ARLINGTON, TEXAS – The arrival of the Minnesota Twins in suburban Bloomington in 1961 and the arrival of the Texas Rangers in suburban Arlington in 1972 had this in common:
Both previously had been Washington Senators.
Arlington was a favorite stop in the AL during my five years (1974-78) as the Twins beat writer for the St. Paul newspapers. Later, Texas was also a spot on the schedule if a columnist wanted to take a road trip and do double duty; the Twins beat writers were willing to sacrifice three days in that summer heat.
The reason I enjoyed Rangers road games was the corps of beat writers from the Dallas and Fort Worth newspapers. It was a cast of characters led by the Morning News' Randy Galloway, who for a time feuded with owner Brad Corbett and would bring a small cooler of Lone Star Longnecks to the pressbox rather than accept Brad's free booze.
A man must have his principles.
Also in the 1980s, Dallas became home to a newspaper war — Morning News vs. Times Herald — that produced outstanding sports sections. The Morning News won in 1991, purchasing its bitter rival.
There was a period earlier when the Times Herald teamed Blackie Sherrod, the great Texas wordsmith, with egomaniac Skip Bayless. Blackie and Skip had a mutual disregard for one another, to the point they would use an intermediary to relay their column topic when sitting near another at a Cowboys game.
Family and friends assembled Friday at the Rangers ballpark for a memorial celebrating Gerry Fraley, an all-time great ball writer at the Morning News, who died May 25 at 64.
