Buckprogram13

44th Annual

Missouri Athletic Club
Jack Buck SPORTS Awards
Presented by Maryville University

Honoring

Matt Carpenter
Bill McDermott
Chris Pronger
Thomas J. O’Toole, Jr.
Chris Carpenter

Jim Crews
Dwayne Evans
Aeneas Williams

december 11, 2013

2

2013 Sports Personality of the Year

President’s Message

A

thletic” is the Missouri Athletic Club’s middle name. For 110 years,
it has been a key ingredient in sustaining our St. Louis institution.
The athletic heritage was established at the inception of the Club, when
MAC officials and athletes participated in the 1904 Olympics.
In the early days of the Club, MAC athletes and teams competed in
many amateur athletic competitions throughout the country. The Club
has hosted numerous national tournaments. The MAC also celebrates
athletic excellence through events like the annual presentation of the
Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
In 1970, Jack Buck built on the MAC’s rich athletic tradition when
he helped create the “Sports Personality of the Year” award. Buck, a
longtime member of the MAC, recognized the need for an award to
annually honor the top local sports figure.
The list of past award honorees listed in this program is testament to
how fortunate we are as St. Louis sports fans to be treated to so many
exceptional athletes. Numerous All-Stars, Hall of Famers and coaching
legends have been honored throughout the history of the event.
The 2013 sports year has been another memorable one and we are
pleased to have a distinguished group of honorees with us tonight: Tom
O’Toole Jr., Bill McDermott, Chris Pronger, Jim Crews, Dwayne Evans,
Chris Carpenter, Aeneas Williams and Matt Carpenter.
As we gather tonight for the 44th Jack Buck Sports Awards dinner, the
MAC is proud to be home to the premier sports banquet in St. Louis.
This event is not only enjoyed by those who attend here at the MAC,
it is enjoyed by sports fans throughout the St. Louis area who listen on
KMOX Radio. Every banquet since its inception has aired on KMOX
Radio. We are also excited to have added a new media partner, Fox
Sports Midwest. Tune in to FSM beginning on Dec. 16 and several other
times throughout this month to catch a telecast of tonight’s banquet.
On behalf of the Board of Governors, management and staff of the
Missouri Athletic Club, thank you for joining us for this great tradition.
Also, a special thanks to Maryville University and all of our sponsors for
their support of this year’s banquet. Sit back and enjoy this wonderful
celebration of St. Louis sports!
“

John Bugh

John Bugh
President

2013 Jack Buck Sports Awards

3

Tom Ackerman - Master of Ceremonies
T

om Ackerman is Sports Director at
KMOX, overseeing a department
that serves as the flagship station for the
St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues.
He is also the lead sports anchor on
“Total Information A.M.”
In 16 years at KMOX, Ackerman has
worked as a host, play-by-play announcer,
anchor, reporter and producer since
beginning his career at the radio station
in 1997. He’s interviewed the biggest
names in sports, covering Super Bowls,
World Series, All-Star Games and Final
Fours.
Ackerman, 38, has held play-by-play
duties for University of Missouri men’s
basketball, worked the sidelines on
Mizzou football broadcasts, and hosted
pregame and postgame shows for the
Cardinals and Blues. He’s traveled
throughout the NFL as a reporter
covering the Rams.
Nationally, Ackerman calls television
play-by-play of Missouri Valley
Conference men’s basketball and football
— as well as featured basketball games

4


on radio for Compass Media Networks,
having called such rivalries as SyracuseGeorgetown and North Carolina-N.C.
State. In 2010, he called Kansas State’s
upset of No. 1 Kansas.
Active in the community, Ackerman
has a passion for helping local charities,
volunteering for countless organizations
each year. In 2013, Mathews-Dickey
Boys’ and Girls’ Club honored Ackerman
with the “That’s A Winner Award,”
recognizing his role in raising funds to
improve sports facilities for children in
the inner city.
Ackerman was included in the St. Louis
Business Journal’s “30 Under 30,” which
notes young professionals in the St. Louis
metropolitan area who are on their way to
establishing prominent careers. He’s also
a past recipient of the Riverfront Times’
best reporter (Radio/TV) award in its
annual “Best of St. Louis” issue.
Ackerman began his broadcasting
career calling play-by-play for Indiana
University basketball, football, and
baseball for WIUS-AM in Bloomington

(1993-1997). He currently serves as Vice
President of the IU Alumni Association’s
St. Louis Chapter.
A St. Louis native, Tom is a graduate
of Indiana University and St. Louis
Country Day School. He is also a proud
member of the Missouri Athletic Club.
Tom and his wife, Angie, live in St. Louis
with their daughters, Erika and Audrey.

Jack Buck Sports Awards
O

n Dec. 10, 2002, the name of the
MAC Sports Personality of the
Year Dinner was changed to honor the
man who was instrumental in starting it
all back in 1970.
Jack Buck not only created the
event to honor top local sports figures,
he served as the event’s master of
ceremonies for the first 32 dinners.
His final public appearance was at
the 2001 Sports Personality of the
Year Dinner. Thanks largely to Jack
Buck’s contributions, the event has
become a highlight on the St. Louis
sports calendar. It is a tradition not
only enjoyed by MAC members, but by
local sports fans who get to listen to the
event on KMOX Radio.

Tune in to Fox Sports
Midwest on Monday,
Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. to watch
a broadcast of tonight’s
banquet. The show will air
again later than night at 10
p.m., on Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.
and several other times
throughout December.


5

Past Burnes Broeg Award Recipients
In 1995, the Bob Burnes “Benchwarmer” Award was established to recognize years of
promoting St. Louis through sports. The award was named for the long-time sports editor
at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. In 2005, the name of the award was changed to also honor
Burnes’ friendly rival at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bob Broeg.
Dr. Abe Hawatmeh
1995
Whitey Herzog
1996

Mike Shannon
2006

Doug Elgin
1998

Ron Jacober
2007

Bob Costas
1999

Frank Cusumano
2008

John Rawlings
2000

Bernie Miklasz
2009

Frank Viverito
2001

Bill Wilkerson
2010

Mike Bush
2002

John Kadlec
2011

Bob Broeg
2003


Rick Hummel
2005

Carl Hogan
1997

6

Jerry Ritter
2004

Joe Buck
2012

Burnes Broeg Award
T

he title of longest running U.S.
soccer broadcaster belongs to
St. Louisan Bill McDermott. He grew
up in the Walnut Park neighborhood
in North St. Louis and began playing
soccer at St. Philip Neri. After playing
soccer for most of his life, McDermott
began covering the sport as a reporter
in 1970 when he attended the FIFA
World Cup in Mexico and provided
reports for KMOX radio in St. Louis. In
1972, he began his career announcing
games in the North American Soccer
League, providing color analysis for St.
Louis Stars away games on KPLR-TV in
St. Louis.
“Soccer has been a part of my life for
many years and has provided me with
great opportunities, both as a player
and an announcer,” said McDermott.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with
all the people I’ve encountered along
the way, and I’ve taken a lot from each
of them. It’s shaped the commentator I
am today.”
In addition to providing commentary
for the first soccer game televised on
ESPN in 1979, highlights to his career
include:
• Color commentator on AnheuserBusch’s “Sports Time” Cable
Network for college outdoor (NCAA),
professional indoor (MISL) and
professional outdoor (NASL) soccer
• Color commentator for Cleveland

Bill McDermott
Force on WOIO-TV in
Cleveland, OH and was
awarded an Emmy for
coverage
• Voice-over for Budweiser
radio commercial during
1994 World Cup
• Color commentator for
the inaugural season of
MLS soccer for ESPN and
espn2
• Color commentator for
McDermott with soccer legend Mia Hamm at the Hermann
the Dallas Cup for ESPN
Trophy banquet.
International and espn2
• Reported on games for MLS Wrap
In January of 2009, McDermott
Show on Fox Sports World
was inducted into the Missouri Sports
• Play-by-play and color analysis for
Hall of Fame as part of the St. Louis
NASL, MISL, and MLS teams in
University Men’s Soccer teams that
addition to teams on the collegiate level
won NCAA Championships in 1967
• Morning host of FIFA World Cup
and 1969 and in recognition of SLU’s
Today, XM radio’s daily coverage of the
50 Years of Soccer. At SLU, he played
2006 tournament in Germany.
for legendary coach Harry Keough.
• Reported on all FIFA World Cups
McDermott is also in the McBride
since 1970
High School, the St. Louis University
McDermott was the color
and the St. Louis Soccer Halls of Fame.
commentator for the 1994 and 1998
McDermott has been the public
World Cup for ESPN and ABC.“Some
address announcer at SLU soccer
of my best soccer memories were at the
games since 1972 and also is the
1998 World Cup in France, working
color commentator for the Columbus
with Bill McDermott,” said ESPN
Crew of Major League Soccer. He also
soccer announcer JP Dellacamera.
serves as master of ceremonies for
“Bill has always impressed me with his
the MAC Hermann Trophy banquet,
knowledge of the game and its history,
college soccer’s version of the Heisman
along with his work ethic. He has
Trophy.
always been a pleasure to work with.”
“They don’t call Bill ‘Mr. Soccer’ for
nothing. He is steeped in the history
of the game, while also staying current.
He knows it strategically, technically,
and historically,” said NBC sportscaster
Bob Costas. “As a one-time excellent
player himself, his commentary
carries additional credibility. Plus he’s
a universally well liked guy – easy to
work with, easy to be around - unless
you object to his propensity for
recycling the same dozen or so jokes
and routines for the entire 35 years
I’ve known him.”


7

Legends Award
Chris Pronger

C

hris Pronger’s professional career
began with lofty expectations
when he was selected No. 2 overall in
the 1993 NHL Draft by the Hartford
Whalers. Two decades after it started,
Pronger lived up to his promise by
wrapping up a career that is destined to
put him in hockey’s Hall of Fame.
In October, Philadelphia Flyers
general manager Paul Holmgren
announced that Pronger’s playing
career had come to an end due to
injuries. He scored 157 goals and 698
points in 1,167 career games.
At 6’6” and over 200 pounds, very
few defensemen in the history of the
NHL were able to affect games like
Pronger. His combination of size,
speed, toughness and skill made him
a nightmare match-up for the league’s
top forwards.
Pronger elevated the teams he played
for throughout his 18 seasons. He led
three different teams to the Stanley
Cup finals (Edmonton, Anaheim and
Philadelphia) winning the Cup with
the Ducks in 2007, but the longest and
most successful part of Pronger’s career
was in St. Louis. He played in five NHL
All-Star games while wearing the Blue
note sweater.
In the Gateway City he made up half
of one of the greatest defensive pairings
with Al MacInnis, captaining the Blues
to their only Presidents Trophy in
1999-2000. That season Pronger put
together one of the best seasons by a
defenseman in hockey history when
he netted 14 goals and 62 points in 79
games, compiling a league-best plus-52
while averaging more than 30 minutes
of ice time. He became one of only two
players in NHL history to win both the
Hart and Norris Trophies in the same
season. The legendary Bobby Orr was
the other to accomplish the rare feat.
Pronger is also the last defenseman to
be named the NHL’s MVP.

8


One of the greatest
blue-liners of his
generation played nine
seasons in St. Louis
before being dealt to
Edmonton, where he led
the Oilers to the Cup
finals during his first and
only season in Albrta.
Pronger would also star
on the international
stage. He was a mainstay
for Team Canada and
won Olympic Gold in
2002 and 2010.
After hanging up his
skates, Pronger and his
family have moved back to St. Louis.
He has done some scouting for the
Flyers over the last two years and has
his sights on remaining active in the
game that he played so well for nearly
20 years.

• Made five All-Star game
appearances during his
nine years in St. Louis.
• In 1999-2000 joined the
legendary Bobby Orr as the
only defensemen in NHL
history to win the Norris and
Hart Trophies in the same
season.
• Appeared in three Stanley
Cup finals and won two
Olympic gold medals.

Hometown Hero

I

n September of this year, the
Nominating Committee of
the United States Golf Association
announced the nomination of St.
Louis native Thomas J. O’Toole, Jr.,
to serve a one-year term as president
of the USGA. The election of officers
and the 15-member USGA Executive
Committee will take place Feb. 8, 2014,
at the USGA’s Annual Meeting at
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the
Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
As president, O’Toole, 56, will lead
the USGA’s professional staff of more
than 300 and nearly 1,200 volunteers
who serve on more than 30 committees.
“I am truly honored and deeply
humbled to have been nominated as
the next president of the USGA,” said
O’Toole. “It has been my privilege to
serve the organization for 25 years as
a Rules official at the U.S. Open and
other USGA championships. During
that time, I have come to have deep
admiration for the Association and
its important work. I look forward to
working closely with my colleagues
on the Executive Committee and with
the talented staff of the organization,

led by executive director Mike Davis.
Together, we will continue to advance
our mission and work with our valued
partners across the golf industry to
foster the long-term sustainability of
this great game.”
O’Toole is in his sixth year as a
member of the USGA Executive
Committee and second as vice
president. Currently, he chairs the
Championship and Compensation
Committees and also serves on
the Audit, Commercial, Handicap,
International Team Selection,
Management, Rules of Golf and Joint
Rules of Golf Committees.
O’Toole has been associated with the
USGA since 1988, and has served as a
Rules official at more than 125 USGA
championships, including every U.S.
Open since 1990. He also has been
the lead official in conducting more
than 125 qualifying rounds for USGA
championships. Since 2004, O’Toole
has been a consulting member of the
Rules of Golf Committee.
In 1992, he helped to found
the Metropolitan Amateur Golf
Association, a regional association
that serves eastern Missouri and
central Illinois. He serves on the
executive board of the Association.
O’Toole is a partner in the law
firm of Mickes Goldman O’Toole,
LLC. He chairs the firm’s Business
and Corporate Group, while his
practice focuses on real estate,
specializing in zoning/land use,
condemnation and real estate
transactions. He received both his
undergraduate degree (1979) and
law degree (1985) from St. Louis
University. He served as president
of the Missouri Athletic Club in
1999-2000.


9

The MAC Remembers Stan ‘The Man’ Musial

T

here are few figures in American
history who earned as much
respect both on and off the field than
Stan ‘The Man’ Musial. His talents were
obvious to everyone from the moment
he joined the Cardinals as a 20-year-old
in 1941, until his final season in 1963.
In 1969, Musial was elected on his first
try into the Hall of Fame, calling it “the
greatest honor of the many that have
been bestowed upon me.” The MAC,
St. Louis and the baseball community
at large will miss Musial, the greatest
Cardinal who ever lived: Stan will
forever be ‘The Man.”
Club members who ate lunch at
MAC West with any frequency were
likely to run into a friendly, famous
face. Stan ate lunch in the restaurant
named after himself almost every
day of the week. He even had his
own booth commemorating where he
liked to sit and there is now a plaque
commemorating his favorite dining
spot. Stan’s engaging personality made
him a hit with staff and members,
especially the children of MAC
members. “He was great with the
kids,” said MAC West Manager Darrin
Harnetiaux. “He always had a kind
word and would ask how they were
hitting. He was extremely patient and
giving of his time.”
The staff also formed a strong bond
with Stan. His favorite server was
Debbie Burke. “We were engaged,”
joked Debbie. “We were together for
16 years and I have a ring! This past
summer he gave me ring that said ‘I

10


Stan celebrated his birthday at MAC West with friends
including Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.

Stan strikes a pose at the MAC Hall of
Fame banquet

Stan and the Missouri
Athletic Club

Stan stopped by
MAC West to show
his Presidential
Medal of Freedom to
friends and staff.

Love Stan.’ Stan loved to entertain
with his harmonica playing. On
Debbie’s 45th birthday, he played her
the harmonica, signed it and gave it
to her. “It is one of my most prized
possessions,” Debbie said.

• Stan joined the Missouri Athletic
Club in 1958.
• Stan is featured on the cover of the
1962 Roster. He was featured on the
cover of the Cherry Diamond four times.
• Stan was a frequent attendee at the
Jack Buck Awards banquet.
• In conjunction with the Club’s yearlong centennial celebration in 2003,
Stan is honored as the MAC’s “Athlete
of the Century.”
• In 2004, the Stan Musial Grille
opens at MAC West. The restaurant
features an impressive collection of
photos and memorabilia from his Hall
of Fame career. Stan would eat lunch
in his restaurant on a regular basis.
• In 2010, Stan Musial celebrates his
90th birthday with friends and family
at MAC West.
• In 2011, Stan brings his Presidential
Medal of Freedom to MAC West to
show friends and staff.

Stan “The Man” Award
In memory of long-time member and baseball legend Stan Musial, the MAC has
established the Stan “the Man” award to honor a local athlete who over their career
has led by example and delivered in the clutch.

Chris Carpenter

O

n Oct. 7, 2011, Chris Carpenter
squared off against his friend
and former Toronto teammate Roy
Halladay in the decisive Game 5 of the
NLDS against Philadelphia. On the
road in a pressure-packed environment
the Cardinals’ ace would deliver one
of the best performances in franchise
history. Carpenter’s 1-0 shutout
masterpiece was a critical moment
in the Cardinals journey to the 2011
World Series championship.
Jayson Stark of ESPN put the instant
classic in perspective: “These are the
baseball games that take that special
journey through history, a ride only the
October classics get to take.
They don’t come along often. Maybe

every 10 years. Or every 20. Or every
50. So when you see them, you want to
freeze them and savor the feeling, hang
onto the memory -- because they won’t
come around again for a long, long
time.
In the many, many winner-take-all
postseason games ever played, just two
other pitchers had ever closed out a
series by going the distance to win a 1-0
game.”
Carpenter delivered many other
clutch performances throughout his
decade in a Cardinals uniform. He had
a franchise record 10 victories with a
3.00 ERA in 18 postseason starts. In the
regular season, Carpenter had a 144-94
record.
The 38-year-old right-hander
was a three-time All-Star, twotime World Series champion and
the 2005 National League Cy
Young Award. He battled back
from injuries throughout his
career. He returned from Tommy
John surgery to win the 2009
Comeback Player of the Year
award.
An injury announced in
February of 2013 ended his
season and ultimately his career.
After a decade in St. Louis,
Carpenter will retire from the
starting rotation, where he served
as the team’s ace and the staff ’s
clubhouse leader for most of his
tenure.
At the press conference last
month announcing Carpenter’s
retirement, General manager
John Mozeliak pointed out that
the veteran found ways to make
valuable contributions to the team
even when he was not playing.
“His leadership and leading by
example I think created what
we now see with the Adam

Wainwrights of the world and hopefully
what we see with these young guys like
Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller coming,”
Mozeliak said.
Chairman Bill Dewitt Jr. said
Carpenter played a pivotal role in
some of the greatest years ever for the
organization:
“He will always be remembered as
one of the great players in Cardinal
history, having been a part of and a
core piece of and without whom we
wouldn’t have been to a lot of these
positions of four pennants and two
world championships during his tenure
here as the leader of the pitching staff,”
DeWitt said.
Mozeliak added
“When you think back to everything
this organization has been through in
regard to his ups and downs, he will
still go down as one of the greatest
we’ve ever had…We think back to his
career and what an amazing one it was.
He was part of so many highlights and
I think he really created a culture of
higher expectations.”


11

Past Carl O. Bauer Award Recipients
The Carl O. Bauer Award recognizes a top amateur sports figure. Bauer was an important personality
in the Missouri Athletic Club’s history, who brought innovation and inspiration to the Club’s Athletic
Department during his 45 years of service as Athletic Director.

Kellen Winslow
1978

Mike Mayweather
1991

Marque Perry
2003

Bob Guelker
1979

Tom Jager
1992

Mike Kalist
2004

Phil Bradley
1980

Ellen Port
1993

Brad Smith
2005

Jim Holtgrieve
1981

Ed Hightower
1994

Cheryl Levick
2006

Kurt Petersen
1982

Erwin Claggett
Scott Highmark
H Waldman
1995

Chase Daniel
2007

Ray Armstead
1983
Al and Jackie Joyner
1984

Erin Narzinski
1997

Dawn Harper
2008
Anne Kordes
2009

Bob Shannon
1985
Floyd Irons
1986

Nancy Fahey
1999

Harry Statham
2011

Thaddeus J. Strobach
1987

Terry Michler
2000

Mike McGinty
2012

Nino Fennoy
1989

Niele Ivey
2001

Anthony Bonner
1990

12

Kristin Folkl
Larry Hughes
1998

Doug Woolard
2002


Mark Edwards
2010

Carl O. Bauer Award
Jim Crews and Dwayne Evans

J

im Crews was named Saint
Louis University’s interim head
coach at the beginning of the 201213 campaign when it was announced
that Rick Majerus would not coach.
As interim coach, he led the Billikens
to a school-record 28 victories (28-7),
Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season
and tournament championships and
a second straight NCAA Tournament
bid.
Crews’ coaching performance, as
well as the Billikens’ success on the
court, did not go unnoticed on the
national scene. Crews earned the
national coach of the year award from
the Sporting News and the National
Association of Basketball Coaches
(NABC). He was one of four finalists
for the Naismith Coach of the Year
award. In addition, he earned his fifth

conference coach of the year
honor when he was named A-10
Coach of the Year. Following
the season, Crews was formally
introduced as the Billikens’ 26th
head men’s basketball coach on
April 12, 2013.
Crews is no stranger to success
on the basketball court. He
has been a part of 15 NCAA
Tournaments as a player, assistant
coach and head coach. Crews
learned from the legendary Bob
Knight at Indiana for 12 seasons,
four as a player and eight as an
assistant coach. During his fouryear playing career from 1972
to 1976, the Hoosiers forged a

Dwayne Evans

Coach Crews and Dwayne
Evans led SLU to their best
season in school history

Jim Crews

remarkable 108-12 record. As a senior
in 1976, Crews helped IU to a 32-0
record and a national championship,
the last time a Division I men’s program
has posted an undefeated record.
After serving as an assistant coach
at Indiana, Crews was the head coach
at Evansville University for 17 years
and head coach at Army for seven. He
was retired from coaching, when Rick
Majerus asked him to join his staff at
SLU as an assistant before the 2011-12
season.
One of the key players in the
Billikens recent run of success has been
senior forward Dwayne Evans. Last
season, he led the team in scoring and
rebounding and was named a first-team
All-Conference pick. Evans was named

the Most Outstanding Player of the
A-10 Championship in helping the
Billikens capture the tournament title.
He scored 24 points in SLU’s NCAA
Tournament victory over New Mexico
State and surpassed the 1,000-point
mark for his career.
Evans is one of 30 men’s basketball
players the NCAA selected as a
candidate for the 2013-14 Senior
CLASS Award. To be eligible for the
award, a student-athlete must be
classified as an NCAA Division I senior
and have notable achievement in
four areas of excellence – community,
classroom, character and competition.
A business administration major,
Evans was named to the A-10 AllAcademic team a season ago. He
is active in the community as well,
volunteering with the Special Needs
Soccer Association (SPENSA) as well as
Athletes in Action. This past summer,
Evans traveled to Africa on a goodwill
basketball tour with AIA.


13

Past Jack Buck Award Recipients
In recognition of dedicated support of sports in St. Louis and making a positive difference in the community.

August A. Busch, Jr.
1987

Charles Nash
1999

Ben Kerner, Bing Devine
1988

Mike and Leslie Jones
2000

Joe Garagiola, Yogi Berra
1989

Flint Fowler
2001

Robert Hyland
1990

Walt Jocketty
2002

Michael Shanahan
1991

Jerry Clinton
2003

Ozzie Smith
1992

Tony LaRussa
2004

Michael Roarty
1993

Jay Randolph
2005

Stan Musial
1994

The Cardinals
2006

Thomas F. Eagleton
1995

John Davidson
2007

Bill DeWitt
Fred Hanser
Drew Baur
1996

Kelly Chase
2008

Martin L. Mathews
1997
Red Schoendienst
1998

14


Ernie Hays
2010
Steven Jackson
2012

Jack Buck Award
Aeneas Williams
By: Julia Faron

A

eneas Williams is known by many
as a football player. During his
14-year career, he made eight Pro Bowl
appearances, was a four-time First
Team All-Pro and was a part of the
2001 NFC Championship team.
Throughout his playing career and
after retirement, he has amplified the
positive platform that comes along
with being a successful pro athlete and
made an even greater impact through
his ministries as a pastor.
Williams made his personal
commitment to Jesus Christ during
his junior year at Southern University.
During his playing career, he would
hear his teammates talk about struggles
they were enduring and would be there
to help them address those situations.
Williams retired in 2004 and remained
involved in his former teammates’
lives and the church. Then, in 2007,
he and his wife Tracy decided to start a
ministry of their own.
“We sensed in our hearts that we
were to start this ministry,” Williams
said. “Our first service was with my wife
and our four children in our basement
and it’s been growing ever since. It’s
been a wonderful ride and a rich
experience.”
In addition to weekly service at
The Spirit Church, Williams and his
wife each lead a monthly bible study.
Williams leads a men’s program called
The Men’s Locker Room, and Tracy
leads a study for women called Wonder
Women. These ministries are open to
men and women of all ages throughout

the St. Louis area, including nonSpirit Church members. Each ministry
discusses relative topics that Pastor
Williams and other various speakers
feel are fitting and beneficial for the
participants.
“Sometimes I share the topic and I
bring in successful others to share the
principles in their lives that they’ve used
to help them be successful,” Williams
said.
The Williams’ shape these events
so that they are comfortable and
inviting to all people by incorporating
information that can be useful
regardless of religious beliefs.
Williams is also passionate about
speaking to corporations, pro sports
teams, and NFL programs, in addition
to working with the league office.
Recently, Williams spoke at the 2013
NFL Rookie Symposium in Aurora,
Ohio.
“That experience is near and dear to
my heart,” Williams said. “Being able
to share some of my prior experiences,
both successful and not so successful,
and encouraging those guys to
maximize their time in the league has
truly been a wonderful experience.”
Williams shared one of the key
messages that he spoke to the NFL
rookie class about at the symposium.
He asked the rookies, ‘Where do you
think you can find the most wealth in
the world?’
“Some would say in the heart, some
Dubai – a number of places, but the
answer I’m looking for, I ultimately
had to give them, is the cemetery,” said
Williams. “Most people go to the grave
without fully reaching their potential,
so potential inventions, books never
written, athletes never seen or only seen
for a short period of time (lie there).’
“I really wanted to encourage
the guys that while you have this
opportunity, which is only one percent
of all high school players, to leverage
this opportunity, because the game

always ends sooner, many times, than
most players are ready for it.”
Through his ministries and events
such as the symposium, Williams
has had time to talk with current
Rams, including the 2013 rookie
class. He shared his one fundamental
characteristic to a successful team
based on his experiences.
“One of the hallmarks of the teams
that had success were great players that
were very unselfish and were very team
orientated, which makes for something
special or the potential for something
special when that happens,” Williams
said.
When he isn’t working, Williams
enjoys being a husband and a father to
his four children: Saenea (16), Tirzah
(14), Cheyenne (8), and son Lazarus
(12).
The Williams family has made St.
Louis home since he moved here to
join the Rams in 2001.
“St. Louis is No. 1, a great place to
raise a family,” Williams said. “The fans
are awesome, even post-career. It’s a
wonderful congregation, a wonderful
group of people. This is a wonderful
place to make home.”


15

Carpenter Captures Sports
T

he second base position was
a question for the Cardinals
heading into the 2013 season. Could
a valuable utility infielder that had
never been an everyday player in
the big leagues or a starting second
baseman at any level become a
starter player at his new position?
Matt Carpenter answered the
question with a resounding yes by
playing excellent defense, emerging
as the top leadoff hitter in the game
and becoming an MVP candidate.
Carpenter’s breakout season has
earned him the 2013 Missouri
Athletic Club Sports Personality of
the Year award.
Carpenter made the transition
look easy, but he put in a lot of extra
work leading up to the 2013 season
to make it happen. He spent the
offseason practicing on his dad’s
high school baseball field working
on making the move from third base
to second base. He also arrived in
spring training 10 days early to get a
crash course in second base defense
from Cardinals’ coach Jose Oquendo.
After learning from a guy who was
known as the “Secret Weapon” during
his Cardinal career in the 1980s,
Carpenter emerged as the 2013
version of the “Secret Weapon” when
he unleashed an attack on National
League pitching. FanGraphs, which
specializes in ranking players
through thorough statistical analysis,
rated Carpenter as the third best
player in the NL in 2013. A 13th
round pick out TCU wasn’t expected
to be this good.
You know it has been a special
season when you break one of Stan
Musial’s records. Carpenter broke
Stan’s franchise record for most
doubles in a season by a left-handed
hitter. He also led major league
baseball in hits, runs, doubles and
multi-hit games.
Carpenter had countless clutch
performances throughout 2013,
16


but if you could capture the essence
of his determination in one at-bat,
it would be in the third inning of
game 6 of the NLCS against Cy
Young winner Clayton Kershaw. He
grinded through an 11-pitch at-bat
that ended with a ringing double.
That hit ignited a four run rally
and propelled the Cardinals to
a victory that sent them to the
World Series.
Although he doesn’t possess
the speed of a prototypical
leadoff hitter, Carpenter excelled
at the most important past of that
role. He made pitchers work and
found ways to consistently get
on base. He drew 72 walks to go
along with his 199 hits.
“I take a lot of pride in kind of
being self-made, being a guy that
is kind of an afterthought to even

making the big leagues and then let
alone even becoming an All-Star,”
Carpenter told ESPN.com. “I didn’t
just want to be an adequate second
baseman; I wanted to be a good one
and I wanted to help our team win.”

Personality of the Year

Carpenter Stats
2013

BA HR RBI
.318 11 78

Runs
126

• National League All-Star
• Finished 4th in National
League MVP voting
• Led the majors in hits, runs,
doubles and multi-hit games.
• He had 55 doubles, breaking
Stan Musial’s franchise record
of 53 by a left-handed hitter.

Cardinals who have won the Sports Personality of the Year
Bob Gibson
1970

Willie McGee
1985

Scott Rolen
2004

Joe Torre
1971

Todd Worrell
1986

Chris Carpenter
2005

Pedro Guerrero
1989

Jason Isringhausen
2007

Tony La Russa
1996

Adam Wainwright
2009

Mark McGwire
1998

Lance Berkman
2011

Albert Pujols
2002

Matt Holliday
2012

Lou Brock
1973
Ted Simmons
1977
Keith Hernandez
1979
Whitey Herzog
1982
Ozzie Smith
1984


17

Past Sports Personalities of the Year
1970-2012
Bob Gibson
St. Louis Baseball Cardinals
1970

Mike Liut
St. Louis Blues
1981

Joe Torre
1971

Whitey Herzog
1982

Al Onofrio
University of Missouri Tigers
1972

Roy Green
St. Louis Football Cardinals
1983

Lou Brock
1973

Ozzie Smith
1984

Don Coryell
1974

Willie McGee
1985

Terry Metcalf
1975

Todd Worrell
1986

Jim Bakken
1976

Rich Grawer
Saint Louis University
Billikens
1987

Ted Simmons
1977
Warren Powers
1978
Keith Hernandez
1979
Pat Tilley
1980

18


Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympics
1988
Pedro Guerrero
St. Louis Cardinals
1989
Brett Hull
St. Louis Blues
1990
Hale Irwin
Golf
1990

Past Sports Personalities of the Year
1970-2012
Jimmy Connors
Tennis
1991

Albert Pujols
St. Louis Cardinals
2002

Norm Stewart
1992

Isaac Bruce
St. Louis Rams
2003

Curtis Joseph
St. Louis Blues
1993

Scott Rolen
St. Louis Cardinals
2004

Charlie Spoonhour
Saint Louis University
Billikens
1994

Chris Carpenter
St. Louis Cardinals
2005

Brendan Shanahan
St. Louis Blues
1995
Tony La Russa
St. Louis Cardinals
1996
Dick Vermeil
St. Louis Rams
1997
Mark McGwire
St. Louis Cardinals
1998
Al MacInnis
St. Louis Blues
1999
Kurt Warner
St. Louis Rams
2000
Marshall Faulk
St. Louis Rams
2001

Torry Holt
St. Louis Rams
2006
Jason Isringhausen
St. Louis Cardinals
2007
Gary Pinkel
University of Missouri
2008
Adam Wainwright
St. Louis Cardinals
2009
Sam Bradford
St. Louis Rams
2010
Lance Berkman
St. Louis Cardinals
2011
Matt Holliday
St. Louis Cardinals
2012


19

Jim Crews

Dwayne Evans

Chris Pronger

Bill McDermott


Aeneas Williams

Chris Carpenter

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