Meet the 2019 Award Winners: Washington Sportswriter Larry Stone

Today’s award spotlight is on NSMA 2019 Washington Sportswriter of the Year, Larry Stone. Stone has been a Sports columnist for the Seattle Times for the past 24 years and a sportswriter in general for over 30. The UC Berkeley Graduate has covered a variety of teams prior to his work today such as the Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Seahawks. He also was a baseball writer and has gotten to cover World Series and Super Bowls

This would be Stone's second win as Washington Sportswriter of the Year, his first time being in 2010, both in affiliation with the Seattle Times.

Stone briefly spoke with NSMA on his career and other thoughts regarding the industry.

NSMA: What was your career path like on your way to your current position?

Larry Stone: After graduating from Cal-Berkeley, I was hired as a sportswriter at the Yakima Herald-Republic. After six years, I moved to the Bellevue Journal-American to cover the Mariners, and then to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat to cover Bay Area sports. In 1990, I became the San Francisco Giants beat writer for the San Francisco Examiner, and was hired by the Seattle Times in 1996 to be the Seahawks beat writer. After one year at that position, I became a national baseball writer in 1997, and was named sports columnist in 2013.

NSMA: What is your favorite thing about your job?

LS: I love the daily challenge of finding something interesting to write about and then making sure it is entertaining/provocative/educational/inspiring. And as a sports columnist, the opportunity to cover all sports is very liberating.

NSMA: What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

LS: I've had the opportunity to travel to virtually every major city in the United States as well as Japan, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. I've covered numerous World Series, Super Bowls, All-Star Games, college bowl games and NBA playoffs. But my favorite assignment was going to Edgar Martinez's hometown in Dorado, Puerto Rico to do a piece on his upbringing that eventually led to collaborating with Edgar on his autobiography.

NSMA: What is the best piece of advice you have for people pursuing a career in sports media?

LS: Make sure you read everything you can and take every opportunity to practice your writing. That's the only way to get better at the craft. And it's invaluable to learn how to do video and master all the forms of social media.