The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame ushered in its Class of 2020 this Sunday Jan. 26, 2020, which includes St. Louis Cardinals standout Terry Pendleton, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, Kansas City Chiefs great Derrick Johnson,University of Missouri and National Football League lineman Justin Smith as well as Missouri State University and big-leaguer Brad Ziegler.
It was clear the upcoming Super Bowl was on everyone’s minds as many of the inductees concluded with “Go Chiefs” and the Chief’s entry former player Derrick Johnson got a great applause. The celebration was held at the University Plaza with about 1,500 in attendance. As always the committee did a great job.
Pendleton took the time to do an interview with Rob Rains. Click the video player below to view:
Pendleton had been a stand-out third baseman with the Cardinals and played on the 1985 and 1987 World Series teams.
After leaving the Cardinals he played and later coached for Atlanta where his paths crossed with Yost as they were coaches for the Braves. They are shown in the photo, left, with their wives, Cathy Pendleton and Deborah Yost.
Yost led the Kansas City Royals to the World Series in 2014 and 2015.
Smith, who played for Mizzou and in the NFL was there with his family. He had a lot of support at the dinner from friends from Jefferson City and Jefferson City High School his alma mater. Smith, the fourth overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft had an impressive NFL Career (scroll down for more on him).
One of the most popular people at the Missouri Hall of Fame Dinner each year is Bill Virdon. He is so beloved by sports fans in the area that a statue of him stands on the grounds of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. (The Mo Sports HOFis located at 3861 E Stan Musial Dr, Springfield, MO 65809)
Virdon and his wife Shirley try to attend as many events connected to the HOF each year, and as reports of his health not being the best this past year he looked strong and was in great spirit. Virdon, who had played for the Cardinals and Pirates and later coached for various teams has made his home in Springfield.
Jerald Andrews, shown in photo right with Rob Rains (also in the MO Sports HOF) and Pendleton has been the Executive Director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame since shortly after it started. He is the person the award honorees get the call from to let them know they have been chosen as a Hall of Famer.
Rob Rains and STLSportsPage.com Newsletter is out. If you are a subscriber check your email in-box. If not: https://mailchi.mp/cd567003644f/all-stars-hall-of-famers-and-mvps
The Class of 2020 featured:
- Terry Pendleton, St. Louis Cardinals (shown left)
- Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
- Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals
- Justin Smith, University of Missouri & NFL
- Brad Ziegler, Missouri State & MLB
- Allen Treadwell, Shooting Sports & TV Personality
- John Richardson, Track & Field
- Don West, Broadcasting
- Jim Morris, Golf
- Gerry Pollard, Basketball Official
- Bernard Griesemer, Sports Medicine
- Greg Oder, Football Coach
- Dave Neier, Basketball Coach
- Springfield Catholic Lady Irish
Basketball Program - Chillicothe High School Football Program
- Ozark High School Cheerleading Program
- University of Central Missouri
2003 Baseball Team - Killian Construction – Founder’s Award
- Larry Holley – Pinnacle Award
- Larry O’Reilly – President’s Award
- Sharyn Wagoner – Summit Award
Bios:
Terry Pendleton – St. Louis Cardinals
Pendleton played 15 seasons in the big leagues, with his first seven spent with the St. Louis Cardinals (1984 to 1990) followed by four with the Atlanta Braves (1991 to 1994). A seventh-round draft pick out of Fresno State University following two seasons at Oxnard Community College, Pendleton played on five National League pennant-winning clubs – 1985 and 1987 with the Cardinals, 1991, 1992 and 1996 with the Braves – and three of those teams reached Game 7s of the World Series. He finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1984, won three Gold Gloves (1987, 1989, 1992), was the 1991 NL MVP and the MVP runner-up a year later. Overall, he was a .270 hitter with 140 home runs, 356 doubles, 39 triples and 946 RBI. He led the NL in hits twice (187 in 1991, 199 in 1992). Pendleton, who played for the Marlins, Royals and Reds, was a Braves coaching from 2002 to 2017.
Derrick Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
Johnson was a nearly one-man wrecking crew on defense – and a four-time Pro Bowl selection – for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2005 to 2017, finishing his career as the franchise’s all-time leader in tackles (1,262) as a linebacker. A first-round draft pick out of the University of Texas, Johnson helped the Chiefs to six seasons of at least 10 wins and five playoff berths between 2010 and 2017. His best seasons were between 2010 and 2015 – he played in only one game in 2014 due to injury — as Johnson had 600 total tackles. Overall, he finished with 27 ½ sacks, 40 quarterback hits and 14 interceptions. He was First Team All-Pro in 2010 and a Pro Bowl selection from 2011 to 2013 as well as 2015. In spring 2019, he signed a one-day contract and retired as a Chief.
