Site map
ALL-STAR GAME: 2004
Cost: $248 million+
There is a lot to like about this ballpark, but it has, shall we say, "a troubled past." Its origins lie in the not-quite-consummated 1995 sale of the Astros franchise to Northern Virginia businessman William Collins, the same guy who has been trying to acquire the Expos in recent years. The owner, Drayton McLane Jr., pledged to keep the Astros in Houston if public funds were made available for the construction of a new baseball stadium, and voters dutifully approved a bond issue. At least there was a lower public subsidy ratio (68 percent) than in the other neoclassical stadiums. In April 1999 the Enron Corporation agreed to pay over $100 million for the stadium naming rights over a period of 30 years. When Enron went bankrupt in December 2001, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Enron Field would be renamed before the first day of the 2002 season. The Astros had to pay Enron $2.1 million to nullify the deal, and from February to June, their home field was called "Astros Field." In June 2002, the Minute Maid subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company signed a 28-year agreement with the Astros, and the stadium became known as "Minute Maid Park." To add to the murky intrigue, the stadium is managed by Brown and Root, which is a subsidiary of the (gasp!) Halliburton Company.
The stadium design was heavily influenced by the new downtown location, adjacent to Union Station. In place of the futuristic space-age theme of the Astrodome, there is a nostalgic homage to the railroad era, with an arched stone wall in back of left field. On top that wall sits a replica of an old steam locomotive, which toots and chugs down the track whenever an Astro hits a home run. Below that arched wall is the visiting team bullpen, which was, apparently, the second such covered bullpen in a major league ballpark, after Busch Stadium II -- the visitors' side, in 1996 and 1997. Claustrophoblic relief pitchers beware! Each of the arches provides room for standing spectators. There is really nothing at all in the stadium design that is connected to the space program, which makes you wonder if they might be considering changing the team name...
Whereas Colt Stadium was "too hot" and the Astrodome was "too dark," Minute Maid Park is "just right," easily adapting to changing weather conditions at the flick of a switch. It was the cheapest of all the retractable dome stadiums, and the total cost was apparently held down by the relatively small total area of the roof, made possible by the cozy outfield dimensions. There are permanent roof sections along three of the four sides, but they are not supported by structural beams, so their function in holding up the movable roof sections is uncertain. One distinctive feature of the roof is that its arc is biased, with the apex much closer to the left field wall. This provides for maximum height in the outfield, where long fly balls are usually headed. It takes about 20 minutes to open or close the roof, which consists of two small (120-foot wide) roof sections and one large (240-foot wide) section. When the roof is open, the small sections slide under the big one, extending well beyond the north side of the structure where the scoreboard is. When the roof is closed, the two small sections flank the large central roof section, and the west wall (beyond left field) is enclosed by huge panes of glass. That keeps out the hot, humid, mosquito-infested air, while still giving fans (at least those on the first base side) a view of the Houston skyline.
The sharp angle in the seating sections beyond third base and the short distance and tall (19-foot) wall in left field owe a lot to Fenway Park. (I wonder if Bostonians got the idea for putting seats on top of the "Green Monster" from the high-level left field bleacher section in this ballpark?) The overall shape of the field, with roughly perpendicular outfield walls and a deep center field, is quite reminiscent of Tiger Stadium. There are two significant "jogs" in the fence line, however, and some quirky indentations at the base of the arches in left field. Foul territory is among the smallest of any big league ballpark, rivaling Wrigley Field. It is only 49 feet from home plate to the backstop. The vast majority of seats are positioned close to the field, one of the best features of this stadium. There is a small "nosebleed section," however, located in the left field corner of the upper deck where ten or so additional rows of seats are squeezed in. Across the street on the left field side is Union Station, from whence many rooftop fans can view the game, a la Wrigleyville. There is a 422 foot marker on the side of that building. In the corner entrance behind home plate there is a brick clock tower. Other entrances feature lots of fancy wrought iron.
From a player's point of view, Minute Maid Park is clearly a slugger's paradise, favoring both left and right-handed pull hitters. Home runs to right field are faciliated by the relatively short (7-foot) wall on that side. Perhaps the niftiest feature is the slope in deep center field, named "Tal's Hill" in honor of Tal Smith, the Astros' President of Baseball Operations. On that slope, which is an obvious homage to Crosley Field, there is a flag pole just to the left of the center field distance marker. I recall seeing Braves' center fielder Andruw Jones stumble on that slope while chasing a long fly ball during the 2002 season, but he quickly learned his lesson and managed to catch another ball hit way out there later in the same game. With the inviting short distances to left and (to a lesser extent) right fields, Minute Maid Park has seen quite a number of high-scoring games.
Even before moving into their new home, the Astros had become regular pennant contenders for the first time in franchise history. Led by the "Killer Bees" -- Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Lance Berkman -- they are sure to remain so for the foreseeable future. Former Yankee ace pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Petitte, along with Roy Oswalt, make up a truly awesome pitching rotation. The Astros won the wild card spot in 2004 and 2005, and won the National League pennant for the first time ever in 2005.
SOURCES: Cohen (2001); Washington Post; houston.astros.mlb.com, ballparks.com
FAN TIP: Daniel Prescott
