SOMO News

A total of fifteen inductees, one high school program and one statewide athletic program will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in ceremonies on Sunday, January 27, 2013, at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield, MO.  In addition, the Hall will name its 11th John Q. Hammons Founders Award recipient and its first ever President’s Award recipient. The Killian Group of Companies is the presenting sponsor of the annual event, along with associate sponsors, Advertising Plus, Hiland Dairy Foods, Hillyard, Inc., and White River Valley Electric Cooperative.

For the last 42 years, Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) has been the leading sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities. The year-round program, which offers 21 sports, promotes acceptance and inclusion. Through participation in these sports it is proven that SOMO athletes perform better at school, home and in their places of employment. SOMO offers both training and competition through 554 local programs in communities all over Missouri.

The Enshrinement events will kick off with a reception presented by Meek’s – The Builder’s Choice on Sunday, January 27, 2013, at the Hall of Fame from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The Enshrinement Ceremonies will get underway at 4 p.m. with a reception at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, with the banquet immediately afterward. All festivities will conclude around 8 p.m. Please note that these times are different than previous Hall of Fame Enshrinement activities. 

Tickets for the Enshrinement are $150 each or $1,500 for a table of 10.  Tickets are on sale now and available by calling (417) 889-3100. Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat today. All proceeds will benefit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.  For additional information please contact Marty Willadsen, Vice President of Operations and Administration at (417) 889-3100 or visit the Hall of Fame website at www.MoSportsHallOfFame.com.

The rest of the induction class includes:

David Eckstein – Shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals
After the 2004 season, David Eckstein was traded from the Anaheim Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals. In his very first year wearing “the birds on the bat”, the new shortstop solidified the leadoff spot by contributing 185 hits, with 26 doubles and 61 RBI’s. As a member of the 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, Eckstein was named the World Series MVP. During the Series, Eckstein went 8 for 22 with 4 RBI’s and scored 3 runs, including going 4-for-5 with three doubles in game 4.  Though a Cardinal for only three seasons, David made two All-Star appearances and was a fan favorite. He finished his tenure with the Redbirds with 465 hits, a .297 average, and 115 RBI’s.

Mike Sweeney – First Baseman, Kansas City Royals
A 16 year veteran of Major League Baseball, Mike Sweeney spent the bulk of his career playing first base for the Kansas City Royals. During those years with the Royals, he batted .299 and hammered 197 home runs while batting in 837 runs and swiping 50 bases.  The 6’-1”, 195 pounder from Orange, CA appeared in five All Star games and was the 2007 winner of The Hutch Award which is given annually to an active MLB player who “best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire.”

Tony Richardson – Fullback, Kansas City Chiefs
Noted as one of the best blocking-backs to ever suit up, Auburn’s Tony Richardson spent 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1995 to 2005.  He was selected to represent the AFC in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Pro Bowls. He represented the Minnesota Vikings in the 2008 Pro Bowl. While Richardson’s 24 career touchdowns all came while playing for the Chiefs, he led the way for backs such as Priest Holmes and Marcus Allen to score many more.  Richardson was the recipient of the “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award at the end of the 2010 season.

Kim Anderson – Basketball, Mizzou /University of Central Missouri
Kim Anderson played collegiately at University of Missouri from 1973-77, where in 1976; he was a part of Norm Stewart’s first Big 8 Conference championship team. He led the league in scoring and was named Big 8 Player of the Year in 1977. Anderson scored 1,289 points in his career to rank among Missouri’s top-20 all-time scorers. Kim spent many years as an assistant coach at Mizzou, but his longest head coaching tenure has been at the University of Central Missouri. There, he has won more games than any other coach in school history with a 222-82 (.730) career record. He has guided the Mules to two Final Fours, four MIAA Regular Season championships, and three MIAA Tournament titles. Anderson’s .730 overall winning percentage ranks fifth among all active NCAA-II coaches.

Scott Bailes – Baseball, Cleveland Indians
A product of Parkview High School (Springfield) and (Southwest) Missouri State University, Scott Bailes played nine seasons in the Majors as a member of the Cleveland Indians, California Angels and Texas Rangers. In his 1986 rookie campaign with the Indians, Scott carded 10 wins and 7 saves. He also notched 60 strike outs in 112 innings of work. He finished his career with a 39-44 record, a 4.95 ERA and 351 strikeouts. Still involved in baseball, Scott is employed by the Springfield Cardinals, the AA-affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, in sales, marketing and broadcasting.

Conrad Hitchler – Offensive and Defensive End, University of Missouri
Conrad Hitchler was a standout two-way end for Coach Dan Devine, lettering from 1960-62. He led Mizzou in receiving in 1961, and was an all-Big 8 Selection in both 1961 and ’62. Hitchler earned All-America status as a senior, and then went on to play in the East-West Shrine Game, the Hula Bowl, and the Coaches All-America Game. He played three years in the Canadian Football League as a member of the Calgary Stampeders.

Ron Jacober – Broadcaster, St. Louis, MO
A long time sports fan, Ron Jacober took television broadcasting to a new level while working as the Sports Director of KMOX in St. Louis.  Rather than just reading scores and doing an occasional interview, Jacober introduced the idea of vignettes and one hour television sports specials; something unknown in those days.  Ron has over 40 years in the field of sports broadcasting with over 20 of those behind the mic as he and partner Jay Randolph were the announcers for the St. Louis Cardinals televised games on News Channel 5.

