 Classic SI photo by David E. Klutho |
On your mark
Mark McGwire's chase of the single-season home run record, which was set by Roger Maris in 1961, captivated St. Louis and the nation in 1998. McGwire hit No. 70 (above) at home against Montreal on Sept. 27, 1998.
|
|
FACES IN THE CROWD |
|
Kristin Folkl St. Louis
May 18, 1992 -- Kristin, a sophomore at St. Joseph's Academy, has been named all-state in girls' basketball and All-America in girls' volleyball the last two years while helping the Angels win consecutive state titles in both sports.
Career highlight: A two-sport athlete at Standford, went on to star four years in the WNBA
Now photo by AP
|
|
|
|
Casey Stengel Kansas City
Jan. 9, 1956 -- Casey Stengel, voluble world traveler, visited London for first time in 31 years, ruefully observed the British 'were just as calm about my arrival as they were back in 1924,' before flying to New York for preseason trade talks.
Career highlight: Made his mark in the dugout, guiding the Yankees to seven titles.
1975 photo by AP
|
|
|
|
Payne Stewart Springfield
July 16, 1979 -- Payne, co-winner of the 1979 Southwest Conference golf title while playing for SMU, defeated Waler Cupper Jim Holtgrieve of St. Louis eight and seven for the amateur crown.
Career highlight: Won three majors, including 1991 and '99 U.S. Open.
1994 photo by Robert Beck
|
|
|
|
|
GREATEST ATHLETES |
Yogi Berra, St. Louis
Three-time AL MVP holds records for championships (10), and World Series games (75) and hits (71) -- and malaprops (countless).
|
|
|
Casey Stengel, Kansas City
Hit .284 in 14 seasons, but the Old Professor made his mark in the dugout, guiding the Yankees to seven titles.
|
|
Tom Watson, Kansas City
Won eight majors; was PGA Tour's leading money winner five times; won at least three events every year from 1977 to '82.
|
|
|
|
|
|
FLASHBACK |
2000: The Greatest
Kurt Warner was his usual stellar self as the Rams hung on to beat the Titans in the best Super Bowl ever
He is a family man and a man of God, an out-of-nowhere sensation whose story has been called too schmaltzy even for Hollywood. But on the football field Kurt Warner is the quintessential quarterback, a cocksure leader who wants the ball in his hands when everything is hanging in the balance.
FULL STORY
|
|
|
|
THE SI POLL |
Who do Missourians root for? SI asked the Show Me State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
St. Louis Cardinals | 48% |
Kansas City Royals | 29% |
Atlanta Braves | 2% |
Favorite NFL team
St. Louis Rams | 43% |
Kansas City Chiefs | 30% |
Dallas Cowboys | 5% |
Favorite NBA team
L.A. Lakers | 10% |
Chicago Bulls | 6% |
No favorite team | 64% |
Favorite NHL team
St. Louis Blues | 51% |
Detroit Red Wings | 4% |
No favorite | 35% |
Favorite college team
Missouri basketball | 18% |
Missouri football | 14% |
Kansas basketball | 9% |
Favorite pro team
St. Louis Cardinals | 28% |
Kansas City Chiefs | 23% |
St. Louis Rams | 13% |
Kansas City Royals | 7% |
St. Louis Blues | 7% |
|
State's biggest rivalry
Missouri-Kansas | 25% |
Rams-Chiefs | 22% |
Cardinals-Royals | 16% |
Cardinals-Cubs | 12% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a college or pro team in your state
Stan Musial | 26% |
George Brett | 12% |
Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire (tie) | 10% |
Favorite announcer
Joe Buck | 20% |
Bob Costas | 11% |
John Madden, Mike Shannon (tie) | 9% |
More a fan of college or pro sports?
Pro | 72% |
College | 12% |
Equal | 17% |
Which other state is Missouri's biggest sports rival?
Illinois | 32% |
Kansas | 29% |
California | 10% |
Colorado | 4% |
|
Sports played in the
last year
Billiards | 33% |
Swimming | 33% |
Fishing | 27% |
Bowling | 26% |
None | 23% |
Favorite sports to watch on TV
Football | 77% |
Baseball | 54% |
Winter Olympics | 48% |
Summer Olympics | 42% |
Auto racing | 36% |
Basketball | 32% |
Hockey | 28% |
Which is more important to you, sports or sex?
Sex | 58% |
Sports | 13% |
Declined to answer | 29% |
FUN FACT | |
The Kansas Jayhawks (21%) barely edged out the Chicago Cubs (20%) and the Oakland Raiders (19%) as the team Missourians most love to hate. | |
|
* Harris Interactive poll, conducted online, of 417 Missouri residents who identified themselves as sports fans. Margin of error +/-4.8%. Multiple responses allowed. |
|
|
Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary |
|
|
|
|
STATITUDES |
|
1 NFL team that has scored 500 or more points in three consecutive seasons, as the Rams did in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
1.12 St. Louis pitcher Bob Gibson's ERA in 1968, the lowest since 1914. Gibson pitched 28 complete games and 13 shutouts that season.
3 Decades in which Kansas City's George Brett won an American League batting title (1976, 1980, 1990), becoming the first player to accomplish that feat.
4 World Series wins by the Dean brothers -- Dizzy and Paul, each of whom pitched his way to a pair of St. Louis victories (Dizzy also lost one game) -- in the Cardinals' seven-game 1934 championship run.
10 Goals Wayne Gretzky scored as a member of the St. Louis Blues, for whom he played 18 regular season and 13 playoff games after his 1996 trade.
29 Regular-season touchdown passes completed by Joe Montana as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, for whom he played 25 games over two seasons (1993, '94).
228 Regular-season goals St. Louis Blues forward Brett Hull scored from 1989-90 to 1991-92, the three seasons Adam Oates played for the team. Oates collected 228 assists as a member of the Blues.
294 RBIs Mark McGwire knocked in during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. He also hit 70 and 65 home runs, respectively, during those seasons.
709, 920, 1,075 Yards receiving in 2000, '01, '02, respectively, for Missouri's Justin Gage, who became the first player in school history to lead the team in receiving for three consecutive seasons.
1978-79 The most recent NHL season in which the Blues failed to reach the playoffs, the longest current postseason streak among teams in the NHL, NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball.
|
|
ENEMY OF THE STATE |
Bill Bidwill
Respondents chose Bidwill even though he probably did the state's fans a favor by moving his woeful Cardinals to Arizona, clearing the way for the Rams to relocate from L.A. to St. Louis and eventually win a Super Bowl. As their most hated opponents, Missourians chose the University of Kansas (21%), the Chicago Cubs (20%) and the Oakland Raiders (19%).
Bill Bidwill | 22% |
Al Davis | 14% |
Mike Keenan | 5% |
|
|
FAST FACTS |
Admission to statehood: Aug. 10, 1821 (24th state)
Area: 69,709 square miles
Bird: Bluebird
Capital: Jefferson City
Economy: Agriculture -- Cattle, soybeans, hogs, dairy products, corn, poultry and eggs. Industry -- Transportation equipment, food processing, chemical products, electric equipment, fabricated metal products.
| |
Flower: Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Nickname: Show Me State
Population: 5,595,211 (17th)
Pro sports teams: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL), Kansas City Royals (MLB), Kansas City Wizards (MLS), St. Louis Blues (NHL), St. Louis Cardinals (MLB), St. Louis Rams (NFL)
Major college programs: University of Missouri Tigers, St. Louis Billikens, Southwest Missouri State Bears
|
|
|
|
|
|
