St. Louis Sports Magazine December 2011

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Contents

December 2011

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FEAT URES 26 B ASEB ALL Lance Berkman: Sports Personality of the Year By: Rob Rains

30 HOCKEY The Legend of Big Walt By: Brittney French

32 B ASKET B ALL Statham Awarded Carl O. Bauer Award By: Keith Parker

33 2011 year in p hotos 38 hig h school B ASKET B ALL Hitting the Hardwood, High School Style By: Jim Powers

DEPA RT MEN T S 10 SCOT T ’S SHOT S 16 B EING F RAN K Kadlec Will Always Have His Tigers

18 OLD /NEW SCHOOL 20 TAILG ATING with JoeSportsFan.com

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22 HEALT H & FIT NESS with Dale Huff

40 TAILGAT ING T OO with JoeSportsFan.com

42 HIG H SCHOOL S POT LIG HT High School Girls Basketball is in Good Hands

by Jim Powers

44 ASK DR. RICK with Dr. Rick Lehman

46 FROM T HE M IN D OF JC COR C OR A N Our Little Town 6

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Another year in St. Louis area sports is in the books.

As we look back on 2011, the question that keeps coming to my mind is: “What was the second best local sports moment of the year?”

I put some thought into that question, and frankly, I didn’t come up with much.

Obviously, the Cardinals’ journey to their 11th World Series Championship was by far the No. 1 item on the list. I was lucky enough to be in the stadium when Allen Craig caught the final out off the bat of David Murphy to clinch the championship. Those are the types of sports memories that will last a lifetime.

So, what else happened in local sports this year that really stood out besides what the Cardinals did?

The Rams, unfortunately, can probably be taken out of the equation. Nothing overly amazing happened with any of the local college teams. As for the Blues, the highlight might be the hiring of Ken Hitchcock, but as I write this, he has only coached four games, so it is a little too early to come to any conclusions. I will also say that the trade in February that brought Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk to town looks like it deserves some consideration.

So, it really came down to just the Cardinals, and in my opinion, the second best thing that happened in local sports this year was what happened less than three weeks after the World Series Championship: the hiring of Mike Matheny as manager.

Admittedly, I am not a fan of giving professional or elite college jobs to someone with no experience in such a role.

But, that was before I met Mike Matheny.

I do not know Mike well, but I know him, and I can tell you this: you will not find someone who will be easier to root for than Mike Matheny. Someone once described Mike to me as being “the salt of the Earth.” Once I looked up what that meant exactly, I agreed.

Winning the press conference is meaningless if you do not win on the field, but when Matheny said, “I have to tell you, this is the greatest honor of my life,” at his introductory news conference, to me, that was just another example of what a genuine guy he is.

I have a funny feeling we are going to not only celebrate the hiring of Mike Matheny in 2011, but for many, many years to come.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

David Greene

Publisher Grand Slam Sports, LLC Executive Management David Greene James Oelklaus Katy Pavelonis Creative Director Jennifer Burkemper Graphic Designer Megan Ruff Director of Photography Scott Rovak

*All photos by Scott Rovak unless otherwise noted.

Associate Editor Audrey Hanes Contributing Writers Josh Bacott JC Corcoran Frank Cusumano Brittney French Matt Grover Dale Huff Jim Powers Jay Randolph Jay Randolph Jr. Matt Sebek Andy Strickland Marketing Specialists Andy Baer Michael Calvin Terry Cox Doug Lehman Joel Mersmann Dave Rapp Web Masters Jennifer Burkemper Candice Walton

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For a mail subscription of St. Louis Sports Magazine, contact ctaff@kfns.com

Scott’s Shots

I

chose this month’s photo more for the memory that goes with it than the photographic aspect of it. I know that there are a lot of fans out there who didn’t like Tony La Russa, so I’m not going to get into that discussion.

I just want to thank La Russa for all that he has done for me. What did La Russa do for me you ask? Well, he allowed me to photograph at certain times and in certain areas that most photographers were not allowed. For past projects, I was able to take pictures in pre-game meetings such as a hitters meeting and bullpen meetings, photograph a player getting treatment in the trainer’s room and grab great shots of guys working out in the weight room. I donated a lot of time to his Animal Rescue Foundation by photographing his golf tournaments here and in California, by covering ARF’s Stars to the Rescue concert and by taking photos for the celebrity pet calendar. For many years, La Russa had a picture of my cat in his office, and it was especially nice to share the feelings we both had for animals. I will always be able to look back and remember how much of my life was spent next to one of the winningest managers in the history of baseball.

Thanks for reading, Scott Rovak, Director of Photography, St. Louis Sports Magazine 10

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GALLERY: Were You There?

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Grand Slam Sports 2nd Annual Gobble Bowl (pg. 12) Grand Slam Sports hosted its 2nd annual Gobble Bowl at West County Lanes in Ballwin to raise money for The Megan Meier Foundation. photos courtesy of craig matthews

Rams Tailgate (pg. 13 top) 590 The Fan KFNS, SportsRadio 1380 and St. Louis Sports Magazine team up with Coors Light prior to each Rams home game at the corner of Broadway and Cole in downtown St. Louis.

High School Sports Caravan (pg. 13 bottom) The Charter Communications High School Sports Caravan was on hand as the Webster Groves Statesmen and the Kirkwood Pioneers played in the annual Turkey Day Game on Thanksgiving Day.

photos by kfns staff

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Kadlec Will Always Have His Tigers

By Frank Cusumano

In

1942, a freshman at Cleveland High School was walking down the hallway when a football coached yelled at him, “Hey chubby, do you want play some football? How about coming out for the B-team?”

Those two harmless questions began John Kadlec’s 69-year football career. On Dec. 15, Kadlec will be honored at the Missouri Athletic Club with the prestigious Burnes/Broeg Award for a tremendous career of playing, coaching and broadcasting football.

Kadlec’s collegiate career actually began at St. Louis University. Yes, he actually played football at SLU for a year before academics caused him to leave. After a brief stint working at The Ice House, Don Farout, Mizzou’s head coach at the time, decided to give Kadlec a chance to play in Columbia.

It was a good idea. Kadlec became a three-year starter and was an All-Conference lineman for Mizzou. He also started in two Gator Bowls.

Kadlec had fond memories of SLU though, because that’s where he met the love of his life, his wife, Dolly.

“We were supposed to get married in June before my senior year in Columbia,” said Kadlec.

“Coach Faurot said that wasn’t a good idea and asked if I could ask my girl to push it back to after the season. Coach said that he could get me in the East-West All-Star game and the Senior Bowl. I was always intimidated by coach. I went back to tell Dolly.”

Dolly replied with, “I always knew that you loved football more than you loved me.”

“No, but I do love Don Farout more than you,” Kadlec responded.

Mizzou has always loved Kadlec. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. This past September, he was also named a Missouri Sports Legend.

And for good reason: Kadlec has spent 56 years of his life serving the Mizzou athletic department. After his playing career was over, he began a 24-year career as an assistant coach for four different Mizzou coaches: Faurot, Frank Broyles, Dan Devine and Al Onofrio. He recruited some of the St. Louis area’s best talent and landed future stars like Joe Moore, Norris Stevenson, Howard Richards and Kurt Petersen.

“I would bring Kentucky Fried Chicken and gallons of ice cream,” said Kadlec of what he would bring when talking to recruits. “Many thought recruiting was work. It wasn’t work for me; I loved it.”

After his coaching career, Kadlec became an assistant athletic director. Then, 17 years ago, Athletic Director Joe Castiglione walked into Kadlec’s office and sent his career in a whole new direction.

