Ron's View - Houston, Texas
Scott and I have visited Houston twice during our Baseball Trips. We visited the Astrodome in 1992 and Enron Field in 2000. I’ll start the review chronologically.
1992’s trip was one of those 11 day journeys that saw us only visit two ballparks – the Astrodome and Arlington Stadium. Being a baseball purist, both of these ballparks left much to be desired, but for many different reasons. While Arlington Stadium was a ramshackle converted Minor League yard, the Astrodome looked more like a giant warehouse in which Astroturf (YUCK!) was laid down and games were played in it’s cavernous bowels. True, the Astros were rarely contenders during their stay at the Astrodome, but even an exciting game enticing a vociferous crowd would barely raise the decibel level above that which occurs at your local library.
The Republican National Convention was held in the Astrodome during the two weeks prior to the game we attended. We found bits of confetti strewn in odd corners of the building, and the pieces looked as lost and forlorn as we did as we failed in our attempt to enjoy watching an Astros game in this God forsaken building. I can’t even recall a single moment from the game itself, even though we stayed relatively sober throughout the game.
Perhaps a small bit of this disappointment stemmed from the relative excitement we experienced in the 24 hours preceding the game. The previous day found us in the Crescent City, New Orleans, for an evening on Bourbon Street. Yes, we drank till we got our fill that evening. But, two memories remain razor sharp in my mind.
First, in preparation for our evening of bar hopping on Bourbon, we were in our hotel room relaxing. We found a Cubs game on the tube. Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray (apparently a bit tight at the time) noticed a Budweiser blimp flying overhead. Trying in vain to find the proper words, he said “Steve, look at the Budweiser………………………….PLANE flying overhead!”
Later in the game, Cubs third baseman Steve Buechele was at the plate. The next pitch was a fastball that tailed in on him so fast that he couldn’t move in time. The ball ricocheted off of his protective cup, then careened into the crowd. While Buechele was writhing on the ground in pain and checking to see if everything was attached, Caray announced “Hey Steve, I think that the ball might have hit him in the RIBS!”. color commentator Steve Stone replied ‘Well Harry, I think that the ball hit him just slightly below the ribs!”
Scott and I still laugh at these two exchanges every time they are brought up. Rest in peace, Harry!
After a night of partying on Bourbon, we noticed several of the businesses closing up and boarding up their windows. We found out that the same Hurricane Andrew that wreaked havoc in Florida was now bearing down on US!
There is nothing like an extreme force of nature such as a hurricane in your path to make one feel mortal.
Luckily we made it to Houston without problem, and the Hurricane downgraded itself to nothing more than a heavy rain producer.
The 1992 trip left me with an impression of Houston being an incredibly boring metropolitan area. There seemed to be no “there” there. But, we had spent only 24 hours in Houston in 1992. I was willing to give it another try.
Enron Field afforded that try.
Opening in 2000, Enron Field looked quite unique in pictures and on television. Scott and I wanted to see a game there AND see if there is anything fun to do in Houston.
Anyone from Texas knows and remembers the heat wave that took place in the summer of 2000.
I believe that almost two consecutive months saw the mercury top 90 degrees. Most of the time it topped 100 degrees! Traveling through Texas in late August found us in the core of that heat.
We knew it would be hot, but I was not prepared for the insane combination of heat, humidity, and smog that Houston slapped in my face.
I drove the hot, lonely miles from San Antonio to Houston on that bright, sunny day. The car had the air conditioning cranked up, which made most of my body comfortable. Except for the top of my head, that is!
The relentless rays of sun blasted heat through the roof of the car to the point where I thought my head would explode into flames! My arms were freezing from the blast of a/c, but my head was in flames!
I was ready for the Houston skyline to appear, and at long last it did.
Trying to forget my previous assessment of Houston, I approached intrepidly. Much like San Antonio and Austin before it, Houston also suffers from the same nonsensical Interstate Highway entrance/exit ramp system that always prevented us from actually entering or exiting the Interstate when we wanted to do so.
But, we finally made it to Enron Field.
Enron Field is an impressive brick and concrete structure with a retractable dome. Given the climate in Houston, a retractable dome makes perfect sense. For once, I did not complain about watching a game in a closed dome, for the air conditioning was a welcome respite from the unrelenting heat. The field was quite beautiful, with its real grass field and quirky dimensions.
I found the replica steam train that hovers over the left field wall to be attention getting when it blew steam and moved several hundred feet down the track.
After the 6th or 7th time, it got downright annoying.
The series of scoreboards and the Jumbotron fill in a monstrous space in left center field. I initially found these entertaining, but found them slightly irritating later in the game.
My overall analysis is that all the bells and whistles in Enron Field detract from the action between the white lines. Perhaps it is yet another sad statement that sports fans need to be entertained in order to enjoy a game. For me, the action on the field is always plentiful enough to not need any extraneous stimulation.
After the game, we fought through the confusing signage back to the highway in search of some downtown nightlife. Finding an incredibly boring and darkened downtown, we settled for a bar near the motel for a nightcap.
Once again, my experiences in Houston were underwhelming.