Los Angeles – In celebration of its seventh anniversary Sunday, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) is proud to announce the naming of David Schoenfield, senior baseball writer of ESPN.com, as Honorary Chairman of the organization.

Schoenfield has been with ESPN.com since December of 1995. He served as the site’s baseball editor from 1996 through 2002, where he worked to bring sabermetric analysis to the mainstream, working with writers like Rob Neyer and the team from Baseball Prospectus. He then became a senior editor and contributor for the site’s popular Page 2 section. After a stint helping coordinate coverage of the 2010 World Cup, he took over ESPN’s SweetSpot blog in 2011. A native of the Seattle suburbs, he unfortunately continues to root for the Mariners from 3,000 miles away in Connecticut.

Schoenfield, who succeeds the Los Angeles Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth as the organization’s third honorary chairman, will announce the results of each IBWAA election via social media and generally champion the group’s efforts during a one-year term. His successor will be announced July 4, 2017.

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

Among approximately 450 others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, Schoenfield and Mark A. Simon of ESPN.com; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs and Jesse Spector, Sporting News.

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a lifetime fee of $75. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

Contact:

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com