Ballpark Profile: Minute Maid Park
Name: Minute Maid Park
Location: Houston, Texas
Opened: 7 April 2000
Architect: HOK Sport
Cost: $250 Million
Capacity: 40,950 (original)
41,168 (present)
Surface: Platinum TE Paspalum (natural grass)
Minute Maid Park -- like several of the other parks we've profiled -- was once our home ballpark.
Thinking about it, here's the complete list of 'home' ballparks:
Oakland Coliseum (1985-1994)
Candlestick Park (1995-1999)
PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (2000-2002)
Riverfront Stadium (2002)
Great American Ball Park (2003)
Minute Maid Park (2004)
Coors Field (2005-2006)
New Comiskey Park/Wrigley Field (2006-present)
Citizens Bank Park (future)
So, some personal experience here.
When Minute Maid Park (then called Enron Field) opened, it was universally (and fairly) panned. It was gimmicky to the extreme, with the ill-fated "Tal's Hill" and in-play flagpole in center field -- which originally extended to an eye-popping 436 feet.
Both the hill and the flagpole seemed to be there just for the sake of being there, and both were (thankfully) scheduled for removal during the 2015-16 offseason. (The Astros made the postseason in 2015, which disrupted the timeline, and the hill was not removed until the start of the 2017 season.)
Like Camden Yards and Petco Park, the design for the ballpark incorporated an existing structure, in this case Union Station, a train station built in 1911, which was one of the busiest rail hubs through the end of World War II. The station is now the main entrance foyer for the ballpark, with team offices upstairs.
The train motif continues with a larger-than-life steam engine that runs along the tracks of the large retractable roof. The train runs and sounds its horn after Astros home runs. Sure, it's gimmicky, but fans (especially kids) love it. And the guy who runs it is the best kind of hometown fan.
And so we get to it: the roof.
First, the outside aesthetics. The roof and supporting structure of acres of glass wall are not unatrractive to look at; but the color scheme is. Scroll back to the previous ballpark profiles of Chase Field, Citizens Bank, Miller Park . . . it's like MLB got an unlimited supply of weird turquoise/teal paint and they just can't stop using it.
I don't get it. I don't like it.
As for the criteria that makes a good ballpark: Minute Maid checks many of them: it's right downtown, which is good. It's easily accessible with several public transit options. It fits the aesthetic of the neighborhood (after a fashion), and the fan experience is better-than-average, especially the outstanding food options.
And, when the roof is open, it's a really nice place to see a ballgame.
But. The. Roof. Is. Never. Open.
It's funny; if you search for images of Minute Maid Park, a number of in-game shots with the roof open show up, and they look great. But I lived there for two years, and never once was the roof open for a game. Nobody I've talked to has ever been to a game with the roof open.
It's a completely different feel with the roof closed. It's dark, it's artificial-feeling.
Believe me, having lived there, I know Houston has some incredibly unpleasant, even unsafely hot summer days. And, by all means, the roof should be closed in those events. It also gets more than its share of summer rainstorms.
But, if it's just a warm/hot day? Open the dang roof. People across the country love sitting out on a warm evening watching baseball. It gets plenty hot in Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and . . . almost everywhere baseball is played. I've been to some extremely warm games in the bleachers at Wrigley.
That's part of the fun.
Just because you can close the roof doesn't mean you should.
Have your own thoughts and feelings about Minute Maid Park? Put them in the comments below for a chance to win a FREE PRINT from Ballpark Blueprints!
16983 comments
https://www.artstation.com/watch-kali-avenging-angel-2024-full-movie-online/profile
https://telegra.ph/k368ma2j-xgfoty5k-06-18
https://rentry.co/trrh4hig_tkxuw6ku_ghe
https://paste.ee/p/hB7P1
https://paiza.io/projects/Sbc0djZ0NHtaEFQpgJYKSg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/funahosaro/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/votbgq78/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/P1224ui8
https://anotepad.com/notes/jqcx59kj
https://paste.mozilla.org/YqdQx54e
https://pastelink.net/jcdjr7u4
https://pastebin.com/NVYnBe9w
https://www.artstation.com/watch-transformers-age-of-extinction-2014-full-movie/profile
https://telegra.ph/agrzcb66-aalkhegr-06-18
https://rentry.co/kgkmcsor_rp85un4e_1an
https://paste.ee/p/FD4oq
https://paiza.io/projects/NV3A1taIBcosNgjHUUhj_w?language=php
https://jsbin.com/gobanilavo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/d8b0pucn/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/PdWdyOCH
https://anotepad.com/notes/aw8cfxbb
https://paste.mozilla.org/aYWiX82Z
https://pastelink.net/9ycyxmm2
https://soundcloud.com/54735234-225978945/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-63whnn
https://soundcloud.com/54735234-225978945/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-m1nqq9
https://soundcloud.com/54735234-225978945/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-w9hzxt
https://soundcloud.com/buctuj457345/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/buctuj457345/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/buctuj457345/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/buctuj457345/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/cebres45768735/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/cebres45768735/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/cebres45768735/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/cebres45768735/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/cebres45768735/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/cezluw56734/the-boys-04-02-1jicbo
https://soundcloud.com/cezluw56734/the-boys-04-02-1yf0jb
https://soundcloud.com/cezluw56734/the-boys-04-02-azacv6
https://soundcloud.com/cezluw56734/the-boys-04-02-bo4ohd
https://soundcloud.com/cezluw56734/the-boys-04-02-i7lcer
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-s-05-e-01/85937a
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-s-05-e-01/85937a-1
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-s-05-e-01/85937a-2
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-s-05-e-01/85937a-3
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-s-05-e-01/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-01-nlkswv
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-season-05-episode-0-314592825/85937a
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-season-05-episode-0-314592825/85937a-1
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-season-05-episode-0-314592825/85937a-2
https://soundcloud.com/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-season-05-episode-0-314592825/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-06-j86cls
https://soundcloud.com/helgue547734/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/helgue547734/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/helgue547734/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/helgue547734/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/helgue547734/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-xpgayq