Ned Yost – Kansas City Royals
Yost is the winningest manager in Kansas City Royals history, with 746 wins over 10 seasons (2010 to 2019), and guided them to the 2015 World Series championship – the franchise’s first in 30 years. That celebration was the second leg of Kansas City’s back-to-back American League-pennant winning seasons. The 2014 Royals were the first in big-league history to win their first eight postseason games and reached the seventh game of the World Series. Yost was 1,203-1,341 as a big-league manager, including six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. As a player, Yost was a first-round draft pick in 1974 of the New York Mets out of Chabot College in Hayward, Calif. He played six seasons in the big leagues as a catcher, including four for the Brewers, one for the Texas Rangers and finished with the 1985 Montreal Expos. He batted .276 in 40 games for the A.L pennant-winning 1982 Brewers.
Justin Smith – University of Missouri/Cincinnati Bengals/San Francisco 49ers
Smith is former Jefferson City High School, University of Missouri and National Football league standout. A two-time All-Big 12 and a First Team All-American as a junior in 2000, he left holding the Mizzou career quarterback sacks record, with 22.5 in just three years (now ranks second). He also broke the Mizzou single-season sacks record in his junior year, recording 11 on his own. At Mizzou in 1998, he also was the first true freshman since 1986 to start every game and helped the Tigers earn their first bowl win since 1981 (West Virginia in the Insight.com Bowl). Smith was the fourth overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, by the Cincinnati Bengals, and led them sacks in each of his first two seasons. He spent 14 seasons in the NFL, half with the Bengals and half with the 49ers. With San Francisco, he was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009 to 2013 and in 2011 was the Sports Illustrated Defensive Player of the Year. He made 185 consecutive starts at one point and played in the 2013 Super Bowl.
Brad Ziegler – Odessa High School/Missouri State University/Oakland Athletics/Arizona Diamondbacks
Ziegler pitched 11 seasons in the big leagues between 2008 and 2018 – all as a submarining relief pitcher – after a stellar collegiate career at Missouri State University. His 739 appearances rank 81st in baseball history despite the right-hander not making his big-league debut until he was 28 years old. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins, working 717 1/3 innings. He broke a 101-year-old record (25) by pitching 39 scoreless innings as a rookie. Upon retirement, he had induced 138 ground-ball double plays – which were the most among relievers since he joined the league and 17th-most in big-league history. Ziegler, who finished eighth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 and appeared in two Division Series (2011 with Arizona, 2016 with Boston), also made 105 saves and had a career 2.75 earned run average. He is the Diamondbacks’ leader in wins (22), appearances (377) and innings pitched (357 1/3) as a reliever. At Missouri State, he helped the Bears reach the 2003 College World Series and finished his career as the all-time record holder in pitching wins (32), innings pitched, games started and strikeouts.
Allen Treadwell – Shooting Sports & TV Personality
Treadwell is one of the most accomplished outdoorsmen in state history, and isn’t even 40 yet. Known in skeet shooting, he is a five-time USA World Cup medalist in his seven seasons on the national team. He also has competed four times for the USA World Championship team and was an alternate on the 2004 USA Olympic International Skeet team. Treadwell, a three-time national record holder, is the champion of the Champions of the America’s, recipient of the 2002 International Distinguished Badge (highest honor bestowed on a civilian marksman), a two-time Missouri Shooting Athlete of the Year, Missouri Show-Me Games Athlete of the Year, an ACUI Collegiate National Champion and four-tie Missouri All-State selection in sporting clays and three-tie All-American on the national sporting clays team. Overall, he has earned 17 golds, nine silvers and 11 bronzes in international skeet for the USA Shooting Team, in which he has competed on six continents. He also hosts a nationally syndicated television show. In 2003, he joined the prestigious Bass Pro Shops, Redhead Pro Hunting Team. Since then, he has been co-host of the 100% Real Hunting TV Show on Verses Network as well as a regular on the Bass Pro King of Buck show on the Outdoor Channel.