“Joe came in on a Wednesday and he said Kellen Winslow was quitting his job as the Mizzou analyst on the radio and asked could I do it for this week,” said Kadlec. “I did it. Joe came in the next week and asked if I could do it again. Jack Buck told me don’t ever use the phrase ‘Mizzou should have done something.’

He said don’t second guess.”

Kadlec took his advice. Instead of criticizing, he cajoled. Instead of jeering, he cheered. For 16 years, Kadlec and John Kelly entertained Mizzou football fans.

At the end of last season, Kadlec retired.

He had had enough. He wanted to spend a little more time with Dolly, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. On March 23, while Dolly was getting ready to go to church, she suffered a fatal heart attack. A 60-year marriage ended that day. John is now 83 and thinks of her often. He has four children and four granchildren to keep him busy, and of course, he still has his Tigers.

“I just had knee surgery,” said Kadlec. “I will be off the cane in a few weeks. I like to fish and go to the lake. I still go to all the games, home and away. I go out and watch practice. They give me a golf cart to watch.

“It’s been a hell of a run. Mizzou has been great to me. I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

Mizzou wouldn’t either. v Frank Cusumano is a sportscaster for KSDK and can be heard weekdays (10am-1pm) on 590 The Fan KFNS

MAC Jack Buck Sports Awards

Five Things That Come To Mind: 1. If Brad Beal is at Florida for more than two years, I will be stunned.

Does anybody in the world his age have a better release or a better range?

2. Coach K will win a thousand games. How will that record ever be broken? If you win 30 games a year for 30 years, you would still be 30 wins short.

3. Because of the record of the Rams during his career, it’s going to be difficult for Steven Jackson to get to the Hall of Fame. However, I haven’t seen many in our town punish defenders like this guy. He is St. Louis’s most underappreciated great athlete.

4. If the Rams do decide to do some restructuring, they should hire one of the following men to oversee the moves and be the face of the franchise: Dick Vermeil, Dan Dierdorf or Mark Lamping. Let one of these guys do some of the hiring and market the franchise.

5. Ed Macauley’s best line to me came after an UMSL vs. SLU game I was playing in: “You know, Frank, I taught you how to shoot the ball back at my camps, and I have to tell you, I am not real proud about that now.”

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Final Thought: If, in fact, Tyler Greene does get the shortstop position, Mike Matheny should call fellow University of Michigan athlete Jim Harbaugh and ask him for some advice. Harbaugh was in the exact same position last summer when he was given Alex Smith to play quarterback. Smith was just like Greene: physically, he was very impressive, but for one reason or another, he had not been able to put it together with coaches who had shown little confidence in him. Greene was like Troy Tulowitzki in Memphis with onbase percentage and slugging percentage over .1000. He steals bases, too. If Matheny is handed Greene, he should just pump him up and let his talent take over. Don Coryell once did that with a struggling quarterback by the name of Jim Hart. Maybe it won’t work out, but that is the only way Matheny should play it. Of course, if the team signs Rafael Furcal, this could all be a moot point.

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Old School vs. New School Jay Randolph

Q& A

Jay Randolph Jr.

In addition to the Cardinals World Series Championship, what was your favorite St. Louis sports memory for 2011?

Sr: Whitey Herzog’s induction into the baseball hall of fame.

Jr: First week of the Big Ro Post-Game Show with Super Bowl Champion Roland Williams.

What was the sports story of the year, nationally, for 2011?

Sr: The Penn State child abuse saga and Joe Paterno’s fall from grace.

Jr: Penn State scandal!

Which was the most disappointing moment in sports, locally, in 2011?

Sr: Professional golfer Jay Williamson losing his status to play on the PGA Tour.

Jr: When the Rams released the Five Ram Rules for the Dome.

Pick one holiday gift for each of the following: Cards, Rams, Blues.

Cards -Sr: The return of Albert Pujols. Jr: Albert Pujols Rams - Sr: An upgrade of talent and a better front office and coaching staff. Jr: Brian Billick Blues - Sr: A spot in the playoffs. Jr: A top pairing left handed defenseman.

Advice you’d give to Kim Kardashian: Sr: Why would I waste my time?

Jr: Might be time to give a white dude a shot.

Who would you prefer not to hear from ever again once 2011 ends?

Sr: Any call to inform me of a dear friend passing.

Jr: Nancy Grace, but it won’t happen, I’m not that lucky!

Your thoughts on the Ken Hitchcock hiring by the Blues?

Sr: A terrific move by Doug Armstrong.

Jr: Seems like a great move; the guy is solid. Hope he can bring back winning ways.

Would you like to revise your Super Bowl prediction (Sr said New England vs. Dallas, Jr said New England vs. Green Bay)?

Sr: Let’s make it New England and Green Bay. Jr: I will leave mine the way it is. Who knows who is coming out of the AFC. Advice you’d give to Joe Paterno: Sr: Get out of the chaos and try and find some peace.

Jr: Might be time to move to West Palm Beach; it’s lovely this time of year.

Jay Randolph Sr. hosts the Randolph Report Wednesday, 6pm-7pm on 590 The Fan KFNS Jay Randolph Jr. can be heard on The One To Three Show and Fairways and Greens on 590 The Fan KFNS

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k l a t e t a g l tai

FAN

BY JOESPORTS

Tailgating with La Russa’s potential new employer

As we discovered during his appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” less than a day after Tony La Russa’s dramatic retirement from the Cardinals, he received his first formal job offer. According to Tony, the job offer wasn’t exactly a move into the front office; rather it was to become the newest elephant keeper at the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

Was he serious? Was the third most successful manager in Major League Baseball history really mulling over a job rehabbing former circus animals?

The only way to know for sure was to go to the source, so we contacted PAWS President Pat Derby to ask a few questions about her newest prospective hire: JSF: Every Cardinals fan knows that Tony La Russa loves him some dogs and kittens, but this would be a move to the big time.

Like a prospect in A ball getting the bump to the big leagues.

What are the most important characteristics of an effective elephant keeper, and would Tony bring those to the table?

PAWS: Tony’s intense concentration and ability to focus would make him an outstanding elephant keeper. Elephants are highly intelligent, and dealing with them requires focus, focus, focus.

They are playful, have a great sense of humor and love to catch you off guard. Our bullpen has three over 10,000 pound boys who push huge trees around for play. When the testosterone levels rise, focus is key.

JSF: So there are animals in the bullpen bigger than Dennys Reyes? Surprising. Now, if he would have said yes, then laid out reasonable salary demands, would you have actually hired him?

PAWS: We would hire Tony in a heartbeat if he weren’t out of our

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league financially. In our field, no one works for money and the pay is minimal, but the perks are phenomenal. Seeing a group of elephants who lived in cramped spaces or on chains most of their lives climbing up a big hill and disappearing into the trees is worth a million bucks.

JSF: But what happens if you have a family of elephants that don’t really mix with Tony’s style of doing business - say they’re part of the “Rasmus” tribe - would he be able to pitch in elsewhere?

PAWS: Tony would also be helpful with some of our other species, like bears. We spay and neuter all bears. We don’t allow Cubs.

JSF: Well played. So we know that if the money made sense, he’d be in. But, suppose he would have only taken the job on one condition - that you also hired his pitching coach Dave Duncan to be his assistant. Would you have caved to his demand?

PAWS: Working with elephants in big spaces requires constant log-keeping on their activities and their movement. The size

of Duncan’s notebooks indicate he would be a great observer and record keeper, and his calm personality would be a big hit with elephants.

