Cleveland’s sports journalism dominance reached unprecedented heights this week as longtime Guardians beat writer Paul Hoynes was named the 2026 recipient of the Baseball Writers Association of America Career Excellence Award – the highest honor a baseball writer can receive.
Today in Ohio podcast hosts said the achievement likely places cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in a category of their own as the only newsroom in America with two active writers who’ve received their respective sports’ highest journalism honors. Just months ago, Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot accepted the Bill Nunn Memorial Award at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner.
“We have in our newsroom two of the preeminent sports writers in the nation. Does any other newsroom have that?” asked Chris Quinn during the podcast. “The thing about this, there are a lot of awards in life that people get because it’s their turn. That’s not this. Lots of people cover baseball for decades and don’t get this… This is the most rarefied era you can be in.”
Hoynes, 74, has covered baseball in Cleveland for more than 40 years, building a nationwide reputation for consistency, fairness, and old-school reporting. He’ll join the Baseball Hall of Fame celebration in Cooperstown during induction weekend (July 24-27), becoming just the fourth Cleveland writer to receive the distinction.
What makes both Hoynes and Cabot exceptional isn’t just their skill but their remarkable dedication and passion.
“They’re so similar in their work ethic,” Quinn noted. “They work like three people. Mary Kay never wants to have somebody get something ahead of her. She goes crazy to make sure she gets it first.”
Laura Johnston added: “They love their job. There is so much joy there for both of these reporters.”
That joy was evident when Cabot gave her acceptance speech, including a hilarious jab at former Browns coach Bill Belichick. Johnston recalled: “She told him that if he didn’t have the footballs to say it to the guys, then don’t say it to her. And then came the good line. She said, ‘now I totally understand why Bill gave such a hard time. I was 28 at the time. And he couldn’t relate to a woman that old because he’s dating a 24 year old.’”
Cleveland’s sports journalism dominance extends beyond these two stars. The newsroom boasts Terry Pluto, Chris Fedor covering the Cavs, a powerhouse OSU coverage team, and Matt Goul leading high school sports coverage.
“It is a powerful staff of sports writers. And Hoynes and Mary Kay getting these awards just demonstrates for the world we’re the best there is,” said Quinn.
The investment in sports coverage – representing a significant portion of the newsroom – reflects Cleveland’s passionate sports culture.
As Hoynes prepares for his moment in Cooperstown, the achievement represents more than individual recognition – it’s confirmation of Cleveland’s status as the epicenter of American sports journalism.
Listen to the episode here.
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