Peter Gammons, 64, has reportedly released a statement that says he will be moving on from ESPN at the conclusion of the 2009 MLB Winter Meetings later this week to pursue new endeavors.
Gammons, who has been with ESPN since 1989, said that the decision to leave was "conflicted."
"I owe a great deal of my professional life to ESPN, having spent more than half of my 40 years in journalism working for the network, and the choice to move on was made with nothing but the strongest feelings for the people with whom I worked," said Gammons in the statement. "ESPN gave me a great deal more than I gave it and will always be a huge part of who I am."
In 2004, Gammons was honored by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing during the 2005 Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 31 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
The established writer began his career with The Boston Globe in 1969 where he wrote a popular Sunday baseball column. From there, he moved on to Sports Illustrated where he covered a number of sports including the NHL, college basketball, and Major League Baseball.
Gammons joined ESPN in 1989 as part of Baseball Tonight where he worked through the 2009 season. Gammons provided years of analysis that helped the show win numerous Sports Emmy Awards.
From 2006-08, Gammons also worked as a field reporter for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball telecasts and provided "Diamond Notes" for SportsCenter's in-game highlights.
"As a print journalist moving to television, Peter was a pioneer who became a Hall of Famer," said Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president of production. "His contributions to ESPN will never be forgotten. We're sad to see Peter go, but understand his desire for new challenges and a less demanding schedule."
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