As an athlete growing up and armed with a journalism degree, my goal coming out of college in 1979 was to be a sportswriter at a daily newspaper. I’ve always been grateful that I was able to fulfill that goal for the three-plus years I was part of a very talented Sacramento Union sports department staff. Here’s just a sampling of the hundreds of stories I wrote while in that job.
My Years as a Sportswriter
Chris Ault/U of Nevada Sagebrush/March 23, 1976
The Power of Cordova/Sacramento Union/Oct. 16, 1979
Losing McClatchy Style/Sacramento Union/Oct. 17, 1979
Baker, Royster Reflect/Sacramento Union/Feb. 8, 1980
Ben Davidson Plays Mr. Nice Guy/Sacramento Union/January 1980
Partygoers at the Pig Bowl/Sacramento Union/Jan. 18, 1980
Other Center of UCLA Dynasty/Sacramento Union/March 1980
Lodi Dodgers GM/Sacramento Union/May 1980
Sac High Wins TOC Crown/Sacramento Union/May 1980
Expos Give Manuel New Life/Sacramento Union/June 1980
1980 Baseball All-Metro Team/Sacramento Union/June 1, 1980
Lodi Dodgers Have Local Look/Sacramento Union/June 8, 1980
Sax Brothers Stay Intact/Sacramento Union/July 1980
Sacramento a Scout's Paradise/Sacramento Union/July 1980
Ed Figueroa Hangs On/Sacramento Union/August 1980
Dion James Still Draws Rave Reviews/Sacramento Union/Dec. 16, 1982
Al Wiggins Closes in on Record/Sacramento Union/Aug. 28, 1980
BV's Yeates Wins State Tourney/Sacramento Union/March 8, 1981
Dolan No-hits Del Campo/Sacramento Union/June 1981
Hazewood Marks Time/Sacramento Union/June 1981
Buffalos Coach Max Miller/Sacramento Union/June 1981
Smokin' Smokeys Head into Utah/Sacramento Union/July 16, 1981
Sax Ready for Dodger Blue?/Sacramento Union/July 1981
Bob Kammeyer Misses Baseball/Sacramento Union/August 1981
Buffalos Run Wild/Sacramento Union/Aug. 16, 1981
Buffs' Worman Hopes for NFL/Sacramento Union/Sept. 10, 1981
Sperbeck's Reno Gamble/Sacramento Union/October 1981
Price Tunes up for Racquetball/Sacramento Union/October 1981
Twin Cities Wins CFL Title/Sacramento Union/Oct. 12, 1981
Sacto Still Without a Team/Sacramento Union/Oct. 18, 1981
Alcohol Throws Welch a Curve/Sacramento Union/January 1982
Sax Feeling No Pressure/Sacramento Union/Feb. 12, 1982
Drungo Hazewood Waits/Sacramento Union/Feb. 17, 1982
Weinstein in No Hurry to Leave/Sacramento Union/May 1982
Dodgers Love Sacramento's Ron King/Sacramento Union/May 1982
Tisdel 'Optimistic' about His Job/Sacramento Union/June 1982
Night League: Best Baseball in Sac/Sacramento Union/July 11, 1982
Back From a Beaning/Sacramento Union/Aug. 1, 1982
Nevada-Reno's “Farm team”/Sacramento Union/October 1982
LA's Sax Named Top NL Rookie/Sacramento Union/November 1982
Forsch Brothers Reflect on '82 Titles/Sacramento Union/November 1982
Dion James Adjusts to Minors/Sacramento Union/Aug. 17, 1980
Unparalleled Year for SCC Athletics/Sacramento Union/May 25, 1983
Frustrating End to SCC's 1983 Baseball Season/Sacramento Union/May 29, 1983
Nottle Finally Realizes a Dream/Sacramento Union/February 1983
Decision Time for Grant Duo/Sacramento Union/May 1983
1983 Baseball All-Metro Team/Sacramento Union/June 1983
Phils Take Ricky Jordan in the First Round/Sacramento Union/June 1983
Local Talent Runs 49ers Camp/Sacramento Union/July 28, 1983
Most Boring Team in NCAA Tourney-Nevada/Sacramento Union/March 1984
Mays Autograph Goes for $4.50/Sacramento Union/March 19, 1984
Is Sacramento Ready for the Big Leagues?/The Sporting News/Feb. 25, 1985
Card Craze Grows in Capital/Sacramento Union/April 17, 1989
Collectors Love Rookie Cards/Sacramento Union/April 30, 1989
Furor Subsides Over Ripken Card/Sacramento Union/June 11, 1989
1989 Cards: A Collector's Choice/Sacramento Union/May 28, 1989
Times Change in Card Collecting/Sacramento Union/July 23, 1989
Are Dealers Stealing the Joy of Collecting?/Sacramento Union/Sept. 24, 1989
Quake Strikes out When it Comes to World Series/Sacramento Union/Oct. 27, 1989
Preserving Sports Memories with VCRs/Sacramento Union/Nov. 5, 1989