Luke Appling (1907 - 1991)

Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Known as “Old Aches and Pains”, played shortstop 20 seasons (1930 to 1950), all with the Chicago White Sox. His finest season came in 1936 when he led the American League with a .388 batting average (the highest average ever for a shortstop) and drove in 128 runs. […]

Peter William Appleton (1904 - 1974)

Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League baseball as a pitcher for fourteen seasons (1927 to 1928, 1930 to 1933, 1936 to 1942, 1945) with the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Browns. Born Peter William Jablonski, he legally changed his name […]

Amy I. “Lefty” Applegren (1926 - 2011)

Professional Baseball Player. A pitcher and first baseman, she played for 10 years in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Raised in Peoria, she manifested her athletic talent early, playing organized softball at 11. Following her high school graduation Amy tried out for the AAGPBL and was assigned to the Rockford Peaches for whom […]

Fred Apostoli (1913 - 1973)

Professional Boxer. Known as the “Boxing Bell Hop”,  he became the middleweight world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. He held the middleweight crown until he was defeated by Ceferino Garcia on October 2, 1939. Born in San Francisco’s North Beach district, Apostoli was a classmate and lifelong friend of baseball […]

Houston Antwine (1939 - 2011)

Professional Football Player. For twelve seasons (1961 to 1972), he played at the defensive-tackle position in the American and National Football Leagues with the Boston/New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Raised in Tennessee where he attended Manassas High School, he played collegiate football at Southern Illinois University, while also earning the NAIA Wrestling Champion title. […]

Elías Antúnez (1907 - 1957)

Horseracing Jockey. Between 1933 and 1957 he won many Argentine classic races, like the Carlos Pellegrini (twice), and Jockey Club (three times). He also won three Argentine Jockey´s Championships (1937, 1938 and 1951). (bio by: 380W)

Earl Roderick Anthony (1938 - 2001)

Professional Bowler. He was Professional Bowling’s all-time biggest winner with 41 titles in his career.  While on the Pro Bowlers Tour he bowled 24 perfect games in competition.  He was National Champion from 1973 to 1975 and 1981 to 1983, and was named Bowler of the Year from 1974 to 1976 and from 1981 to […]

Adrian Constantine “Cap” Anson (1852 - 1922)

Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Born in Marshalltown, Iowa, he began to play professionally in the National Association (NA) as an infielder at the age of 19. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his era, he played a record 27 consecutive seasons 1876 to 1897, with the Chicago Cubs franchise, then […]

Joaquin Andujar (1952 - 2015)

Major League Baseball Player. For thirteen seasons (1976 to 1988), he was a pitcher with the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics. Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 1969, he was acquired by the Astros (via a trade) prior to the 1976 season. He secured a spot within […]

Plato Gus Andros (1921 - 2008)

Professional Football Player. Selected in the seventh round of the 1947 National Football League draft by the Los Angeles Rams, he appeared in 45 games over four seasons with the Chicago Cardinals. A standout defensive guard at the University of Oklahoma, he earned All-American honors in 1946. He served in the United States Coast Guard […]

(1924 - 2003)

Acclaimed Football Coach. Born Demosthenes Konstandies Andrecopoulos, he was a legend at Oregon State University where he coached the Beaver football team to some of the biggest wins in OSU history. He coached from 1965 to 1975 and then was the OSU athlectic director from 1975 until his retirement in 1985. He was known affectionately […]

Nate Andrews (1913 - 1991)

Major League Baseball Player. He was a right-handed pitcher with the St.Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants between 1937 and 1946. His greatest success came in 1943 and 1944 as a starting pitcher with the Boston Braves. In 1943 he won 14 games while losing 20 but had a […]

Ivy Andrews (1907 - 1970)

Major league baseball player 1931-1938. Pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and the Cleveland Indians.  (bio by: Patricia Wilbert)  Family links:  Parents:  John William Andrews (1869 – 1931)  Rebeacca Pairlee Wilson Andrews (1872 – 1953)  Spouse:  Josephine Gwin Andrews (1912 – 1994)  Siblings:  Ray Andrews (1891 – 1954)*  Leola […]

Eric Thomas Andolsek (1966 - 1992)

Professional Football Player. Played with the Detroit Lions as a lineman. He was killed when a truck went off the road and ran over him as he was working in his yard. (bio by: Joel Manuel)  Family links:  Parents:  Mary Jacqueline Levert Andolsek (1938 – 2011)

William Law Anderson (1879 - 1910)