JSF: Hey, if advanced scouting and game-planning is important in this biz, Tony and Dunc would crush it. What do you think is most similar between managing million-dollar athletes and 10,000 pound elephants?

have lost their families and are often highly traumatized and socialize them with other unrelated elephants. The final product is a beautifully integrated, bonded, loyal team that is indestructible and formidable to any threat.

PAWS: Elephants share some characteristics with athletes - they are strong individuals, each with a unique set of idiosyncrasies.

And they all enjoy a challenging game. A good keeper must be able to evaluate these qualities and work with them to develop a team (herd).

JSF: Just imagine if they could seamlessly integrate David Eckstein into the herd. We have to think they’d be even more bonded, loyal and indestructible.

So, clearly you have a potential hot prospect if Tony La Russa ever decided to take up your offer. But, if new Cardinals head coach Mike Matheny retired suddenly after his first year, would you consider offering him an elephant keeper job or was this a one-time offer specifically to Tony?

JSF: At least you didn’t say they have massive egos. Speaking of not having massive egos, do you have any elephants that are a bit smaller than average but that have extremely high energy that may be considered, I don’t know, scrappers?

PAWS: La Russa spends a lot of his time helping the domestic animals at ARF, his wonderful animal organization. We love what he is doing for them, but a few La Russa clones would be welcome at PAWS, especially with three new players from Toronto on the way.

PAWS: In captivity, we must take dysfunctional individuals who

Athlete Tweet of the Month Mark Mulder retired from baseball in 2004. Okay, fine.

That’s when he retired competitively. He officially retired from baseball in 2008. Since then, he has spent plenty of time underneath the ESPN studio lights as an analyst for “Baseball Tonight” and countless hours on the golf course.

And, according to the Golf Channel’s Twitter account, he has a good shot at winning the AM Tour National Championship.

Thoughts From a Message Board: Mike Matheny Edition

s While the Mike Matheny hire got solid review news the when d, from most of the hometown crow trotted surfaced to the national message boarders n over to Yahoo! Sports’ news, comments sectio , input bitter and d orme and displayed their uninf y pirac cons wild by some of which was even fueled theories. A sampling:

Although, it’s tough to tell. Mark Mulder “earned” a World Series ring as a member of the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals even though he pitched zero innings in the playoffs. In fact, he pitched his last game that season on Aug. 29. So, maybe what the Golf Channel meant was that Mulder sits in the clubhouse while Jeff Weaver golfs for him…and he’s really good.

Sometimes Twitter is vague.

r cub “As a Cub fan I love it. They pass on a forme he who whipped them every way possible when their played and certain member of the hall. Now your With Tony. ces repla 2nd rate former catcher won’t move Albert will play for Ozzie Guillen!! Cubs .” come win in 12 but Cards will be dead for yrs to ar “Could you imagine if in Matheny’s first regul l geria mana his of season game, in the first inning career gets another concussion! LOL”

walk” “We’ll see how he does when has to “walk the ge avera an was He ger. mana and “talk the talk.” as a .” house club the catcher at best and talked a lot in

on!!”

“Its all about money—cards lowballed this positi a “Matheny was a disgrace to baseball and had due s Giant the terrible work ethic. He retired from paid to laziness. He faked a concussion to get early n, medical leave. He claimed he got a concussio . ssible impo is which , from a foul tip to the mask a such up pick to Terrible move by the Cards here selfish and weak player.”

“Well, heck...as long as he’s got Jim ‘roid boy’ Edmonds endorsement, that should be good enough for everyone.”

, When it comes to random steroids references of icions accusations of frugality and even susp s fabricated head injuries, message board goon never disappoint.

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HEALTH AND FITNESS

Off-Season Programing for High School Pitchers

By Dale Huff, BS, CSCS minutes going over the home program our pitchers are completing on their off days 3 times week during our first month. The exercises promote power endurance in the rotator cuff, scapular stabilizers with a bit of thoracic mobility and core stability sprinkled in. We review the program weekly and can tell by athlete technique and their knowledge of the program who has been doing their homework. The goal, just like a dynamic warm-up is grooving these neuromuscular patterns and mastering proper technique. In addition, key philosophies related to bracing and directing neuronal overflow are taught.

F

or the last month we have had the pleasure of working with 24 of the best Junior and Senior pitchers in the area working with the St. Louis Pirates, Coach Brian DeLunas and their Pirates Baseball Development camp. This isn’t our first group of pitchers that we have trained, however, it is our most seasoned group, allowing us to be pretty aggressive with their conditioning program. Although much of what we are doing isn’t for publication we do want to share some concepts for younger pitchers.

Shut it Down- from November through late December our pitchers are not throwing the ball at all. Instead, we are working on arm care, core power-endurance and lower body powerendurance. A vague description of our program includes a pitcher’s specific dynamic warm up and an arm care program. For power development , medicine balls, resistance bands and bodyweight forged the majority of our program.

All Encompassing- if you are doing an off-season or pre-season program be sure that the pitching coach is versed in strength and conditioning and there is an expert strength and conditioning partner such as Athletic Republic. The program should be formatted in a way that there is a plan for progressing both the pitching and conditioning program. There should be an evaluation that considers everything from posture, active flexibility, and power measures such as vertical jump and medicine ball throws.

Skip the Traditional Strength Training Programs- Flat barbell bench press might just be the worst thing a pitcher can do. Add in a set up dips and some shoulder presses and you are really off base for what constitutes a helpful strength program for a pitcher. Body building style exercises trying to isolate certain muscle groups are truly counter-productive to improving a pitcher’s velocity and arm/shoulder health. Generally speaking, this type of exercise is a risky waste of time and energy that could be put toward improving dynamic flexibility, developing total body power and building a more athletic pitcher.

Arm Care Programming- Day one should focus on two things- evaluating the athletes and teaching them their arm care program. In our camp with the Pirates, we spend about 40

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Power Development Concepts- in our training programs we sneak in small cues that maybe the pitcher won’t even relate to pitching. If you are going to spend the time doing the work, learn the secrets that will make the medicine ball throws, Olympic style lifts and plyometrics transfer to the diamond even more. Elastic energy works better under the right tension, stiffness, timing and execution and, this can be enhanced through proper training and cueing.

Nutrition for Power Athletes- all pitchers should be considered power athletes and should eat in a manner to promote lean body mass accumulation and muscle recovery. See a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition to develop a nutrition program for weight gain.

As you can see, the perfect off-season conditioning program for pitchers has a lot of moving parts to consider. Recovery, arm care, power development and proper nutrition are key components, but the secret is getting all the various components organized and managed under one roof. One without the other lessens results while too much of one area without enough of another (recovery for example) can lead to injury and overuse. Athletic Republic offers speed and agility programs, as well as individualized strength and conditioning programs for specialized athletes such as pitchers. v Dale Huff, CSCS is co-owner of Athletic RepublicSt. Louis and NutriFormance Sports Nutrition services.

Dale can be reached at daleh@nutriformance.com for additional information.

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Lance Berkman

sports personality of the year MAC Jack Buck Sports Awards

B y R ob R ains

L

ast February, Lance Berkman hadn’t even unpacked his bag yet, but as he sat in front of his new locker in the Cardinals’ spring training clubhouse in Jupiter, Fla., he had already had begun working for his new employer.

With a cup of coffee in hand, Berkman moved around the room shaking hands, joking with old friends and meeting those he didn’t know. With each greeting, laughter followed almost instantaneously.

When the Cardinals signed Berkman to a 2011 contract, they fully expected he would immediately take on a leadership role with the team and be instrumental in improving the atmosphere within the clubhouse. It didn’t take long to see that that would indeed be the case.

“I do enjoy the interaction with my teammates,” said Berkman. “I think that’s one thing that’s special to me about this particular team; we just enjoy each other’s company. It’s just a great group of guys.”

Beginning on that first February morning in Florida and continuing through Game 7 of the World Series, Berkman played a leading role – on and off the field – in helping the Cardinals win their 11th World Championship.

While his contributions on the field can be measured by normal baseball statistics, what Berkman did behind the scenes proved to be just as critical in earning him the honor of becoming the Missouri Athletic Club’s 2011 Sports Personality of the Year.

Since the M.A.C. began handing out the award in 1970, the list of former Cardinals who have been named Sports Personality of the Year reads like a who’s who of the team’s greatest players over the past 40 years. Berkman, the 18th Cardinal in that span, is definitely worthy of being added to a list that began with Bob Gibson and has included Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Whitey Herzog, Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

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It is the latest honor to come Berkman’s way regarding a season that he admits marked a crossroads of sorts for his career; he was coming off his worst-ever season in the major leagues in 2010, a season that saw him traded from his original team, the Astros, and embarrassed by how he played.

Berkman knew that another season like 2010, especially at age 35, could very well put the finishing touches on his career. He felt good about signing with the Cardinals, choosing them over several other offers, because he was already friends with several of the veterans on the team, and he honestly thought the club had a good chance to win in 2011.

He also realized the Cardinals were gambling on him returning to the form he had displayed in the past by asking him to move back to right field, a position he had not played regularly in years, and hoping he also could find the offensive success of past seasons. He was so determined to make it a successful year and to make a successful transition back to the outfield that he hired a personal trainer and worked harder that winter than he had for years. He lost weight, lowered his body fat percentage and regained some of his self-confidence.

He arrived at spring training in the

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best physical shape he had been in for quite some time, making him even more determined to erase the bad memories of his 2010 season.

“It doesn’t take long for people to move on to the next page, so to speak, in the game and say, ‘Well, he’s lost it,’ so you’re never heard from again,” said Berkman. “You see it happen all the time.

I wasn’t thinking that I had to come back and prove people wrong; that wasn’t my attitude at all. I know that’s part of the business.”

What Berkman did want, however, was to have fun playing the game again.

He wanted to find the joy in the sport that he had experienced ever since he first picked up a bat and ball as a small boy growing up in Texas.

It helped Berkman’s confidence, as well as the confidence of the fans and the people around him, when he got off to a hot start in April, twice winning League Player of the Week honors and projecting that he would once again hit the way he had during the first 10 years of his career with the Astros.

Berkman knew that one of the major reasons for his early success was that he was once again healthy. In 2010, he underwent knee surgery shortly before spring training and never felt 100 percent the entire year – a year in which he had the worst offensive numbers of

his career, including a .248 average and only 14 homers.

That was not going to be the case in 2011. Berkman followed up that hot start by going on to hit 31 homers, driving in 94 runs and hitting .301. He also added another trophy to his mantel after being named the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year.

There is not an official award for teammate of the year, but if there were, Berkman probably would have taken home that honor, as well.

“He was the perfect guy for our team,” said second baseman Skip Schumaker.

“He was even more than we hoped for.”

Wainwright was one of the Cardinals who lobbied hard for General Manager John Mozeliak to sign Berkman as a free agent before the season began.

Wainwright and Berkman had become good friends through an outreach program for Christian athletes, and Wainwright was confident that Berkman would produce positive results in the Cardinals’ clubhouse and on the field.

The addition of Berkman also fit with some of the changes Mozeliak wanted to make to the chemistry of his team, changes that also included adding veterans Ryan Theriot and Gerald Laird over the winter.

“Part of the rationale to bring him in was the type of person he is,” Mozeliak told Sports Illustrated. “I thought there were some things we could do a little different in the clubhouse in terms of the culture.”

Even though the clubhouse was a much friendlier place than it had been in the past, and even though Berkman was having a terrific season, it seemed for much of the year that his goal of coming to St. Louis because he thought the Cardinals were a World Series-caliber club was not going to be realized.

As the season reached August, the Cardinals found themselves with a double-digit deficit in the playoff race, and most observers already were talking about next year. As the trading deadline approached, there were teams that

were much more in playoff contention than the Cardinals that inquired about Berkman, including the Texas Rangers.

Berkman, who had gone through the feeling of being a “rental” player for the Yankees for the final two months of 2010, hated that feeling. He understood why teams were talking to the Cardinals, but he also knew St. Louis had some interest in bringing him back for the 2012 season. He politely told Mozeliak that if he was traded, there would be no way he would re-sign with the Cardinals.

The decision was made. Berkman stayed, and the mad and unlikely run to the World Championship began.

Somewhere along the way, Berkman signed a contract to return to the Cardinals next season.

The fact that the crazy dash the last two months of the season was such a team effort, with different heroes every night, made the Cardinals’ success even that much more enjoyable for Berkman.

“If I’d won it with the Yankees, you’re a rental player and don’t have as much invested,” he said. “It would have been neat, but I don’t think it would have been nearly as sweet as winning it like this.

“Go down the list, call out names and everybody’s played a role in this. That’s why this is so special. We truly are a great team. I really in my heart believe that the best team won the World Series.”

Doing it in the manner in which they did – by coming back from a 3-2 deficit against the Rangers and twice being only one strike away from elimination in Game 6 – was a feeling that Berkman hopes he never forgets.

While hometown third baseman David Freese captured the headlines that night for his game-winning home run in the 11th inning, it was Berkman who came through with the two-out, two-strike single in the 10th that tied the game and kept the Rangers from spraying champagne all around the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium.

Berkman, who had been the Cardinals’ best hitter in the World Series, was calm as he stepped up to the plate.

“I figured I was in a no-lose situation,” explained Berkman. “If you don’t come through right there, it’s only one at-bat and it’s over with. They might talk about it for a couple of days, but it’s not that big a deal. If you come through, then if I don’t come through tomorrow, I can be like, ‘Well, I came through in Game 6, what do you want from me?’”

Berkman’s single to center kept the Cardinals alive for another inning of what quickly became a game for the ages, a game fans will remember as one of the most exciting World Series games ever.

“When you are down to your last strike, no one is ever thinking ‘This is great,’” said Berkman. “But, this is as great a game as I’ve ever played in. But

Go down the list, call out names and everybody’s played a role in this.

That’s why this is so special. We truly are a great team. I really in my heart believe that the best team won the World Series.

– Lance Berkman

it only becomes a great game if you end up winning it. I think I will appreciate it more and more as I get further away from it.

“This was an ugly game for about six or seven innings, but then it got beautiful in a hurry.”

Winning Game 6 forced the series to a seventh game, which the Cardinals won with much less drama than the previous night’s game. That was just fine with Berkman and the rest of his teammates.

Although Freese was named the World Series MVP, Berkman actually hit for a higher average against the Rangers, .423, and drove in five runs during the first winning World Series of his career.

As he stood on the field surrounded by his teammates and their families, Berkman was all smiles.

“I love it because of who I did it with,” said Berkman. “I’m crazy about this team.”

What nobody knew that night, of course, was that just two days later, immediately following the championship parade and rally at Busch Stadium, Berkman and his teammates would get the surprising news that La Russa was retiring.

Already signed to come back to St. Louis for 2012, Berkman was caught off guard. The more he thought about it, however, the more fitting it became that La Russa went out on top after winning the third World Series of his career.

Berkman is not quite ready to join La Russa in retirement, but he knows he is much closer to the end of his career than he is to the beginning. When that day finally comes, he will be able to look back and remember how truly special his 2011 was.

After all they had gone through, Berkman and his teammates knew that the only way this season could end was with a Cardinals victory. That is exactly what happened, and it’s why nobody will be able to knock the smile off of Berkman’s face for a long time to come. v Rob Rains is the co-host of The Sports Zone from 1–3 p.m. Monday through Friday on SportsRadio 1380

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The Legend of

Big Walt B y brittney french

MAC Jack Buck Sports Awards

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eith “Big Walt” Tkachuk is a true legend in the National Hockey League. He is known as one of the greatest hockey players of all time; during his 19 seasons in the NHL, Tkachuk racked up a total of 538 career goals, a milestone only three other American-born hockey players have ever achieved, not to mention 1,065 points, 527 assists and 2,219 penalty minutes in 1,201 regular season games.

While his illustrious career is what earned him the Missouri Athletic Club’s 2011 Legend Award, a prestigious honor given to an outstanding athlete or coach in the St. Louis area, it’s something Tkachuk never expected to win. In fact, Tkachuk never thought he’d play professional hockey for a living.

“Fifteen years ago, I didn’t think I would be where I am today,” said Tkachuk. “I never imagined making it to the NHL and having the chance to play my favorite sport as a job. As a kid, you always wish to go pro, and I dreamt about playing for the Boston Bruins.”

Growing up, Tkachuk’s life revolved around hockey. The Melrose, Mass. native began his career at Malden Catholic High School in Malden, Mass. before going on to play collegiate hockey at Boston University.

During his time with the Boston U. Terriers, Tkachuk was drafted in the first round (19th overall) of the 1990 NHL entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets. He made his debut with the team on Feb.28, 1992, after returning home from the U.S. Olympics.

“I can’t even remember my first NHL game because I had so much adrenaline at the time,” said Tkachuk. “I was so nervous and excited that I finally had a chance, and all I remember thinking was ‘this is it.’”

With the Jets, Tkachuk was soon recognized as a savvy forward who was able to handle the puck. He became one of the Jets’ top scorers, especially during the 1995-96 season, where he finished first in goals (50), assists (48), points (98), power play goals (20), game-winning goals (6), shots (249) and plus/minus (+11).

In 1996, the Jets relocated to Phoenix, Ariz., where Tkachuk became the first captain of the Coyotes. During that season, Tkachuk posted a career-best of 52 goals and made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game. His success on the ice continued through the 199798 season, and he again lead his team in goals, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals and shots, earning him his second consecutive All-Star appearance.

Before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2001, Big Walt played five seasons with Phoenix. There, he made three AllStar appearances and ranked second among the franchise in all-time goals (323) and first in penalty minutes (1,508).

Upon arriving in St. Louis, Tkachuk quickly became a fan favorite because of his goal-scoring abilities. During his first full three seasons with the Blues, he scored more than 30 goals, and he totaled more than 70 points in two of those three seasons. Tkachuk provided invaluable leadership qualities, often being credited as the veteran who mentored players we root for today, such as David Backes.

After spending six seasons with the Blues, Tkachuk’s time in St. Louis was interrupted when he was traded during the 2006-07 season to the Atlanta Thrashers. After a brief stint there, in 2008, he made his way back to St. Louis for three more seasons.

On April 7, 2010, Big Walt announced his retirement and played his final NHL game two days later against the Anaheim Ducks, ending a 10-year career with the Blues and a 19-year career in the league.

“I can’t even think of the word to describe my feelings during that last game,” said Tkachuk. “I was numb. That day is something I will always cherish and remember forever. Being in St. Louis for my last game was a fitting farewell.”

Throughout his career, Tkachuk earned numerous awards and benchmarks. He had five NHL All Star Game Appearances (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009); played in 1,000 games (as of Dec. 1, 2007); earned 1,000 career points (as of Nov. 30, 2008); scored 500 career goals (as of April 6, 2008) and he played for the U.S. during the 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, as well as the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He helped the U.S. win the

World Cup Championship in 1996, and in 2001 he led the Blues to the Western Conference finals.

Out of all his achievements, Tkachuk’s most notable—for now—is being inducted this month into the 39th annual United States Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2011 with Chris Chelios, Mike Emrick, Ed Snider and Gary Suter, all of whom played crucial roles in the United States’ 1996 World Cup of Hockey victory over Canada in Montreal.

“This is such a unique class, and I’m so honored and lucky to be inducted with these guys,” said Tkachuk.

Today, Tkachuk lives in St. Louis with his wife, Chantal, and three children, Matthew, Braeden and Taryn. He is currently an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues Peewee AAA hockey team.

He will most likely be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible in 2013. v

This is such a unique class, and I’m so honored and lucky to be inducted with these guys.

– Kieth Tkachuk

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Statham Awarded

carl o. bauer award B y K eith P arker photo courtesy of mckendree university

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ach year, the Missouri Athletic Club honors a top amateur sports figure with the Carl O. Bauer Award. Named after the MAC’s Athletic Director from 1917-1962, the award has previously honored the likes of Kellen Winslow, Jackie JoynerKersee, Larry Hughes, Chase Daniel, Ed Hightower and Mark Edwards. This year, the honor goes to McKendree University Head Basketball Coach Harry Statham.

Currently coaching his 46th season, Statham is the only men’s coach in college basketball history at the fouryear level of any division to reach the 1,000-win mark, making him the all-time wins leader in men’s college

basketball history. At press time, he had reached 1,047 career victories.

Over the course of his storied career, Statham has led the Bearcats to postseason play 40 times in 45 seasons, has an average of 23 wins per season and has led his team to 20 or more wins 35 different times. He has coached in more than 1,440 collegiate games, which surpassed the record established by former Mount St. Mary’s coach Jim Phelan.

After leading the Bearcat program to 12 American Midwest Conference Championships and 15 appearances at the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championships, Statham will take on a new challenge of leading

McKendree through its transition towards NCAA Division II membership. The Bearcats will become full members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference for the 2013-14 season.

In addition to coaching at McKendree, Statham served as the school’s athletic director from 1966 to 2010. Under Statham’s leadership, the number of athletic programs the school offered grew from just a handful of offerings to its current total of 20 intercollegiate sports.

Statham’s career accomplishments and achievements were recognized with his 1998 induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame. He is also a 1987 inductee into the IBCA-NAIA Hall of Fame. v

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A Year in SIUE Athletics

By Joe Pott

As

the holidays approach, many of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville’s athletic programs are able to look back on successful seasons.

Last season, the women’s basketball team pushed future conference foe Eastern Illinois to the brink in a home game on Jan. 6, falling in overtime to the Panthers 84-78; the Cougars had clawed back from a 17-point second half deficit to force extra time.

“There are so many positives, and it’s just unfortunate for our team that they didn’t come out on top in a game like this,” said SIUE Head Coach Amanda Levens after the game.

Just two days later, the men’s basketball team used extra time to complete a 94-85 win over fellowreclassifying school South Dakota at home. The game was the third overtime game of the year for the men, which tied the school record for overtime games in a season. SIUE hit 14 of 16 free throws during overtime to earn the win.

“We played with excitement and energy,” Men’s Head Coach Lennox Forrester said at the time. “A big key was making free throws tonight. When you’re up and they’re going to put you on the line, that’s big.”

February brought the beginning of spring sports at SIUE and the first opportunity for a Cougar team to compete for an Ohio Valley Conference championship. Softball began its first season as a fully certified Division I team with a bang, pushing top-ranked and defending-National Champion UCLA to nine innings before falling 3-2 to the Bruins.

