Long before his TV sports broadcasting days, he developed his reporting chops as a free-lance writer the old-fashioned way: A student by day working his way into the University of Missouri School of Journalism. A beat writer at night covering the 1983-1984 Mizzou basketball team, even lugging around a portable typewriter and dictating two stories… Read more »
News
Sport: Baseball
Jerry Lumpe
Jerry Lumpe was born in Lincoln, MO and grew up in nearby Warsaw, where the local baseball field is named after him. He attended high school in Warsaw where he excelled in basketball and American Legion Baseball. In 1950-’51, Lumpe played baseball for the Sedalia Chiefs in the Central Missouri Ban Johnson League. Lumpe signed… Read more »
Mike Macfarlane
Mike Macfarlane is a native of Stockton, California. He went on to star at Santa Clara University and was selected in the fourth round of the 1985 draft by the Kansas City Royals, making his major league debut on July 23, 1987. He spent 11 of his 13 years as a catcher for the Royals, setting… Read more »
Randy Magers
In the 1960s in Springfield, you wouldn’t have found Randy Magers in his parents’ home other than to eat dinner, study and for bedtime. Instead, he and buddies rode bikes to Nichols Baseball Park on the city’s northwest side. Or, you could find Magers in his backyard, where his dad, Orville, had built a pitching… Read more »
Dr. Brian Mahaffey
The Mahaffeys are a baseball family. Professional career paths for family members have focused primarily on dentistry and medicine, but, make no mistake about it. The Mahaffeys are a baseball family. And so it is that Dr. Brian Mahaffey, a star baseball player for Missouri State University and then a team physician for 16 years… Read more »
Mansfield High School Baseball Program
To hear the “Old Guard” tell it, Mansfield is a Norman Rockwell painting in real life: Kids riding their bikes across town in the summers, trying to round up enough buddies for a baseball game. In the evenings, dads coaching their sons in youth leagues. The box-office draw? Not a movie house but the high… Read more »
Shaun Marcum
He grew up in a small town northeast of Kansas City, in a place crazy about sports, known as Excelsior Springs. So it’d be easy to call Shaun Marcum a dreamer. “I remember when I was 10 or 11 years old and myself and a few others from Excelsior that were on my travel team… Read more »
Greg Marecek
A pioneer in the field of sports entertainment and broadcasting, Webster Groves native Greg Marecek founded Sports Network Incorporated, where he produced programs for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Big Eight Conference, the PGA TOUR, St. Louis University, among others. In 1993, he founded Spirit Sports and continued the tradition of broadcast excellence by producing… Read more »
Marty Marion
Nicknamed “Slats”, Marion had unusually long arms which reached for grounders like tentacles, prompting sportwriters to call him “The Octopus”. From 1940-50, Marion led the National League shortstops in fielding percentage four times, despite several other players being moved around the infield during these years. In 1941 he played all 154 games at shortstop (also… Read more »
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was born on September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, Minnesota. When he was 12 years old, his family moved to Fargo, North Dakota where Roger played Little League and American Legion baseball. He led his American Legion team to a state championship and was voted Most Valuable Player. Roger attended Shanley High School… Read more »
Tom Mast
He must have had a puzzled look on his face. A year after arriving as Springfield’s newest TV Sports Director, he got sent to Louisiana to cover what was anticipated to be Evangel University football’s first victory. Yet upon arriving to the field, well, we’ll let Tom Mast tell the rest of the story. “What… Read more »
Mike Matheny
A product of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Matheny played for the Brewers and Blue Jays before joining the Cardinals in 2000. In his five years with the Redbirds, Mike established himself as the premier defensive catcher in the National League, winning Gold Gloves in 2000, 2003, and 2004. He helped the Cardinals to 4 post seasons during… Read more »
Denny Matthews
Over the years, Royals fans have followed the hitting of George Brett, graceful fielding of Frank White and the masterful pitching of Bret Saberhagen. But one aspect of Royals baseball has remained a constant – the voice of Denny Matthews. His broadcasting career started in college, where he worked as an announcer during the basketball… Read more »
Dr. Reed Maxson
Dr. Reed Maxson was a hero before he settled down to a long and successful career in medicine. During World War II, he served in Europe, treating the wounded in the heat of battle. Maxson was born in LaHarpe, Kansas, and graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School in 1942. He immediately joined the… Read more »
John Mayberry, Sr.
John Mayberry was a first-round pick in the 1967 amateur draft and came to the majors as an 18-year-old youngster with the 1968 Houston Astros. A classic southpaw slugging first baseman, Mayberry had his best years with the Kansas City Royals. In six seasons with Kansas City, from 1972-1977, “Big John” averaged 24 home runs… Read more »
Brad Mayfield
Ever had to ace a job interview? All Brad Mayfield ever wanted to do was lead the baseball program at Blue Springs High School, coach the game he loved, at the alma mater he loved, and set up players for success on the field and beyond. And there he was in the summer of 1980… Read more »