Geographist

Hello everyone!  I'm currently enjoying some vacation time with my youngest kiddo, and maybe even getting some ideas for future topics.  Rest assured, I'll be back with more Houston sports figures soon.  Until then, I hope you all enjoy a terrific week and make the best use of your summer!  The Geographist

Jeff Kent Born: March 7, 1968 Sport: Baseball (5-time All-Star, 4-time Silver Slugger, MVP, Hall of Fame) Before getting started, my website stats say this is my 400th blog post.  Pretty cool!  Thank you again to everyone who takes the time to click and read!  It is Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, New York.  Three men have been inducted into baseball's primary museum, and although debate goes on about what athletes, coaches, and contributors have been included or excluded, it certainly remains high praise to have a plaque with your name on it placed alongside so many legendary names.  One of this year's honorees had a brief, but impactful, time in Houston and has left a bit of himself in the Astros record book.  Throughout his 17 year career with six different teams, he set new standards for his position and never had a negative WAR (a stat measuring your level of play against the rest of the league's players at your position).  Today, as fans of ...

Zina Garrison Born: November 16, 1963 Sport: Tennis (World #1 junior women's player, World #4 singles player, Wimbledon singles finalist, 2-time Australian Open doubles finalist, 2-time Olympic medalist - 1 Gold, 1 Bronze) It's always amazing to me what variety of sports figures have come from Houston.  Obviously the city has long been a hotbed (figuratively as well as literally, given our typical weather patterns) of talent for the major sports.  But what about the events that don't always attract as big a spotlight?  Space City has had its share of stars there as well, and because of the makeup of our region we have produced some trailblazers and trendsetters.  Although tennis has never been a true "fringe" sport, it doesn't generally get in the zeitgeist unless someone truly special comes along.  During the time leading up to last week's Wimbledon final, much of the conversation centered on the return of Serena Williams to a major tournament at the age ...

Booker T Born: March 1, 1965 Sport: Wrestling (11-time WCW Tag-Team champion, 6-time World champion, 2006 King of the Ring, 2-time Hall of Fame inductee) It's another full week on the sports calendar in America!  Baseball has officially reached the All Star break, the symbolic midway point of the season, and many amateurs have had their lives changed during the annual draft.  In MMA, celebrity fighter Conor McGregor made his long-anticipated return to the ring but only lasted a minute before an injury put a stop to the fight.  Basketball is being played, with the regular season in the WNBA going on while NBA squads compete in Summer League action.  And of course the World Cup is down to the final four nations that will vie for the title over the coming days.  But this week, I'm going to take a bit of a detour and visit a group of athletes that frequently get accused of having a fake sport but whose physical prowess is undeniable.  A while back we learned th...

Today, www.geographist.com surpassed the 500,000 mark for total views.  Wow!  I know that's small potatoes for the big websites out there, but for me it's amazing to think that even a fraction of that number would find the time to click through this blog of things that interest me.  Thank you to every single reader! J.R. Richard Born: March 7, 1950 Sport: Baseball (107-71 pitching record, All-Star, ERA title) Happy Independence Day to everyone in the United States!  I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the celebrations for our country's 250th birthday, including my own neighborhood's 131st consecutive July 4th celebration last night, and continue to cheer on our national team as the play on the world's biggest soccer stage.  On the baseball field, we got news that Yordan Alvarez was voted into the starting position for the American League's DH at the upcoming All-Star game, and maybe he'll get to add some MVP hardware to that trophy case now that he's gett...

Dallas Keuchel Born: January 1, 1988 Sport: Baseball (103-92 pitching record, 2-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove, Cy Young, World Series champ) As we approach the "dog days" of summer at the end of June, baseball usually takes center stage as the only game in town for any year that doesn't have the Olympics going on.  In 2026, however, we have the World Cup occupying our sports attention.  But we are still going to give the local nine their due and keep our focus on the diamond, at least for this week.  Back in 2015, the Houston Astros became relevant for the first time in quite a while as they made the postseason for the first time in 10 years, during which time they switched leagues from the NL to the AL and also endured a streak of three consecutive seasons of 100+ losses.  Their first taste of playoff baseball since their 2005 World Series loss was a memorable one, as they dispatched the New York Yankees in a one-game Wild Card round before falling to the eventua...

Wayne Graham Born: April 6, 1936 Sport: Baseball (1,848-641-2 collegiate coaching record, 5-time NJCAA World Series Champion, 1-time NCAA World Series Champion, Hall of Fame) The 2026 College World Series has nearly wrapped up, with the deciding game 3 scheduled to be played tomorrow.  The University of Oklahoma won the first game of the championship before the University of North Carolina came out on top to even the series.  The rubber game on Monday evening will determine who goes home with the hardware.  If the Sooners win it would be their third title in school history and first since 1994, and for the Tar Heels it would be their first time to come out on top after a couple of runner-up seasons 20 years ago.  The universities within the city of Houston have not historically fared well in the tournament, with the University of Houston finishing second in 1967 and the only baseball championship in local history going to Rice University back in 2003.  The head ...

Dwayne De Rosario Born: May 15, 1978 Sport: Soccer (7-time All-Star, 6-time Best XI, MLS MVP, MLS Golden Boot, 4-time MLS Champion) This week the World Cup began, and it's already catching the imaginations of many here in a country that never seems to have embraced the most popular sport in the world.  In sharing hosting duties with Canada and Mexico, the United States is acting in the role for the first time since 1994.  Here in the Houston area, we had our very first game today and will be the site of an additional six by the time the tournament wraps up next month.  Although the city's history with professional soccer is relatively short, one star for our local team can act as an ambassador and host for many of the cities where games will be played.  Dwayne De Rosario is a native of Ontario, Canada, and competed for numerous MLS clubs during his career, including Houston, Toronto, New York, and San Jose - all metro areas that will welcome international guests watc...

Derrick Lewis Born: February 7, 1985 Sport: Mixed Martial Arts (29-13-0 professional record, 16 UFC KO/TKO wins, currently holds heavyweight records for finishes and knockouts) As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday next month, there are numerous ways that people are choosing to mark the occasion.  One of the more interesting spectacles that has been planned is a UFC event on the White House lawn, billed as Freedom 250 which will take place one week from today.  When the fight card was originally announced, according to UFC's CEO Dana White, President Donald Trump asked why Derrick Lewis wasn't included.  So the boss made a few calls and added a fight that included Houston's most famous and successful MMA fighter, lining up the seasoned veteran against one of the sport's rising heavyweight stars, Josh Hokit.  When "no holds barred" cage matches began being held years ago, I didn't really understand the styles of fighting that took pl...

Darryl Kile Born: December 2, 1968 Sport: Baseball (133-119 pitching record, 3-time All-Star) Sometimes sports go through trends.  I grew up in the golden age of basketball centers, with Olajuwon competing with the likes of Ewing, Robinson, Mutumbo, Mourning, and O'Neal.  Then for a period of time teams like the Golden State Warriors practically ignored the center position in favor of shooters specializing in the 3-pointer.  In football there have been changes in the rules that have shifted the focus for many teams away from defense and running toward a high-scoring passing attack.  In baseball, it seems that players of recent years focus on power more than average during each at-bat, which has combined with improved relief pitching to a decrease in baserunners and scoring.  Last season, for instance, all major league players averaged .245 over the year compared to .270 back in 2000.  That said, occurrences of no-hitters has not increased - in 2025 there wa...