Rod Humphries

Rod Humphries is an Australian-born author, sports journalist and television writer who also organized a worldwide independent professional tennis tour. His writing career has spanned more than half a century and includes four books -- one in Australia and three in the United States -- plus newspaper coverage of major sports events in his home country Australia, the United States, Asia and Europe. He was also head writer/assistant producer of Australia's top rated television show, "This Is Your Life" -- a franchise of the iconic American show created by Ralph Edwards-- for the first 100 shows before moving to the United States in 1977. He also scripted early documentaries aired on the newly formed ESPN network in the early 1980's. The book, "Love and Faults", was a memoir commissioned for publication in New York, and led to Humphries' permanent residency in America. Upon completion of the book, famous oilman and sports entrepreneur, Lamar Hunt, offered him an executive position with Dallas-based World Championship Tennis, at the time the world's leading independent professional tennis tour which featured all the world's leading players including John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl. His book "Little league to the Major Leagues" was written after he helped his son Justin navigate the system to a draft pick out of high school by the Houston Astros in 2001. Humphries wrote the book because he wanted to help fellow travelers -- parents and players trying to battle through the very difficult system. Humphries is also recognized as a canine authority -- he has been writing on the subject in newspapers and magazines since the early 1970's -- and his book "The Doberman Pinscher" was a labor of love for his breed of over 50 years.