Weekly Correspondent-September 6, 2009
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros-September 6, 2009
My last baseball game this year; unless something crazy happens, I don't plan on going to any more. I got my ticket for this game way back in March during the Houston College Classic so that I could avoid the fees I would have had to pay if I got them online. So this ticket has been stuck on my refrigerator for quite some time; it was nice to finally take it down and use it. I made sure the date was a Sunday so that I could park on the street without having to pay. Paying for parking really bites. I parked a ways away from the park, actually, near the Toyota Center (where the Rockets play basketball). That way I could take some pictures of the whole park as I was walking towards it. It was hot outside, but I didn't think it was too hot, so it was alright walking. I found out later that the temperature was 93°. I must have lived here too long if I think 93° isn't too hot.
The roof was closed at Minute Maid and it was nice and cool inside. I got there about an hour before the game started, and was surprised to see so few people in the stands. There still weren't a lot of people there thirty minutes before the game began, and it never got too full. I was expecting there to be a lot of people there because of the holiday weekend and the opponent being the defending champions. I had a first row seat in a 400 section, so I was excited, but when I got there, I realized that there are two levels of sections on the top deck and I was in the second. And there were a bunch of little kids sitting behind me. So I fixed that after the National Anthem and just moved down to the first row of the section in front of me. I guess it was nice that the stadium wasn't too full. The rail in front of me obscured some of the view, and it would have been a really awesome spot if I could have stood to watch the game, but I don't think the people behind me would have liked that much. ;)
Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies started off the game with a home run, and I prepared to settle in for a long beat down. In fact, all three of the Phillies' runs were solo home runs. But the Astros scored four runs and won the game, so that was nice. Bud Norris was the Stros' starter, and I think he recently got called up, so that was cool to see. I really like that after each pitch on one of the many displays, they put up the kind of pitch and the speed. I can't tell a slider from a curve, so it was cool to try to guess the pitch and then look and see what it was.
In the eighth inning, Phillie Jayson Werth hit a home run to the Crawford Boxes in left field. And as I watched the ball fly, it looked like it would just miss going over the edge into the boxes. But some idiot there reached out with a glove and caught it. He got lots of boos from the rest of the crowd. I don't know whether the ball would have gone over without the interference, but geeze, guys. Don't mess with the balls. Especially if it's the other team that hit them!
Some Astros got way more cheers than others as they were announced. Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence seemed to be fan favorites. I really wish Michael Bourn would have gotten more cheers because he kind of rocks. And when Jose Valverde came in to close the game for us, they played this awesome little montage of him. So I would guess he's pretty good at what he does. (Shows how much I follow the Astros... hah!)
I really like how when the announcer addresses the fans before the game, he says "Welcome home to Minute Maid Park." Welcome home. I love it.
They really need a few more scorecard vendors! At least put one near the main doors! I had to walk to the other side of the stadium before I finally found someone selling scorecards.
The train engineer (they actually have a guy dressed as an engineer in the train over the left field wall) got out and boogied during the dance cam. It was awesome. And when the announcer told us that if a ball hit a foul pole we could get a free Chick-fil-a sandwich tomorrow, I got to yell, "They're already free!" Because they were giving out free sandwiches on Labor Day. Fun.
Watching baseball inside just feels weird. And especially when you're so far removed from the action. Maybe one day I'll just have to give in and put down some money for a seat right behind the first base dugout and see if the game is any better from there. Actually, I know it is because I sat there for the College Classic. But just to experience a Major League game from there... maybe it's worth it just once.
When the game ended, I got out and went through some doors expecting to find stairs. But it was a big ramp down to ground level. I'm never taking the ramp again... stairs would have been so much quicker. As I was walking back to my car, I started to hear thunder behind me. It started raining right as I got there; great timing. It was really pounding, but as I was taking the ramp to the highway, I passed through the edge of the shower into sunny dryness. It was neat to look back in my rearview mirror and see the tall buildings of Houston obscured by a curtain of rain.
scorecard front cover
scorecard inside front cover
scorecard
scorecard back cover
Taken from a hill at Discovery Green.
That couple on the next hill was taking clingy, smoochy photos.
The park was built on an old train station.
Paul Bako. He was right there so I took a picture. But I'm kind of interested in how the conversation with the cop in the background is going.
Pretty empty.
Kazuo Matsui was out there warming up all alone. Too bad I didn't catch him when he was lying on his back with his legs up over his head. That was funny.
It filled in a little.
I was getting a shot of Landry's Crawford Boxes but I think I caught the left fielder shouting to the short stop.
