Hunter Pence is the first and second Astros player to ever hit the left field "Fowl Pole" when he did it twice in the 2007 season. Marlins Park, for one, seems to have taken a cue from this design element. The center field fence was to be moved in from 436 feet (133m) (which from 2000 to 2016 was the longest in baseball) to 409 feet (125m) from home plate, but the center field renovations were delayed until after the 2016 season, due at least in part to the 2015 playoffs cutting into planned construction time.[74]. Go left to section Torchy's Party Deck. The home of the Houston Astros baseball club may be the best of the ballparks with a retractable roof. Train operators. "[22] According to the organization, the team was in danger of being sold to a Virginia businessman who was expected to move the Astros to the Washington D.C. area because of poor revenue. With the group of guys the Astros have, Vasquez can be very busy. Ok as we're talking about the oranges, here's juicy tidbitThe oranges landed on the train when the park was renamed Minute Maid Park in 2002. My, my, aren't we important over there. Soto joined Miguel Cabrera, Andruw Jones and Mickey Mantle as the only players to homer in the World Series before turning 21. God Bless Texas and all the glories that come with a good sportsball game. Minute Maid Park train conductor Bobby Vasquez is silhouetted against the sunset outside the stadium during the third inning of a Houston Astros game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Houston. Rockcastle County Election Results 2022, Without a naming rights agreement in place, the ballpark became officially known as "Astros Field".[43]. On July 8, Vazquez will turn 40 years old aboard the train that has afforded him one of the best seats in the house every season for 81 home games. By February 27, the two entities agreed to end the naming rights, and settled with the Astros paying $2.1 million to Enron. The Astros echoed the Astrodomain location sentiment because they believed construction time would be shorter. April 24: Brewers 9, Astros 6 Brewers' Travis Ishikawa, right, is congratulated by Alex Gonzalez after hitting a two-run home run. However, the project had to be postponed due to the Astros' unexpected American League Wild Card championship and subsequent postseason appearance, along with the stadium's offseason event schedule. Additionally, a smaller HD screen was added on the far left field wall. The weather forecast is in the low 60s on Wednesday night. The train that Astros fans know and love is just a quarter bigger than a real locomotive. Named after The Minute Maid Company after the Houston Astros expanded their partnership with them, Minute Maid Park is a one-of-a-kind ballpark that many Houstonians have fallen in love with. Washington Nationals vs. New York Yankees. This has proven to be a boon for fans looking for easy access to the ballpark. [42] On February 5, 2002, Astros ownership filed a motion with the court overseeing the company's bankruptcy to force Enron to make an immediate decision on the matter. Minute Maid Park roof rules, "Astros removing Tal's Hill at Minute Maid Park", "The hill in the Astros' ballpark was awful, and I'll miss it", "Astros' Reid Ryan: Minute Maid Park in good condition", Ballpark Digest Visit to Minute Maid Park, "Dangers of the diamond: TSN picks the nine biggest ballpark obstaclesfrom the brightest lights to the most unusual landscapingin the majors - Baseball", Astros Daily - Your best source for news and information on the Houston Astros, Main Street/Market Square Historic District, Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, Current ballparks in Major League Baseball, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minute_Maid_Park&oldid=1142133219, College baseball venues in the United States, Retractable-roof stadiums in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Estimated 25,000 total spots within walking distance, 54 feet (16.5m) high by 124 feet (37.8m) wide, Originally planned to take place on October 13, but was moved backwards to avoid any potential scheduling conflict with the, On October 9, 2005, Minute Maid Park hosted the then-longest postseason game in, On October 25, 2005, Minute Maid Park hosted the first. Our guide to Minute Maid Park in Houston includes information on events, tickets, parking, public transportation, nearby hotels and restaurants, seating and more. He has a forward and reverse button inside the train and joystick with a deadmans switch. - via Flickr user Eric Kilby Arriving at Minute Maid Park Alternative/Public Transport to an Astros Game. Minute Maid Park. In reference to Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium and Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, McLane noted, "[] I remember when those were built in the 1970s and those were as good a stadiums as there were. In addition, seating sections 256, 257, and 258 in the outfield mezzanine would be removed. Its debut as a soccer venue happened during the 2006 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Bobby Dynamite, conductor of the Houston Astros Train at Minute Maid Park, explains the different whitles used during home games on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Houston. After the 2008 season, the Astros' groundskeepers began installing 2.3 acres (9,300m2) of a new turfgrass playing surface at Minute Maid Park. For one, the oranges in the back of the train, which used to be logs before the stadium was renamed Minute Maid Park, are smaller than basketballs and Vasquez thinks theyre made out of some sort of hard foam. Workers at Enron Field lift a replica of a 19th-century locomotive onto a roof track on the west side of the ballpark Saturday, March 18, 2000. Light Rail : 800. Situated near the George R. Brown Convention Center, the ballpark is located one block west of U.S. 