Where Was I: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas (June 5 and 6)

(I have been running late on these ballpark reviews. I will try to catch up before my next game on Tuesday night [June 19]).


Ballpark count:

For the trip: 8. 
MLB active: 20. 
Overall MLB: 28. 

Seats: 

June 5: Section 124; Row 24; Seat 7. On the first base side of home plate, roughly 18 rows above the Astros dugout. 

June 6: Section 253; Row 3; Seat 8. In the bleachers, overlooking centre-right field. 

Results: 

June 5: Astros 11 Orioles 7. The Astros jumped to a 9-1 lead after four innings on the strength of six HRs, and then looked like they wanted to surrender the game to the O's anyway. 

June 6: Orioles 3 Astros 1.


Minute Maid Park is a domed stadium, with a retractable roof (closed both times) and natural grass. Glass behind left and left centre field in addition to providing natural lighting, offers a view of downtown Houston, which, moribund as it is, has a decent skyline. Because of that glass, sitting behind first base, I had the sun in my eyes for the first few innings of the June 5 evening game. 

Minute Maid is simply a gorgeous facility; because of the natural light and the asymmetry of the stadium seating, I could almost forget I was sitting inside.

Asymmetry only goes so far; there are just too many quirks to the playing surface. I did not have to watch a game in person to hate Tal's Folly; the sloping deep CF triangle looks as stupid live as it does on TV. Please, please, Astros, get rid of this before a centrefielder sees his career shortened because he rips his knee hitting the slope when he is running back to catch a fly ball. 

Also, there are a number of nooks in the OF wall, where the bullpens are, which just seem like extraneous and random additions.

Otherwise, there is recognition of Astros history throughout the main concourse, which is always a plus. This  includes the 5-7 Grille behind CF, named in honour of Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell. One nitpick is that the old Colts '45 logo should be more prominently featured.

There is a wide variety of concession stands including the 'Green Fork', which offers salads and other healthy fare. That is the first time I have noticed such a concession. Lawnmower Breweries (a downtown Houston craft brewer) has its own 'bar' in the main concourse. 


Random observations:

- I met some Canadians! There was a memorial service on June 5th for four (?) Houston firefighters who died on the job the previous week. At the game, I ran into a large delegation from Montréal and two firefighters from Calgary (one had his bagpipes) who had attended the service.  There is a lovely solidarity amongst that profession.  I chatted with a few of the Montréal firefighters at a bar after the game (they were quite shocked someone had addressed them en français), and they attend memorials on their own time and their own dime. Very, very admirable. 

- Above LF/CF, there is an honour board for 'Community Leaders'. It includes Halliburton...  Yup, go no your own rant...

- There was no 'God Bless America' after the stretch; they did however play 'Deep in the Heart of Texas'.

- There are a number of billboards for C&D Scrap Metal both in the concourse and in the stadium itself.  ('They pay out with two-dollar bills.').  Basically, Fred Sanford is sponsoring the Astros.

- Orbit is the worst mascot ever.