Peter Gammons Leaving ESPN

Wow. I didn't expect this at all. You would have figured Gammons would have stayed with ESPN forever, but as with all things in life, sometimes you need to move on. I'm sure he's at a point in his life where he wants to do other things, enjoy his life and move on; however, it will be different not seeing him in some capacity with the network...

Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN following the end of baseball's winter meetings this week.

Gammons, who joined ESPN in 1989 after a distinguished print journalism career with the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, has decided to pursue other endeavors.

"My decision to leave ESPN and move on at this point in my life has been conflicted," said Gammons in a statement. "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. ESPN gave me a great deal more than I gave it, and will always be a huge part of who I am."

Gammons, 64, was named the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner for outstanding baseball writing during the 2005 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

"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, 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."

Good luck, Peter.