2006: Joe McGuff

July 14, 2006

THE MCGUFF FILE

Born: Aug. 15, 1926

Died: Feb. 4, 2006

Career: Began at the Tulsa World before moving to Kansas City, where he spent 44 years as a sportswriter, columnist and eventually editor/vice president before retiring in 1992.

  • Former Kansas City Royals player George Brett (left) talks with former Kansas City Star vice-president and publisher Joe McGuff following Thursday’s January 30, 2003 press conference at Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate, 14225 Dearborn Ave., where it was announced that Brett’s ALS benefit golf tournament will now be called the ”Joe McGuff ALS Celebrity Classic.” McGuff was diagnosed with ALS in 1999. Photo by John Sleezer/staff. NOT PUBLISHED
  • Baseball ’05. Special Section. 20th anniversary of the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 1985. CUTLINE When former President Gerald Ford couldn’t make it, Joe McGuff was the perfect choice to throw out the first pitch for game seven. 1985 FILE PHOTO
  • Caption: blocher GUEST COLUMNIST Joe McGuff Photographer: FRED BLOCHER Credit: THE STAR Date: 19970924 Category: BIZ Keyword: PORTRAIT The Kansas City Star: 125 Years. 1880-2005. 125th anniversary. Section Two. Culture and Sports. CUTLINE Joe McGuff joined The Star as a sports reporter in 1948 afer a stint at the Tulsa World. McGuff was named sports editor at The Star in 1966. During 38 years in the sports department, he built a record as one of the most honored journalists in the history of The Star. A former president of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, McGuff was named outstanding sportswriter in Missouri six times and is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. In 1985 he was inducted into the writers wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The next year McGuff was named editor and vice president of The Kansas City Star Co., a position he held until he retired in 1992. Special Section. History. ORG XMIT: 20JD7MD
  • NORMAN NG/The Kansas City Star 05242004 Kansas City’s sports writing legend Joe McGuff (center) shares a laugh with other sports legends (from left) Tom Watson, Len Dawson, Buck O’Neil and George Brett during the 2nd Annual Joe McGuff ALS Golf Classic Tournament at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, KS Monday. The event benefits The ALS Association Keith Worthington Chapter. Joe was diagnosed with ALS in 1999. cutline: Famed Kansas City sportswriter Joe McGuff (center) shared a laugh with the city’s sports legends (from left) Tom Watson, Len Dawson, Buck O’Neil and George Brett during the second annual Joe McGuff ALS Golf Classic. reprinted in John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil 1911-2006 Buck an eight-page tribute section Sports special section

Highlights: He successfully lobbied owners to return major-league baseball to Kansas City after the Athletics left for Oakland. … His columns also swayed voters to approve funding for the Truman Sports Complex, home of the Chiefs and Royals, which remains a Kansas City icon today. … He covered 31 World Series, including one where he threw out the first pitch. It was Game 7 of the Royals-Cardinals series in 1985, and when former President Gerald Ford had to cancel at the last minute, Major League Baseball turned to Joe. … McGuff was also enshrined in the writers’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

APSE connection: Was a founding father of the organization and served as president in 1977-78.

Other: In the same month that Joe retired as editor of the paper, The Star won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

Quote: “He is and always will be a champion of all sports in Kansas City.” — Lamar Hunt, Chiefs owner and charter member of the American Football League

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