Missouri has long been known for outstanding professional sports teams. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most successful franchises in the history of Major League Baseball, while the Kansas City Royals have had a lot of recent success. And who could ever forget the I-70 Series between the two Missouri baseball teams? In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs played in the first Super Bowl and won the most recent title as well, while the St. Louis Rams made history with “The Greatest Show on Turf.” But, as is the nature of professional sports, some of our teams have moved on leaving us with only great memories. Here are some of the former pro teams from Missouri.
The St. Louis Browns:
The Browns came to St. Louis in 1902 from Milwaukee where they were known as the Brewers. The Browns later moved to Baltimore in 1954 and became the Orioles. The Brown’s played in only one World Series while in St. Louis, ironically enough against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944, which was won by the Cardinals.
Kansas City Athletics:
In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics headed west to Oakland to become the Oakland A’s. Because of legal issues surrounding that move, the city was given an expansion franchise in 1969 which became the Royals. The Athletics didn’t have much success while in Kansas City, but they did have greats like Reggie Jackson, Satchel Paige, and Jim “Catfish” Hunter spend some of their careers in Kansas City.
Kansas City Monarchs:
The Monarchs are a team that many people may not know of, but have a significant part of the history of professional baseball. The team played in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1965. In fact, the Monarchs were the longest running franchise in that league’s history. One of the greatest players of all time, Jackie Robinson, played for Kansas City before his historic tenure in Major League Baseball.
St. Louis Hawks:
One of the most stories franchises in professional basketball, the Hawks were once the toast of St. Louis. But the team moved to Atlanta in 1968 after the owners sold the team to some men from Georgia who moved the team south. The Hawks originally moved to St. Louis from Milwaukee in 1955. Greats like Bob Pettit and Ed McCauley led to team to numerous playoff wins at the old Kiel Arena.
St. Louis Bombers:
The Bombers were a short-lived NBA team in St. Louis. The team originally played in the Saint Louis Arena with the Basketball Association of America from 1946-49, then joined the NBA for one year. They were one of several teams that dropped out of the league shortly after the merger.
Kansas City Kings:
The Kansas City Kings had some amazing players like Tiny Archibald and Scott Wedman, but moved to California in 1985 to become the Sacramento Kings. The Kings originally began playing in Kansas City after moving from Cincinnati in 1972. In fact, they split time between Missouri and Nebraska and were known as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings for the first three years of their existence. The team left Kansas City due to small attendance after only making the playoffs 2 times in 13 years.
St. Louis Cardinals:
To say St. Louis has had some bad luck with professional football teams may be an understatement. Our history with the NFL goes back to 1960 when the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis. The Cardinals played in the Gateway City for 28 years before moving to Phoenix in 1988. During their tenure in St. Louis, the “Cardiac Cardinals” won the division two times and played in three playoff series’.
St. Louis Rams:
Seven years after the Cardinals moved out, the Los Angeles Rams moved in. The team came to St. Louis in 1995 where they made Super Bowl appearances and won the Super Bowl with one of the greatest teams of all time, nicknamed The Greatest Show on Turf. The Rams moved back to L.A. in 2016 after more than 20 years in St. Louis.
Kansas City Scouts:
Most people may not realize this, but one of the more successful hockey franchises over the past few decades originally began in Kansas City. The Kansas City Scouts were the original name of the Denver Rockies, and are another one of the former pro teams from Missouri. They left Kansas City in 1976.
St. Louis Steamers:
The Steamers were a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979-1988. The team had a great deal of success and continued the legacy of soccer success in the Gateway City.
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You failed to mention the St. Louis Spirits of tghe American Basketball Association. THe Spirits had several talented players. THe team didn't leave the state but the ABA folded and some teams were absorbed into the NBA.
They were next on my list! But the article was getting too long. I also wanted to include some of the old "pro" teams from out-state Missouri, so that may be my next history project.
How about the St. Louis Gunners? (NFL in the 1930s)
You went way back! I did a story on them a long time ago and all the places they use to play around town. That was a cool piece of history.
Thank you for the information. I remember and went to games for many of those teams.