NOTABLE SPORTS FIGURES VOLUME 3 docx

3 NOTABLE SPORTS FIGURES NOTABLE SPORTS FIGURES Dana Barnes, Editor VOLUME • M-S Notable Sports Figures Project Editor Dana R Barnes Editorial Support Services Charlene Lewis, Sue Petrus Product Design Jennifer Wahi Editorial Laura Avery, Luann Brennan, Frank Castronova, Leigh Ann DeRemer, Andrea Henderson, Kathy Nemeh, Angela Pilchak, Tracie Ratiner, Bridget Travers Editorial Standards Lynne Maday Manufacturing Evi Seoud, Rhonda Williams Research Gary J Oudersluys, Cheryl L Warnock, Kelly Whittle Imaging and Multimedia Content Randy Basset, Dean Dauphinais, Leitha Etheridge-Sims, Lezlie Light, Dan W Newell, Dave G Oblender © 2004 by Gale Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc age retrieval systems—without the written permission of the publisher National Archives and Records Administration (Jim Thorpe) Gale and Design™ and Thomson Learning™ are trademarks used herein under license For permission to use material from this product, submit your 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and Sonja Henie) and the While every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information presented in this publication, The Gale Group, Inc does not guarantee the accuracy of the data contained herein The Gale Group, Inc accepts no payment for listing; and inclusion in the publication of any organization, agency, institution, publication, service, or individual does not imply endorsement of the editors or publisher Errors brought to the attention of the publisher and verified to the satisfaction of the publisher will be corrected in future editions Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Notable sports figures / project editor, Dana R Barnes p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 0-7876-6628-9 (Set Hardcover) ISBN 0-7876-6629-7 (Volume 1) ISBN 0-7876-6630-0 (Volume 2) ISBN 0-7876-6631-9 (Volume 3) -ISBN 0-7876-7786-8 (Volume 4) Sports Biography Athletes Biography Sports History I Barnes, Dana R GV697.A1N68 2004 796'.092'2 dc21 2003011288 Printed in the United States of America 10 Contents Introduction vii Advisory Board ix Contributors xi Acknowledgments xiii Entry List xxiii Timeline xxxvii Entries Volume Volume Volume Volume 467 977 1579 Appendix of Sports Abbreviations 1833 Cumulative Geographic Index 1839 Cumulative Occupation Index 1849 Cumulative Subject Index 1863 v Introduction Notable Sports Figures provides narrative biographical profiles of more than 600 individuals who have made significant contributions to their sport and to society It covers sports figures from the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries who represent a wide variety of sports and countries Lesser-known sports such as cricket, equestrian, and snowboarding are featured alongside sports like baseball, basketball, and football Notable Sports Figures includes not only athletes, but also coaches, team executives, and media figures such as sportscasters and writers Notable Sports Figures takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field or controversy off the playing field It provides biographical coverage of people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times Each biography features information on the entrant’s family life, early involvement in sports, career highlights, championships, and awards Notable Sports Figures also examines the impact that the subject had and continues to have on his or her sport, and the reasons why the individual is “notable.” This includes consideration of the successes and failures, on the field and off, that keep the person in the public eye The biographies in Notable Sports Figures profile a broad variety of individuals Athletes such as Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Martina Navratilova are featured for their record-breaking accomplishments Jackie Robinson and Janet Guthrie remain in the public consciousness because of their determination to cross racial and gender boundaries Other sports figures have captured our attention by their controversial activities Skater Tonya Harding continues to hold public interest not because of any medals won, but because of the scandalous attack on Nancy Kerrigan Baseball player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was one of the greatest players of his era, but he is remembered more for his complicity in the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 than for his accomplishments on the field Their lives, accomplishments, and reasons for the public’s ongoing fascination with them are examined in Notable Sports Figures SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA A preliminary list of athletes, team executives, sportswriters, broadcasters, and other sports figures was compiled from a wide variety of sources, including Hall of Fame lists, periodical articles, and other biographical collections The list was reviewed by an advisory board, and final selection was made by the editor An effort was made to include athletes of varying nationalities, ethnicities, and fields of sport as well as those who have contributed to the success of a sport or team in general Selection criteria include: • Notable “first” achievements, including those who broke racial or gender barriers and paved the way for others • Impact made on the individual’s sport and on society as a whole • Records set and broken • Involvement in controversial or newsworthy activities on and off the playing field FEATURES OF THIS PRODUCT For easy access, entries are arranged alphabetically according to the entrant’s last name • Timeline—includes significant events in the world of sports, from historic times to the present • Entry head—lists basic information on each sports figure, including name, birth and death years, nationality, and occupation/sport played • Biographical essay—offers 1,000 to 2,500 words on the person’s life, career highlights, and the impact that the individual had and continues to have on his or her sport and on society Bold-faced names within entries indicate an entry on that person • Photos—provide a portrait for many of the individuals profiled Several essays also include an action photo • Sidebars—present a chronology of key events in the entrant’s life, a list of major awards and accomplishments, and, as applicable, career statistics, brief biographies of important individuals in the en- vii Introduction trant’s life, “where is s/he now” information on previously popular sports figures, and excerpts from books and periodicals of significant events in the entrant’s life and career • Contact Information—offers addresses, phone numbers, and web sites for selected living entrants • Selected Writings—lists books and publications written or edited by the entrant • Further Information—provides a list of resources the reader may access to seek additional information on the sports figure • Appendix—offers a glossary of commonly used sports abbreviations viii Notable Sports Figures • Indices—allow the reader to access the entrants by nationality or sport A general subject index with cross-references offers additional access We Welcome Your Suggestions Mail your comments and suggestions for enhancing and improving Notable Sports Figures to: The Editors Notable Sports Figures Gale Group 27500 Drake Road Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535 Phone: (800) 347-4253 Advisory Board Robert Kirsch Reference Librarian Lake Forest High School Lake Forest, Illinois William Munro Manager Ponce de Leon Branch, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Atlanta, Georgia Alan Nichter Branch Librarian Seffner-Mango Branch Library Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative Seffner, Florida Mila C Su Reference Coordinator Robert E Eiche Library, Penn State Altoona Altoona, Pennsylvania ix Contributors Don Amerman, Julia Bauder, Cynthia Becker, David Becker, Michael Belfiore, Kari Bethel, Michael Betzold, Tim Borden, Carol Brennan, Gerald Brennan, Paul Burton, Frank Caso, Gordon Churchwell, Gloria Cooksey, Andrew Cunningham, Lisa Frick, Jan Goldberg, Joyce Hart, Eve Hermann, Ian Hoffman, Syd Jones, Wendy Kagan, Aric Karpinski, Christine Kelley, Judson Knight, Eric Lagergren, Jeanne Lesinski, Carole Manny, Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Patricia Onorato, Tricia Owen, Kristin Palm, Mike Pare, Annette Petruso, Ryan Poquette, Susan Salter, Brenna Sanchez, Lorraine Savage, Paula Scott, Pam Shelton, Ken Shepherd, Ann Shurgin, Barbra Smerz, Roger Smith, Janet Stamatel, Jane Summer, Erick Trickey, Amy Unterburger, Sheila Velazquez, Bruce Walker, Dave Wilkins, Kelly Winters, Rob Winters, Ben Zackheim xi Acknowledgments Photographs and illustrations appearing in Notable Sports Figures have been used with the permission of the following sources: AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS: 1980 U.S Olympic hockey team, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Aamodt, Kjetil Andre, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Aaron, Hank, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Abbott, Jim, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Agassi, Andre, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Aikman, Troy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Akers, Michelle, photograph AP/Wide World Photos, Inc./ Albert, Marv, photograph by Ron Frehm AP/Wide World Photos./ Albright, Tenley, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Alexander, Grover Cleveland, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Allison, Davey, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Alamo, Roberto, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Anderson, George “Sparky,” photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Andretti, Mario, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Anthony, Earl, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Armstrong, Lance, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Armstrong, Lance, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Ashe, Arthur, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Ashford, Evelyn, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Auerbach, Red, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Autissier, Isabelle, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bailey, Donovan, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Banks, Ernie, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bannister, Roger, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Barton, Donna, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Baugh, Sammy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Baumgartner, Bruce, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Baylor, Elgin, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Beckenbauer, Franz, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Becker, Boris, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bedard, Myriam, photograph by Roberto Borea AP/Wide World Photos./ Bell, Bert, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./Bell, James “Cool Papa,” photograph by Leon Algee AP/Wide World Photos./ Bench, Johnny, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Berra, Yogi, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Biondi, Matt, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bird, Larry, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./Bjoerndalen, Ole Einar, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Blair, Bonnie, photograph AP Wide World Photos./ Blair, Bonnie, portrait AP/Wide World Photos./ Blake, Sir Peter, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bogues, Tyrone, “Muggsy,” photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bonds, Barry, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bonds, Barry, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Borders, Ila, photograph by Nick Ut AP/Wide World Photos./ Borg, Bjorn, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bossy, Michael, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bradley, William Warren, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bradman, Don, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bradshaw, Terry, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brock, Lou, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brock, Lou, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brooks, Herb, photograph by Gene J Puskar AP/Wide World Photos./ Brown, Jim, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brown, Jim, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brown, Mordecai, “Three Finger,” photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Brown, Tim, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Bubka, Sergei, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Budge, Don, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Butcher, Susan, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Button, Dick, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Campanella, Roy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Campbell, Earl, photograph AP/Wide xiii Acknowledgments Notable Sports Figures World Photos./ Canseco, Jose, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Capriati, Jennifer, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Capriati, Jennifer, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Carter, Cris, photograph by Michael Conroy AP/Wide World Photos./ Carter, Vince, photograph by Chuck Stoody AP/Wide World Photos./ Carter, Vince, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Cartwright, Alexander Joy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Caulkins, Tracy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Chamberlain, Wilt, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Chelios, Chris, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Chun, Lee-Kyung, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Clark, Kelly, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Clark, Kelly, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Clemens, Roger, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Clemens, Roger, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Clemente, Roberto Walker, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Coachman, Alice, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Coleman, Derrick, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Colorado Silver Bullets (Samonds, Shereen, and former major league pitcher Phil Niekro), photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Comaneci, Nadia, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Connors, Jimmy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Conradt, Jody, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Cooper, Cynthia, photograph by David J Phillip AP/Wide World Photos./ Cosell, Howard, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Courier, Jim, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Cousy, Bob, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Daly, Chuck, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Davis, Terrell, photograph by Ed Andrieski AP/Wide World Photos./ Dawes, Dominique, photograph by John McConnico AP/Wide World Photos./ Dean, Dizzy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Decker-Slaney, Mary, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Deegan, Brian, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ DeFrantz, Anita, photograph by Douglas C Pizac AP/Wide World Photos./ De La Hoya, Oscar, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Dickerson, Eric, photograph by Bill Janscha AP/Wide World Photos./ Dimaggio, Joe, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./Disl, Uschi, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Ditka, Mike, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./Doby, Larry, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Dolan, Tom, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Dorsett, Tony, photograph by Bruce Zake AP/Wide World Photos./ Dravecky, Dave, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Durocher, Leo, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Dyroen, Becky, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Earnhardt, Dale, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Edwards, Teresa, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Egerszegi, Krisztina, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Elway, John, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Erving, Julius, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Esposito, Phil, photograph by Kevin Frayer AP/Wide World./ Evans, Janet, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Ewbank, Weeb, photograph AP/Wide World./ Fangio, Juan Manuel, photograph by Eduardo DiBaia AP/Wide World Photos./ Faulk, Marshall, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Favre, Brett AP/Wide World Photos./ Fernandez, Lisa, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Figo, Luis, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Fisk, Carlton, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Fittipaldi, Emerson, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Fleming, Peggy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Flowers, Vonetta, photograph by Darron Cummings AP/Wide World Photos./ Foreman, George, photograph by Charles Rex Arbogast AP/Wide World Photos./ Forsberg, Magdalena, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Foyt, A.J., photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Foyt, A J., photograph by Dave Parker AP/Wide World Photos./ Freeman, Cathy, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gable, Dan, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Galindo, Rudy, photograph by Craig Fujii AP/Wide World Photos./ Garcia, Sergio, photograph by Beth A Keiser AP/Wide World Photos./ Garnett, Kevin, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gehrig, Lou, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gibson, Althea, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gibson, Josh, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gonzales, Richard “Pancho,” photograph AP/Wide World Photos./Goolagong, Evonne, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Goosen, Retief, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Gordeeva, Ekaterina, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Graf, Steffi, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Granato, Cammi, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Grange, Harold “Red,” photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Grange, Red, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Graziano, Rocky, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Greenberg, Hank, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Greene, Joe, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Griese, Bob, photograph AP/Wide World Photos./ Griffey, Jr., Ken, photograph AP/Wide World Pho- xiv Sullivan Notable Sports Figures Chronology 1858 1879 1882 1883 1888 1889 1892 1918 1990 Born October 15 in Roxbury, Massachusetts Becomes boxing champion of Massachusetts Defeats Paddy Ryan to become heavyweight champion of the world Knocked down for the first time in his career, by Charley Mitchell, before the fight is stopped by police Fights Mitchell again in an outdoor fight that lasts more than three hours and ends in a draw Defeats Jake Kilrain in the last bare-knuckle championship bout Loses title to Jim Corbett in the first championship bout fought under modern boxing rules Dies of a heart attack in Abington, Massachusetts Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame Sullivan and Corbett squared off on September 7, 1892 at New Orleans’s Olympic Club The winner