Name: She shot the most famous photo in Detroit sports history. Now she needs your vote
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She shot the most famous photo in Detroit sports history. Now she needs your vote

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Get the newsShare This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutMary Schroeder, who photographed Kirk Gibson in the 1984 World Series, is a finalist for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020.A link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register before adding a comment.Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.Please be polite.It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.If you see comments in violation of our , please report them.CLOSEWe unearthed thousands of Free Press photo negatives and one sports writer's score book to tell the tale of baseball's greats. "Bless you, boys."These days, Mary Schroeder is enjoying her view from the top.Schroeder, who retired last year after 40 years at the newspaper, has quite the vantage point.The longtime Lafayette Park resident lives in a 16th floor apartment. She has a large window overlooking the Detroit River and spends too much time watching sunsets and snow falling. Earlier this week, Schroeder was living her retired life when she received a random email from a former co-worker: She was named a finalist .Schroeder, who shot the Free Press’ iconic photograph of Kirk Gibson celebrating a home run in the clinching game of the 1984 World Series, is believed to be the first photographer to receive a nomination and would be the first woman inducted to&nbsp;the media wing. Online voting ends April 30&nbsp;and&nbsp;fans can submit votes&nbsp;on the .“It would be the highest honor,” Schroeder said Friday, before rephrasing. “I’ve had many honors that were totally unexpected.”Last year, Schroeder was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame and was honored with the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Professional Journalists. She also won an Emmy award as part of the .Schroeder began at the Free Press in 1979. During her tenure as a photographer and photo editor, she was on the front lines of some of Detroit’s biggest events — and on the sidelines for the city’s most memorable sports moments.Schroeder’s photo of Gibson celebrating a home run in the clinching game of the 1984 World Series is the most iconic photo in Detroit sports history: The shot of him&nbsp;going crazy with his hands in the air ran on the front page of the next day’s Free Press underneath the headline, “We Win!” and "Gr-r-reat!" — depending on the edition of the paper — and has been reproduced on thousands of posters, T-shirts and other artwork.“As time goes by, (Gibson) and I are going to be cemented,” Schroeder said. “We are cemented forever in history together. Because when you talk about Gibson, he always is reminded of that picture. And then, for me, I’m introduced all the time with people saying, ‘Oh, you know, (the picture) from the ’84 World Series.’ It’s such a famous picture, but I’ve done a lot of other work.”Schroeder distinguished herself quickly — the sports photography industry was dominated by men at the time — but faced many obstacles along the way. She is considered a pioneer in fighting for equal access for female reporters and photographers.Free Press photographer Mary Schroeder leaves legacy of memorable Detroi...A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. ReplayIn 1985, she was a plaintiff in a Free Press lawsuit against the Lions.&nbsp;The case was settled out of court, with the Lions agreeing to “at all times and all places provide the same access to players, coaches and facilities to all accredited media representatives without regard to sex.”Decades removed, Schroeder remains conscious of the struggles. Though she hasn’t spent a ton of time thinking about the nomination,&nbsp;she has done research.She knows how many members are in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. She sees how many are female and that there are no photographers. “Much less somebody like me,” she said. “When numbers work, I’m going to make them work for me.”Schroeder is one of five media&nbsp;finalists, along with WXYZ-TV sports producer Reggie Hall, Oakland Press reporter Tom Kowalski, Fox Sports Detroit&nbsp;Red Wings television analyst Mickey Redmond and Lansing sportscaster Tim Staudt.Even in receiving honors in retirement, Schroeder is distinguished.“I come from a town of 30,000 people, 90 miles north of Milwaukee, where they build ships,” Schroeder said. “There were 600 kids in my graduating class. Six of us went away out of state to college and I was one of them.”Now, she is being recognized in the same breath as the biggest names in Michigan sports history.“It was just serendipity,” Schroeder said about her career. “ 'No'&nbsp;was never in my vocabulary for some reason, and things fell how they should.”Contact Anthony Fenech at . Follow him on Twitter .to help improve our site experience!More Stories

Get the newsShare This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutMary Schroeder, who photographed Kirk Gibson in the 1984 World Series, is a finalist for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020.A link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register...

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Anthony Fenech

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.  The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA Today. The Free Press has received ten Pulitzer Prizes and four Emmy Awards. Its motto is "On Guard for 189 Years".

She shot the most famous photo in Detroit sports history. Now she needs your vote

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