Sam Hale

Freelance Sports Writer

United States

I'm a writer with almost ten years of experience based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. My bylines include D Magazine, Baseball Prospectus, Prospects Live, and more. I've covered Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the WNBA among others. My work ranges from basic news pieces all the way to feature profiles.

Portfolio

Soccer

D Magazine
03/28/2023
Paxton Pomykal Has Become FC Dallas' Metronome

Pull up the highlghts from the first month of FC Dallas' season, and you'll find big-time goals from Jesus Ferreira and Alan Velasco along with Maarten Paes making remarkable saves on the other end. Hidden in the middle has been the play of the team's true talisman, Paxton Pomykal.

D Magazine
02/22/2023
Let's Make a Bunch of Predictions About FC Dallas' Upcoming Season

The new FC Dallas season kicks off Saturday, and there's plenty to wonder about. Last season's third-place finish in the West and subsequent playoff run mean Dallas now faces the most expectations since 2017, when it won both the MLS Supporter's Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

D Magazine
10/14/2022
Nico Estévez Is the Coach FC Dallas Has Been Waiting On.

At the center of the North Texas soccer universe is an unassuming 42-year-old Spaniard who would look right at home handing out orange slices at a Saturday morning youth match. On the touchline, he often rocks a subdued look, going with a T-shirt and pants that accent a favorite pair of athletic shoes and a watch with a white band.

D Magazine
09/26/2022
FC Dallas Is the Team Nobody Should Want to See in the MLS Playoffs

Whatever comes next, FC Dallas' 2022 season has been an undeniable success. Rising from a bottom-five team last season to a high-end playoff team is a sign of monumental growth. Perhaps we'll see more of it as soon as this postseason. Because when the playoffs begin on Oct.

D Magazine
08/04/2022
Sebastian Lletget Is the Transfer Coup We Didn't Know FC Dallas Needed

After staying silent for most of the MLS transfer window, FC Dallas roared into action Wednesday, acquiring New England midfielder Sebastian Lletget for $600,000 in general allocation money (GAM). It was a stunner, and not just because the 29-year-old is on the move for the second time in under a year after the L.A.

Women's basketball

D Magazine
06/06/2023
Natasha Howard Is the Running Mate Arike Ogunbowale Always Needed

About this time last season, I detailed how Wings star Arike Ogunbowale shared similarities to Luka Doncic, the other basketball superstar in Dallas who knows a thing or two about what to do on the court. While documenting several similarities between the two, one significant factor was overlooked: the lack of a suitable running mate.

D Magazine
05/22/2023
Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Undefeated Dallas Wings

The Wings tipped off their 2023 season on Saturday with an 85-78 win over the Atlanta Dream, a victory that had to be termed a success even if it may have raised a red flag or two for new coach Latricia Trammell. The defensive effort stood out; Dallas spent a lot of time playing an effective man defense.

D Magazine
04/05/2023
Haley Jones Is the Answer to the Wings' Biggest Remaining Question

It's no secret how important the 2023 WNBA Draft is for the Dallas Wings. The Wings' draft struggles have been well-documented, and the direction they go with the third selection will be pivotal. After years of blowing premium draft picks, it is imperative that Dallas gets this one right.

D Magazine
02/14/2023
What's Next For the Wings in an Offseason of Change?

With WNBA free agency almost two weeks old, the Wings' roster is taking shape. After years of indecision, there now appears to be a plan for a squad looking to win its second playoff game in 15 seasons-and more. Onto the team by way of trade come Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield, both big swings, along with Diamond DeShields.

D Magazine
09/20/2022
The Wings' Problems Run Deeper Than Vickie Johnson

The Dallas Wings made a change on Monday, deciding not to exercise the 2023 option on coach Vickie Johnson's contract. In a release, team president and CEO Greg Bibb said the move "provides our team with the best opportunity to achieve our long-term goals of advancing in the playoffs and ultimately competing for a WNBA Championship."

D Magazine
08/25/2022
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Wings-Sun, Game 3

The playoffs are complicated. Each series is its own story, and each game is its own chapter encompassing a dozen moments and plot points. But the playoffs can also be simple. Each of those moments, those plot points, falls into one of two buckets: the things we observe and the emotions they inspire within us.

D Magazine
08/21/2022
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Wings-Sun, Game 2

The playoffs are complicated. Each series is its own story, and each game is its own chapter encompassing a dozen moments and plot points. But the playoffs can also be simple. Each of those moments, those plot points, falls into one of two buckets: the things we observe and the emotions they inspire within us.

D Magazine
08/19/2022
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Wings-Sun, Game 1

The playoffs are complicated. Each series is its own story, and each game is its own chapter encompassing a dozen moments and plot points. But the playoffs can also be simple. Each of those moments, those plot points, falls into one of two buckets: the things we observe and the emotions they inspire within us.

D Magazine
08/11/2022
The Wings Are Back in The Playoffs. But Have They Made Progress?

Celebrations were in order on Monday night, after the Wings beat the Liberty, 86-77. Not necessarily because they got a career-high 31 points from guard Marina Mabrey, nor because they did it without stars Arike Ogunbowale or Satou Sabally, who are out with ankle injuries.

D Magazine
06/28/2022
The Secret Is Getting Out About Allisha Gray

The Dallas Wings have a hierarchy of attention. The headline, and even subhead, is Arike Ogunbowale. After her, Satou Sabally, Dallas' resident unicorn, also draws plenty of eyeballs. And for reasons that aren't always positive, Charli Collier and Awak Kuier have been in the spotlight, too.

Baseball

Prospects Live
11/03/2021
Live Look: Texas Christian vs Rangers Instructional - Prospects Live

Last week we had our first dispatch in this series, with the Baby Rangers taking on Dallas Baptist. This is the second part, this time against Big 12 stalwart TCU. The Horned Frogs are under newish management with pitching coach Kirk Saarloos taking the skipper job from Jim Schlossnagle, who took the Texas A&M gig at season's end.

Prospects Live
10/28/2021
Live Looks: Dallas Baptist vs Rangers Instructional - Prospects Live

With the Rangers instructional league roster doing a four-city Texas tour post Arizona residency, this will be the first of two looks at both a pro squad and a well thought of college outfit. All players are using wood bats during this exhibition tour, which is a nice plus specifically for the amateurs who use metal bats in regular competition.

Prospects Live
09/15/2021
Live Look: Frisco Roughriders and San Antonio Missions - Prospects Live

With the minor league season coming nearing its end, I made my way to Frisco for their final regular season series of the season. There's a chance for playoffs still for Frisco, depending on how the final week goes. With no guarantees, it was imperative to get one last look at the lads before they head for vacation.

Baseball Prospectus
09/26/2019
Prospectus Feature: A Game Of Failure

MLB's handling of Yankees' pitcher Domingo German's domestic violence case shows the league isn't serious about actual accountability, only optics.

wfaa.com
2017 Major League Baseball Linear Championship

Most of the things I write blossom out of questioning or curiosity; the desire of understanding why something is or a certain way. That's how most endeavors of knowledge begin. This one started not from that, but because of people using words incorrectly.