Minute Maid: The Good, The Bad and The Juicy

by TXCub on May 20, 2008 1:04 PM CDT

As a Cubs fan who recently moved to Houston, I have had the chance to attend several games at Minute Maid now, including last night's game. I thought I'd give the fans who've never been there a short review of the experience of going to and watching Astros games.

The Good:

For all the traffic issues that I've experienced in Houston, it is relatively easy to get out of the park. You still have to sit a little but it's much better than some parks.

The roof was closed last night due to the heat. I really don't care for indoor baseball and last night wasn't really that hot but in the later summer months, most Houstonians don't want to be outside.

The Crawford boxes are a nice touch. They are very well marketed and they give the fans seated there an excellent chance to catch a home run.

That's about it.

The Bad:

The stock ticker down the 3rd base line has absolutely no place at a baseball park. Can there possibly be anyone in the park that is counting on this amenity? Seriously, if you need to track the markets close enough to get quotes at 8PM at the ballpark, you probably have a cellphone that gives you that data on demand. So if it really serves no purpose, then what is it doing there? I think they are trying to tell the world how rich and sophisticated the fanbase and consequently the city is. Maybe this helps justify higher ticket prices. In any event, when I go to the park, the last thing I care about is the stock market. Bad taste.

Why is there a hill in CF? I get that they wanted something unique. But a hill with a flag pole in play makes no sense.

The music and sound was way over the top. I think they are trying to add noise which ought to be against the rules if it's not. I say that because last night, they stopped one of the sound effects in midstream when it seemed like the crowd was pretty loud and you suddenly realized that most of the noise was fake. I think Safeco Field is a good example of a newer park that does a good job at balancing the sound with not faking authentic crowd noise.

The Juicy

The fans are young. Maybe out of necessity, but the reinvention of the Astros image about 10 years ago probably resulted in a younger fanbase. But they simply don't show up in force. The local radio guys were even surprised by the lack of enthusiasm and turnout for the game. Chicago and Houston are very similar in size and market (2.1 million in Houston vs. 2.8 million in Chicago) and this game would've sold out in Chicago. If this organization insists on telling the world that it's fans are a bunch of young millionaires, I think they are going to continue to struggle getting fans out to the games.

All in all, I had a good time watching the Cubs beat the Astros. Despite the negatives, any night at any ballpark beats listening to an ESPN crew's lameness. I give the Juice Box a B-. Definitely worth the time.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

The stock ticker

is left over from the previous incarnation of the joint. It was installed for locals to follow the rise of their Enron shares.

I was disappointed at the poor quality of the barbeque there.

Also, many of the fans are obnoxious faux cowboys, but that’s Texans. They’re a species unto themselves and the whole place acts as if they still are a separate country.

by santo4hof on May 20, 2008 2:09 PM CDT reply actions

From a Texan

I was born and raised in Chicago and it will always be my home. Perhaps you might look at your elitist conversation and wonder why a lot of Texans and southerners don’t like what they call “Yankees.” If you tried extending your hand more often than giving the finger, you might find that most Texans are good people just as are most Chicagoans.

If you like Selig's handling of the steroid issue, you'll love his choice for next Cub owner.

by tharr on May 20, 2008 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions

I've known a lot of Texans

and liked most of them as individuals. It’s the Texas style of “bidness” and politics that I can’t abide. Hope Al will abide a Texas joke:

After having their 11th child, a Texas couple decided that was enough. So, the husband went to his doctor and told him that he and his wife didn’t want to have any more children. The doctor told him that there was a procedure called a vasectomy that could fix the problem. The doctor instructed him to go home, get a cherry bomb, light it, put it in a beer can, then hold the can up to his ear and count to 10.

The Texan said to the doctor, “I might not be the smartest guy in the world, but I don’t see how puttin’ a cherry bomb in a beer can next to my ear is gonna help me.”

So, the couple drove to Georgia to get a second opinion. The Georgia physician was just about to tell them about the procedure for a vasectomy when he noticed that they were from Texas. This doctor instead told the man to go home and get a cherry bomb, light it, place it in a beer can, hold it to his ear and count to 10.

