Marty Noble, longtime New York baseball writer, dies at 70
NEW YORK (AP) - Marty Noble, the longtime baseball writer and Hall of Fame voter who was a mainstay on the New York Mets beat for decades, has died. He was 70.
He died Sunday in Florida, according to Newsday and MLB.com. Newsday said a family member confirmed his death, but no cause was given.
Noble covered the New York Yankees and Mets for Newsday from 1981-2004, the newspaper said. After that he moved to MLB.com, remaining on the Mets beat through 2010 and then working in a general role until he retired in 2016. But he could still be found at the ballpark some days, making a visit to the Mets' spring training facility as recently as Friday, the website said.
A dean among the city's many experienced baseball writers, Noble was a familiar presence to all in the press box and clubhouse at Shea Stadium and Citi Field, often smiling as he pulled up a chair to strike up a friendly chat with a Mets player sitting at his locker.
A skillful writer who enjoyed producing long-form pieces, Noble was a go-to source on the history of both New York baseball teams. He established good relationships with generations of Mets stars from Tom Seaver and Keith Hernandez to Dwight Gooden and David Wright.
According to Newsday, Noble started his New York-area reporting career at the Herald News in New Jersey in 1970 and was on the baseball beat at the Bergen Record by 1974. He joined Newsday in 1981 and covered both the Mets and Yankees at various times during the 1980s. He stayed solely on the Mets beat from 1990-2004.
In recent years, Noble devoted many hours to editing and overseeing the program for the annual New York Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner, where winners of the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards often receive their prizes. He was one of the longest-tenured BBWAA members in the entire country.
Noble is survived by his wife, Yvette, and two daughters, Carolyn and Lindsay, according to MLB.com. There was no immediate information on funeral arrangements.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports