Reitz, Busby and Mays  Enter Hall

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inducted long-time Cardinal third baseman Ken Reitz, Royals star pitcher Steve Busby and major league pitcher Carl Mays  at a special evening ceremony held at the Hammons Field Training Facility on October 22^nd.  The induction was presented by the Ozarks Coca Cola / Dr Pepper Bottling Company. 

Reitz who was dubbed the Zamboni Machine for his stellar defense donned the birds on the bat from 1972 -75 and again from 1977 – 80.  In his rookie season of 1973, Reitz replaced Joe Torre as the Cardinals’ starting third baseman. In both 1973 and 1974, he led all National League third basemen in fielding percentage. In 1975 he won a Gold Glove Award at the position, breaking Doug Rader’s streak of five consecutive Gold Gloves. In 1977 he set a National League record by committing only nine errors; he bettered that record by committing only eight in 1980. He was named to the 1980 National League All-Star team.  In his career, Reitz batted .260 with 68 home runs and 548 RBIs in 1344 games played.
 
Drafted by the Royals in 1971 in the second round,  Steve Busby made his debut the following season and stuck in the major leagues for good in 1973, when he won 16 games.  On April 27 pitched the first no-hitter in Kansas City Royals history.  In 1974, Busby enjoyed his best season, winning 22 games and making the American League All-Star team. He also pitched a second no-hitter on June 19, making him the first pitcher in major-league history to throw no-hitters in each of his first two complete seasons. In 1975 he won 18 games and made the All-Star team again.  Busby won 56 games in his first three full seasons.  In an eight-year career, Busby posted a 70-54 record with 659 strikeouts and a 3.72 in 1060.2 innings.  Despite having his career derailed by a rotator cuff tear, Busby was among the first two players elected to the Royals Hall of Fame. Outfielder Amos Otis being the other. His 70 career victories rank him ninth on the Royals' all-time list.

Carl Mays who called Mansfield, Missouri His home for nearly 80 years, posted a pitching record of 208 wins against only 126 losses, all while boasting a .268 lifetime batting average. Pitching in four World Series’ Carl Mays set a record of hurling 31 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a walk.  Five times Mays posted 20 win seasons, and in 1920 and ’21, posted 25 win seasons.  Although a right handed pitcher, the left handed batter hit .343 in 1921.  Mays unfortunately will always be remembered as the only pitcher to throw a pitch which resulted in the death of a batter.  The game was August 16, 1920 when a pitch got away from Mays and struck Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in the head.