John Richardson – Miller High School/University of Tennessee
A 1987 graduate of Miller High School, Richardson was a standout in track, as he won four state championships at the MSHSAA Track & Field Championships – in high jump, long jump, shot put and discus. That came months after the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Richardson helped coach Rick Johnson’s Cardinals basketball team finish 24-3, as they went unbeaten in the Mid-Lakes Conference and reached the Class 2 state tournament. As a Junior Olympian javelin thrower, he set national records in multiple age divisions. At the University of Tennessee, Richardson was a three-time NCAA All-American (1989, 1990, 1991), a four-time All-Southeastern Conference in the javelin and helped the Volunteers win the SEC and the NCAA Championship his senior year. His All-American javelin throws went 237 feet, 6 inches followed by 234-3 and 236-3. He was the national runner-up in the event in 1991 at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. During and after college, he competed for USA Track and Field in international meets three times. These days, Richardson is Vice President of Sales for Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company, and Miller High School has since retired his track and field jersey.
Don West – Broadcasting
A 1985 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and a 1990 graduate of Missouri State University, West is in his 35th year of broadcasting sports, and has called nearly 4,000 games on a wide variety of TV channels, cable networks, radio stations and websites. These include Mediacom, Fox Sports Midwest, and the Tennis Channel. He did play-by-play on radio broadcasts for the Missouri State Lady Bears for eight seasons from 1987-1994, including the 1992 Final Four team. He was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jim Morris – Golf
One of the Springfield area’s top golfers, Morris has been known for a long swing that was almost rhythmic and kept his tee shots straight and true on the fairway. Morris, who will turn 89 in February, won a pair of Missouri Senior Amateur championships in his 60s as well as an International Masters Seniors. In 1993, he won the Pro-Am Pebble Beach tournament with Payne Stewart. He also was a U.S. representative against Mexico and also has been inducted into the Ozarks Golf Hall of Fame, with the Class of 2001. At one point, Morris beat Payne Stewart for the Hickory Hills Championship in 36 holes and won both the regular and senior events there, plus turned in the winning card at the Senior Club Championship at the Palms in LaQuinta, Calif. Additionally, he captured several invitational tournaments with Phil Cotton at the Twin Oaks Country Club. Morris also was the driving force of the construction of the Connie Morris Learning Center, the indoor-outdoor facility at Rivercut Golf Course.
Gerry Pollard – Basketball Official
Pollard has been in basketball officiating for 33 years, including 27 years as an official in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. His career covers working in the Big 12 Conference, Southeastern Conference, Pac-12 Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, Conference USA, American Athletic and the West Coast Conference. In 2018 and 2019, Pollard worked the finals of the Big 12 Tournament, Missouri Valley Tournament both years and worked the NCAA Tournament Regional Final-Elite 8 in Atlanta in 2018 and the Regional semifinal Sweet 16 in Kansas City in 2019. Additionally, Pollard is the Coordinator of Officials for the NCAA Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference, NAIA American Midwest Conference, NCAA Division III St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Region 16 Missouri Juco and, in Illinois the Great Rivers Athletic Juco Conference. His staff consists of more than 240 officials for 58 schools in six states. He previously spent 23 years in law enforcement, retiring from the St. Charles Police Department as a Captain in 2007. Before then, he spent 20 years with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department.
Dr. Bernard Griesemer – Sports Medicine
Dr. Bernard Griesemer has been practicing pediatrics and pediatric sports medicine in Springfield since 1978. In 2006, he became one of the first pediatricians in the United States to be certified in sports medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics and was the first primary care sports medicine physician in southwest Missouri. In addition to serving as team physicians for local high schools, he has helped provide medical coverage through Mercy Sports Medicine for a wide variety of sports events, including the Springfield Cardinals. Beginning in 1991, Dr. Griesemer began working with the U.S. Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Program and was appointed to the staff of four Olympics – 1996 Atlanta, 1998 Nagano, 2000 Sydney and 2002 Salt Lake City. For the Sydney Olympics, he was appointed to the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission as a Medical Commission Representative for the doping control program. Additionally, he assists the athletic training program at Missouri State University as clinical faculty.
Greg Oder – Football Coach
Oder was 148-55 overall as a high school football, leading Blue Springs South from 2001 to 2015. In that time, he led the Jaguars to four state championship games, winning three state titles (2006, 2011, 2015) and earning a runner-up in 2008. His teams also won four conference titles and four district titles. A 1981 Milan High School graduate, Oder began his coaching career as an assistant at Kirksville High School in 1986. His first head coaching job was at Plattsburg, where he earned a 27-8 record in three seasons. From there, he moved to Blue Springs South, working as the defensive coordinator when the school opened in 1992. In that position under coach Dave Ross and then coach Buddy Young, Oder helped the program reach a 69-30 mark including an appearance in the 1995 Class 5 state championship game. A 1986 Truman State University graduate who played three seasons for the Bulldogs, Oder now teaches at Mill Valley High School in Kansas, helping with its football team, and resides in Parkville.
