A Life of Words

Wednesday night while the Texas Rangers were shoving aside the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the first World Series championship in the franchise’s 63 years, I was watching that history unfold with a couple of Rangers diehards I’ve known for eight years. We didn’t finalize our plans until earlier that day, when Milt Collins invited Jeff … More Watching the Rangers earn their first title with friends who love this team like I love the Astros? Another winner

Often when men who leave an indelible mark on this earthly life pass away, people will say, “He was one of the good guys.” It’s an overused expression but generally true. Likewise, it’s often said about guys who are still here: “He’s one of the good guys.” We know there are countless good guys in … More My best friend Doug, who’s been gone for 21 years, wasn’t just ‘one of the good guys.’ He was the best.

It really was a gorgeous night for playoff baseball at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Thursday. For a second straight glorious game, this time with my friend Karl Bowman, I was thrilled to be in attendance at the Astros-Rangers American League Championship Series Lone Star showdown. The decision for Game 4 to be played … More With the roof open and the Astros scoring another big ALCS win, it was a cool night all the way around

Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Arlington went down just the way my longtime friends John Reed, Randy Higgins and I hoped it would – with an 8-5 victory for the Houston Astros, the team we all grew up supporting as kids and cheering for in games with our families … More I’ve seen Astros, Rangers play many times, but this was special – and what a win for my team to save its season

When I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in April 1987 for a newsroom position at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I was a 26-year-old who loved sports and had just spent four years as a sports writer in the football hotbed of Odessa in West Texas. My team allegiances were pretty uncomplicated: Houston teams and … More A fan of the Astros forever and the Rangers for a while relishes these teams’ first-ever postseason meeting

Game 1 of the Astros-Twins AL Division Series was two days ago … and here I am just now posting about my trip to Houston to soak in all the thrills and magic of the baseball playoffs. All I can say is, if you’re a baseball fan – or even if you’re not – and … More Seeing an Astros playoff victory in person with a dear friend: Priceless. But our team has a lot more work to do.

Just call me old school, seeing as I’ve been a fan of the Houston Astros since I was a little boy, when this was their cool logo. At the time, in the late 1960s, we lived just 5 miles from that very same logo-dominating Astrodome in Southwest Houston. All my brother Isaac and I had … More If it’s October, it must be time for Astros playoff baseball again – and how lucky am I to get to be there for Game 1?

For 29 years, Kay has been putting up with all my quirks … and let’s be fair, vice versa. We certainly both have our share. But to make it this long as a married couple, we must be doing something right, right? On Sept. 24, 1994, we dedicated ourselves to each other at First United … More As Kay and I reach 29 years as a married couple, so much to be thankful for … and it all starts with her

I attended a wonderful lunch Sunday with about 20 great friends and former Dallas Morning News colleagues at Meso Maya in Dallas. We were there to fete Denise Beeber, who retired Sept. 1 after spending almost 30 years at the newspaper as a news editor instrumental in ensuring that the DMN published every day. Denise … More After almost 30 years at The Dallas Morning News, a stellar former colleague writes her own retirement story

In baseball, they say hitting’s contagious. If that’s true, the Houston Astros collectively spent three sick days in Arlington this week. And to take it a step further, if you’re familiar with the slang usage of that word, they played some sick baseball – according to Merriam-Webster online, “outstandingly or amazingly good or impressive.” After … More How sweep it is: Relishing being there for a historically dominant Astros series — but there’s lots of baseball left