Once upon a time in the magical land of Ashdown, Arkansas, a star was born, destined to conquer the wild west of American baseball – a man named Walter Ray Matthews. Waltzing his way through spectacular stages, dancing on baseball fields, and juggling bats like nobody's business, he twirled his way into baseball history, or at least into the annals of the Houston Astros. Walter Ray, the gunslinger of the diamond, first saddled up in 1956 with the St. Louis Cardinals, only wetting his beak in the circus that was about to become his life. After a stint in Omaha, Walter Ray found himself under the big top tent of the Milwaukee Braves in 1960. But our hero's trusty steed led him to the great state of Texas, where he met his match and began a love affair with the baseball rodeo that was the Houston Colt .45s. A single 'A' cowboy with moxie, Walter Ray ran with the bulls, specifically the Durham Bulls in 1963. He lassoed thirty home runs and etched his name in the dusty saddle of history (at least until someone came along and, well, broke that record). But there our hero stood, a man in his element, a cowboy in the stampede of baseball life. When 1966 rolled around, having seemingly calmed the wild west of baseball fields, Walter Ray decided to take on a new challenge – becoming a skipper. His first rodeo? The Salisbury Astros. Second call to take the helm? The Cocoa Astros in 1967. It's easy to picture him there – channeling his inner John Wayne, drawlin' and fixin' to turn the New York Yankees into pasture patties. As his playing days came to a close, Walter Ray's legend hadn't quite finished. He answered the call of the wild again, this time as a scout for the Houston Astros – a new frontier in his baseball rodeo. He dug his spurs in deep, rustling up such talent as Bill Doran, Johnny Ray, and Robbie Wine for the proverbial campfire of greatness. He continued to waltz across the baseball landscape for the next several decades, swinging and swaying in harmony with each pitch, trotting and prancing with each bell toll of the umpire. Every up-and-coming cowboy would do well to study his fancy footwork and slick moves as he charmed fans and players alike. His magnificent 51-year rodeo hoopla came to a close in 2012 – a trail well-traveled, my friends. In the end, Walter Ray Matthews will always be remembered for his grace on the diamond, his two-step with destiny, and his relentless dedication to the rodeo of baseball. As we tip our cowboy hats and raise our glass, let us honor this gallant fellow who spent five decades waltzing with Walter Ray Matthews: A Swingin' 51 Years in Baseball's Rodeo.