Geographist

Don Wilson Born: February 12, 1945 Sport: Baseball (104-92, 3.15 ERA, 1-time All-Star)  Professional athletics is often a glamorous arena, with the best individuals earning a significant measure of fame and income.  However it always involves a measure of sacrifice to reach the pinnacle of any sport, usually in the form of hard work and commitment but sometimes also with relationship or health challenges.  Other times, the bright lights tend to obscure the reality that the players that fans are excited to follow are simply normal people.  Today we'll take a look at the abbreviated life of Don Wilson, a Houston athlete who had a promising trajectory that was cut off all too soon.  Houston's Astrodome and surrounding areas in 1966 Although Don Wilson was born in Monroe, Louisiana, he and his older brother began playing baseball together after moving to the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, California.  Don initially played the infield for the local Little League...

Billy Wagner Born: July 25, 1971 Sport: Baseball (All-American, 7-time All-Star, Reliever of the Year, Hall of Fame) Before we begin, I want to once again extend my thanks for another milestone number on the website.  Earlier today, this website notched hit number 250,000 - a quarter of a million!  Wow, it's incredible for me to think about reaching that number, and I want each reader to know that I appreciate whatever amount of time you spend on the site.  Hopefully you get something enjoyable and enlightening from it.  With that being said, let's pivot to this week's subject.  In a few days, the Houston Astros will celebrate their third inductee to the MLB Hall of Fame in the person of Billy Wagner.  The accomplished closer also becomes the first pitcher to wear an Astros cap on his plaque in Cooperstown.  So in honor of this occasion, I thought we'd get to know the man that Houston fans came to know as Billy the Kid. Houston in 1999, when Wagner and...

Hello everyone!  I just finished some travel time with the family, and although it was very enjoyable we had some drama getting back home.  In lieu of a post this week I'm going to provide a few pictures of Scotland and be back next week with more Houston athletes.  Thank you for continuing to be part of the journey!  - The Geographist

Colin Montgomerie Born: June 23, 1963 Sport: Golf (2-time All-American, 54 professional wins - including 3 PGA Championships, 4-time European Golfer of the Year, World Golf Hall of Fame) I'm spending time in Scotland right now, enjoying my first trip to the land where my family and its name got their start.  It seemed to be appropriate to find an athlete that linked my new home with this stunning land of my ancestry, and I didn't have to search long to find the perfect candidate.  Today we'll learn more about a Scottish man who came to Houston to play the game made in his homeland.  Colin Montgomerie would eventually become a champion on both sides of the Atlantic while endearing himself to fans from around the world.  Houston Christian University in 1985, where Montgomerie led the golf team to three titles Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Colin Montgomerie came from a family that had played an influential role in the confectionary industry.  His grandfather was said ...