Pujol's mega-rookie year voted state's No. 1 story

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The remarkable season of Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the greatest rookie campaigns in major league history, was chosen as Missouri's No. 1 sports story of 2001.

The 21-year-old Pujols, who played amateur baseball in the Kansas City area, set a National League rookie record with 130 RBIs while leading the Cardinals with a .329 average, 37 home runs and 112 runs.

In voting by Associated Press newspaper and broadcast members, Pujols edged out proposed stadium projects in Kansas City and St. Louis that would be partially funded with tax money, and record-setting basketball player Jackie Stiles for top story honors.

Pujols played 78 games in the outfield, 55 at third base and 43 at first base in becoming the sixth St. Louis player to win the rookie award, and the ninth unanimous winner. He was named NL rookie of the year just one day after St. Louis teammate Mark McGwire announced his retirement, which was voted No. 4 story on the Missouri list.

Issues surrounding the proposed new stadiums in St. Louis and Kansas City will doubtlessly produce major sports and news stories in Missouri for years to come. While baseball flourishes in St. Louis, it is struggling in Kansas City, and Royals owner David Glass has hinted that he cannot guarantee the team's long-term viability unless improvements are made to Kauffman Stadium.

But plans to fund the projects may be a tough sell in the Legislature.

Voted No. 3 was Stiles, a high school legend in tiny Claflin, Kan., who became the NCAA's all-time leading scorer for women. After setting the scoring record and leading Southwest Missouri State to the Final Four, she was named the WNBA's rookie of the year.

Other Missouri sports stories in the top 10:

4. The retirement of the former home run king. McGwire, after two injury-plagued seasons, walked away from a $30 million, two-year contract extension he agreed to last spring but never signed. McGwire batted .187 in his final season with 29 home runs and finished with 583 career homers, fifth on the career list. He was the home run king for three seasons after hitting 70 in 1998, waging a season-long race with Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs.

5. The Kansas City Chiefs' firing of head coach Gunther Cunningham and luring Dick Vermeil out of a one-year retirement to replace him. Vermeil had retired after leading the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl title.

6. Missouri basketball. The Tigers under young Quin Snyder made the NCAA tournament in March and then got off to a running start in the 2001-2002 season as Kareem Rush was voted preseason Big 12 player of the year.

7. The Cardinals, with the help of Pujols, made a great second-half run and reached the NL playoffs.

8. The Rams, with a healthy Kurt Warner at the controls, got off to a quick start in the 2001 season and headed for the NFL playoffs.

9. In his first important act as Chiefs' coach, Vermeil gave the Rams a first-round draft choice for quarterback Trent Green, who had been Warner's backup. But Green and the Chiefs got off to a horrible start.

10. The St. Louis Blues made the NHL playoffs.