was to take away $25,000 in addition to the stake money of $10,000, with the loser to receive nothing Betting odds were four to one in Sullivan’s favor; the Boston Strong Boy, as Sullivan was then called, had never been defeated John L Sullivan It had been three years since Sullivan had last defended his title That was when he defeated Jake Kilrain in a punishing three round bout The fight, like all other heavyweight fights before it, had been fought with bare knuckles After this match, Sullivan vowed never to fight with bare fists again; from then on, he would fight under the Marquis of Queensbury Rules, which required the use of gloves This made the bout with Kilrain the last heavyweight championship to be fought with bare fists End of an Era With public pressure growing for the champion to defend his title, Sullivan finally issued a challenge, which was published in the New York World in March, 1892 But he shrewdly insisted that the challenger put down a $10,000 bet that he would match This effectively weeded out most challengers But Jim Corbett and his manager raised the required amount from backers, and met the challenge Sullivan was said to intensely dislike Corbett, not just because he was a serious challenge to his jealouslyguarded title, but because Corbett represented a new breed of fighter—socially refined, well-dressed and groomed, and a “scientific” fighter who relied more on finesse and speed than on the brute strength that was then the norm in the ring Sullivan was also given to hard drinking and hard living, in contrast to Corbett who preferred a more discrete lifestyle 1564 Boxing at the time was barely tolerated by law enforcement officials Boxers, and even spectators, were often arrested for attending matches Boxing with bare fists was particularly frowned upon, and it was partly for this reason that fighting with gloves eventually became the preferred method of fighting The Marquis of Queensbury Rules brought other improvements to the game, for example, specifying time limits for rounds The rules also forbade wrestling and head butting Thousands of spectators turned out to watch the match between Sullivan and Corbett, and reporters from most of the major newspapers in the country were present, along with many from around the world Fifty Western Union telegraph operators sat ringside to send blow-by-blow accounts to pool halls and bars around the country The championship bout lasted an hour and twenty minutes, twenty-one rounds, and Sullivan was solidly beaten by the younger, faster man Unable to land a punch in the first round, Sullivan got two strong shots in at Corbett’s head in the second Corbett came back in the third round, however, landing a solid left to Sullivan’s nose, breaking it Now seriously worried, Sullivan tried to rush Corbett, and get in the powerful punch that could end the match But Corbett, a “scientific” boxing master, successfully avoided Sullivan’s best punches, and darted in for quick, hard jabs that gradually wore Sullivan down Puffing and bleeding, Sullivan was ripe for the final blow in the twenty-first round that sent him to the turf floor of the ring After Corbett was declared the new world heavyweight champion to an exultant crowd, Sullivan staggered to his feet and held up a hand for silence “Gentlemen, all I have to say is that I came into the ring once too often, and if I had to get licked I’m glad it was Notable Sports Figures Awards and Accomplishments 1879 1882 1990 Champion, State of Massachusetts World heavyweight champion Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame In his 27 years as a professional boxer, Sullivan was defeated only once, when he lost his world heavyweight title to Jim Corbett in 1892 Summitt “John L Sullivan (the ‘Boston Strong Boy’).” Cyber Boxing Zone http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/ boxing/sully.htm (October 15, 2002) “John L Sullivan.” Infoplease.com http://www.info please.com/ipsa/A0109684.html (October 15, 2002) “Paddy Ryan.” Cyber Boxing Zone http://www cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/ryan-p.htm (October 30, 2002) Sketch by Michael Belfiore by an American,” he told the spectators, according the Patrick Myler in Gentleman Jim Corbett “I remain your warm and personal friend, John L Sullivan.” Last of the Bare-Knuckle Champions Sullivan was reportedly devastated at losing his title, according to one account, sobbing in his dressing room afterwards, and drinking heavily through the night To add insult to injury, Sullivan took home no money from the fight that cost him his title; he had insisted on “winner take all” rules He did, however, recoup some of the money he lost betting on himself in the fight by sparring in an exhibition match with Corbett ten days later at New York’s Madison Square Garden The exhibition was organized as a benefit for the hard-up ex-champion, who earned $6,000 for it Sullivan stayed in the game for few more years sparring in exhibition matches before hanging up his gloves for good to become an advocate for the prohibition of alcohol He died in 1818 of a heart attack and was buried in Boston Jim Corbett served as an honorary pall bearer John L Sullivan, the Boston Strong Boy, ended an era when he was defeated in the first heavyweight boxing championship in which the participants wore gloves A heavy drinker and a barroom brawler, Sullivan also represented the end of boxing’s street fighting days; with his defeat he helped to usher in the modern era of professional boxing, in which skill and strategy are as highly valued as strength FURTHER INFORMATION Books Encyclopedia of World Biography Detroit: Gale Group, 1998 Myler, Patrick Gentleman Jim Corbett: The Truth Behind a Boxing Legend London: Robson Books, 1998 St James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture Detroit: St James Press, 2000 Other “Bareknuckle Boxing in America.” Hickok Sports.com http://www.hickoksports.com/history/boxing02.shtml (October 30, 2002) Patricia Head Summitt 1952American college basketball coach P atricia Head Summitt is one of college basketball’s greatest coaches In 2003, during her 29th season with the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Summitt earned her 800th win She is the first women’s basketball coach and one of four Division I coaches to hit that mark Summitt’s six National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships are surpassed only by UCLA men’s coach John Wooden’s ten Summitt is an inspiration in her childhood hometown of Henrietta, Tennessee, where the city limits sign proclaims: Welcome to Henrietta, home of Pat Head Summitt Learns Discipline on Farm Summitt was born into the Henrietta farm family of Richard and Hazel Head She grew up northwest of Nashville, in a part of the state dotted with tobacco barns, lean-tos, and one-lane blacktop roads Summitt, or Trish, as she was known back then, learned about the payoffs of hard work as she came of age on the family dairy and tobacco farm From her father, Summit learned about disciplined guidance, about how to prod people beyond their potential It’s a lesson she learned well Summit has often retold how at 12, her father dumped her off in the middle of an endless hayfield, gestured toward the tractor, and left Completing the task was grueling, but Summit learned about her own potential, and also about expecting the maximum out of people Consequently, she has become known as a demanding coach Plays on Barn-loft Court Despite the endless chores, Summit and her three older brothers found time for play They would climb to the top of the barn loft and play two-on-two basketball on the makeshift court, shooting jump shots among the rafters Summit took her skills to Chatham 1565 Summitt Notable Sports Figures Chronology 1952 1970 1970 1974 1975 1976 1980 1990 Born June 14 in Henrietta, Tennessee High school All-District 20 Tournament selection Graduates from Chatham County High School in Ashland City, Tennessee, and enters the University of Tennessee-Martin Receives bachelor’s degree in physical education from UTMartin; becomes head coach of the University of TennesseeKnoxville Lady Volunteers Receives master’s degree in physical education from UTKnoxville Plays for United States at Montreal Olympic Games Marries RB Summit Gives birth to Ross Tyler Summitt on September 21 1996 Final Four for the champion Lady Vols, told Sports Illustrated “If you want something, you go after it as hard as you can, and you make no excuses.” Patricia Head Summitt County High School in Ashland City and played from 1967-70 Her senior year, she was an All-District 20 Tournament choice In the fall of 1970, the 5-foot-11Summitt began playing basketball at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where she established herself as a defensive ace and accurate shooter Over four seasons, she led the team to a 64-29 record and graduated in 1974 as the school’s alltime leading scorer with 1,045 points However, during Summitt’s senior season, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and a surgeon told her to give up the sport At the time, sports rehabilitation was in its infancy, and ACL tears forced most professional athletes into retirement Summit, however, had her sights set on the 1976 Olympics Women’s basketball was new to the Games that year, and Summit yearned to make the inaugural team Builds Basketball Powerhouse Summitt’s methods have worked Her teams have won six NCAA titles (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998) Her 1997-98 squad had a perfect season of 39-0, and won the NCAA championship Summitt has also produced 11 Olympians and 16 Kodak All-Americans At the end of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Summitt had a phenomenal collegiate record of 788-158, a win percentage of 833 Win No 800 came on January 14, 2003, a 76-57 victory over DePaul at