Joe Scott – Basketball, Poplar Bluff, MO
As a Gainesville High School Bulldog, Joe Scott was no stranger to scoring, averaging nearly 31 points per game. In one prep contest, Scott knocked down 58 points to lead his team to victory. During his senior year, Joe scored in excess of 1,100 points, and held the highest scoring average in all classes of the state. Scott holds the single game scoring record for the University of Missouri, with 46, a record that is still standing after 51 years. He starred for Coach Sparky Stalcup’s Tigers from 1957 to 1961.  Known as the Gainesville Gunner, all of Scott’s scoring came before the advent of the three-point line.

Harley Race – Professional Wrestler, Eldon MO
Harley Race’s legendary wrestling career spanned nearly four decades.   During that time Race won eight National Wrestling Association (NWA) World Championships plus dozens of other regional titles, and managed two wrestlers to the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Championship. “Handsome Harley” Race was also involved in operating the NWA territories in Kansas City and St. Louis. He is a member of the WCW and the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Tom Rutledge –Cross Country, Track and Field Coach, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO
Tom Rutledge came to Missouri Southern in 1988 as an assistant football coach, and in 1989 became the first head cross country and track and field coach for both men’s and women’s programs.  Since that time Rutledge has been named MIAA Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year five times and Indoor Coach of the Year twice. He has mentored eight cross country All-Americans and fifty-five Track and Field All-Americans, including many achieving multiple All-American honors.

Linda Lampkin – Volleyball Coach, Hermann, MO
In 2011, Hermann’s Linda Lampkin was named a member of the inaugural class of the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  In 33 years she has compiled a record of 793 – 277 – 39.  Her teams have won 17 conference and 28 district championships while going to the Final Four 20, times bringing home the state crown 11 of those times.  In 2009, Linda was named the National Federation of High School Association’s Midwest Section and National Volleyball Coach of the Year. 

Dale Russell – Basketball, Branson, MO
Born and raised in Branson, Missouri, Dale Russell was a standout athlete for the Branson Pirate Basketball team that went a perfect 41 and 0 en route to the 1955 Class B State Championship.  At only 6’- 2”, Russell played center for the Pirates. His height, however, was not a handicap as he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. After playing and lettering for four years for Coach Eddie Matthews at (Southwest) Missouri State University, Dale went on to coach for 24 years in southwest Missouri, his last 13 at his hometown, Branson High School.

Dr. Richard Seagrave – Sports Physician, Springfield, MO
Dr. Rick Seagrave earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, before heading south to work on his doctorate at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. It was at UTMB that Dr. Seagrave did his residency in Orthopedics. Always interested in sports, Rick moved to Los Angeles where he completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine. In 1983, Dr. Seagrave relocated to Springfield, MO where he teamed up with St. John’s (now Mercy) in their Orthopedic Department. He has been instrumental in the expansion of Sports Medicine prevention, care and rehabilitation in the Ozarks since then. Dr. Seagrave is one of the team physicians for the Missouri State Bears.

Dave Palmeiro – Football Coach, Tarkio, MO
28 of Dave’s 30 years in coaching have come at the helm of the Tarkio Indians at Tarkio High School. During his tenure there, Coach Palmeiro amassed a total of 204 victories against only 56 defeats and five ties.  A 1993 inductee to the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he guided his Indians to a State Title in 1971, with runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1995.

Jim Chappell – Sports Museum Entrepreneur, Kansas City, MO
Jim Chappell, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, graduated from Drury University.  Chappell has been regarded as one of the top sports personalities in the Kansas City area with his Chappell’s Restaurant and Sports Museum. Originally opening in North Kansas City, MO. in 1986, the restaurant has become a destination for athletes and sports fans alike while visiting the Midwest. Chappell’s has been recognized as one of the nation’s top sports restaurants by multiple publications and websites including Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! and the Chicago Tribune.

Jefferson City Track and Field Program, Jefferson City, MO
For the past quarter decade the Jeff City Jays have set a bar of excellence which few programs exceed. The records created by combining their Boys and Girls teams boast an impressive 20 undefeated seasons, 40 District Championships, and nine State Championships. During that time frame, the Jays Head Coach Dennis Licklider has had a total of 711 individuals qualify for state competition.

Springfield Remanufacturing Co. (SRC) – John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award, Springfield, MO
SRC Holdings Corporation is the oldest employee-owned remanufacturer to OEMs in North America. Once a struggling division of International Harvester, SRC has transformed into one of the most successful and competitive companies in America. Under the leadership of their President and CEO, Jack Stack, SRC Holdings has become a thriving company that has been profiled by entities such as BusinessWeek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC and The PBS News Hour. Most notably, SRC is known as the birthplace of Open-Book Management. Through implementing this philosophy of business transparency, SRC increased its stock price from 10 cents per share in 1983 to over $237 per share today. SRC is currently comprised of 1,200 employees in 11 business units across a variety of industries which produce $350 million in annual sales.

Charlie Gallagher – President’s Award
The first President’s Award will be presented to local businessman, Charlie Gallagher.  Charlie has been a great friend to Missouri State University and Mizzou sports programs the past several decades. Charlie is a past member of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees and is currently serving on the Hall’s Advisory Board.  Charlie was the fundraising leader of the John Kadlec Legend campaign in 2011.  His efforts help the Hall of Fame set a new level of success for its Sports Enthusiasts Series.