By Bud Kennedy
bud@star-telegram.com
Baseball has belonged to Arlington for more than half a century, ever since Fort Worth and Dallas leaders agreed to share a team and a dream of major-league glory.
Apparently, some Dallas residents are still sore about that.
A real estate developer and some friends have rented a billboard on Interstate 30: "Bring Baseball to Dallas!"
"You're wasting gas, money and time driving to Arlington," the billboard reads.
Developer Craig Schenkel has two complaints:
He doesn't like the drive from north Dallas.
He doesn't like what he sees when he gets to Arlington.
"When you get there, there's this beautiful stadium stuck in between Hurricane Harbor, a highway and the Pitt Grill," Schenkel said.
"It's insanity that Dallas is one of the largest cities in the country, but we don't have a baseball team downtown."
(Actually, San Antonio is larger. But he was on a roll.)
"Houston put their team right downtown where there's some atmosphere," he said.
"For all I care, the Rangers could move to Fort Worth. That downtown is cool. I'd just prefer they be in my city."
At 54, Schenkel remembers the history of baseball in North Texas. Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff brought Fort Worth's Amon Carter Jr. together with Dallas leaders such as Field Scovell to support a shared Arlington team.
Schenkel is frustrated with today's Dallas leadership.
"I give credit to Arlington for landing the Cowboys," he said. "Did the Dallas City Council even try to build a baseball or football stadium here? No."
Thanks to Vandergriff and current Arlington Mayor Bob Cluck, Arlington is home to football and baseball. Former Dallas Mayors Robert Folsom and Ron Kirk built arenas to keep pro basketball and hockey.
"Thank goodness, Dallas was able to keep the Mavericks," Schenkel said.
"How'd that work out for downtown business this year?"
In the end, rants like Schenkel's only ruin his own argument.
If Dallas or Plano residents stop going to Rangers games, that's all the more reason to keep baseball in Arlington with loyal fans.
Maybe somebody should rent the next billboard.
It could say: "Shut Up and Move to Arlington."
Bud Kennedy's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Twitter @budkennedy817-390-7538
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