Dave van Dyck spent four decades as a sportswriter in Chicago, becoming a prominent voice on baseball and auto racing, as well as a pioneer of sports talk radio.
Chicago Tribune baseball writer Dave van Dyck asked White Sox slugger Paul Konerko on a cold April day in 2013 whether he was having any sleepless nights over an early season slump.
“Dave was a fierce competitor, but above all, he cared deeply for the profession and those in it,” former Daily Herald reporter Bruce Miles said. “He was a mentor to all, including writers from other newspapers.and he also could get the head of the Players Association on the phone. He had that kind of reach and that kind of respect.”“Dave was as valued a colleague as I’ve had and as good a person as I’ve known over many years in the newspaper business,” McGrath said.
Always willing to ask the tough question, van Dyck ruffled some feathers along the way, from Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and manager Tony La Russa to Cubs star Sammy Sosa. When Reinsdorf moved the press box at U.S. Cellular Field from behind home plate to well down the first base line in 2007 to generate more revenue, van Dyck lobbied to MLB on behalf of the writers, saying it hindered their view of pitches.despite some differences along the way.
After leaving the Sun-Times for a brief stint as national baseball columnist at FoxSports.com, van Dyck returned to print journalism in 2004 when McGrath hired him to help beef up the Tribune’s baseball coverage.McGrath recalled van Dyck and Tribune baseball writer Phil Rogers covering the Cubs’ late-night playoff exit in Los Angeles in 2008, then showing up at Sox Park the next afternoon for their playoff game against Tampa Bay.
“Adding two more wild cards is a good idea — if you’re sitting in the accounting office of MLB Network or if you’re a fan of a summer game being played in November cold,” he wrote in a 2011 story. “Other than that, there’s very little reason for it, especially if it involves a one-game playoff ‘play-in.’ Baseball never has been a one-game sport.”
Van Dyck’s death notice in February said he would be remembered privately with no services held. He’s survived by his wife; his three children, Laura Silvestri, Geoffrey van Dyck and Amy Muscolino; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Computational Biology - Chicago, Illinois job with University of Illinois Chicago - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular GeneticsDescription The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), is soliciting applications for an open rank tenure track faculty position in Computational Biology.
Read more »
Week in Review: Chicago bakery has nationwide success • tornadoes hit Chicago suburbs • squatters take overThese are the top stories on Fox 32's Week in Review.
Read more »
CBS2 Chicago TV Schedule - CBS ChicagoCatch your favorite shows on WBBM-TV CBS2 Chicago.
Read more »
Chicago parks group expresses ‘frustration' at Chicago Bears' stadium planA preservation group known for protecting lakefront land and parks in Chicago has responded to news that the Chicago Bears could stay in the city and build a…
Read more »
Chicago Votes parade leads CPS students to voting polls amid 'Bring Chicago Home' referendum debateLast minute efforts to get voters to the polls were underway on several fronts Friday, with the Illinois primary election just four days away.
Read more »
Chicago Forecast: Cloudy, windy day ahead for Chicago river dyeThe Chicago River will be dyed green for St. Patrick's Day on Saturday, bringing thousands of Chicago-area residents to the Loop to watch the water turn a…
Read more »