Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros (National League)

8/10

A classic redbrick facade greets the Sunday afternoon crowd.

The humidity in Houston forced the game to be played under a closed roof, but there was still a good view of downtown through the giant windows in left field.

Looking back on the seating bowl from the right field corner, you can see video board on the wall, for the folks in the outfield. Nice touch.

This was the first of three new MLB parks on my June 2015 loop of 5 states. I had my first game in nearby Sugar Land nixed the day before, as I had travel issues and the game was cancelled anyway due to the massive downpour in the Houston area making the field unplayable. Apparently that same day at Minute Maid, drains in the outfield concourse were overflowing to the point they were shooting in the air. Anyway, Sunday was a much nicer day, hot with some humidity, causing the game to be played under a closed roof. This is one of three parks, the other two being Miami and Phoenix, in southern states, where most games in the middle of the season are played under a closed roof, because of uncomfortably hot weather outside. This park is right downtown, with the Arena, Football Stadium and Soccer Stadium all within about a mile of one another. The soccer stadium can be seen out the concourse windows, on the other side of I-69.

At any rate, that afternoon saw a red hot Houston Astros team, that I would see again later that summer in Oakland take on a mediocre version of the Chicago White Sox. The South Siders ended up taking it 6-0, after a run for Houston was called back upon video review. The ballpark is a relatively nice retro-modern park, with it's neat features being a small hill in centre field, with one of the three flagpoles in fair territory and a small train that runs above the left field concourse when the Astros hit a homerun. The food was average, although a mix up at a concession ended up with me having a Michelob Ultra, which is easily, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst beer I've ever had. The main plus here I found was the atmosphere. Texans are derided for being part-time baseball fans, who pack it in once football starts. While football may be king in the Lone Star State, baseball fans are very much into it here, which was surprising, given the lopsided game.

Overall, the atmosphere here is a plus, I'd recommend it and will likely end up here again in the future.

 Update 2020: Well, the Astros won their first World Series only two seasons after my visit, but it's now under a bit of a cloud. I'm planing to go to Texas hopefuly next year, so this could totally end up on the list.

Linescore    

2015-05-31

                         123    456    789   R  H  E

Chicago(AL)        013    001   100   6  10  0

Houston              000    000   000  0  10   1

 

Temp: 73F Time: 2:37 Att: 27,423

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches

Houston Astros, Washington Nationals (Spring Training)

8/10 

The weather in Florida was borderline stupendous the entire time I was there.

There isn't an easily photographed entrance around here. Any further back and the posts would have obstructed everything.

Looking in on my walkaround.

I came here in 2017, the year it had opened. Both the Astros and Nationals had moved here,out of older parks in Kissimmee and Viera. The park was brand new, built midway between the Florida Turnpike and I-95 about 100km north of downtown Miami. It's obviously a pretty nice, new, clean park. In terms of it's extravagance, I'd rate it somewhere above parks like Goodyear or Surprise, but below other new parks like Sloan Park or JetBlue. Come to think of it, it compares nicely to Camelback Ranch. Anyhow, parking is in a field off to the one side, I cannot remember if it cost anything. There are a few fountains on the paths to the park surrounded by ponds, marked with signs warning of alligators.

There's not really an entrance to speak of, just some signage over a gate along the third base side. The concourse and aisles are roomy and the concourse is wrap around, which is practically a requirement these days. The food menu was pretty average, with some favourites from D.C.(I think), but nothing memorable. I saw Ichiro live for probably the final time and Bryce Harper silence the "overrated" chant from one guy(and only one guy) by promptly hitting a homerun.

On the whole, I'd give this place an extra point for the facility, although maybe a half for the Nationals' fans bringing some of their quirkier cheers. I'd go back here for sure. 


Linescore
                       123     456    789   RHE
Miami               000    020    000   270
Washington      000     001   100    230
Time: 2:33 Temp: N/A Att: 4,004