Former Los Angeles Dodgers public relations head Josh Rawitch was named the eighth president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He officially will begin serving in that capacity on Sept. 9 and succeeds Jeff Idelson, who was appointed interim president last month.
“I am truly honored to join the team at the Hall of Fame, a revered institution that is fundamental to the preservation of the history of our game and its legends,” Rawitch said in a statement.
“Cooperstown is a special place and every baseball fan who has set foot in the village knows how powerful that experience can be, while those who haven’t visited undoubtedly have it on their bucket list. My family is looking forward to being a part of the community for many years to come.”
A native of L.A., Rawitch began his career with the Dodgers in 1995, working in the marketing department before shifting to public relations. He left the organization in 2001 to become a beat reporter for MLB but eventually returned as the team’s vice president of communications.
After spending 15 years with the Dodgers, Rawitch joined the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he took on various roles. Among the departments he oversaw included player and media relations, corporate communications, broadcasting, content production and social media.
For the past six years Rawitch served as the Diamondbacks’ senior vice president of content and communications. His excellent work led to him receiving the prestigious Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence in 2018, given annually to an industry executive who excels in promoting the game.
Rawitch additionally has overseen baseball media relations efforts in countries such as Mexico, China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Dominican Republic.
Over an eight-year period through 2019, Rawitch helped organize fundraising auctions during MLB’s Winter Meetings that have raised more than $1.6 million for various charitable causes.
Jaime Jarrín congratulates Rawitch in tweet
Shortly after news broke that Rawitch will become the next president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and museum, Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín took to Twitter to congratulate him.
Por fin una muy grata noticia: @joshrawitch elevado a presidente del Salón de la Fama en Cooperstown. Los Dbacks pierden a un elemento valiosisimo pero el béisbol en general gana un ejecutivo con juventud, experiencia y con un envidiable don de gentes. Congratulations Josh.
— Jaime Jarrín (@JaimeJarrin) June 28, 2021
Jarrín and Rawitch worked closely together during their time with the Dodgers, so it’s no surprise the two still share a friendship to this day.
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