HOUSTON \u2013 For one Houston woman, baseball isn\u2019t just a pastime, it\u2019s a way of life.<\/p>\n
As the Houston Astros start the season, one of their most devoted fans is already counting down. Not just to first pitch, but to another season doing what she loves most.<\/p>\n
A lifetime of baseball<\/p>\n
For Jan Mingus, baseball is more than a hobby.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just part of me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
At 89 years old, Mingus has built her life around the game. She credits baseball with keeping her active and energized through the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m convinced that the reason I am the way I am now is because I never stop,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt just keeps me moving, a reason to get up in the morning and get going.\u201d<\/p>\n
A dedicated Astros fan since 1991<\/p>\n
Mingus has been a season ticket holder since 1991, and she hasn\u2019t missed a beat since.<\/p>\n
She attends every home game, rarely skipping a chance to cheer on her team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to travel, but I don\u2019t do that anymore,\u201d she says. \u201cBut all the home games, I\u2019m there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where it all began<\/p>\n
Her love for baseball started early.<\/p>\n
Mingus grew up around the game, inspired by her uncle, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just kind of grew up with baseball around me,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n
That early connection turned into a lifelong passion.<\/p>\n
A home and identity built around the game<\/p>\n
Today, her home is filled wall-to-wall with baseball memorabilia, signed balls, photos, and decades of memories.<\/p>\n
At Minute Maid Park, she\u2019s just as recognizable.<\/p>\n
Mingus is known for her signature look: a blue rhinestone cowboy hat that\u2019s become a symbol of her dedication.<\/p>\n
But once the game begins, her focus is unwavering.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t usually talk to people during the game,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Why? Because she\u2019s busy keeping score \u2014 meticulously tracking every play in her scorebook.<\/p>\n
A Full-Circle Opening Day<\/p>\n
This Opening Day carries special meaning.<\/p>\n
Last season, Mingus arrived at the ballpark in a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
This year, she\u2019s the one pushing \u2014 helping a friend recovering from a stroke.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a full-circle moment that reflects her resilience and spirit.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpening Day is always special because you\u2019re starting off with a clean slate,\u201d she says. \u201cYou just have such high hopes. It\u2019s just special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still Going Strong<\/p>\n
With high hopes and even higher energy, Mingus is ready for another season.<\/p>\n
She\u2019ll turn 90 in November \u2014 and says she has no plans to slow down.<\/p>\n
Instead, she\u2019s looking forward to what she calls \u201canother year of baseball and loving the Astros.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 For one Houston woman, baseball isn\u2019t just a pastime, it\u2019s a way of life. As the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2792,1816,56,5513,58,57,66190],"class_list":["post-223389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-astros","tag-baseball","tag-houston","tag-houston-astros","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-opening-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}