsey (sports columnist)|Peter Vecsey]] and the father of Laura Vecsey, the Harrisburg Patriot-News political columnist; David Vecsey, a copy editor at The New York Times Magazine; and Corinna Vecsey Wilson, president of the consulting firm Wilson500, Inc.
-Vecsey received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree from [[Hofstra University]] in 1960. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hofstra in 1990.<ref name=NYT/>
+Vecsey received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from [[Hofstra University]] in 1960. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hofstra in 1990.<ref name=NYT/>
 Unlike many other well-known sports columnists, Vecsey does not often appear on television.<ref>Gillette, Felix. [http://www.cjrdaily.org/the_water_cooler/george_solomon_on_espn_redskin.php George Solomon on ESPN, Redskins Fans and Petitions], cjrdaily.org, January 20, 2006, accessed March 25, 2007.</ref>
-Vecsey lives in [[Port Washington, New York]] with his wife, Marianne, an artist.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0345517067 Review: "Stan Musial: An American Life"], amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011.</ref>
+Vecsey lives in [[Port Washington, New York]], with his wife, Marianne, an artist.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0345517067 Review: "Stan Musial: An American Life"], amazon.com, accessed May 18, 2011.</ref>
 ==References==
-{{reflist|2}}
+{{reflist}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://GeorgeVecsey.com Personal website]
+*{{Official website|http://GeorgeVecsey.com}}
 *[http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/sports/columns/georgevecsey/index.html Column archive] at ''[[The New York Times]]''
-*{{C-SPAN|georgevecsey}}
+*{{C-SPAN|47742}}
 *{{Charlie Rose view|3959}}
 *{{IMDb name|1557917}}
+*[https://books.google.com/books?id=3roM_f6CLW8C Stan Musial: An American Life]
-*{{Worldcat id|lccn-n50-14197}}
-*[https://books.google.com/books?id=3roM_f6CLW8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=george+vecsey+stan+musial&hl=en&ei=SBzUTbeBKoHegQeapLwu&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Stan Musial: An American Life]
 {{Authority control}}
@@ Line 65: / Line 73: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Vecsey, George}}
 [[Category:1939 births]]
-[[Category:The New York Times sportswriters]]
+[[Category:20th-century American journalists]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
-[[Category:Hofstra University alumni]]
+[[Category:21st-century American journalists]]
+[[Category:American male journalists]]
 [[Category:American people of Hungarian descent]]
+[[Category:Baseball writers]]
+[[Category:Hofstra University alumni]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
 [[Category:The New York Times columnists]]
-[[Category:People from Jamaica, Queens]]
+[[Category:The New York Times journalists]]
 [[Category:People from Port Washington, New York]]
+[[Category:Sportswriters from New York (state)]]
+[[Category:Writers from Queens, New York]]
+[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]

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