home Under her direction, the Vols have also captured 21 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular-season championships She also coached the 1984 women’s U.S Olympic basketball team to its first gold Along the way, Summitt also found time for a family She married banker R.B Summitt in 1980 A decade later, she gave birth to Ross Tyler Summitt, a fixture alongside the Lady Vols’ bench Summitt’s son, incidentally, was almost born in an airplane because even though Summitt was in labor, she insisted on making a recruiting visit to Pennsylvania because she feared losing an All-American to Notre Dame Record Hard to Beat Still going strong, Summitt has raised the bar for women’s coaches As former UCLA coach Billie Moore told USA Today, “She’s going to set a standard that I don’t want to say will be impossible to beat but it will be very, very difficult to duplicate.” Over the next two decades, Summit modeled her basketball empire after her father’s example of steady, disciplined guidance She demands a lot—players must sit in the first three rows of the classroom, and if they skip a class, they’re benched On the court, she demands even more, and though playing for Summitt is tough, her players concede she changes their lives in positive ways Years from now, Sports Illustrated’s Gary Smith writes, “her players will tell of this woman who never rased a placard or a peep for women’s rights, who never filed a suit or overturned a statute or gave a flying hoot about isms or movements, this unconscious revolutionary who’s tearing up the terrain of sexual stereotypes and seeding it with young women who have an altered vision of what a female can be.” “She makes you feel there’s nothing to be afraid of in life,” Michelle Marciniak, Most Valuable Player of the Summitt is also active in many community endeavors First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton honored her at the 1566 Notable Sports Figures Awards and Accomplishments 1973 1975 Captures silver medal as member of U.S World Games team Earns gold medal as member of U.S basketball team at Pan American Games 1976 Earns silver medal as member of U.S basketball team at Olympics in Montreal 1979 Coaches U.S women’s basketball team to gold at the Pan American Games 1984 Coaches U.S women’s basketball team to its first Olympic gold 1987, 1989 Leads Lady Vols to NCAA championship; named Naismith College Coach of the Year 1990 Receives the Basketball Hall of Fame’s John Bunn Award 1991 Leads Lady Vols to NCAA championship 1993 Named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coach of the Year 1994 Named Naismith College Coach of the Year 1995 Named SEC Coach of the Year 1996-98 Leads Lady Vols to three consecutive NCAA championships 1997-98 Leads Lady Vols to a perfect 39-0 record 1998 Naismith College Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year 2000 Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inaugural class 2000 Named Naismith Women’s Collegiate Coach of the Century 2003 First women’s college basketball coach and fourth overall to win 800 games White House in 1997 as among Working Woman magazine’s 25 Most Influential Working Mothers Summitt’s name was also in the news in the late 1990s as a possible candidate for U.S Senate She says her book, Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do, is for everyone, not just coaches CONTACT INFORMATION Address: 117 Stokely Athletics Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996 Phone: (865) 9744275 Email: ath.utsports@gw.utk.edu Online: http:// ath.utk.edu/womens/info/volinfo.htm SELECTED WRITINGS BY SUMMITT: (With Debby Jennings) Basketball Dubuque, IA: William C Brown, 1991 (With Debby Jennings) Basketball: Fundamentals and Team Play Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmark, 1996 (With Sally Jenkins) Raise the Roof: The Inspiring Inside Story of the Tennessee Lady Vols Undefeated 1997-98 Season New York: Broadway Books, 1998 (With Sally Jenkins) Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do New York: Broadway Books, 1998 Sunn Smith, Gary “Eyes of the Storm.” Sports Illustrated (March 2, 1998) “Summit Wins No 800.” The New York Times (January 15, 2003) Other “Hall of Famers: Pat Head Summit.” Basketball Hall of Fame http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/ PatheadSummitt.htm (January 13, 2003) “Pat Summit.” University of Tennessee Basketball http://ath.utk.edu/womens/wbb/bios/summitt.htm (January 13, 2003) “Pat Summit Profile.” University of Tennessee Women’s Collegiate Athletics http://utladyvols.ocsn.com/ sports/w-baskbl/mtt/summitt_pat00.html (January 13, 2003) Sketch by Lisa Frick Rell Sunn 1950-1998 American surfer S urfing champion Rell Sunn fought almost singlehandedly to grant women access to the sport at a time when it was still very much a male-dominated pursuit, and along the way emerged as one of the top female longboarders in the world Often compared to Duke Kahanamoku, considered the founder of modern surfing, Sunn was “the modern archetype of the Hawaiian waterwoman,” declared Independent writer Andy Martin Sunn was born in 1950 in Makaha, on the west side of the island of Oahu Her family was of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, and her middle name, “Kapolioka’ehukai” meant, prophetically, “heart of the sea.” The beach near her Makaha home was famous among surfers for its waves, and she began surfing there at the age of four At the time, women surfers were a rarity—“although women had surfed alongside men in Hawaii for centuries,” noted Robert McG Thomas Jr of the New York Times “Since the arrival of Western missionaries in the 19th century their participation had been discouraged In the 1950’s, boys rode the boards, and girls stayed on the beach, tanning their bodies and looking good in bikinis.” First Competed at Age 14 FURTHER INFORMATION Periodicals Patrick, Dick “800 Wins.” USA Today (December 20, 2002) Sunn was devoted to the sport as a youngster, and entered her first competition in 1964, at the age of 14 As with many of the early contests she competed in, there were no “wahine” or women’s categories, so she simply registered alongside the boys As a young woman in the 1567 Sunn Notable Sports Figures Chronology 1950 1954 1964 1975 1976 1977 1983 1998 Born July 31, in Makaha, Hawaii Begins surfing Enters first surfing competition Co-founds Women’s Professional Surfing Association Establishes Menehune Junior Surfing Championships Becomes Hawaii’s first female lifeguard Is diagnosed with cancer Dies in Makaha at age 47 early 1970s, Sunn worked hard to establish a parallel women’s circuit with other early women surfing champs like Joyce Hoffman and Linda Benson, and became one of the co-founders of the Women’s Professional Surfing Association in 1975 When a ranking system was established, Sunn held the number one spot in the world for a time Not surprisingly, Sunn was a strong swimmer, and was Hawaii’s first female lifeguard; at times she was treated rudely by men she had rescued Proud of her Polynesian heritage, she was also a skilled spear fisher, and once wrote an article about capturing a prize, 45pound ulua fish She speared it, then followed it down with her snorkel on “I sunk the fingers of one hand into his eye socket and gripped the spear shaft protruding from his head with the other, and began to guide him out and up toward the surface,” she wrote in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Back on her board with it, she saw a tiger shark coming after her, and was forced to let the ulua go; the shark devoured it within seconds, and Sunn made it to shore safely She observed that in the water, “under the deceptively placid surface, was a world blind to gender Though I was taught by men, I was formed by and subjected to the rigid laws of a seemingly lawless realm that treated me and every grazing ulua or marauding shark with the same utter equanimity.” Inducted into Surfing Walk of Fame Sunn also took part in Hokule’a crew events These involved a double-hulled canoe similar to those used by Polynesians who came to Hawaii from the South Seas around 800 C.E She was also a key figure in a project that gave underprivileged Hawaiian children the chance to make a sailing trip around the state’s islands, giving them a deeper sense of their cultural heritage A respected surfing instructor, she established the Menehune (“little people”) Surfing Championships in 1976, which became the largest junior surf competition in the world She was one of the first five women inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California, in 1996 That year, she also received the Waterman Achievement Award from the Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association Sunn was a local celebrity on Oahu “Hawaiians considered her a state treasure who used her fame to celebrate Hawaiian culture,” Thomas wrote in the New York Times, and fellow lifeguard Brian Keaulana asserted that Sunn 1568 “was the greatest in surfing, swimming, sailing, spearfishing—but more than that, she was the embodiment of the aloha spirit,” he told Martin in the Independent Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1983, she endured a mastectomy, and then a bone marrow transplant After losing her hair because of chemotherapy, she went out surfing wearing a swim cap soon afterward; when her fellow surfers saw this, they arrived the next day wearing similar headgear in solidarity Sunn often begged doctors to discharge her from the hospital, and they would so only on the condition that she rest at home; instead, she returned as soon as possible to the waves with her board She was fond of saying that surfing was, for her, the best therapy Succumbed to 15-Year Fight On New Year’s Day of 1998, Sunn’s friends brought her on a stretcher to the beach so that she could taste ocean one more time; she died the next day at her home in Makaha She dismissed the idea that with her death she would arrive in paradise “There’s no better place than Makaha,” Sunn was quoted as saying by Martin in the Independent “This is heaven on earth.” Two weeks later in Makaha thousands attended her memorial service Four years after her death, Sunn was the subject of a documentary film, Heart of the Sea The Rell SunnQueen of Makaha award was established as part of the University of California at San Diego Luau and Longboard Invitational, and is bestowed annually on an individual for his or her cancer-fighting efforts Sunn was profiled in a 2001 book by Andrea Gabbard, Girl in the Curl: A Century of Women Surfing Honolulu Star-Bulletin writer Greg Ambrose reviewed it and discussed the tremendous changes in the sport in Sunn’s lifetime alone, exemplified by the 2002 film Blue Crush Sunn was a rarity on the waves in her teen years, Ambrose noted, “but as the 21st century gathers momentum, more wahine young and old are reveling in the ocean’s exhilarating embrace, and capturing a larger share of contest prize money, sponsorships, media attention and respect from their fellow wave riders.… Somewhere, you just know that Rell Sunn is smiling as wahine take their rightful place in the ocean.” SELECTED WRITINGS BY SUNN: “A Young Woman and the Sea.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin (January 12, 1998) FURTHER INFORMATION Periodicals Altonn, Helen “Aloha, Rell.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin (January 17, 1998) Ambrose, Greg “‘Girls’ Make a Comeback in the Waves.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin (June 24, 2001) Notable Sports Figures Suzuki Awards and Accomplishments 1982 1996 Rated number one women surfer in International Surfing Association rankings Inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California; received Waterman Achievement Award from the Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association Ambrose, Greg “Sunn Gets Her Chance to Shine.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin (August, 8, 1996) Martin, Andy “Obituary: Rell Sunn.” (London, England) Independent (January 16, 1998): 19 Oda, Dennis “In Memory of Rell Sunn.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin (January 13, 1998) Oldfield, Andy “Book of the Week.” (London, England) Independent (June 4, 2001): “Rell Sunn (Obituary).” San Francisco Chronicle (January 6, 1998): A17 Thomas Jr., Robert McG “Rell Sunn, 47, Hawaiian Surfing Champion.” New York Times (January 26, 1998): A17 Sketch by Carol Brennan Ichiro Suzuki Born in Kasugai, Japan Ichiro Suzuki 1973Japanese baseball player I chiro Suzuki—already a bona fide hero in his native Japan—made a sensational debut in American baseball in the opening years of the 21st century Suzuki, adjudged the best-known person in Japan—even better known than Emperor Akihito, who came in second—in a popularity poll during the 1990s, ended his first two seasons in Major League Baseball with a total of 450 hits, more than any other player in major league history In his first two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, the outfielder compiled a batting average of 336 and in 2002 collected more votes than any other American League (AL) player in balloting for the All-Star Game Even his opponents are full of praise for Suzuki’s batting power “There’s no secret way to get him out,” Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little told Sports Illustrated “All you can is concentrate on the other eight guys.” After more than two years in the United States, Suzuki still speaks very little English, but it seems to have done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of either baseball fans or the media He remains wildly popular in Japan, where early morning television broadcasts each of his games, and his face is forever present on T-shirts, subway ads, and in the newspapers Suzuki was born in Kasugai in the Aichi prefecture of Japan on October 22, 1973 By the age of three, he was playing with a toddler-sized bat and ball outside his home When he was only eight years old, Suzuki convinced his father to let him join a local baseball club Since the local ball club played only on Sundays, Suzuki prevailed on his father to play catch and pitch to him whenever possible during the rest of the week His father, Nobuyuki Suzuki, later became a coach for his son’s baseball club The younger Suzuki’s talents as a ballplayer were already abundantly evident by the time he entered Nagoya Electric High School, also known as Aikodai Meiden While in high school, Suzuki participated in Japan’s National High School Baseball Tournament, or Koshien Fresh out of high school, Suzuki was drafted in the fourth round of 1991’s Japanese free agent draft by the Orix Blue Wave of Kobe, a member of the Pacific League and one of the leading Japanese pro baseball teams During his nine seasons with the Blue Wave, he collected seven consecutive Pacific League batting titles, was named Most Valuable Player three times, and in 1998 led his team to a Pacific League pennant In 1992, his first year with the Wave, Suzuki split his time between one of the team’s minor league ball clubs and the majors He hit 366 in fifty-eight games with the minor league club before he was called up to the majors where he batted 253 in forty games The following year, Suzuki started off again with the minors, hitting 371 in 1569 Suzuki Notable Sports Figures Chronology Related Biography: Manager Akira Ogi 1973 1982 1992-2000 1999 2000 2001 Not until Akira Ogi was brought in as the new manager of Kobe’s Orix Blue Wave in 1994 did Ikiro Suzuki truly come into his own as a player Before Ogi arrived on the scene, tension between the previous manager, Shozo Doi, and Suzuki had kept the batter from performing at his best Doi, frustrated by Suzuki’s failure to follow his orders, kept the player in the minors for much of Suzuki’s first two years Among the first things Ogi did after joining the Blue Wave was to bring Suzuki back to the majors Confident that the batter had what it took, he added him as starter and then just left him alone to his own thing Born October 22 in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan Joins local baseball club at the age of Plays nine seasons with Japan’s Orix Blue Wave Marries television personality Yumiko Fukushima Signs three-year contract with Seattle Mariners Makes major league debut with Seattle Mariners forty-eight games but only a disappointing 188 in 164 at-bats with the majors He hit his first home run in the majors on June 12, 1993, off a pitch from Hideo Nomo of the Kinetsu Buffalos His first exposure to baseball outside Japan came in 1993 when he played a season for the Hilo Stars in Hawaii Winter Baseball Comes Into His Own in 1994 Suzuki really came into his own during the 1994 season with the Blue Wave, batting 385 and setting a Japanese record with 210 hits in only 130 games That same year, he scored in sixty-nine consecutive games between May 21 and August 26 In 1995 Suzuki led the Pacific League with forty-nine stolen bases and knocked home a career-high total of twenty-five home runs Suzuki in 1996 led the Blue Wave to a Pacific League pennant and the Japanese championship with a win over the Yomiuri Giants In 1997 with Akira Ogi as the new manager of the Blue Wave, Suzuki enjoyed a string of 216 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout He won his fifth straight Pacific League batting title in 1998 Suzuki’s 1999 season was cut short when he was struck by a pitch in late August, breaking the ulna bone in his right hand He nevertheless managed to lead the league for the sixth straight year with a batting average of 343 In 2000, his final year with the Blue Wave, Suzuki maintained a batting average of 387, a Japanese record For the second year in a row, an injury in August cut short his season Suzuki’s magic on the ball field elevated him to super-celebrity status in Japan, where a poll in the 1990s showed him to be the country’s best-known person, trailed closely by Japanese Emperor Akihito So popular was Suzuki in his homeland that it became difficult for him to go anywhere in Japan without being overwhelmed by fans and the media So intense was the media scrutiny that when Suzuki and television personality Yumiko Fukushima decided to marry, they flew to Los Angeles for the ceremony In an interview with ESPN.com, Suzuki said the intrusiveness of the Japanese media had become intolerable “They would even watch me go to the haircut place or the restaurant Then they would interview the people at the haircutters.” Mariners Seek Out Suzuki’s Services Suzuki’s outstanding performance on the baseball diamonds of Japan had not gone unnoticed on the other side 1570 Suzuki did not disappoint, batting 385 and tallying a record 210 hits in the 1994 season Suzuki’s breakthrough, under the guidance of Ogi, helped to power the Blue Wave to Pacific League pennants in both 1995 and 1996 In 1995, Ogi’s team faced off against the Yakult Swallows in the Japan Series, losing the series in five games to the Swallows The Blue Wave went all the way in 1996, vanquishing the Yomiuri Giants in the fifth game of the Japan Series Before beginning his career as a manager, Ogi played second base for the Nishitetsu Lions from 1954 to 1967, compiling a batting average of 229 with seventy home runs in 1,328 games Ogi coached the Kintetsu Buffalos from 1988 to 1992, winning a Pacific League pennant in 1989 of the Pacific So excited were the Seattle Mariners about the possibility of landing Suzuki that the team paid the Blue Wave just over $13 million for the right to offer the dynamic batter a contract On November 18, 2000, Suzuki signed a three-year deal with the Mariners The contract was reportedly worth about $16 million The ballplayer and his wife flew to Seattle and fell almost immediately in love with their new home They were particularly pleased to find a city where they could go out in public without being mobbed by fans and the local paparazzi America’s Suzuki fans were not disappointed when their hero finally made his debut in Major League Baseball in April 2001 The Japanese import kicked off his American baseball career with a 23-game hitting streak that fell only one game short of the club record set by Joey Cora With two home runs and a total of eleven RBIs, Suzuki batted 336 in his first twenty-five games with the Mariners But his statistics only seemed to get better with time By season’s end, he boasted a batting average of 350 with a total of 242 hits Suzuki also became the first rookie ever to garner the most ballots for the All-Star Game A big factor in his All-Star balloting popularity was the decision by Major League Baseball to distribute ballots in Japan After the end of the regular season, Suzuki became the first rookie since Fred Lynn (in 1975) to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards Compared to Rod Carew, Ralph Garr To many seasoned baseball observers, Suzuki’s incredible bat control evoked memories of Rod Carew, but Mariners manager Lou Piniella said that he found his new star’s playing style more reminiscent of Ralph Garr (Garr, who played thirteen seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels between 1968 and 1980, had a career batting average of 306.) Piniella observed that the momentum from Suzu- Notable Sports Figures Suzuki Career Statistics Yr Team AVG GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB 2001 2002 SEA SEA 350 321 157 157 692 647 127 111 242 208 34 27 8 8 69 51 30 68 336 314 1339 238 450 61 16 16 120 98 TOTAL SEA: Seattle Mariners ki’s left-handed swing propelled the batter toward first base even before he’d left the batter’s box, forcing infielders to rush their throws—even on routine grounders Even in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Suzuki could not escape the scrutiny of the Japanese media In 2001 reports circulated that a Japanese Web site owner was willing to pay $2 million to anyone who could bring him a photograph of Suzuki in the nude To preserve his privacy, Suzuki was forced to change clothes in a secluded area of the Mariners’ locker room Increasingly upset by the persistence of the Japanese media, Suzuki and Mariners teammate Kazuhiro Sasaki in July 2001 staged a brief boycott of members of the Japanese press Suzuki is the only player in Major League Baseball to be identified by his first name on the back of his jersey, a practice that originated in Japan under Blue Wave manager Akira Ogi Although a few of Japanese baseball’s better known pitchers came to Major League Baseball before him, Suzuki was the first position player to be signed by a MLB club Despite the enormous sums the Mariners spent to land Suzuki, there were loads of skeptics in Seattle and elsewhere around the United States who doubted that the Japanese player would well on this side of the Pacific His spectacular performance during his debut major league season convinced all but the most diehard doubters Player Exodus May Hurt Japanese Baseball Ironically, Suzuki’s phenomenal success in Major League Baseball may well eventually help to undermine the pro game in Japan that gave him his start Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn told Sports Illustrated that approximately three dozen of Japan’s best players could end up playing in the major leagues Colborn, a former Mariners director of Pacific Rim scouting who coached in Japan, said the likely loss of such top players as Seibu Lions shortstop Kazuo Matsui, Kintetsu Buffalos third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, and Yomiuri Giants centerfielder Hideki Matsui to the MLB threatens to turn Japanese baseball into a farm system for MLB Even Japanese baseball fans are increasingly turning their attention to American baseball Former Blue Wave general manager Steve Inow told Sports Il- Awards and Accomplishments 1994 1995-96 1998 2000 2001 2001 2002 Named Pacific League’s Most Valuable Player Named MVP of Pacific League Led Japan’s Orix Blue Wave to Pacific League pennant Compiled batting average of 387 for the year, a Japanese record Named American League Rookie of the Year Named American League Most Valuable Player Voted to All-Star Game lustrated: “Every day, people [in Japan] are watching major league baseball games, and short term, that’s not so good for us These are difficult times Japanese baseball is at a turning point Which way we go?” In his second season with the Mariners, Suzuki slipped slightly from the stellar performance of his debut year, but only slightly His batting average fell to 321 from 350 in 2001 Suzuki’s hits in 2002 totaled 208, down from 242 in 2001 Although the total number of Mariners selected to play in the 2002 All-Star Game was down sharply—from eight to three—from the previous year, Suzuki led the major leagues in the total number of votes received More than 2.5 million votes were cast for the Seattle rightfielder He was joined by fellow Mariners Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki, both pitchers Interviewed by the Associated Press only days before the game on July 9, Suzuki said, “I’m a little bit excited knowing I’m going to be in that event again I’ve been around a year and a half, and the votes I got this year are a different quality of votes.” Helps Lead MLB All-Stars to Victory in Japan In November 2002 Suzuki went 4-for-4 to help lead the Major League Baseball All-Stars to victory over their Japanese counterparts in the seventh game of the annual exhibition series in Japan’s Sapporo Dome The Japanese team took the first three games of the series, but the MLB team bounced back to take the next four games and win the series In the final game, Suzuki hit three singles and a double for the major leaguers At five feet, nine inches and 160 pounds, Suzuki is a little bit diminutive compared to most American ballplayers, but it’s obviously done nothing to hamper 1571 Suzuki Notable Sports Figures Ichiro Suzuki his performance In just two years, he’s taken Major League Baseball by storm, amassing a total of 450 hits, more than any other player in history As Ray Knight, bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds, told Sports Illustrated, Suzuki is “impossible to defend, but he’s a joy to watch.” Just how far he will go remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Suzuki will remain a force to be reckoned with for several years CONTACT INFORMATION Address: Ichiro Suzuki, c/o Seattle Mariners, SAFECO Field, 1250 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134 FURTHER INFORMATION Books “Ichiro Suzuki.” Biography Resource Center Detroit: Gale Group, 2002 “Ichiro Suzuki.” Newsmakers, Issue Detroit: Gale Group, 2002 Periodicals “10 Burning Questions for Ichiro Suzuki.” ESPN.com (May 7, 2001) Armstrong, Jim “MLB All Stars Win Japan Series.” Associated Press (November 17, 2002) 1572 Eder, Steve “Fans, Media Follow Ichiro.” Cincinnati Enquirer (June 20, 2002) “Fewer Mariners Picked; Ichiro Gets Most Votes.” Columbian (July 1, 2002) Price, S.L “The Ichiro Paradox.” Sports Illustrated (July 8, 2002): 50 Schwarz, Alan “Ichiro Steals the Show.” Sports Illustrated for Kids (August 2001): 46 “Suzuki Leads AL All-Star Voting.” Associated Press (June 4, 2002) Other “#51, Ichiro Suzuki.” ESPN.com http://sports.espn.go com/mlb/players/stats?statsId=6615 (November 1, 2002) “History of the Orix BlueWave.” Japanese Baseball http://www.baywell.ne.jp/users/drlatham/baseball/ yakyu/history/bluewav.htm (November 19, 2002) “Ichiro Suzuki.” BaseballLibrary.com http://www pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/S/Suzuki_ Ichiro.stm (November 19, 2002) “Orix BlueWave Manager Akira Ogi.” Japanese Baseball http://ww1.baywell.ne.jp/fpweb/drlatham/ manager/blue.htm (November 19, 2002) “Player Pages: Ichiro Suzuki.” The Baseball Page http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/ suzukiichiro/default.htm (November 19, 2002) Notable Sports Figures Swann “Players Choice: Ichiro Suzuki.” Bigleaguers.com http://bigleaguers.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/6/6615 (October 14, 2002) “Player Pages: Honus Wagner.” The Baseball Page.com http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/wagners honus/default.htm (November 19, 2002) “Suzuki, Ichiro.” Nippon Professional Baseball http:// www.inter.co.jp/Baseball/player/register/japan/ 01020904.html (November 19, 2002) Sketch by Don Amerman Lynn Swann 1952American football player B lessed with incredible speed and an ability to catch the football with leaps almost ballet-like in gracefulness, wide receiver Lynn Swann also had an impeccable sense of timing He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers just as the team embarked on its most spectacular winning streak in history Swann, an All-American at USC, was the Steelers’ No draft pick in the 1974 draft, and he wasted no time in proving that he had what it took to make it in the NFL During his rookie season, he led the league in punt returns with 577 yards on 41 returns, which was, at that time, a club record and the fourth best in NFL history The following season he became a regular at wide receiver, which was to be his home for the rest of his NFL career And what a career it was During his nine seasons with the Steelers, Swann amassed a total of 336 receptions for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns With Swann’s help, the Steelers chalked up four Super Bowl victories in the wide receiver’s first six years with the team At the time of his retirement after the 1982 season, Swann’s combined total of 364 receiving yards in four games ranked first in Super Bowl history Born in Alcoa, Tennessee He was born Lynn Curtis Swann in Alcoa, Tennessee, on March 7, 1952 The third of three boys, Swann first demonstrated his amazing physical ability by walking at the age of months His mother, disappointed at not having a daughter, persuaded Swann to take dance lessons, which he took to naturally and at which he excelled Years later, he told Runner’s World: “People think football and dancing are so different They think it’s contradictory for a boy to dance, but dancing is a sport.” Those dancing lessons were to come in handy later in Swann’s football career The Swann family moved from eastern Tennessee to San Mateo, California, Lynn Swann where he attended Serra High School A member of his high school’s track team, Swann competed in both the pole vault and the long jump, in which event he won the California High School State Championship with a jump of 25 feet, inches His football career really began at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where Swann enrolled in the fall of 1970 to study public relations In his senior year at USC, Swann was a unanimous choice for the college All-American team, further enhancing his desirability to the pro teams In the 1974 NFL draft, Swann was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ firstround pick and the 21st player overall to be selected During his rookie season with the Steelers, Swann led the league in punt returns with 577 yards on 41 returns, a club record and the fourth best in NFL history Late in the season, he saw limited action as a wide receiver However, his touchdown catch in the AFC championship game against the Oakland Raiders cinched the game for the Steelers and laid the groundwork for the rest of Swann’s career in the NFL Having displayed his talents as a wide receiver late in his rookie year, Swann became a regular in that job his second year with the Steelers For the 1975 season as a whole, he compiled an impressive record of 49 catches for a total of 781 yards and a league-high 11 touchdowns Swann ended the Steelers’ post-season in a blaze of glory, helping to power Pittsburgh to a 21-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X Swann’s con- 1573 Swann Notable Sports Figures Career Statistics Rushing Receiving Yr Team GP ATT YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT PIT 11 14 12 14 16 13 13 13 1 1 14 13 -4 25 14.0 4.3 2.0 3.0 7.0 9.0 -4.0 0.0 25.0 0 0 0 11 49 28 50 61 41 44 34 18 208 781 516 789 880 808 710 505 265 18.9 15.9 18.4 15.8 14.4 19.7 16.1 14.9 14.7 11 11 115 11 72 6.5 336 5462 16.3 51 TOTAL PIT: Pittsburgh Steelers Chronology 1952 1970 1970-74 Born in Alcoa, Tennessee, on March Graduates from Serra High School in San Mateo, California Attends University of Southern California to study public relations Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers Leads Steelers to Super Bowl ways had to be ready.” Stallworth followed Swann into the Hall of Fame in 2002 tributions included four receptions for 161 yards (a Super Bowl record at the time), including an amazing 64-yard catch and run that produced the winning touchdown He was named Most Valuable Player for Super Bowl X The high point of Swann’s pro football career came during the regular season of 1978 when he caught 61 passes for a total of 880 yards and 11 touchdowns In Super Bowl XIII in January 1979, Swann caught an 18yard touchdown pass from Bradshaw that cinched the Steelers’ 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Swann’s game-winning contribution was particularly impressive since he had not been expected to play at all because of a head injury suffered in the Steelers’ AFC championship victory over the Oakland Raiders In the 1979 season, Swann caught 41 passes for a total of 808 yards and five touchdowns, fueling the Steelers’ drive to the playoffs In Super Bowl XIV, as the Steelers faced off against the Los Angeles Rams, the wide receiver grabbed five passes for a total of 79 yards and a touchdown, powering Pittsburgh past the Rams by a score of 31-19 A major factor in the success of the Steelers during this period was the teaming of Swann with fellow wide receiver John Stallworth, also drafted in 1974 With the combination of Stallworth and Swann at wide receiver, quarterback Terry Bradshaw had a choice of targets, and opponents couldn’t focus all their defensive attention on just one player Wide receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann competed with one another to be quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s number one target In the process, they made each other better players but remained somewhat cool on a personal level All that changed after both men had left pro football When Swann was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001, he asked that Stallworth present him To boost his former teammate’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, Swann in his acceptance speech said: “I don’t think I could be in the Hall of Fame unless there was a John Stallworth The competition between John and me, the things that we made each other in terms of working and getting ready, I knew I al- During the 1980 regular season, Swann caught 44 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns The following year he snared 34 passes for 505 yards and five touchdowns His totals dropped significantly in the strike-shortened regular season of 1982, when Swann caught 18 passes for a total of 265 yards Long before he retired from the Steelers, Swann had begun laying the groundwork for a life after professional football, beginning to work whenever possible as a commentator for ABC Sports When he finally left the game after the 1982 season, he moved effortlessly into a full-time broadcasting career in a working atmosphere he already knew intimately In one of his first big jobs for ABC after leaving football, Swann provided expert commentary in the network’s coverage of the United States Football League from 1983 to 1985 During the summer of 1984 he covered the weightlifting coverage at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and four years later, provided commentary for the bobsled competition at the 1974 1975, 1978-79 1982 1983-85 1984 1988 1988-91 1574 Retires from professional football Provides commentary for ABC Sports coverage of U.S Football League Covers Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for ABC Sports Covers Winter Olympics in Calgary for ABC Sports Hosts ABC’s coverage of Iditarod dog sled races in Alaska Notable Sports Figures Awards and Accomplishments 1970 1973 1974 1974 1975, 1977, 1979 1976 1978 1993 1997 2001 2002 Wins California High School State Championship in long jump Named to All-American College Team Leads NFL in punt returns with 577 yards on 41 returns Named to NFL’s All-Rookie Team Named to NFL’s All-Pro Team Named Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player Named NFL Man of the Year Elected to College Football Hall of Fame Receives Walter Camp Football Foundation Man of the Year Award Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Swoopes Other “Inductees: Lynn Swann.” Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame http://www.bashof.org/Lswann.htm (November 6, 2002) “Lynn Swann, Sideline Reporter.” ABC Sports http:// espn.go.com/abcsports/columns/swann_lynn/bio html (November 2, 2002) “Lynn Swann: Wide Receiver.” Football-Reference com http://www.football-reference.com/players/ SwanLy00.htm (November 2, 2002) “Lynn Swann,WR-1974-82.” Pro Football Hall of Fame http://www.profootballhof.com/players/mainpage cfm?cont_id=45252 (November 6, 2002) Sketch by Don Amerman Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta Swann has also appeared frequently on ABC’s Wide World of Sports covering a wide variety of sporting events Swann lives with wife Charena and two sons in the Pittsburgh area Although Swann has made a new life for himself away from professional football, his heart and mind are never far from the game An avid Steelers fan, he follows the fortunes of his former team closely Recalling the incomparable thrill of playing in the Super Bowl, he once told an interviewer for Runner’s World: “Having 70,000 people in the stands cheering for you like demons for three hours during the Super Bowl, and knowing that millions are watching you on TV worldwide, is not an experience that can be simulated.” CONTACT INFORMATION Address: Lynn Swann, c/o ABC Sports, 47 W 66th St., New York, NY 10023 FURTHER INFORMATION Books “John Lee Stallworth.” Who’s Who Among African Americans, 14th ed Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2001 “John(ny) Lee Stallworth.” Almanac of Famous People, 6th ed Detroit: Gale Group, 1998 “Lynn Curtis Swann.” Who’s Who Among African Americans, 14th ed Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2001 “Lynn Swann.” Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 28 Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2002 “Lynn Swann.” St James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, five volumes Detroit, MI: St James Press, 2000 Periodicals Averbuch, Gloria “Swann’s Song.” Runner’s World (October 3, 1993): 44 Robinson, Alan “Teammates Together in Hall of Fame.” AP Online (July 31, 2002) Sheryl Swoopes 1971American basketball player S heryl Swoopes has played on college, professional and Olympic championship basketball teams She has won all sorts of individual awards, owns countless records and even had a sneaker named after her She has also played one-on-one against the redoubtable Michael Jordan And, she has rebounded from serious knee injuries to earn league honors But perhaps her most noteworthy achievement was playing, and staying on top of her game, shortly after having a baby Swoopes, a 6-foot shooting guard who once scored a record 47 points in the NCAA championship game while leading Texas Tech to the 1993 national title, led the Houston Comets of the Women’s National Basketball Association to four consecutive titles from 1997-2000, and played on two gold-medal winning U.S Olympic teams In the midst of her competitive season the “Texas Tornado” gave birth to her son, Jordan, in July, 1997 “When she found out she was pregnant with Jordan at age 25, she committed herself to playing in basketball and staying in shape throughout the pregnancy,” Elisa Ast All wrote in Pregnancy Today “She had no morning sickness or any other symptoms that hindered her lifestyle.” Big Star in Texas Shortly after Swoopes was born, on March 21, 1971, her father left home Her mother, sometimes relying on welfare to meet family needs, raised Swoopes and her three brothers by herself Swoopes began playing basketball at age seven After earning national junior college Player of the Year honors at South Plains 1575 Swoopes Notable Sports Figures Chronology 1971 1989 1991 1993-94 1997 1997 2000 2001 Sheryl Swoopes J.C in Texas, Swoopes transferred to Texas Tech University Despite playing only two seasons there, she ranked fourth among all-time Lady Raiders with 1,645 points and sixth for steals She averaged 24.9 points per game Swoopes scored 47 points in the NCAA championship game as the Lady Raiders held off Ohio State with a score of 84-82 In that game she made 16 of 24 shots and all 11 of her free throws She scored 53 points in the conference championship game, then totaled 130 points and 43 rebounds in the first four games of the NCAA tournament During her two seasons of play, Texas Tech sported a 58-8 record The school retired her jersey number (22) the following season That winter she also played ten games for Basket Bari, a professional team in Italy Swoopes was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 Olympic team The championship culminated a 60-0 run over two years Sneaker Deal, WNBA and Baby In a tribute to Swoopes’s marketability, and the rising popularity of women’s sports in general, the Nike shoe company in October, 1995 introduced the Air Swoopes women’s basketball footwear Nike paralleled the announcement with an extensive advertising campaign with Swoopes appearing in newspaper and television advertisements, and retail displays Swoopes has also represented such companies as Kellogg, Wilson, Hasbro and Discover Car 1576 Born March 25 in Brownfield, Texas Named to U.S Olympic Festival South Team but sidelined because of injury Transfers from South Plains Junior College (Texas) to Texas Tech University Plays ten games with Basket Bari of Italian professional league Signed by Women’s National Basketball Association and assigned to Houston Comets Gives birth to son, Jordan, on June 25 and makes WNBA debut on August 7; plays nine games of season Divorces husband Eric Jackson Misses season after tearing anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in left knee Swoopes was the first player chosen by the WNBA, which assigned her to the Houston Rockets as play began in June, 1997 Then along came the baby She gave birth to Jordan, named after Michael Jordan, on June 27 About six weeks later, on August 7, Swoopes took the court in her WNBA debut, playing about five minutes in a 74-70 victory by the host Comets over the Phoenix Mercury “I was very nervous for the first game after being out of competitive basketball for a year,” the Associated Press quoted Swoopes “There’s a big difference in pickup ball and getting out here It’s going to take awhile to get the butterflies out.” Swoopes received a warm applause from the crowd At courtside, some fans hovered around the baby, held by her husband, former football player Eric Jackson (the two divorced in 2000) “Upon learning she was unexpectedly pregnant, her biggest fear was telling her agent and other WNBA associates about her condition,” All wrote in Pregnancy Today “She kept her special secret throughout the first trimester ‘in case something happened,’ and then shared the news ‘I was nervous about what everyone would think, but they were all very supportive,’ she says.” Swoopes played nine games that season (the WNBA, plays during the summer, and plays a much shorter season than the men’s National Basketball Association) as the Comets won the inaugural league championship Houston added three more, registering a rare four-peat in professional sports Swoopes was voted the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player in 2000 Swoopes missed the 2001 WNBA season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in her left knee She recovered in 2002 to earn her second MVP award from the league, averaging 18.5 points per game She scored 32 points in a game against Sacramento, one point shy of her career high She was also named the league’s top defensive player, securing a team-record 88 steals The Comets became the only team to make the playoffs in all six WNBA seasons Notable Sports Figures Swoopes Career Statistics Yr Team GP Pts FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO 1992 1993 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2000 2002 TXT TXT US HOU HOU HOU HOU US HOU 32 34 29 32 31 32 690 955 104 64 453 585 643 107 592 503 546 547 472 427 462 506 517 434 808 868 750 714 826 820 821 692 825 8.9 9.2 3.5 1.70 5.10 6.30 6.30 4.6 4.90 4.8 4.1 3.9 2.1 4.0 3.8 3.0 3.3 3.43 3.41 1.50 78 2.48 2.38 2.81 1.00 2.75 – – 0.63 44 48 1.44 1.06 1.00 72 – – – 58 83 82 – 87 HOU: Houston Comets (WNBA); TXT: Texas Tech University; US: United States Olympic Team Awards and Accomplishments 1991 1992 Junior College Player of the Year while at South Plains J.C Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year and Postseason Classic MVP 1992 Named to Kodak All-America team 1992-93 Southwest Conference player of the year in successive seasons 1993 Final Four MVP with record-setting 47 points in championship game as Texas Tech defeats Ohio State, 84-82 1993 Named national college basketball player of the year by nine organizations, including USA Today and Sports Illustrated 1994 Texas Tech jersey (No 22) retired 1994 Member of bronze medalist U.S team in World Championship 1996 Member of gold medalist U.S Olympic team and women’s national basketball teams that won a combined 60 straight games 1997-2000 Leads Houston Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships 1998 Named Sportswoman of the Year by Greater New York chapter of March of Dimes 1998-2000 WNBA First-Team selection 1999 Led U.S in scoring on Winter European Tour team as Americans sport 4-1 record 1999 WNBA Player of the Week for July 18 and August 1999-2000 Leading vote-getter in WNBA All-Star balloting for two successive seasons 2000 Averaged 13.4 points per game for gold medalist Olympic team 2000 WNBA Most Valuable Player and best Defensive Player 2000 WNBA Player of the Week for June 12 2000 Posted 500th rebound, 300th assist and 200th steal 2001 Wins Espy award from cable network ESPN for Women’s Pro Basketball Player of the Year 2002 Named WNBA Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player 2002 Invited to join President Bush for opening ceremonies of Winter Olympic Games in Sale Lake City 2002 Rang opening bell of American Stock Exchange in New York with USA Basketball teammate Dawn Staley “Ultimate Star” Swoopes, arguably, is the prototype of today’s moden woman athlete, as marketable as she is athletic “Swoopes,” Hall of Famer and former WNBA coach Nancy Lieberman wrote on ESPN’s Web site, “is the definition of the ultimate star and you can’t help but have an incredible respect for her game.” SELECTED WRITINGS BY SWOOPES: (With Greg Brown) Bounce Back, Dallas: Taylor, 1996 FURTHER INFORMATION Books Burby, Liza N Sheryl Swoopes: All-Star Basketball Player New York: Rosen, 1997 Burgan, Michael Sheryl Swoopes Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2001 Kuklin, Susan Hoops with Swoopes New York: Jump at the Sun Hyperion Books for Children, 2001 Rappoport, Ken Sheryl Swoopes, Star Forward Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2002 Sehnert, Chris W Sheryl Swoopes Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters, 1998 Torres, John Albert Sheryl Swoopes Bear, DE: Mitchell Lane, 2002 Walker, Rosemary Sheryl Swoopes Mankato, MN: Capstone High-Interest Books, 2001 Other All, Elisa Ast “Bouncing Back from Baby.” Pregnancy Today, http://pregnancytoday.com/reference/articles/ swoopes.htm, (January 6, 2003) “Rockets Five Days of Giving Slated to Help Diverse Group of Houstonians in Need.” Houston Rockets, http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/fivedays_ 001219.html, (December 19, 2002) “Sheryl Swoopes.” National Sports Agency, http://www nationalsportsagency.com/sswoopes.html, (January 12, 2003) Sweet, Jacinda “For Former Texas Tech Star, Shoe Is ‘a Dream Come True,’ Arizona Daily Wildcat, http:// wildcat.arizona.edu, (October 9, 1995) USA Basketball, http://www.usabasketball.com/ bioswomen/sheryl_swoopes_bio.html, (January 12, 2002) Wiechmann, David “A Decade-Old Dynasty,” University Daily, http://www.universitydaily.net/vnews/ 1577 Swoopes Notable Sports Figures display.v/ART/2003/01/15/3e24dbc2409ab, (January 15, 2003) WNBA.com, http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/sheryl_ swoopes/index.html, (January 12, 2002) Sketch by Paul Burton 1578 ... 5.52 5.61 3. 18 2.95 3. 46 3. 35 2.18 2 .36 1.56 1. 63 2.72 2.21 2.22 3. 57 3. 00 3. 05 2.62 27 34 35 35 37 35 36 25 28 35 33 34 33 35 34 34 1 9 10 10 5 0 2 3 3 31 .0 155.2 249.0 238 .1 237 .0 2 63. 0 268.0... Mack Notable Sports Figures Chronology Awards and Accomplishments 1862 1884 1910-11, 19 13, 1929 -30 1 930 1885 1887 1890 1890 1892 1894 1896 1901 1910 1910 1914 1926 1929 1 930 -31 1 933 1 937 1 937 1940... enhancing and improving Notable Sports Figures to: The Editors Notable Sports Figures Gale Group 27500 Drake Road Farmington Hills, MI 4 833 1 -35 35 Phone: (800) 34 7-42 53 Advisory Board Robert Kirsch