Head Coach Sandy Montgomery considered the game a watershed for SIUE. “This is a great statement for our institution that we are trying to put ourselves in a position to compete,” Montgomery said after the game.“I think we made the statement that we can do that. I think it brought a lot of notoriety to our campus. I couldn’t be prouder of my team.”

SIUE softball finished its regular season with a win over Austin Peay on May 8 to finish 28-28 overall. The Cougars’ 19-11 mark in conference play was good enough for a spot in the conference tournament in the first year of eligibility, and they earned the fourth seed in the postseason tournament.

With March came a new beginning for Cougar baseball. After beginning the season 1-11, SIUE came home and began to turn the season around. The Cougars swept Chicago State in a threegame series that breathed new life into SIUE’s season; they raced through March and April and followed their poor start with a torrid finish. SIUE baseball stormed to a 27-13 record to finish the year 28-24, securing the Cougars’ first winning season since 2007. Senior pitcher Spencer Patton, who finished 9-3 with a team-best 2.55 ERA, was a big factor in that winning season; when he was recently drafted in the 30th round by the Kansas City Royals, he became the first Cougar to be drafted since 2007.

The season culminated in Head Coach Gary Collins’ one thousandth win on May 20 in the second game of a double-header sweep of OVC foe Eastern Kentucky. The Cougars finished

the year 15-4 against the conference, including a perfect 10-0 mark at home in games against the OVC. A busy summer of preparation included hiring a new volleyball coach, Leah Johnson, and the fall season brought the first opportunity for the rest of SIUE’s sports to compete in a full Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

Volleyball and women’s soccer each finished successful seasons in 2011, and women’s soccer earned a 1-0 win at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 30, tying the Cougars for sixth in the OVC standings with a 4-5 record. Sophomore Meagan Iffrig from Incarnate Word Academy earned Second Team All-OVC honors.

Teammate Michelle Auer, a freshman from Notre Dame High School, was selected to the league’s All-Newcomer team.

Men’s soccer capped its second season in the MVC with its second consecutive appearance in the conference championships. Senior defender Ryan Wilhelm from CBC was named to the All-MVC first team. SLUH grad Jack Twellman, another senior, was named to the second team after leading the team with nine goals and three assists. Matt Polster and Scott Meyer were both given Honorable Mention.

As 2011 comes to a close, men’s and women’s basketball will each begin competition in the OVC for the first time. Without a doubt, 2012 will be a banner year for SIUE as the school looks forward to a summer that includes full certification to NCAA Division I status. v

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Whitfield’s Zach Ellis attempts to work off the pressure of Cardinal Ritter’s Bobbie Ward.

Hitting the Hardwood, High School Style

By Jim Powers

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McCluer North continued to keep the Class 5 title in the eastern part of the state last year by going through a playoff run that included beating Chaminade, an effort that was led by Bradley Beal, in the state quarterfinals at UMSL. The Stars graduated thair leading scorer, B.J.Young, but they return a solid group led by senior forward Jordan Granger.

Granger, who is headed for Auburn next year, will be counted on to lead this group back to Mizzou Arena. Still, they face a lot of stiff competition to get there this season.

Jay Blossom and the Statesmen of Webster Groves are poised to have another great year. The team has won 10 straight conference championships and has a 73-game conference winning streak intact heading into the 2011-2012 season. The Statesmen will need big years from senior guards Rayshawn Simmons and Demetrius Robinson to keep that streak alive. The team is coming off a successful 2011 season that saw them lose to Chaminade in the district finals in what many believe to be one of the best games that we have seen in the Metro area in many years.

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photo courtesy of paul kopsky

ast year, the St. Louis area saw three teams become State Champions: McCluer North, Incarnate Word and St. Dominic’s girls all capped off their years with the top spot in the state. The question for this year is: “Can the teams in the St. Louis area repeat their success from last year?”

Sullivan’s Kaitlynn Hill (21) and Eureka’s Alex Hillyer battle for a rebound.

photo courtesy of paul kopsky

Marquette is a team that has been on the brink of great things over the past few years under Head Coach Shane Matzen, but this may be the breakthrough year with senior post player Ryan Rosberg.

The post player, who will be attending Mizzou next season, dominated the paint last season when the Mustangs won their first district title under Matzen. Rosberg averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds a game during his junior season and has great touch on his jumper.

One of the bright spots in the smaller classes will be Soldan. Former St. Louis University great Justin Tatum has brought this program back to the forefront in the area and is showing that there is still great basketball being played in the Public High League.

Tatum guided the Tigers to the state Final Four the past two years. This year, he is expecting big things from senior guard Paul McRoberts, who returns after leading the team by scoring 17 points per game and who is one of the leading three-point shooters in the area. Senior guard Pete Sanders also returns after averaging 15 points per game.

Another team to watch in Class 3 is Lutheran North. Head Coach Brent Rueter has put the Crusaders in the Show-Me Showdown many times during his career at North, but he is excited about this year’s squad. Senior guard James Mitchell returns along with

junior guard Anthony Virdure. Last season, Virdure paced the Crusaders by averaging 15.3 points per game and by hitting 40 percent from three-point land. Mitchell added 10.3 points per game, getting to the free throw line more than 100 times and leading the team in rebounds with nearly eight per contest.

On the girl’s side this year, some things are not going to change. Incarnate Word, St. Joe’s and St. Dominic’s should all be strong contenders for state titles this season as they all return player’s from last year’s teams that all made it to Mizzou Arena.

IWA returns a solid core group, including senior post player and Purdue recruit Taylor Manuel, that will look to get their third straight state title. Manuel, who only played half the season last year, led the way with 12 points per game and is a solid force inside for Dan Rolfes and the Red Knights.

Nakiah Bell will run the show for IWA as a sophomore. She is a tremendous floor Jordan Granger leader and knows photo courtesy of paul kopsky

St. Joseph’s Maddie Stock (center) splits Rockhurst defenders Lindsey Cunningham (left) and Emily Holt for a layup.

the game. Plus, she can light it up from beyond the arc.

St. Joe’s is another team that is returning a great core of players that made it to the Final Four last season.

Head coach Julie Matheny will be relying on the Stock twins, Maddie and Morgan, as well as Stephanie Stepanovich, to put the Angels back in the mix for a State Championship. Another player who returns is junior Erin Nelson. Together, the four top starters for the Angels averaged more than 50 points per game last season. Plus, they are playing a brutal schedule that includes games against Bollingbrook (Ill.) and IWA in late January.

At St. Dominic, Suzie Mennemeier returns six lettermen and three starters from last season’s Class 4 State Championship team that went undefeated. Kelly Schneiders is the returning leading scorer from last year, but she is not alone. Lauren Needham will be looked upon to fill the shoes of Jennifer Rocha, who was the leader of the Crusaders offense for the past four years.

It is going to be another great year of hoops in the Metro area, and Grand Slam Sports will have you covered every Friday night with the High School Sports Caravan from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. v

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o o t k l a t e t a tailg The Must-Have Holiday Album

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ow that the holiday season has officially arrived, it’s time to toss out the old Bing Crosby albums and shelve the Andy Williams collection, because we’ve got the Christmas album that every St. Louis Sports Fan should have in their CD case (we’ve heard some people still use those).

It’s long overdue, but it’s finally here - local sports media, athletes coaches and personalities come together to celebrate the holidays with St. Louis Sings the Holiday Classics - Par t 2. No compilation will ever top this lineup of instant classics.