Figuring that two, learned physicians couldn’t be wrong, the man went home, lit a cherry bomb and put it in a beer can. He held the can up to his ear and began to count. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . .”, at which point he stopped, placed the beer can between his legs and resumed counting on his other hand.

by santo4hof on May 20, 2008 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions

LMAO

Love it!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 20, 2008 7:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Minute Maid

I attended a game at Minute Maid last month and was very impressed. A beautiful ballpark with outstanding sight lines and a nice intimate feeling. The night I went, they kept the roof open and I have to say that the retractable roof is much better executed than it is at Chase Field or Miller Park, where even with the roof open, feels a little airplane hanger like. At Minute Maid, with the roof open, there is a nice open feel.

From the outside, MM is very attractive, with steel beams painted green offering a nice contrast to whatever portion of the facade they are paired with (i.e. glass walls, brick areas, and white roof). The old Union Station adjacent to the ballpark renovated to accommodate club offices is a nice touch. The landscaping around the ballpark (and the park across the street) give a nice “city oasis” feel.

I agree that the stock ticker is pointless, but it is relative unobtrusive. It was the 3rd or 4th inning before I even noticed it. On the other hand, the amount of blaring advertising is kept to a minimum, which is not the case in some of the other newer ballparks.

Nice wide concourses and a lot of fun activities within the ballpark enhance the fan experience. All in all, I really like this ballpark a lot. I would place it just a notch below AT&T and Petco, which are my two favorites that I have been to.

Regarding market size, Houston still ranks well below Chicago. If you look at Standard Metropolitan Areas…which is what is used to determine market size, Chicago-Naperville-Joliet is 9.5 Million and Houston-Sugar Land-Bay Town is 5.6 Million.

Also, when you are looking at Chicago, there are more people who live within a fairly close proximity to the ballpark than any other city in the U.S., other than NYC. I would bet there are more people who go to Wrigley Field without using a car than any other ballpark other than Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and perhaps Fenway.

azjazzman

by azjazzman on May 20, 2008 2:18 PM CDT reply actions

Chicago and Houston are NOT similar in market size.

First of all, you only counted the city population—2.8 million vs. 2.1 million, and even at that, Chicago is 25% bigger than Houston.

Second, metropolitan Chicago, as of 2006, was estimated to have 9.5 million people. Metropolitan Houston has about 5.6 million. That’s not even close to the same size.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 20, 2008 2:59 PM CDT reply actions

OTOH

Chicago has to support 2 baseball teams while the Astros have the entire area to themselves. But, beyond that, the passion for baseball in Chicago is built upon decades of homegrown fans while over half of Houston are transplants from around the country.

If you like Selig's handling of the steroid issue, you'll love his choice for next Cub owner.

by tharr on May 20, 2008 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I was thinking...

...along the lines that Houston is probably the largest market in the country with only one team thereby making it comparable to Chicago with 2 teams. And I still think the attendance at their games is more a failure with their marketing than being a smaller market.

"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard

by TXCub on May 20, 2008 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Nope again.

Metro Philadelphia has 6.3 million people.

Metro Dallas has 6.1 million people.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 20, 2008 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions

OK

But my point is still valid. If there is a 5.6 million person market for one baseball team, they should be as capable of supporting 1 team as 9.5 million people supporting 2 teams. Really what I’m getting at is it was a dissappointing crowd considering the circumstances. However, tonight was a bit larger of a crowd.

"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard

by TXCub on May 20, 2008 11:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Don't like Minute Maid Park

I’ve been to two games in that ballpark. Don’t like it at all. Feels like you’re at a shopping mall more than a ballpark. Also, Houstonians are very fine people but their excitement and passion for the Astros is virtually non-existent. One of the lousiest baseball cities in this country in my opinion.

Adding knowledge and challenging the saber-magicians, one post at a time.

by MDBNIU on May 20, 2008 6:27 PM CDT reply actions

Being from Texas myself,

I’ve been to Minute Maid Park a couple times, most memorably the 9/23/2001 game, in which Sammy Sosa hit 3 home runs (2 of them clearing the railroad tracks) The Cubs still found a way to lose that game (7-6, on a 315-foot left-field-foul-pole-scraping home run by Moises Alou). Of course, the Cubs were impressed and went out and got Alou that offseason.

They call me the Barnyard.

by tibbelkrunk on May 21, 2008 3:14 PM CDT reply actions