Sports columnist Thomas Boswell will be retiring at the end of June after 52 years with the Washington Post.
Boswell, 73, is known primarily for his coverage of baseball. He appeared several times in the Ken Burns series Baseball, sharing commentary into the history of America’s pastime. He has authored seven books, including “Why Life Imitates the World Series” and “Why Time Begins on Opening Day.”
Both of those books are in my personal library.
Wrote Boswell in a farewell column of his decision to finally unplug the laptop:
I’ve spent my life having a long, rich conversation with friends and neighbors in my hometown about our mutual love of sports. I’ve had a sinfully good time.
That’s why leaving will be bittersweet. I don’t think “He retired after 52 years” requires explanation! But, briefly, here goes anyway: For many of us, age eats energy, both physical and mental. When that energy is what you always had in the largest quantity and your standards refuse to change with the calendar, the result is that the job — to be done right — gets more and more and everything else gets less and less. Nobody’s fault.
For me, that won’t do. Branch Rickey said, “Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.”
I’m trading me into retirement. I’m happy about it. But I’m going to miss many aspects of the only job I’ve ever had. To my surprise, with age, it’s now clear what I will miss the most — the readers.
Newspaper writers seldom miss insane deadlines or lack of space to house their words or computers that often have a life of their own. It’s always the readers.
And readers will miss Thomas Boswell.