FAN

BY JOESPORTS

BREAKING NEWZ: >> Blues new coach seen as best St. Louis sports figure named Hitchcock since Cardinals acquired Sterling in 2003 >> Matheny considers wearing tinted glasses in dugout during 2012 season to honor La Russa’s legacy >> David Freese to make appearance at Cardinals Winter Warmup in Pope-mobile >> several nerdy Mizzou fans upset upon hearing Tigers are not joining Securities and Exchange Commission >> Man named Multiple Sources says he’s sick of being linked to Cardinals offseason rumors >> Rams intrigued by this Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator as future head coaching candidate

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MOre from sebek & bacott

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Beginner Tips for SEC Tailgating With formal announcement of Mizzou’s move to the SEC finally being released last month, we figure it’s never too early to start getting Tiger fans prepped for the most important aspect of SEC football - tailgating.

Failing to experience an elaborate tailgate at an SEC game is the equivalent of going to a 5-star restaurant and only ordering dessert. It’s much better to take in the whole thing. With that in mind, we scoured resources on the web and compiled some beginner tips for Mizzou’s faithful to start getting ready for future football seasons in their new conference: Get Your RV // Cars are for Big 12 schlubs. The SEC is where “recreational vehicles” earn their name. If you can’t get your hands on a quality RV, just find something with enough room to hold your coolers, grill, supplies, chairs, televisions and, most importantly, the couch you (or Gary Pinkel) will be sleeping on in the parking lot in your drunken post-game haze.

Don’t Forget Your Tickets // It’s a simple tip that applies to every sporting event you’ve ever been to, but trust me, if you drive 1,000 miles to Gainesville, Fla. only to watch the rest of the crowd head into The

Swamp while you try to adjust the signal on your 19” Sanyo because you can’t get in, it will be worse.

Score a Campus Map // Find the parking lot that opens the earliest, the best route to the stadium, the spot that will feature the most girls in sun dresses to ogle, the ideal angle that maximizes the signal to the dish you’ll have installed on your vehicle and so on. It’s all about logistics, people.

Don’t Forget Reading Material // If the three jalapeno brats that you ate at 9:15 that morning send you to an extended stay in the port-o-potty, you might as well bring something to read that helps enhance your new hobby. We’d suggest “Tailgaters Guide to the SEC” to polish up your skills.

Get Your Days Vacation Scheduled Now // Now that Mizzou has joined the big leagues, fellow fans in your office might be checking the schedule when it’s released to see if they want to make any road trips. Little did they know that you just scheduled off for every Friday from August through January in 2012…and 2013.

Secure Your Tent // You never know when a gust of wind will come through the

parking lot, take down your tent and toss your food and beverages onto the asphalt. And by “gust of wind” we mean “drunken meatheads rooting for the other team.”

We’re just scratching the surface here, so don’t expect to be on the same level as tailgating meccas like LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama anytime soon. But, we promise it will be fun to try.

You’re granted the authority to choose the next St. Louis sports figure to receive a statue, where the statue will go and what pose the statue will memorialize. Who are you choosing? Go. Frankly, I’m getting sick and tired of statues being reserved for players who physically excelled in their respective sport. Sure, a

that reason, I’m constructing a statue outside Busch Stadium that doesn’t pay tribute to any one person, but rather, a collective

presence of muscle, height and brawn looks

attribute that embodies the tenacity and perseverance of these

better immortalized in bronze, but it’s just not

individuals. We’re talking scrappy here, folks.

fair for those tenacious little athletes who

I’m calling it Mount Scrapmore and it will be molded from

made considerable contributions amongst

Ivory soap because (1) it ironically pays tribute to filthy jerseys, (2)

the brutes.

soap contrasts to the magnificence of bronze and (3) it’s white.

This rings incredibly true for the St. Louis

Carved in Mount Scrapmore are four pioneers in the Cardinals’

Cardinals, whose list of underprivileged

movement to employ extremely gritty baseball players: Rex

participants is long and distinguished. For

Hudler, Bo Hart, Joe McEwing and David Eckstein.

It may be just the emotion swirling around after his post-Series ride into the sunset, but with my new power, I’m officially commissioning a statue of Mr. Tony La Russa outside of Busch.

He’s got the resume and there’s no doubt that he’ll be headed into Cooperstown in five years, so those boxes are checked. The tinted glasses will be recreated to perfection considering the entire statue will be bronze.

It’s the pose that will make this one special.

Sure,

we could have Tony captured in his tradition position standing in the corner of the dugout, but there’s nothing exciting about that. Let’s bring some personality into this beauty. And by personality , I mean animals.

Picture it now, standing proudly next to Gibby uncorking a fastball and Lou Brock slapping a base hit; Tony La Russa snuggling up with a special friend.

Baseball genius. Pet lover. Legend.

d e c e m b e r 2011

41

HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

photo courtesy of paul kopsky

High School Girls Basketball is in Good Hands By Jim Powers

O

ver the past 10 years, the growth of girls basketball in the St. Louis area has exploded with great players and teams. One of the teams that has set the bar high in the state of Missouri is Incarnate Word Academy. Head Coach Dan Rolfes is a major reason that IWA has taken to new heights in the state. Coming off of backto-back Class 5 State Championships the past two years, Rolfes has earned the Grand Slam Sports High School Coach of the Year award for 2011.

Rolfes began his coaching career at St. Louis University, where he was an assistant coach for four years. He was then named the girls basketball head coach at Rosary High School, where he stayed for two years before moving to IWA. During his 13 years of coaching, Rolfes has racked up an impressive 327-55 record, which is one of the best percentages in the state. He has won three state championships in his career, he has garnered three Missouri Coach of the Year awards and he was the WBCA High School All-American Coach in 2010. In the 11 years that Rolfes has been coaching girls basketball at IWA, the team has been ranked in the Top 25 in the USA Today poll six times.

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IWA’s schedule is a tough one this season; they shy away from no one.

They like to play the best of the best, not only in the state of Missouri, but in the Midwest. By playing against teams like Chicago Whitney Young, going on a trip to Hawaii to play some of the best teams in the country and annually battling with St. Louis’ St. Joe’s Academy, Fort Zumwalt West, Visitation Academy and Nerix Hall, IWA’s program is constantly battle-tested.

Rolfes has led IWA on an incredible run during the past two seasons, but last year’s championship might be the most gratifying of the three that he has won at the school. The Red Knights defeated Blue Springs 59-49 to win the Class 5 State Championship in backto-back years. Just as impressive is that three of the team’s four losses came to the other three teams that joined them in the Final Four: St. Joseph Academy, Webb City and Blue Springs.

“When we saw the bracket and who we would play in the Final Four, we knew that there was a sense of urgency,” said Rolfes. “Our kids were more focused in the state Final Four, and that made a big difference.”

One of the other things that stands out about Rolfes and the IWA program is how many of the team’s former players have moved on to play in college. In the 11 years that Rolfes has been the Red Knights’ head coach, 27 players have moved on to play college ball, with 16 of them playing Division 1 hoops.

The players who have played for Rolfes and who have moved on have set the bar high and have laid the blueprint for how to get to that level.

Rolfes is also proud of former IWA hoops star Felicia Chester, who was drafted 14th overall in the 2011 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Chester played her college career at DePaul and is a testament to what Rolfes’ players can accomplish.