59 and is bounded by Congress Avenue on the north, Texas Avenue on the South, Crawford Street on the west and Hamilton Street on the east. Speed of train when a home run is hit, in mph, Train tracks height from field level, in feet, Most train trips in one game (Sept. 9, 2019 vs Oakland), Most home run-fueled train trips in one season (2019), Home runs celebrated at Minute Maid Park in 2020, Total train trips ever, including playoffs (as of the end of the 2020 season), Total number of games logged by Bobby Dynamite. We do know that, per Axios, The Astros typically close the roof for night games below 65 degrees,according toMLB.com.. Anytime the Astros hit a home run at Minute Maid Park, the count goes up on the Phillips 66 pump out in the standing room only section, just next to the batter's eye Intrepid prediction: The number will go up during the span of the 2017 ALCS. The Astros set a franchise record with their 12th . If an Astros player hits the pole, all fans in attendance get a coupon for a free chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A. He previously did time as the General Admission mascot during the Astrodome days. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM:The man behind the Astros radio broadcasts, and bumper music. 24: Astros 3, Mets 1 Pitcher Jordan Lyles did himself a favor with an RBI double in the second inning, leading the Astros' to their first win under interim manager Tony DeFrancesco. Another option depending on which direction you are coming from is the light rail system.Houston's light rail has various park and ride locations where you can park for free or really cheap, and then pay a couple of bucks to ride into downtown. Send us a news tip | Download our app |#HTownRush Newsletter. [30] With companion House Bill 92 authored by Houston-born Representative Kim Brimer voted upon and adopted by both chambers, the authorization for creation of a sports authority was approved. At the time, Houston, with 17 railways, was considered the main railroad hub of the Southern United States. Well, that home run shot from the young Washington Nationals star is now headed to the Baseball of Hall of Fame. Jon Shestakofsky, the vice-president of Communications & Education with the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, says the ball was retrieved Tuesday night from the train tracks after the game. [83] The Astros returned to Houston on Friday, September 1 to help the initial recovery efforts. The Nationals went on to win Game 1, 5-4, with Game 2 set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Minute Maid Park. It is not large enough to comfortably accommodate American football. The sounds you hear coming from the train when the Astros hit a home run or celebrate a victory come from speakers in the coal car, controlled by an iPad that Vasquez uses. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/10/astros-yankees-why-roof-minute-maid-park-closed, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. May 27: Dodgers 5, Astros 1 Carlos Lee reacts to a strike call in the sixth inning. 2006 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, "St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros Box Score, September 26, 2001 - Baseball-Reference.com", "Death of Houston's Tal's Hill Continues Demise Of Baseball's On-Field Oddities", "Platinum TE Installed in Minute Maid Park", "Astros plan major upgrades to Minute Maid Park", "Enron Field Hits a Home Run - Modern Steel Construction", "Houston Union Station: The Great Hall Revealed", "BASEBALL; Astros' Ballpark No Longer Enron Field", "Houston's Old Union Station Was Incorporated into Minute Maid Park", "Astros First to Use New Turfgrass Surface", "Astros announce exciting new concepts for Minute Maid Park", "Tal's Hill lives! "Here we are, just a few steps from the top of the world. . For much of its early history, Minute Maid Park played as a hitter's haven. 10 Things You Can't Miss at an Astros Game at Minute Maid Park. minute maid park section The Train. The hill and the flagpole were scheduled to be removed following the 2015 season,[72] but remained in place due to an unexpected playoff run. The Astros have been to only one World Series (2005) and have never won a championship. Houstonia Magazine. 29: Brewers 9, Astros 5 Aug. Aug. Every time the Astros score a run, Bobby "Dynamite" Vasquez, the force behind Minute Maid Park's home-run train, sound its bells and whistles. Statues of longtime Astros players Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are located in the exterior of the ballpark in a space known as The Plaza at Minute Maid Park. Downtown Houston to Minute Maid Park train services, operated by Metropolitan Transit Harris County, arrive at Convention District Rusk EB station. Written September 2, 2021. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Incidentally, the idea of building a ballpark in proximity to Union Station was widely reported to be the idea of Kenneth Lay, the disgraced Enron CEO and chairman who passed away in 2006. Add the train high above left field to Tals Hill on the list of Minute Maid Park quirks potentiallyon the chopping block. Minute Maid Park opened in 2000 as the home of the Houston Astros baseball team. [17] Exterior walls were constructed of granite, limestone, and terracotta, while the interior used an extensive amount of marble. Bobby Dynamite dropped all kinds of fun facts about Astros' train on us. [67] Shane Warne's Warne's Warriors clinched the series 20. A few years in, though, it played as more of a neutral environment, and over the past three years it has suppressed run-scoring by a hefty nine percent. ; train on us Dynamite dropped all kinds of fun facts about Astros & # x27 ; t at! And 258 in the outfield mezzanine would be removed all kinds of fun facts about Astros #... 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