I'm thrilled for the Astros. They have finally won the National League Pennant.

I haven't followed the Astros for years, but at one time I was one of their best fans. I have traveled all over the US to watch baseball games. I knew all the stats and loved the game. Then it died.

I became disillusioned way back when John McMullen was the team owner. He's from somewhere back east -- New York or New Jersey -- and he should have just stayed there and kept away from the Houston Astros. He had no idea how to communicate with fans and the big mistake he made in my mind -- the one that drove me away from the Astros and eventually baseball -- was when he released Nolan Ryan.

Nolan, of course, wasn't too happy about this either. He immediately signed with the Texas Rangers and I immediately bought season tickets for the Rangers. It was a stupid thing to do. Who was I hurting? No one really. I made some great friends in Arlington. I attended about 60 home games and 3 games in Seattle. I got to see Nolan pitch another no hitter and get his 5000th strikeout. It was an amazing season.

The day after Nolan was released, my picture was splashed across the front page of the now defunct Houston Post. It was my protest. I was holding a telegram (HAH! Telegram? Do they still exist?) I had sent to Mr. McMullen that put my thoughts very succinctly (you paid by the word): NO NOLAN? NO TICKETS.

The years I closely followed the Astros were exciting. I even spent the night in the Astrodome. I ran into center field at 4:00 A. M. one morning. I got to see Nolan and Mike Scott pitch no-hitters. I saw a triple play. I sat in many extra inning games. I got to see the one game play-off in 1980 when the Astros beat the Dodgers for their first Western Division Pennant. I was in Los Angeles for the last three games of the season and got to stay over for that play off. Good times.

I sort of lost interest after Nolan's first year with the Rangers. It was too much to keep going back and forth to Arlington. Mom got sick. Life happened. But no way I was going back to see the Astros. Even after Drayton bought them. I had lost interest.

Drayton's a great owner though. He has put a lot of money on the line to get good players. He's even persuaded Nolan to come back into the fold. Sort of.

I've followed the games on the radio or on TV sometimes, but I have never been much for baseball on TV. I've been out to the new ball park a couple of times. It just wasn't the same though.

But I'm so happy for the fans out there who are where I was years ago. They deserve this. The old-timers deserve this. Hell, HOUSTON deserves this.

Go Astros! Win the World Series! I might even make it to one of the games. Who knows? Someone might feel sorry for me and give me a ticket. HAH! When hell freezes over. Oh, wait! Hell has frozen over: THE ASTROS WON THE PENNANT!