Neil was a fine reporter ... very intelligent ....and a very good baseball man. But he never walked around like he was "God's gift" to sportswriting. It probably cost him a chance to be a high profile columnist but Neil always kept it real.

He was always fun to talk with about any subject and when I watched him interview athletes ... mostly baseball players .... he always seemed to really care about what they were saying. He was without pretense and a really sincere guy ...and it was great to see him use those great communication skills on Fox Southwest broadcasts this season. I thought it was interesting that even when the Chronicle seemed to not appreciate his great knowledge of the game ..... the Astros broadcast network did.

I'll miss seeing him and having a laugh with him .... but more than anything ... this is a loss for the many readers and viewers that enjoyed seeing his work.

Rest In Peace Neil.