Fun Facts

Sports

Arkansas Sports

Arkansas pitchers dominated Major League Baseball in 1934. Jerome Herman "Dizzy" Dean led the National League with 30 victories and Linwood "Schoolboy" Rowe topped the American League with 24 wins.
The Arkansas-based All-American Red Heads played from 1936 to 1986, and were the longest-lived and best-known women's basketball team in the country. In their heyday, the Red Heads appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show," "What's My Line," and "I've Got a Secret" television shows.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Brooks Robinson, born in Little Rock in 1937, began his illustrious career playing at Little Rock's historic Lamar Porter Field.
Little Rock native Brooks Robinson won a record 16 Golden Gloves while playing third base for the Baltimore Orioles. He is generally regarded by baseball experts as the greatest third baseman to ever play the game.
Seven players with Arkansas ties are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York: Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Travis Jackson, George Kell, Brooks Robinson, Arky Vaughan, and Bill Dickey.
The University of Arkansas changed its mascot from Cardinals to Razorbacks in 1910 after Coach Hugo Bezdek addressed students following a victory, saying his team had played "like a wild band of Razorback Hogs." The students loved the phrase so much they voted to change the nickname.
Former University of Arkansas Track and Field Coach John McDonnell's track and cross-country teams won a record 42 NCAA national championships, including 11 cross country, 19 indoor and 12 outdoor track. McDonnell's 42 national championships are more than any coach in any sport in the history of college athletics. McDonnell also won five national triple crowns: 1984-85, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1994-95 and 1998-99. He was named national coach of the year 30 times; conference coach of the year 49 times; and region coach of the year 62 time. McDonnell retired after the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In 1928 Eddie Hamm of Lonoke became the first Arkansas native to win an Olympic gold medal. He competed in the long jump.