Former longtime Kansas City Star and Times sportswriter Sid Bordman dies at 98

Sid Bordman, a lifelong Kansas Citian who covered the KC Royals, Athletics and Blues during his 34 years as a reporter for The Star and Times, died Monday. He was 98.

Bordman was among a cadre of Star and Times sportswriters who covered the very first Royals game in 1969. He covered a variety of topics during his three-and-a-half decades on the sports desk, but he was perhaps most closely associated with its baseball reports.

Here is how he started his story on that inaugural Royals game:

“Billy Martin has not changed. He was a fierce competitor, a winning-type player. He is the same as a manager. Yesterday, he made his debut as a major-league manager as a loser.”

Bordman served as the sports information director at Rockhurst University in Kansas City from 1987 to 2005 after his long tenure at The Star. He was inducted into the Rockhurst University Hall of Fame in 2004, and was also an official scorer for the Royals in his later years.

Born Oct. 25, 1923 in Kansas City, Bordman graduated from Central High School in June 1941 and Rockhurst College in June 1954. He met Theresa Barbara Maasen at a basketball game at Redemptorist, and they were married at St. Vincent’s Catholic Church in KC on Feb. 1, 1951. They raised four children in Overland Park; Theresa died in June 2008.

Bordman was a convert to Catholicism and was baptized at St. Vincent’s in 1950. He was a devout Catholic who never missed mass, even when he was on the road covering baseball.

He enlisted in the Army in May 1943, serving in the Corps of Engineers until February 1946. He was stationed at Guadalcanal in The Philippines and Japan. Offered a Warrant Officers Commission to remain in the Army for the Japan occupation, he declined. He had a job to get back to, selling newspapers at Blues games. The Blues were a minor-league club for the New York Yankees at the time.

In 1939, he was selling newspapers near the stadium when the Blues’ clubhouse manager told Sid, “Get rid of those newspapers, because you are going to be the batboy for the visiting team.” The Blues won the game and Sid was hired permanently. He remained the batboy for the Blues’ visitors until his enlistment in 1943.

After leaving the Army and returning to Kansas City, Bordman became the Blues’ clubhouse manager. He developed scores of close relationships, counting among his many friends Blues shortstop and future Yankees Hall of Famer Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto. Later, when Rizzuto became the Yankees’ radio broadcaster, he would continue to visit Bordman’s family whenever the Yankees were in town to play the Royals.

Working as a reporter for The Star and its sister publication, The Kansas City Times, Bordman would venture down to Florida for spring training each year, usually accompanied by his wife Theresa. They enjoyed their travels to Florida, even purchasing a small trailer in which to live during their travels.

Bordman covered the first Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Kansas City in 1960 and the second in 1973, as well as the Royals’ Western Division championship clubs of 1976-78, pennant-winning team in 1980 and World Series triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985.

He also covered the Kansas City Kings of the NBA, including their run to the Western Conference Finals in 1981. During the baseball offseasons, he’d also pivot to Big Eight sports. He was a champion of small-college athletics, including the NAIA basketball tournaments held in KC — Rockhurst was an NAIA powerhouse.

Bordman covered sports with a critical eye, but his fairness earned the trust of the coaches, athletes and executives on his watch. He endeared himself to them, as well. In an era when everyone seemed to have a nickname, the ballplayers nicknamed him “Sinkerball Sid,” while Kings guard Phil Ford called him ”Sid Vicious” — a nod to the popular rock musician at the time.

Later in his career, Bordman agreed to help coach a girls softball team called the “Ghosts.” He was their infield coach, and his favorite line was, “One more time, girls!” His drills must have been successful, because the Ghosts went undefeated for four years in a row.

In retirement, Bordman went to the ballpark whenever possible. He also played golf, walked almost daily at the mall and met up with his local baseball buddies for Friday morning breakfasts at Bob Evans or the Village Inn.

Bordman is survived by his four children, Janice E. Biggs (Pete), Stephen S. Bordman, Barbara J. Helm (Ron) and Ted J. Bordman (Rhonda); four grandchildren, Robert O’Connor (Lisa), Catie Biggs, Kelly O’Connor (Jennifer), Maggie Hergott (Nathan); two great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Former Star sportswriters Randy Covitz and Howard Richman contributed to this report.

This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 4:01 PM.