There are few people in the business more respected than Toni Ginnetti. Robert Feder breaks the news that the long-time Chicago Sun-Times sportswriter will be walking away from full-time duties.

However, the good news is that Ginnetti isn’t “retiring.”

From the post:

Ginnetti, 63, said she chose to retire in part because the hours involved in covering baseball had become all-consuming in the age of digital journalism. “I still love the job but the work time becomes tough for all of us,” she told me. “So I’m fortunate that I could retire — mainly because Obamacare ensured I could get my own medical insurance — and now still be part of the paper but with a much more manageable schedule.

“Our colleague Herb Gould did the same thing, ‘retiring’ last fall but continuing with the paper as a regular freelancer, so he set the precedent. It works for the paper as it continues to go through cutting staff, and it works for us individually.”

From Jim Kirk, publisher and editor:

Calling Ginnetti “a true Chicago trailblazer,” Jim Kirk, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times, said: “Toni broke into the male-dominated world of sports newspaper reporting when few women were ever seen on the sideline or in the stadium press box. She helped pave the way for other women writers especially those covering professional baseball. We are grateful we’ll still carry her byline from time to time.”

I agree. Congratulations, Toni.