Dave Neier – Basketball Coach
Neier is in his 34th season as the boys basketball coach of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, with a record of 722-212, nine Final Fours and five state championships (1993, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2009). The state titles are tied with four others for fourth-most in state history. Neier has guided the program to four other Final Fours, earning three runner-up finishes (1998, 2010, 2011) and third-place hardware in 1995. His teams also have earned 24 district titles. A 1971 graduate of Borgia, Neier played football at Central Methodist University, basketball at East Central College and graduated from the University of Central Missouri. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Washington High School. At Borgia, he also coached baseball (1991-1994), earning a 44-35 record, and his 1994 team reached the state quarterfinals. He has been the boys golf coach since 2000, winning the Class 3 state title in 12 and 10 district titles.
Springfield Catholic Lady Irish Basketball Program
One of the state’s most consistently winning girls basketball programs is at Springfield Catholic High School. The Lady Irish have advanced to 10 Final Fours and earned four state championships. The state titles cover 1983 (Class 1) as well as three in Class 2 (1990, 1992 and 1993). The Lady Irish were state runners-up three times (1989, 1994, 2007), placed third in 1977 and fourth twice (1978, 2005). They also reached the regional finals in 1975 and the state quarterfinals in 1995. Along the way, Springfield Catholic has won 12 district titles. Coaches have included Judy Bonnett, Don Meirick, Mary Doyen, Jana Hukriede, Patti Henderson, Cindy Castillon, Mary Martin, Cindy Deskin, Ken Hopper, Ronda Hubbard, Ginger King, Pete Kjorvrstad, Courtney Heman, Bobby Cornelison, Dustin Larsen, Josh Mille, Dan Stander and Jacob Morlan. Henderson coached the 1983 state championship team, and Hubbard coached the 1990s state title teams. Its All-State selections include Cindy Castillon, Linda Castillon, Sharon Bramer, Angela Hyde, Courtney Swift, Colleen Swift, Stephanie Thurman, Molly Swift, Teresa Baird, Marty Hamilton, Paulina Tuell, Sam Deragowski, Sam Bertalott, Abby Reith and Bekah Bade.
Chillicothe High School Football Program
Chillicothe High School Football forged its place in Show-Me state sports history by playing for seven state championships and winning five state titles, which cover the 1970, 1972, 1978, 1985 and 1991 seasons. The Hornets were state runners-up in 1988 and in 1993 and made all of their state championship game appearances in Class 3, except in 1985 when they moved up to Class 4. Overall, Chillicothe has secured 24 state playoff berths and won 23 conference championships. Additionally, the program had only two head coaches in a 55-year stretch. Chillicothe graduate Bob Fairchild (MSHOF 2002) coached all of the state finals teams over his 34 seasons from 1963 to 1997, with his teams earning 287 wins, or 117 more than in the previous 50 years at the school. The Fairchild era included 15 playoff berths and 19 conference championships. The team was coached by Phil Willard from 1998 to 2017, compiling a 144-74 record.
Ozark High School Cheerleading Program
The Ozark High School Cheerleading Program has been one of the most successful in the state. The squad has won nine state championships (1997, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018) as it competed in either Class 4 or Class 5. Ozark earned two state runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2014. It also placed third in 2013. Coaches have been Darryl Lyons, Kristi Romines, Jeanine Atwell, Jennifer Clark and Tess Keller. The program began competing in 1984. Clark was on staff for 11 years, including eight recent years as head coach, as the program grew from roughly 12 cheerleaders to 16 to 20 annually. Several have gone on to cheer in college.
University of Central Missouri 2003 Baseball Team
The University of Central Missouri’s 2003 Baseball Team won the NCAA Division II national title, making history along the way. The Brad Hill-coached Mules finished 51-7, becoming the first team in D-II history to win 50 games in four consecutive seasons. The team featured pitcher Danny Powers, who won the championship game and finished 10-0, as well as All-American sluggers Zach Norman and Joe Strada. Phil Sobkow was drafted in the 10th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mules ranked fourth in the nation in batting, fifth in scoring, sixth in fielding and seventh in team earned run average. Central Missouri swept the MIAA regular-season and tournament championships, went 3-0 in the regional – advancing to a fourth consecutive College World Series – and beat Grand Valley State (3-2), Franklin Pierce (11-4), Kennesaw State (6-5 in 13) and Tampa (11-4).