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01/94997a-4
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-season-02/hotd2-house-of-the-dragon-02-01-vluzlu
https://soundcloud.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01-full-epis-531007526/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01-full-epis-531007526/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01-full-epis-531007526/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01-full-epis-531007526/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-02-episode-01-full-epis-531007526/94997a-4
https://soundcloud.com/jittaf436623/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/jittaf436623/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/jittaf436623/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/jittaf436623/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/jittaf436623/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/kozsoj/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/kozsoj/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/kozsoj/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/kozsoj/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/kugfoc63723/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/kugfoc63723/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/kugfoc63723/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/kugfoc63723/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/kugfoc63723/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/lizsui534512/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/lizsui534512/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/lizsui534512/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/lizsui534512/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/lizsui534512/94997a-4
https://soundcloud.com/lozhec567345/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/lozhec567345/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/lozhec567345/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/lozhec567345/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/lozhec567345/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/manpuo547/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/manpuo547/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/manpuo547/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/manpuo547/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/manpuo547/94997a-4
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-isekai-ittara-honki-dasu-kbs-kyoto/94664a
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-isekai-ittara-honki-dasu-kbs-kyoto/94664a-1
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-isekai-ittara-honki-dasu-kbs-kyoto/94664a-2
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-isekai-ittara-honki-dasu-kbs-kyoto/94664a-3
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-isekai-ittara-honki-dasu-kbs-kyoto/94664a-4
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-s02e22-542203863/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-06-k0hxya
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-s02e22-542203863/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-06-m2hvfg
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-s02e22-542203863/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-06-szo1pp
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-s02e22-542203863/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05-06-trxsi4
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-s02e22-542203863/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-05×06-05-06-9bndzm
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-season-02-ep-428522146/94664a
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-season-02-ep-428522146/94664a-1
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-season-02-ep-428522146/94664a-2
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-season-02-ep-428522146/94664a-3
https://soundcloud.com/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-season-02-ep-428522146/94664a-4
https://soundcloud.com/nianij728738/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/nianij728738/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/nianij728738/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/nianij728738/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/nianij728738/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/nugveg6567/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/nugveg6567/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/nugveg6567/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/nugveg6567/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/puwlom675/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/puwlom675/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/puwlom675/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/puwlom675/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/puwlom675/76479a-4
https://soundcloud.com/rajruz457/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/rajruz457/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/rajruz457/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/rajruz457/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/rajruz457/94997a-4
https://soundcloud.com/rigruo3456512/94997a
https://soundcloud.com/rigruo3456512/94997a-1
https://soundcloud.com/rigruo3456512/94997a-2
https://soundcloud.com/rigruo3456512/94997a-3
https://soundcloud.com/wizhuv346234/76479a
https://soundcloud.com/wizhuv346234/76479a-1
https://soundcloud.com/wizhuv346234/76479a-2
https://soundcloud.com/wizhuv346234/76479a-3
https://soundcloud.com/zabzih4577345/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-foauch
https://soundcloud.com/zabzih4577345/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-k3e4xf
https://soundcloud.com/zabzih4577345/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-pjett7
https://soundcloud.com/zabzih4577345/house-of-the-dragon-02-01-ylhg2u
https://soundcloud.com/zehpur3728/the-boys-04-03-bnzavw
https://soundcloud.com/zehpur3728/the-boys-04-03-ghhbj3
https://soundcloud.com/zehpur3728/the-boys-04-03-h5oxfp
https://soundcloud.com/zehpur3728/the-boys-04-03-hhcvhc
https://soundcloud.com/zehpur3728/the-boys-04-03-xytwqj
https://soundcloud.com/zihnew45673/the-boys-04-01-eqkvof
https://soundcloud.com/zihnew45673/the-boys-04-01-pdcvcg
https://www.artstation.com/watch-fall-2022-online-stream/profile
https://telegra.ph/s4f961kz-9jvlm2oh-06-18
https://rentry.co/4g58jiu8_wfqky451_k0s
https://paste.ee/p/y70Zf
https://paiza.io/projects/N-I18goOw4nf0rey8E6d7g?language=php
https://jsbin.com/bafavumuge/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/axv9wg18/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/axDDmIsx
https://anotepad.com/notes/g249ihwy
https://paste.mozilla.org/O4mGjUej
https://pastelink.net/r5f1rzky
https://pastebin.com/WvxGJYFi
https://telegra.ph/c0g9d7qc-w8vqk22g-06-18
https://rentry.co/s9x4f4b3_fs3lxdlq_epj
https://paste.ee/p/wQA0h
https://paiza.io/projects/sAzWyOr7d-0nPci80Uv0ag?language=php
