America's Best Sports City

Did You Know?

In 1904, St. Louis hosted the Olympics on the campus of Washington University. It was the first time the Games were held on American soil. Hurdler George Coleman Poage became the first African-American to appear in Olympic competition and the 1904 Games were the first to award gold, silver and bronze medals.
In 1906 Brad Robinson of Saint Louis University threw the first-ever legal forward pass in football.
Two of the more renowned trophies in sports have their roots in St. Louis. In 1900, St. Louisan Dwight Davis came up with the idea to pit country against country on the tennis court. Tennis’ premier team competition is now of course known as the Davis Cup. In 1920, a local man named George H. Walker put up a trophy for competition between U.S. and British golfers. The Walker Cup, contested every other year, is still one of golf’s most treasured prizes.
The St. Louis Stars won back-to-back Negro National League Championships with legendary baseball Hall of Famer James "Cool Papa" Bell. According to the late Satchel Paige, Bell was so fast that he could turn out the lights and be in bed before the room was dark.
In 1944, the Cardinals and Browns (now the Baltimore Orioles) met in the World Series — the only time St. Louis experienced a "streetcar" series.
One of baseball’s all-time greats, Stan "The Man" Musial, played his entire career for the Cardinals. Musial, who still lives and works in St. Louis, won three MVP awards, made 24 All-Star Game appearances, collected 3,060 hits, and hit .331 for his career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969.
The Saint Louis University Billikens won the NIT in 1948.
With nine World Championships, the Cardinals have won more titles than any other National League team.
Five St. Louisans — Charlie Colombo, Frank Borghi, Gino Pariani, Harry Keough and "Pee Wee" Wallace -- were part of the U.S. soccer team that upset England in the 1950 World Cup.
On April 12, 1958, Bob Pettit scored 50 points for the St. Louis Hawks against the Celtics as the city captured its first and only NBA Championship.
St. Louis hosted golf’s1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive Country Club won by Gary Player. Bellerive also was the site of the 1992 PGA Championship won by Nick Price.
Saint Louis University has won 10 NCAA Division I soccer championships.
In Game One of the 1968 World Series against Detroit, Cardinals Hall of Famer Bob Gibson struck out a Series record 17 Tigers in one of the greatest postseason pitching performances.
St. Louis is home to the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum.
In their first three seasons (1968-70), the St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the 1973 NCAA Final Four at the St. Louis Arena, Bill Walton scored 44 points and made 21 of 22 shots leading UCLA to a national championship game victory over Memphis State.
From 1974-76 -- under head coach Don Coryell — the football Cardinals went 31-11 and won the NFC East in ’74 and ’75.
In the 1990-91 season, Brett Hull scored 86 goals for the Blues, the most ever by a right winger.
Individual Greatness: The St. Louis region has produced some of the world’s most talented athletes, including Olympic medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ray Armstead, Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, Sammie Henson, Tom Jager, Al Joyner, Wendy Williams, and Nikki Ziegelmeyer. Sprinter Ivory Crockett once held the 100-yard dash world record, making him the world’s fastest human. Distance runner Craig Virgin owns two world cross country championships. Beyond the Olympics, other hometown heroes are baseball’s Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, basketball’s Ed Macauley, bowling’s Dick Weber, boxing’s Leon and Michael Spinks, golf’s Hale Irwin, auto racing’s Ken Schrader and Rusty Wallace, racquetball’s Marty Hogan, and Tennis’ Jimmy Connors — just to name a few.
The "Old Barn on Oakland" — the St. Louis Arena — stood from 1929 to 1999, playing host to hockey, indoor soccer, NCAA Final Fours, NBA and NHL All-Star games, and yes, even dairy shows and high school football games.
In 1982, the last year the Cardinals won a World Series, the entire Redbird team hit 67 home runs. Someone named McGwire hit 70 by himself in 1998.