2024 marks PressBox’s eighth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Fitting Honors
In 1958, Jim Henneman was assigned his first story for the Baltimore News-Post, focusing on Baltimore native Al Kaline returning to town for the 1958 All-Star Game at Memorial Stadium. More than 65 years later, he’s still at it, meaning he has covered Baltimore sports for parts of EIGHT decades — much of which has been dedicated to covering the Orioles or serving as an official scorer at the ballpark. His work can still be found in every edition of PressBox. The Orioles announced in January they were naming the Camden Yards press box after Henneman, who threw out the first pitch on April 27 as part of the dedication of “The Jim Henneman Press Box.”
Former Ravens executive vice president of public and community relations Kevin Byrne came to Baltimore when the Browns moved here in 1996. He remained with the organization until his retirement in 2020, earning a reputation as a trusted figure both in the organization and with the local and national media he worked with every day. He received the Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. So it was fitting that when the Ravens unveiled their new press box at M&T Bank Stadium in August, they chose to dedicate it as the “Kevin Byrne Press Box.” Byrne was emotional at the unveiling, describing the honor as “overwhelming.”
See Also: Stan ‘The Fan’ Charles: In Honoring Jim Henneman, Orioles PR Hits One Out Of The Park
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles and Bo Smolka/PressBox
For more Best Of, visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.
Plus: Check out PressBox’s 2024 Mo Gaba Sportsperson of the Year, Lamar Jackson.
Issue 290: December 2024 / January 2025
Originally published Dec. 18, 2024