Killian Construction – John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award
Killian Construction will be bestowed the prestigious John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award, given to a company that has shown great and continued support for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and athletics in the state. Led by William “Bill” F. Killian, Killian Construction is a longtime corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and, in 2020, will proudly be in its 25th year as the presenting sponsor of the annual January Enshrinement for the Hall of Fame. The company also supports the Hall of Fame in numerous other ways, such as the presenting sponsorship of the Sporting Clays Classic, held annually in early September. Founded in 1948 by JP Killian and Robert G. Killian, Killian Construction has grown from being a small home builder to a large-scale national general contractor. Bill Killian purchased the company from his family in 1993, and it has since grown substantially in yearly revenue. Killian Construction has previously been recognized in Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 400 firm firms nationwide and also recognized as an ENR Top 25 hotel builders nationwide. In Springfield, it built the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Hammons Field, Plaster Stadium addition, Roger G Killian Sports Complex, Highland Springs Country Club and the O’Reilly Family Events Center at Drury University, among many other projects.
Larry Holley – Pinnacle Award
Holley is receiving the Hall of Fame’s Pinnacle Award, which was created in 2019 and is presented to an individual for a lifetime of work enhancing sports in the Show-Me State. Holley coached 51 seasons, including 48 as a college head coach. He compiled a 918-577 record, making him the all-time winningest coach among Missouri four-year colleges. He spent 40 seasons coaching the men’s basketball program at William Jewell College before retiring after the 2019 season, with his teams earning a 831-458 record. He led 14 teams to the NAIA Tournament. Four of those teams reached the NAIA Final Four and three advanced to the Elite Eight. His teams also won 11 Heart of America Athletic Conference regular-season crowns. He also guided 25 William Jewell teams to 20-win seasons. His program produced 24 All-Americans. A graduate of Jameson High School and William Jewell, Holley coached one year at Harrisburg and six seasons at Central Methodist (61-93) and two seasons at Northwest Missouri State (26-26) before taking over at William Jewell in 1979. He is a 2009 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Larry O’Reilly – President’s Award
O’Reilly will be bestowed the President’s Award, which is presented to an individual who champions the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and supports athletics throughout the Show-Me State. He served on the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, including eight years as Chairman, as he ensured that nominees not only were leaders in their respective sports but also top-notch citizens in their communities. O’Reilly worked his way up through O’Reilly Auto Parts, becoming co-Chairman of its Board in 1993, co-President of O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. and also Chief Operating Officer. He has seen to it that O’Reilly Auto Parts has been a longtime corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, supported Drury University Athletics as well as Springfield Catholic High School’s athletics department. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, as Chairman of the Board of Mercy Hospital Springfield and a member of the Mercy Hospital Executive Committee, the Board of Directors/Trustee of Drury University, Co-Chairman of the Victims Center Capital Campaign, Springfield Catholic Schools Development Board, The Community Foundation Board, Springfield Sports Commission Board, Springfield Hall of Fame Board, and The Lance Armstrong Foundation (Endowment Board of Trustees). O’Reilly also heads his LP O’Reilly Family Foundation, which makes numerous donations and grants to worthwhile local and national charitable organizations.
Sharyn Wagoner – Summit Award
Wagoner is receiving the Hall of Fame’s inaugural Summit Award for her years-long dedication to the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. She began volunteering for the tournament 25 years ago – she assisted on pro-am registration and packet packaging – and eventually rose to Tournament Chair. In that role, which she held the past 16 years, Wagoner oversees the 1,000-person volunteer army and juggles numerous other roles, including coordinating pro-am packages and pro-am teams. She has been named the tour’s Volunteer of the Year and the Judy Weekley Volunteer of the Year. A 1975 graduate of Mountain View-Liberty High School and 1979 graduate of Missouri State University, Wagoner has volunteered for numerous Springfield-area organizations and was awarded the Gift of Time by the City of Springfield. She also has been with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for 16 years, including in the role of Special Events, and the Enshrinement is her final event before retirement.
President & Executive Director Jerald Andrews announced the event on Thursday. Associate sponsors are Advertising Plus, Bryan Properties, Great Southern Bank, Hiland Dairy Foods and Hillyard, Inc. Killian Construction, the event’s presenting sponsor for a 25th consecutive year, will be bestowed the prestigious John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award. The Hall of Fame also will honor William Jewell College coach Larry Holley with the Pinnacle Award and Larry O’Reilly of O’Reilly Auto Parts with the President’s Award. Sharyn Wagoner, retiring after 25 years with the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, will be recognized with the Summit Award.
