Former Royals’ pitcher Steve Busby and Cardinals third basemen Ken Reitz along with pitcher Carl Mays, who is known for killing a batter with a beanball all have been selected into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Busby pitched eight seasons with the Royals from 1972-1980 and had a winning record of 70-54 and is the only Royals pitcher to throw two no-hitters. His best year was 1974 when he went 22-14 and threw 292.1 innings! That followed after he was voted Rookie of the Year in 1973.
Reitz was a Gold Glove third basemen in 1975 and was an All-Star in 1980. Not known for his bat, where he was a .260 hitter, but he was solid defensively at third base.
Mays, who spent about 10 years of his life in Mansfield, MO, pitched for Boston and New York in the American League, before moving over to Cincinnati and spending one year with the New York Giants. Mays will be remembered for August 16, 1920 when he hit Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman with a fastball to the temple and killed him. Mays always contended the pitch was unintentional and regretted that the incident ever happened. Mays died in 1971.
The induction ceremony will take place October 22, in Springfield.
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