My last baseball game this year; unless something crazy happens, I don't plan on going to any more. I got my ticket for this game way back in March during the Houston College Classic so that I could avoid the fees I would have had to pay if I got them online. So this ticket has been stuck on my refrigerator for quite some time; it was nice to finally take it down and use it. I made sure the date was a Sunday so that I could park on the street without having to pay. Paying for parking really bites. I parked a ways away from the park, actually, near the Toyota Center (where the Rockets play basketball). That way I could take some pictures of the whole park as I was walking towards it. It was hot outside, but I didn't think it was too hot, so it was alright walking. I found out later that the temperature was 93°. I must have lived here too long if I think 93° isn't too hot.
The roof was closed at Minute Maid and it was nice and cool inside. I got there about an hour before the game started, and was surprised to see so few people in the stands. There still weren't a lot of people there thirty minutes before the game began, and it never got too full. I was expecting there to be a lot of people there because of the holiday weekend and the opponent being the defending champions. I had a first row seat in a 400 section, so I was excited, but when I got there, I realized that there are two levels of sections on the top deck and I was in the second. And there were a bunch of little kids sitting behind me. So I fixed that after the National Anthem and just moved down to the first row of the section in front of me. I guess it was nice that the stadium wasn't too full. The rail in front of me obscured some of the view, and it would have been a really awesome spot if I could have stood to watch the game, but I don't think the people behind me would have liked that much. ;)
Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies started off the game with a home run, and I prepared to settle in for a long beat down. In fact, all three of the Phillies' runs were solo home runs. But the Astros scored four runs and won the game, so that was nice. Bud Norris was the Stros' starter, and I think he recently got called up, so that was cool to see. I really like that after each pitch on one of the many displays, they put up the kind of pitch and the speed. I can't tell a slider from a curve, so it was cool to try to guess the pitch and then look and see what it was.
In the eighth inning, Phillie Jayson Werth hit a home run to the Crawford Boxes in left field. And as I watched the ball fly, it looked like it would just miss going over the edge into the boxes. But some idiot there reached out with a glove and caught it. He got lots of boos from the rest of the crowd. I don't know whether the ball would have gone over without the interference, but geeze, guys. Don't mess with the balls. Especially if it's the other team that hit them!
Some Astros got way more cheers than others as they were announced. Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence seemed to be fan favorites. I really wish Michael Bourn would have gotten more cheers because he kind of rocks. And when Jose Valverde came in to close the game for us, they played this awesome little montage of him. So I would guess he's pretty good at what he does. (Shows how much I follow the Astros... hah!)
I really like how when the announcer addresses the fans before the game, he says "Welcome home to Minute Maid Park." Welcome home. I love it.
They really need a few more scorecard vendors! At least put one near the main doors! I had to walk to the other side of the stadium before I finally found someone selling scorecards.
The train engineer (they actually have a guy dressed as an engineer in the train over the left field wall) got out and boogied during the dance cam. It was awesome. And when the announcer told us that if a ball hit a foul pole we could get a free Chick-fil-a sandwich tomorrow, I got to yell, "They're already free!" Because they were giving out free sandwiches on Labor Day. Fun.
Watching baseball inside just feels weird. And especially when you're so far removed from the action. Maybe one day I'll just have to give in and put down some money for a seat right behind the first base dugout and see if the game is any better from there. Actually, I know it is because I sat there for the College Classic. But just to experience a Major League game from there... maybe it's worth it just once.
When the game ended, I got out and went through some doors expecting to find stairs. But it was a big ramp down to ground level. I'm never taking the ramp again... stairs would have been so much quicker. As I was walking back to my car, I started to hear thunder behind me. It started raining right as I got there; great timing. It was really pounding, but as I was taking the ramp to the highway, I passed through the edge of the shower into sunny dryness. It was neat to look back in my rearview mirror and see the tall buildings of Houston obscured by a curtain of rain.
scorecard front cover
scorecard inside front cover
scorecard
scorecard back cover
Taken from a hill at Discovery Green.
That couple on the next hill was taking clingy, smoochy photos.
The park was built on an old train station.
Paul Bako. He was right there so I took a picture. But I'm kind of interested in how the conversation with the cop in the background is going.
Pretty empty.
Kazuo Matsui was out there warming up all alone. Too bad I didn't catch him when he was lying on his back with his legs up over his head. That was funny.
It filled in a little.
I was getting a shot of Landry's Crawford Boxes but I think I caught the left fielder shouting to the short stop.