Professional Golfer. He holds the all time record for winning the U.S. Open Golf Championship in three consecutive years. He sailed for America at the age of 16 aboard the S.S. Pomeranian from Glasgow, Scotland arriving at Ellis Island in March of 1896. He is the first golfer to win four U.S. Opens, with victories […]

Sparky Anderson (1934 - 2010)

Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Manager. For twenty-six seasons (1970 to 1995), he served as manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. Born George Lee Anderson, he moved to Los Angeles with his family as a child, and was a star baseball player at Dorsey High School. He was signed as an amateur […]

Paul Edward Anderson (1932 - 1994)

Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting. Widely regarded to be the world’s strongest man, he established national, Olympic, and world records in the superheavyweight class of weightlifting in the 1950s and early 1960s. He won the gold medal in the Munich Olympics of 1955 and the Melbourne Olympics of 1956. In addition, he visited the Soviet […]

Paul Anderson (1932 - 2005)

Professional Football Player. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, he played football for the Hilltop Football Club, and the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1953 to 1958. He also coached the Regina Rams. He passed away at the age of 72. (bio by: K)

Lorne “Lefty” Anderson (1931 - 1984)

Professional Hockey Player. A native of Renfrew, Ontario, Anderson played the position of Goalie for teams in the EHL, NHL, and the EOHL Hockey Leagues. He played for the Atlantic City Sea Gulls from 1947 to 1948, and 1950 to 1951, New York Rangers in 1952, New York Rovers from 1951 to 1952, and the […]

Ferrell J “Andy” Anderson (1918 - 1978)

Major League Baseball Player. A catcher, he appeared in two seasons with the majors, with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1953). An all-conference football tackle at the University of Kansas, he entered the New York Yankees’ minor league system in 1939 and was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942. His […]

Hjalmar “Hjallis” Andersen (1923 - 2013)

Olympic Men’s Speed Skating Gold Medal Winner. He is fondly remembered for winning the gold medal for the 1500 meter, 5000 meter, and the 10000 meter Men’s speed skating races at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. The oldest and only son of six children, his father worked as a ship captain and while […]

Edmundo “Sandy” Amoros (1930 - 1992)

Major League Baseball Player. Born in La Habana, Cuba, he made his debut as a left fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 22, 1952. For seven seasons, he played with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, 1954 to 1957, Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959 and the Detroit Tigers in 1960. In the 1955 World Series, […]

George “Little George” Amick (1924 - 1959)

Auto Race Car Driver. Surviving the multi-car crash on the first lap of the 1958 Indianapolis 500, “Little George” drove the Demler Special #99 to a second place finish, earning him Rookie of the Year honors. On April 4, 1959 the United States Auto Club (USAC) conducted it’s first and only race on the newly […]

Red Ames (1882 - 1936)

Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League Baseball as a Pitcher for 17 seasons (1903 to 1919) with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent the first 11 1/2 of his years playing for John McGraw’s Giants, with whom he helped to three World Series appearances. […]

Alan Dante “The Horse” Ameche (1933 - 1988)

Professional Football Player. A hard-running fullback, he won the 1954 Heisman Trophy as a senior at the University of Wisconsin. Not selected by his home-state Green Bay Packers, he became the first round pick of the Baltimore Colts. On his first NFL play against the Chicago Bears on September 25, 1955, he galloped for a […]

Lou Ambers (1913 - 1995)

Professional Boxer.  Born Luigi D’Ambrosio, he was nicknamed the “Herkimer Hurricane” for his hometown in New York. He was twice Lightweight Boxing Champion of the World between 1936 and 1940. In 102 fights, Ambers won 88, 29 by knockouts; lost 8, and had 6 draws. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame […]

Lyle Martin Alzado (1949 - 1992)

Professional Football Player. He played for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders. A true defensive standout for the Broncos, he was the first Yankton (South Dakota) College player ever drafted by the NFL and was a two-time All-Conference pick. From those humble beginnings, his combination of quickness and strength provided him with […]

Alysheba (1984 - 2009)

Race Horse. He was the winner of both the 1987 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron. He fell short for his bid of a Triple Crown with a fourth place finish at the Belmont Stakes. His other notable highlights include 1988 Horse of the Year honors and 1988 […]

Lili Álvarez (1905 - 1998)

Pioneer Sportswoman, Writer. She was born in Rome of Spanish parents as Elía María González-Álvarez y López-Chicheri. At the age of eleven, she got her first trophy in ice skating and at the age of 14, her first tennis championship. She was in the finals of Wimbledon during 1926, 1927 and 1928. In 1929, she […]

Anthony C. “Tony” Altomare (1928 - 2003)

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