The bar has been raised in the state of Missouri for girls basketball, and it is only going to get higher. Rolfes is leading that charge, and with the names of Julie Matheny at St. Joe’s, Monica Tritz at Fort Zumwalt West, Mike Slater at Nerix and John Neff at Cor Jesu Academy, local girls basketball is in safe hands and will be exciting to watch for many years to come. v

Christian and World-Class Introducing Our New Location in Town & Country

800 Maryville Centre Drive • Town & Country, MO 63017 314.997.2900 • www.wcastl.org • facebook.com/westminsterchristianacademy • twitter.com/wcastl d e c e m b e r 2011

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ASK DR. RICK

U.S. Center for Sports Medicine 333 South Kirkwood Road Saint Louis, Missouri 63122 PH: 314.909.1666 x FX: 314.909.6513

Kidney stones The number one cause for kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Throughout my orthopedic career, we have always told our athletes how important it is to rehydrate by replenishing fluids and by drinking not just when it’s hot out. With older athletes, one of the most common problems is a lack of replenishment.

So what happens when you don’t replenish or drink enough water when you are training for a marathon, play 18 holes of golf or are out on the tennis court all day? Well, one of the most prevalent problems is the development of kidney stones. Kidney stones occur when older athletes are dehydrated and are not sufficiently hydrating. The most common symptom of kidney stones is sudden, severe pain. When a kidney stone initially forms, it is usually painfree. Most commonly, athletes find out they have kidney stones when they get sudden, severe pain, which is often characterized as the worst pain in medicine.

When the kidney stone travels from the kidneys to the bladder, the opening is small; when the kidney stone dilates the opening, severe pain occurs. Older athletes can have pain in the side, in the groin and can have stomach pain. Also, their urine usually turns red or dark pink.

Vomiting commonly occurs, and it is difficult to ambulate when the severe pain hits.

Normally, someone with kidney stones will be transported to the emergency room and X-rays or a CT scan is ordered along with a urine test. A urine test will identify blood in the urine, and the X-ray and CT scan will confirm the location and size of the stone. Pain medicine is normally administered, and the athlete will then go through the process of either trying to pass the stone or have the stone removed.

If the stone is too big to pass and it is above the pelvic prim, lithotripsy is recommended.

Lithotripsy is when shockwaves are used to break the stone up into small pieces so it can be passed. If the stone progresses below the pelvic brim and cannot pass, it is removed and a small flexible tube is placed in the ureter to keep the area open.

When the stone passes, it is generally very painful, and it is important to make sure that the stone has, in fact, passed. If the stone doesn’t pass, a process called hydronephrosis can cause damage to the kidney; increased pressure can cause harm to the kidney itself.

Once you have had a kidney stone, there is greater likelihood of a recurrence, so it is very important to hydrate and to drink a minimum of eight to 10 glasses of water or replacement liquids each day. It is also very important to see a urologist immediately if you are experiencing pain. Kidney stones in older athletes appear to be common and extremely painful, and again, my mantra of “hydration, hydration, hydration” is extremely important.

ASK THE DOCTOR Dear Dr. Rick: Lately, I’ve had pain when I roll over on my shoulder at night trying to sleep. This has been going on for about two months. Can you please tell me what this could be? Thanks. – James H., Chesterfield, Mo. James, what you’re describing most commonly occurs when there is either an impingement or damage to the rotator cuff. Night pain is very common with shoulder problems, and if this has been going on for two months, you need to see your physician and explain to them that you are having night pain and pain whenever you roll over on your shoulder. You also need tell your physician if

Do you have a question for Dr. Rick?

Please email it to rlehman@kfns.com

you are having pain during the day in your shoulder and what type of activities bother your shoulder. Go see your physician soon, and please keep us posted with your progress Dear Dr. Rick: When I wear high heels, I experience a great deal of pain in the front part of my knee. Do you have any idea what this could be? – Lauren R., Ellisville, Mo. Lauren, normally pain in the front part of the knee when wearing heels is caused by breakdown or some chondromalacia in the back of your kneecap. When you wear heels, pressure is increased in the front part of your knee, which causes patellofemoral overload and pain in the kneecap. I would tell you to begin wearing flat shoes, and if your pain does not resolve, you need to see your physician.

Monthly Medical Tip: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

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FROM THE MIND OF JC CORCORAN

Our Little Town

If

you’re like me, you can’t help but become reflective upon arriving at the startling realization that yet another year is coming to an end.

But, when it comes to the year in sports, that reflection when looking back at 2011 is not unlike the sensation one gets staring into a funhouse mirror. After all, this is the year in which a baseball game was delayed and a player removed from the line-up because a moth had flown through his ear canal and into his head.

Much earlier in my career, I spent a lot of time around college athletics; I covered everything from Judd Heathcote’s 1979 Michigan State championship team that featured Earvin “Magic” Johnson to John Thompson’s powerful Georgetown Hoyas of the early 1980s. The more I began to see of the seamy underbelly of the college sports world, the less I wanted to know. I concluded that when it came to “undesirables,” the people who control policy within the NCAA system fell somewhere on the scale between incurable lepers and curable lepers. I didn’t think anything could convert my already dismal view of collegiate athletics from total disgust to unbridled contempt.

Then came the Penn State story.

A Joe Paterno football program engulfed in scandal? Are you kidding me? What’s next, the discovery of a Mother Teresa sex tape? As more and

Follow JC’s career exploits, at jcontheline.com and mid-days on 550 KTRS

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more of the details emerged from a program that had long been the envy of the college football world, the situation at Penn State began to collapse faster than a cheerleader pyramid with Rosie O’Donnell as the top mount. Worse yet, with each passing day, it became more and more clear that what had been uncovered so far was just the tip of the iceberg.

In his last few years on this earth, my then-84-year-old father, who had spent more than a decade coaching young boys between the ages of 8 and 15 in baseball leagues on the south side of Chicago, was approached by locals in the small, northern Wisconsin community he retired in about coaching again. In one of the oddest conversations I have ever had with him, he confided that he was frightened to death by the idea because of the rash of accusations of impropriety directed at coaches who worked with young boys. In some cases, those accusations proved to be false and were filed by troubled individuals seeking attention. Still, what an incredibly sad commentary it was – a man with the skill, the time and the desire to work with kids who was scared out of helping.

When Mike Matheny got the call from the Cardinal brass informing him of the fact he’d been selected to become the Redbirds’ skipper, he was with a contingent of 14-yearold boys he’d taken to the Dominican Republic on a good, old-fashioned, “growin’ up” mission. There, the kids would dig ditches, clear rubble, feed hungry, impoverished families, offer service and even get in a little baseball here and there. And then there was Albert. In the middle of the quest for another world championship last October, not to mention the uncertainty of his much-scrutinized contractual situation, he hosted (in absentia this year) his annual prom for teenagers with Down Syndrome.

The troubling question is how many adults who might otherwise have been inclined to become coaches, mentors, “Big Brothers” or volunteers have we now lost in the process? How many will decide it’s just not worth the potential headache of having your every move scrutinized by self-appointed, over-zealous individuals who believe they’re “just looking out for the kids?” Don’t get me wrong – one of the biggest problems at Penn State seemed to be a general policy of looking the other way – but I’m afraid the pendulum is about to take a huge swing in the opposite direction on athletic fields and in locker rooms everywhere.

The moral of the story? As numbing as the Penn State story is, it’s worth noting that there are lots of good people doing good things on this planet every day. News organizations learned long ago that it’s bad news rather than good news that drives the media bus. It’s easy to make the mistake of believing most of the world is evil if you don’t look in enough of the right places.

For most of us, sports represent a little weekend diversion. Somehow, along the way, in what appears to be a growing number of instances, sports have turned into an unnatural obsession. In one small town in Pennsylvania, they have turned into an indescribable nightmare. But, right here in St. Louis, our own Matheny and Pujols are looking better and better with each passing day. v

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