22 Jan 2019
On our journeys around the great USA, we are attempting to reconnect with relatives, friends and military comrades. We also research history and visit battlefields, museums, national parks and other points of interest. We really enjoy those 'nuggets' we stumble upon, those interesting sites we find many times by accident. We can only imagine what it was like back in the day, traveling across Route 66 before the days of interstate highways and visiting what this great Nation has to offer, including the chow! There is nothing better than trying the local cuisine! From Maine to Alabama, from Washington to Michigan, everywhere has it's own delicacies.
One of our other passions is to visit all of the major league baseball parks, and whenever possible, attend Major League Baseball (MLB) games at those parks. I have been known to sample the ballpark fare, specifically the hot dogs!
We are currently very near Houston TX which has been the home of the Houston Astros MLB club since 1962. Actually they started out as the Houston Colt .45's during the MLB expansion, the same year the New York Mets came into existence. Today we drove into downtown Houston and visited Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.
We parked in the 'Diamond Lot' where the high rollers park on game day which is located outside right field. We walked clockwise around Minute Maid Park to get to the entrance for tours. As we did we passed two old houses where the owner apparently is holding out and we can only assume refusing to sell to the corporate world. The houses look funny in amongst the big buildings down here.
 |
| Right across the street from Minute Maid Park |
 |
| 108 stitches on the baseball. I have thrown many in my early days. |
 |
| Doreen shaking hands with Craig Biggio! |
We found the tour entrance, or at least what we thought was the tour entrance based on the web site, and entered the stadium. We were a bit early so we hung around the Team Store, talking with the manager there and the security guard while we waited for the tour guide. Soon we had eight waiting for the tour and Della, our tour guide, introduced herself.
 |
| Della, our tour guide. She was fantastic! |
 |
| Union train station on the right was purchased and then Minute Maid Park was built next to it. Union Station is rented out for corporate events, etc. |
 |
| The beautiful Minute Maid Park, looking pretty vacant! |
 |
| Setting up for an event in the outfield. |
 |
| The main scoreboard - 50 yards long |
 |
| The roof opens, although it is shut today. |
 |
| The 'Crawford Seats'. Left field is only 315 ft, one of the shortest in MLB. Our tour guide recommended the Crawford Seats for anyone hoping for a baseball during BP or a home run. |
Both foul poles are sponsored by Chick-Fil-A. Geez, what have we come to now that foul poles have sponsors?! Anyway, if an Astro hits a home run (ball contacts one of the foul poles) during a home game everyone in the stands gets a Chick-Fil-A sandwich!
 |
| Notice Chick-Fil-A's saying on the right field foul pole! "Burgerz R Foul"!! |
 |
| Left Field - "Chikin iz fare" ! |
 |
| Minute Maid Park has a train. Here it is pictured in it's maintenance dock. Normally the train is inside the stadium in the outfield area and it moves when there in an Astro's home run or a Astro's win. |
 |
| A painting after the 2017 World Series win. |
 |
| One of the suites |
 |
| Another view of the suite |
 |
| Looking around the suite level |
 |
| Pictures from the 2017 World Series |
 |
| Reference books in the broadcast booth |
 |
| A view from the broadcast booth |
 |
| A view from the media room |
In July 1973 I was just about done with Air Force basic training. I was one of the top performers in my 'flight' so I had the opportunity to board a bus and travel to Houston from San Antonio TX to watch a Houston Astro's game in the Houston Astrodome. Here is the team that played. It was cold in there and I caught a heck of a cold, actually pneumonia, so I was very sick when I arrived at my next duty station - Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi MS.
 |
| 1973 Houston Astros |
 |
| Team photos from every Astro's team |
So there we were, in the hallway with our tour guide Della, and Doreen asks Della if she received a World Series ring in 2017 and she said she did. There were four tiers of rings with the ball players receiving the top tier then down through the various levels of management, etc. Della was tier four and received a ring.
Then out of an office comes Steve Sparks! Steve was a former MLB knuckle ball pitcher for various teams and now is the one of the commentators for the Astros. Doreen noticed his World Series ring and asked if she could see it, assuming he might extend his hand for her to see. NOPE! He took his ring off and gave it to her to see!! How awesome!
 |
| The Diamond Club. I won't ever have to worry about being here during a game! |
 |
| More of the Diamond Club |
 |
| Could only wish for a season ticket here!! |
 |
| Behind home plate. |
 |
| Astro's dugout. |
 |
| The scoreboard from field level |
 |
| Hotlines. Comm guys key in on these LOL! |
 |
| Visitor's dugout. |
Was a great day visiting the ballpark. We headed back to the RV Park. We washed both the fifth wheel and the truck and relaxed the rest of the evening. Tomorrow we planned a down day. We will visit a local H-E-B to restock on supplies and then probably have lunch or dinner at one of the local seafood establishments - Gilhooley's. Grilled oysters is their specialty!! https://www.facebook.com/gilhooleys/
4 comments:
What a beautiful stadium.
Yes, very nice. Would like to return some day when the Astros are playing!
What a neat stadium! I didn’t know it had a retractable roof like MIller Park?! Glad you were able to see it and the history. How neat you were able to hold the WS ring!!! Jealous!
Nana's chin about hit the floor when he handed her his WS ring! So cool!
Post a Comment