▁as ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Illinois ▁Sports ▁Column ist ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁Chicago ▁Bull s ▁beat ▁writer ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁Michael ▁Jordan ▁era ▁in ▁Chicago ▁from ▁start ▁to ▁finish . ▁As ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Baseball ▁Writ ers ▁Association ▁of ▁America , ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁ster oid s ▁controvers y , ▁he ▁touched ▁off ▁a ▁nation wide ▁debate ▁and ▁raised ▁aw aren ess ▁with ▁the ▁only ▁known ▁blank ▁ball ot ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁National ▁Baseball ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁election . ▁ ▁Kevin ▁Car m ody , ▁environment ▁rep orter , ▁won ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁George ▁Pol k ▁Award , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁most ▁pr estig ious ▁pri zes ▁in ▁journal ism , ▁for ▁his ▁stories ▁on ▁the ▁official ▁cover - up ▁of ▁the ▁ill ness ▁and ▁death ▁of ▁employees ▁exposed ▁to ▁to xic ▁met als ▁dec ades ▁ago ▁in ▁A - b omb ▁fact ories . ▁His ▁series ▁" D ead ly ▁Sil ence " ▁revealed ▁how ▁hundreds ▁of ▁scient ists , ▁tr ades men ▁and ▁secret aries ▁at ▁a ▁Manh attan ▁Project ▁lab ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁were ▁care lessly ▁exposed ▁to ▁the ▁to xic ▁metal ▁b ery l li um , ▁then ▁for ▁ 4 5 ▁years ▁intention ally ▁kept ▁in ▁the ▁dark ▁about ▁the ▁potentially ▁dead ly ▁health ▁consequences . ▁ ▁Corn elia ▁Gr um man , ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁winning ▁editor ial