Her name is SHIRLEY KOST, and she is better known to many as “The Cookie Lady.” For about three decades now, she has been a staunch and stalwart Rangers fan, through good times and bad—but to her, they have all been good times, because she “loves her Rangers.”
How do I know? Well, I believe it because I have long been hearing about her and her deeds, such as hugging players and associates and bringing “tubs” full of cookies for folks associated with the Team! And I have heard tell that she calls the Team part of her Family!
Her husband, Cal, was a long-time usher at the “Park” for almost three decades. Husband and wife attend “spring training” regularly and take along cookies, made at their home in Pantego. And Tom Grieve is not the only “higher-up” who has benefitted from their generosity and support and excitement through the years. The cookies have gone to the dugout, the broadcast booth, fans in sections around the couple at the stadium, and too many others to list! Since I watch many, many
Rangers games on television, I have become ac customed to hearing Tom Grieve announce from the press box that “the cookies have arrived,” and then he would compliment them and the lady who had made and sent them—”The Cookie Lady,” Shirley. And, I always envied Mr. Grieve, as the former player was the one to sit in the “booth” and announce and hang around the team year-after-year!
And one year, the Team named her as FAN OF THE YEAR, which really pleased her, as she received her personalized Rangers mixer in the color of BLUE! My wife and I call ourselves “fans,” and we most often make sure to be available to see the games on “the tube” when we don’t have tickets; however, this lady makes us look like “pikers,” as my Grandpa would say periodically when he would see people who wanted folks to think they were more than they really were!
However, this year is, and will continue to be, VERY DIFFERENT, because the “Cookie Lady” was hit hard by the COVID VIRUS around Christmas of 2020— and the terrible disease sidelined her on a ventilator and with sedation. She was slow to finally “come out” of the month-long process, but then began the trip through recovery, which was, and remains, a LONG PROCESS still in action. She is doing some things on her own, but is having to re-learn many things in the process of REHAB. And the Texas Rangers have offered to give her all the help she needs when she is ready and able to return to the games.
I don’t know the lady, except as a “television” and news note periodically, but I feel as though I have some tie to her and am hoping to see her being filmed at the Ball Park again one of these days! And, I hope to do a follow-up story when she is back in “her seat!”
For those of you who would like to see/know more, Shirley and Cal Kost are on “You Tube” and have several other bits of information on the “web.” Many give personal glimpses of Rangers players and times at the Park.
And, some prayers for this kind lady would definitely help, in my opinion!
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