This series has come to the fourth issue, and finally we want to tell you about a covered stadium - the Home Of course of the Houston Astros.
Image source: Greenfly
Pitch overview
Home team: Houston Astros
Located in: Downtown Houston
Owner: Hasley County-Houston Sports Management Department
Regular visitor capacity: 41,168
Maximum admission: 44,203
Course surface: natural turf
Stadium structure: activity ceiling
Course dimensions: Left outfield 315 ft (96 m) / Left outfield 362 to 404 ft (110.3 to 123.1 m) / Centre Field 409 ft (124.7 m) / Right Outfield 373 to 408 ft (113.7 to 124.4 m) / Right Outfield 326 ft (99.4 m)
Construction History: Construction began on November 1, 1997, opened on March 30, 2000, and renovated in 2010 and 2017
Construction cost: $250 million ($376 million in 2020)
The Houston area often experiences windy and rainy weather, and if it's a traditional open open-air court, you may not be able to play for days in a row when you're unlucky. The postponed matches have to be moved to other dates to make up the game, and it is okay to do it occasionally, but if it is a three-day two-end make-up, it will be too much for the MLB team with a dense schedule.
Houston's sea and unique latitude location is therefore windy and rainy
Therefore, from the beginning of the team, the Astros have used a closed structure of the stadium. In 1965, the team appeared with the world's first covered multi-purpose sports field Astrodome (Astrodome), a huge sky dome that completely enveloped the stadium, thus opening the era of covered stadiums in North America and even the world.
The Astros Dome
In addition to the stadium structure, the Astros Dome has another unexpected "innovation". Originally, the course used natural turf, and the sunlight needed for growth was obtained through the transparent glass of the dome. But after the Dome was put into use, fielders complained that the glass would interfere with the view, and to solve the problem, part of the roof was painted to make the high-flying balls recognizable as they passed.
The chain reaction of the transformation is that the natural turf is not illuminated enough, it begins to wither, and the Astros Dome has to switch to a newly developed artificial turf. The twists and turns were so loud that manufacturers simply advertised their new product as "Astroturf" and achieved great success in the market, spreading to various sports venues, such as the Pure Fruit Stadium in Tampa Bay.
Astroturf's Astrostar Stadium in 1966 Image: Astroturf official website
As the Astros Dome grew older, the Astros prepared for the second stadium in their 90s history, and after argument, the new site was chosen at Union Train Station in downtown Houston. During the golden age of American railroads, it was once a local transportation hub. After World War II, the focus of passenger traffic in the United States shifted to aviation, and rail traffic was greatly reduced, and the railway station, which opened in 1911, was retired from active service in 1974, and the station building was preserved as a historic building.
Union Railway Station Credit: MLB Cathedrals Twitter
The planning department was very creative in combining the new stadium with the United Railway Station station building, and the main body of the new stadium was erected from the position of the platform where the train stopped, and the docking station building served as the main entrance and lobby of the stadium. The interior of the stadium echoes historical elements, with a 240-metre-long rail line laid on the high left outer wall next to the station building, and every time the home team hit a home run, a train full of oranges rumbles out to celebrate.
Image source: MLB tubing
Another feature of the stadium was a 90-foot(27.4 m) 30-degree slope in front of the infield retaining wall, with a flagpole in the middle. In 1996, when the stadium was still being planned, the team management intended to make the stadium "distinctive", so it referred to Crosley Field, the former home of the Cincinnati Reds, and made such a play.
Crosley Field Sketch Source: MLB official website
You read that right, it's in line with the rules. The first pick-up kill in history to be completed on the slope was Atlanta Warriors star Andruw Jones, who fell around this eerie corner the last time he tried to keep. Fielders often have to look at the ball and it is difficult to balance the feet, so they can only feel when they approach the slope.
Ramps with flagpoles
Former Astros player Lance Berkman emphasized that because the slope is not that big, if the ball does not automatically roll towards you when it lands on the slope, you still have to run to get the ball. At this time, you have to be careful not to hit the flagpole and avoid injury.
According to the rules of the field at the time, if the ball hit the flagpole and fell into the field, it was a live ball situation, and if it popped out of the wall, it was a home run. This bizarre slope and flagpole has been criticized for the unnecessary risks it may pose. At the end of the 2016 season, in order to increase the audience in the field, it was finally transformed.
Image source: Mike Acosta Tweet
Thanks to the event roof, the Stadium can use both natural turf and generally do not have to worry about wind and rain. In April and May and in the playoffs, the roof is usually opened here, and after the hot, rainy season, the roof is closed to ensure a comfortable game and viewing environment.
Closed-roofed stadium Source: Greenfly
The stadium's ability to withstand bad weather was demonstrated during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when Houston was flooded with rainwater and stagnant water several feet deep in many places lasted more than four days. Some of the service areas of the Meijuyuan Stadium also encountered water leakage, but the overall stadium was not a major problem. The team was involved in disaster relief shortly after the hurricane and was the first Houston team to host a post-disaster event. The game greatly boosted the morale of the local people and helped restore normal order to the whole city.
Because of Yao Ming's relationship, Houston has long been a city that is very familiar to the majority of sports enthusiasts in China. With the push of MLB in China in recent years, many former Yao Ming fans have gradually become "Houston Family Barrel" users. The Meijuyuan Stadium is not far from the Toyota Center, and it is highly recommended to take it when punching!
Source: Toyota Center official website
Which of your favorite mlb stadiums? Which team's stadium do you look forward to learning about? Feel free to let us know in the comments section!