She emerged years ago as one of southwest Missouri’s best tennis players, later competed on championship softball teams and, fortunately, never forgot. That is, Jodie Adams never forgot what it truly meant for her, as a child and then a high school and college student-athlete, to learn the valuable lessons that sports so often teaches.… Read more »
News
Year: 2003
George Brett
George Brett just finished the greatest career in Kansas City Royals history. Brett is the club career leader in every offensive category except stolen bases. He finished his career with a .305 batting average, collecting 3,154 career hits (11th on the all-time list), won Royals’ Player-of-the-Year honors eight times and has been invited to 13… Read more »
Jack Bush
Before his retirement from the high school basketball coaching ranks in 2001, Jack Bush was referred to by many in the Kansas City area as the “dean of high school basketball.” In 1949, he began his 52-year high school coaching career at Washington High School in Caruthersville, MO. Three years later, he made his coaching… Read more »
Charlie Campbell
Charlie Campbell was born on March 5, 1933. He graduated in 1951 from Ava High School, where he excelled in basketball, baseball, track and tennis. In 1977, Charlie took his talents to work for John L. Morris of Bass Pro Shops, Inc. He helped design the Bass Tracker boat, field tested all of the company’s… Read more »
Conrad Dobler
During his ten years in the NFL, Conrad Dobler kicked, punched, leg-whipped, spat and bit his way to three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and helped lead his team to four playoff appearances. Although Dobler lacked great physical strength and size, he used his quickness, aggressive behavior and sheer determination to turn himself into one of… Read more »
Jack Fette
Widely known as one of Missouri’s most storied sports officials, Jack Fette’s officiating career began in 1947 when he worked as a baseball umpire at the “Class D” professional level. He advanced to the American Association in 1950 as the youngest umpire in the league. His career seemed to be secured as a Major League… Read more »
Al Hrabosky
Known as “The Mad Hungarian” during his professional baseball career, Al Hrabosky is one of the most recognized and respected Missouri sports personalities. The #1 draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1969 draft, Hrabosky was promoted to the major leagues one year later. He played for the Cardinals through the 1977 season,… Read more »
George Kissell
Every person who has been associated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization during the past 63 years has had contact with George Kissell. One of the most respected people in the game of baseball at any level, Kissell is often referred to as “baseball’s grandfather” by St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. Kissell’s 63… Read more »
Bill Laurie
Bill Laurie describes himself simply as a “sports fan.” But that characterization doesn’t begin to define his personal history or the positive impact he has made on the sporting world, both in Missouri and nationally. His skills as a high school basketball player led him to Memphis State, where he played point guard and helped… Read more »
Dennis Leonard
Dennis Leonard was born in Brooklyn, New York and was a standout baseball player at Oceanside High School. He attended Iona College before being selected in the 1972 summer draft by the Kansas City Royals. Leonard enjoyed a twelve year Major League career with the Kansas City Royals. During his first full season with the… Read more »
Christian Okoye
Having played football for a mere three years at Azusa Pacific University, Christian was drafted in 1987 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round. During his seven seasons in Kansas City, Christian set a number of Chiefs rushing records, including total yards in a season, attempts in a season, touchdowns in a season,… Read more »
Marty Prather
His name is Marty Prather, but people from around Springfield, the Midwest and across the country know him simply as “The Sign Man.” Born in Evansville and raised in Bellbrook, Ohio, Prather moved to the Ozarks in 1981. An avid St. Louis Cardinals and Southwest Missouri State University fan, he began creating signs during the… Read more »
Gil Rector
Gil Rector was born in Herman, MO and graduated from Higginsville High School in 1959. His first coaching job was in Carrollton, MO as an assistant to his former high school coach, Cliff Cromer. In the spring of 1968, Gil accepted the head coaching position at Lexington, where he completed his student teaching. In 1973,… Read more »
Rita Hoff Scott
A professional racquetball star from 1976-1984, Scott teamed up with Anheuser-Busch as the Director of Racquetball Promotions in 1978, putting on charitable exhibitions against NFL players in each tournament city, teaching adult’s and children’s clinics and making public appearances on behalf of Anheuser-Busch. Scott was one of the founders of the Women’s Professional Racquetball Association,… Read more »
2002 St. Joseph Casino Players Softball
Success has followed the St. Jo Frontier Casino Players fastpitch softball team for quite some time, but the 2002 season was extra special for the squad. The Players won the 2002 International Softball Congress World Championship in Kitchener-Waterloo, Iowa. The team, which hails from St. Joseph, Missouri, became the first team from Missouri to win… Read more »