Tom Keegan

Tom Keegan (born March 22, 1959) is an American sportswriter and author who currently is sports editor at the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kansas. Keegan, members of his staff, and local TV personalities combine to do sports podcasts entitled "Spodcasters" on KUsports.com, one of the newspaper's four websites. Keegan also is one of four panellists on a weekly television show The Drive, which is broadcast during the college football and basketball seasons throughout Kansas and nationally on Fox College Sports.

Early years and education

Keegan was born in Rochester, New York, the seventh of ten children. He attended Bishop Kearney High School in Irondequoit, graduating in 1977. He then went on to Marquette University where he graduated with a B.A. in Journalism. Keegan married in Claremont, California in 1983. The couple has four children together.

Career

Prior to arriving in the Midwest, Keegan worked for ESPN radio AM-1050 in New York City, until being replaced by Stephen A. Smith. Before that he spent several years in newspapers, writing for the New York Post, The Baltimore Sun, Daily Southtown in Chicago, the now-defunct The National Sports Daily and The Orange County Register.

He is also well known for writing three baseball books, including Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms on the late Elden Auker, a submarine-style pitcher who is known as the last living hurler to face Babe Ruth. He also wrote a book about Ernie Harwell and a story documenting the history of the first-base position.

Keegan's responsibilities in Lawrence include lead columnist, where he writes several columns a week on the University of Kansas football and basketball teams.