Inductees
Bob Burnes
July 14, 1914—July 11, 1995
“It has been fun; it has been the greatest experience of my life. If in some small way it has brightened a day, added a word of explanation, espoused a cause or exposed a fraud, I have had ample reward.”- Bob Burnes on his career as a sportswriter
Robert Liston “The Benchwarmer” Burnes was a sportswriter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for over 50 years. After attending St. Louis University, he started writing for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in 1936, then became sports editor in 1943, a position he held until the newspaper closed in 1986. During this time he was best known for his column, “The Benchwarmer.”
In 1953, Burnes became the first host of the Open-Line Program on KMOX, a position he filled until retirement in 1992. He also wrote two books, Fifty Golden Years of Sports and Big Red: The Story of the Football Cardinals, as well as numerous articles for sports magazines throughout his career.
Burnes and his wife, Adele, were proud supporters of Christian Brothers High School and he was known for his kindness to everyone.