https://jsbin.com/suresaciko/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/Lva526z7/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/vou8QcSA
https://anotepad.com/notes/935xjnc7
https://paste.mozilla.org/JrRxFaKg
https://pastelink.net/6qghc7el
https://pastebin.com/iyULXagC
https://www.artstation.com/watch-thor-love-and-thunder-2022-online-movie/profile
https://telegra.ph/ou458h4c-d1wdco4t-06-18
https://rentry.co/rfpam2f1_xzl9ebdu_uxs
https://paste.ee/p/7hgnV
https://paiza.io/projects/U6ilTnIsGZV-1aNaHESYXQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/kohisafofo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/f081asm4/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/f9ljAGpr
https://anotepad.com/notes/wmx8qkh8
https://pastelink.net/sc8d8gk7
https://pastebin.com/S2BakqbK
https://telegra.ph/5902ms1r-gbwtpc05-06-18
https://rentry.co/ot0z6vva_uzwhs8bk_76v
https://paste.ee/p/BOAG9
https://paiza.io/projects/GZaZVLLPXsVBUDIpPaLxXA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/mulihisuvo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/9og0n1uy/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/6jtH79r5
https://anotepad.com/notes/mqwfin64
https://pastelink.net/gmjusoq8
https://pastebin.com/nmL93JMV
https://telegra.ph/q12qzraa-b14zag3l-06-18
https://rentry.co/eet1cqty_i1nw02xr_uz4
https://paste.ee/p/wK3Xh
https://paiza.io/projects/ATb8AKBALCHwyULsQbAwMA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/qimawareme/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/o2xer0hn/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/40rPvDcL
https://anotepad.com/notes/hh6bpx4c
https://pastelink.net/rg0whv9c
https://pastebin.com/0Qh9Gper
https://www.artstation.com/jurassic-world-dominion-2022-full-movie-online/profile
https://www.artstation.com/elemental-2023-fullmovie-download-free-720p-1080p-hd/profile
https://www.artstation.com/sons-of-anarchy-2008-fullmovie-download-free-720p-1080p-hd/profile
https://telegra.ph/rzw4su5t-3l2movnv-06-18
https://rentry.co/r5hldk0m_gyt3khgj_byk
https://paste.ee/p/KWkSJ
https://paiza.io/projects/ixeUSya_M69u0rHw8RH1_A?language=php
https://jsbin.com/yomezodazi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/w0h71xj6/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/KBdu1IB1
https://pastelink.net/f9o4eyqa
https://telegra.ph/iwtdxnx0-bttmsq16-06-18
https://rentry.co/rjh8etl8_dp09ap8f_pnd
https://paste.ee/p/i6SDU
https://paiza.io/projects/rx7Wp4eiemV87KHX-YBvpQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/kiyageboze/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/g40a2Lkh/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/XraSKYrX
https://pastelink.net/0wvq4rut
https://www.artstation.com/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-2023-online/profile
https://www.artstation.com/criminal-minds-2005-fullmovie-download-free-720p-1080p-hd/profile
https://www.artstation.com/watch-murder-mystery-2-2023-full-movie-free/profile
https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing/issues/3298
https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing/issues/3303
https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing/issues/3309
https://www.artstation.com/watch-top-gun-maverick-full-movie-free-online/profile
https://www.artstation.com/american-horror-story-2011-fullmovie-download-free-720p/profile
https://telegra.ph/wo0fwc68-viqnk81m-06-18
https://rentry.co/gx5pdi2v_ftumwadu_fd4
https://paste.ee/p/ILnEs
https://paiza.io/projects/9JOPiQYV-5_4PKLIcOqd7w?language=php
https://jsbin.com/biqelefafo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/fm3shueb/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/OJx6LdA2
https://anotepad.com/notes/rs9tsbqe
https://paste.mozilla.org/O5ZDeG5U
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983963/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983973/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983974/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983978/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983915/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983911/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983916/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983914/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983937/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983933/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983963/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983973/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983978/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983915/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983911/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983916/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983914/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983937/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547983933/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982176/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982176/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982178/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982110/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982117/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982113/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982130/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982136/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982134/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547982139/
https://www.taptap.io/post/7599646
https://www.taptap.io/post/7599702
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981599/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981580/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981581/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981583/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981582/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981588/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981701/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547981706/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805551/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805554/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805571/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805576/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805733/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805762/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805721/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805728/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805305/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805357/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805308/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805352/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805604/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805609/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805651/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805659/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805270/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805277/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805273/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547805279/