Tag: Opening Day

How a tiny black & white TV created a lasting memory of 1983 Texas Rangers season opener

The late Arlington Stadium as it appeared in 1983

Today is Opening Day for 22 Major League Baseball teams, including my Texas Rangers, who opened against Philadelphia this afternoon (Rangers lost, 5-3). Opening Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year, because it means the long Winter is finally over and there is the promise of new life, even for my favorite team.

A long ago Opening Day is one of those special days where I know exactly where I was.

And I’m not talking about the baseball.

The year was 1983. The setting was the now departed Arlington Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game was the season opener between the  Rangers and the Chicago White Sox.

I looked it up, and it was a Monday night game . Only 13,140 fans showed up with few expectations for the Rangers that season.

I was in that crowd along with Eric Brooks, a fellow sportswriter at the Southwest Times Record newspaper in Fort Smith, Ark.. We drove to Arlington to catch the 1983 season opener because I was a Rangers fan and Eric was a fan of MLB in general.

It was my first — and only — MLB Opening Day game. And what a memory it became.

Here’s what I remember from the night: virtually nothing about the baseball game itself.

But it turned out to also be a night that many American sports fans recall because of an historic upset. North Carolina State beat Houston to claim the NCAA men’s basketball championship.

It was also special to me because Eric and I got to watch the incredible finish to that game while we were at Arlington Stadium with the Rangers game still in progress. You might remember that the Jim Valvano-coached Wolfpack scored one of college basketball’s greatest upsets when Lorenzo Charles scored the game winner at the final buzzer.

So, how were we able to watch that from the stands at Arlington Stadium?

While the NCAA game certainly wasn’t broadcast on the Rangers scoreboard, a fan seated in our section held a small, portable black-and-white television in his lap.

When we saw several people gather around the guy with the TV, Eric and I got up and joined the crowd. We could see the screen pretty well and knew that it was late in the NCAA championship game.

So, we stayed put to watch the frantic finish with that small crowd of college basketball crazies.

As for the Rangers game, Texas defeated Chicago starting pitcher Lamarr Hoyt that night, 5-3, in two hours and 25 minutes. I found the box score.

After the game, Eric and I headed over to the local Bennigan’s Restaurant for a late dinner. Eric spotted White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf seated at a table with team GM Roland Hemond.

I would not have known who they were, but Eric was a big MLB fan who recognized the baseball executives.  He wanted to rush over and strike up a conversation, although I talked him into waiting until they were finished eating.

Fast forward 43 years.

Today was another season opening day for the Rangers, who will play their 2026 home opener on April 3. The expectations are certainly higher than they were in 1983, but I won’t be in Arlington next week when the Rangers open at home against the Cincinnati Reds.

No big deal. I’ll always have my memories of that long ago season opener and watching the NCAA finals on a tiny black-and-white portable TV in the Arlington Stadium stands.

February: 28 days of yuck

winter weather
This is cruel month of February, 28 forgettable days of cold and dark.

It was dark when I went out to get my paper off the driveway this morning — yes, I still get newsprint delivered to me every day — and noticed there was ice on the windshield of the car.

So, I decided I should pull the windshield wipers up so that they won’t be stuck in place in should I need to drive later in the day.

Big mistake.

The wipers clung to the windshield like the kid’s tongue to the flagpole in A Christmas Story. So the rubber squeegee part ripped into shreds. Arrgh!

All of which made me hate the month of February even more than normal.

In fact, as I brooded later, I decided to figure out which months of the year I dislike the most and why. Here’s what I came up with:

Most hated months from worst to first

No. 12: February — No explanation needed. See February 2021 for guidance.

No. 11: January — Other than a New Year’s Day holiday that gives us time to assess the damage Christmas spending caused us, January doesn’t offer much. Mostly cold and darkness with few redeeming values.

No. 10: November — We’re losing daylight and warmth, plus we’re plunging headfirst into the Christmas buying season. And Daylight Savings ends, throwing our internal clocks out of whack. Thanksgiving and the wonderful weekend of college football it brings is the only redemption.

No. 9: December: — I’ve told my wife for years that my favorite day of the year is December 26. Too much stress and pressure to enjoy Christmas properly. Redeeming value: days DO start inching longer with later sunsets after December 21.

No. 8: August: — Oppressive heat. Little rainfall. Only saved by baseball and the kickoff to the college football season late in the month.  Redemption comes only with rare temperature break or thundershower.

No. 7: July — See August. Oppressive heat. Little rainfall. Plus, Fourth of July fireworks drive our Chihuahua up a wall.  And KD dumped us on July 4th. Rarely do we get a break on temperatures or rainfall.  A bright side: Big vacation month, plus NFL training camp begins and MLB All-Star game.

No. 6: June — June brought so much promise as a kid. Weeks at my Grandparents’ house. Church camp. Lying in the grass and making images out of clouds. Now it means anticipating two full months of oppressive heat. See July and August.  However, June baseball holds my interest.

No. 5: May — Oppressive heat still not in full effect. Vacation season coming. Baseball season in full throttle. School ending. The lake beckons. Downside: Tornado season is in full bloom.

No. 4: March — Spring! We’re starting to see some warmth and daylight here. Baseball Spring Training fully under way. March Madness. We’re making the turn to a happier time. The bad news is the resumption of Daylight Savings, which throws our sense of time into disarray once again.

No. 3 September — NFL season kicks off, which means we have weekend days and nights covered by football. The oppressive heat breaks about the third week. Perfect outdoor walking weather. On the downside, days are noticeably shorter. And the State Fair, but I won’t hold that against the month.

No. 2: October — A glorious month, all in all. Football races shaping up. The World Series. NBA season tips off. Weather is cool but not cold. Leaves morph into beautiful colors, even here in central Oklahoma. Downside: winter’s coming.

No. 1: April — The absolute best month of the year. Opening Day. The Masters. Daily walks through the neighborhood. More daylight each day. The smell of a fresh mowed lawn. April showers. Warm weather with oppressive heat still a couple months away. Tell me what’s not to like