DALLAS -- Gerry Fraley, a longtime baseball writer who spent most of his career with The Dallas Morning News, has died. He was 64.

Fraley died early Saturday after a two-year battle with cancer, the newspaper reported.

After covering the Braves for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fraley joined the Dallas paper in 1989 to cover the Texas Rangers. Fraley also wrote about football, basketball and NASCAR among other assignments for the Morning News.

Assistant managing editor for sports Garry Leavell said Fraley's versatility "is what separated him from his peers."

Former President George W. Bush, who was part of the ownership group of the Rangers before going into politics, said, "It always seemed to me that baseball was his real passion, thereby establishing a kinship and a lasting friendship."

Former baseball commissioner Bud Selig also was among those who respected Fraley's no-nonsense approach to reporting, saying, "He was fair, honest, a great reporter."