MMP Appreciation
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Aug 12, 2010 10:58 AM CDT
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PrintYesterday, I was on Day 2 of my road trip. After experiencing a pretty hot night at Round Rock the night before, I was expecting it to be very similar in Arlington. Well, I was 100 percent wrong. I showed up at 5:15 just on time for BP. As I always do, I head for Left Field. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. The sun is right in your face. You sit there and even if a ball comes near you, it is hard to see. Combine the 110+ heat index, with the fact the Yankees hit a combined 6 balls to LF for 1 hour, I was not to happy. I spent an hour in the sun, boiling. (Side Note: A women walked in to LF from a tunnel, and ball hit her right on the head. Don't know what happened but it made me cringe. (and others)). Anyway, that was just the beginning of the misery. Then I had to wait 30 minutes for the game to start. Thankfully, my seats were in the shade (all the way up).
It was 100 Degrees by gametime. The heat was unbearable and so was there PA announcer. He repeated himself hundreds of times. Makes too many announcements. For example: "Now the Starting Lineup for the Yankees. Batting first SS, Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter Shortstop. Batting 2 in RF Nick Swisher. Swisher Right Field. etc...this happened 18 times. Wait we are not done! Then when the pitcher and catcher go to warmup before the inning, the PA announcer assumes we didn't hear him the first time and announces who the battery mate and pitcher is.
Now let's get back to the game. I WILL NEVER GO TO AN AL GAME AGAIN. The game was 9 innings and took 4 hours. Mr. Washington chose to have about 3 pitching changes within the last 2 innings. Also, there were about 13 pickoff attempts (once there was 4 consecutive). The game was not so exciting for me, except the 4 Berkman AB's. He played pretty well going 1-3, 2b, BB.
What else is there to vent about? How about the set-up. The traffic is unbelievable getting to the game. It seems like around 30,000 of the ppl. in crowd live in Dallas which is around a 40 minute drive. Took me 1 hour to get to game. It was pretty easy to get into stadium. Set-up is ok. I dislike the exit layout. Fans from the top have to go on a spiral ramp (it's really a triangle ramp that spirals down). Fans have to take that, or take the staircase down. Takes 10 minutes to get out of there. The Parking around the stadium seems ok. Today, I might cry getting in and out of Cowgirls Stadium. Hopefully, not man people show up.
Anyway, after last night, I really really really appreciate Minute Maid Park. The roof, the parking lots, the ways to leave stadium, the decent prices, the nice stadium, the normal PA Announcer, the AC!!!!! Just a great park, and after last nights miserable game at Rangers Stadium, I LOVE MMP!
PS: You thought in Houston they say "Make Some Noise" way too much. Texas did it about 3 times an inning. (I believe on first AB of game they did it)
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For sure MMP is the most fan friendly venue - Now other random comments:
You sound like those 2 umpires who complained the Yankees and Red Sox take too long at each at bat and add an hour to each game.
Berkman’s first at bat was pitiful, embarrassing even. I missed his second. The double was hit a long way and he benefited from some miscommunication between the two fielders, either of whom might have been able to catch the ball for a long out (a run would have scored anyway on a sac fly) . The walk in his final at-bat was familiar Berkman.
The heat in Arlington in August is legendary and blamed for wearing the Rangers out and the reason for their poor performances over the years. I can’t believe they haven’t snookered some local government out of funds to put a roof on the place.
You should have taken the time to chat with George W. Bush. After about the sixth inning no one talked to him. Laura didn’t say a word to him all game. Nolan at that point was more concerned about the Rangers’ victory slipping away.
Now for the important question: Did you take a sign? If so, what did it say?
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 12, 2010 3:15 PM CDT reply actions
Berkman looked bad in the field early too
One ball off his glove for a hit (Mark Teixera might have caught it opined the excitable announcers)
Then later a line drive zipped by him before he moved his glove.
The RBI double salvaged his day.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Aug 12, 2010 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
ya...a yankee fan who saw my sign
was complaining to me…my sign had things on both side.
1 side "Once an Astro Always an Astro
2nd side “Lance: Get a Ring and come back home”
Got some comments from other fans…
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Aug 12, 2010 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
I really hope Lance and Roy both end up with rings they both deserve it after the years they put in trying to bring a WS win to Htown.
Good pitching will beat good hitting any time, and vice versa. ~Bob Veale, 1966
by CoolBreeze3 on Aug 12, 2010 7:19 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Rangers' Stadium
I can’t understand why they chose to make their new stadium un-roofed. It tends to be way hotter there than in Houston, on average, especially when you get to August. My Dad says no matter how good they are in the early part of the season, the heat almost always makes them wilt in the latter half. So we’ll see how well they end up doing this year.
Ranger's Stadium, addition
That is a newer stadium, right? I thought it was but now I’m not sure if I’m remembering correctly
The Heat in Arlington
Nolan Ryan’s been giving a lot of interviews with the Dallas media since he and Greenberg won the auction. In several of the interviews he’s mentioned that they are, and have been for some time, exploring ways to combat the heat out at the Ballpark in order to improve the fan experience as well as reduce the toll it takes on the players.
Among the options he’s mentioned are retrofitting a retractable roof (a la MMP) to the stadium and also some sort of solar shade-screens that could be mounted to the stadium. I’m not optimistic for either, the cost of the former would be outrageous while the latter seems like it would really ugly up the place. Not sure what will happen.
All that being said, you did go an open air stadium in Texas in the middle of August — what exactly were you expecting? As a baseball fan living in Dallas, I’ve been to many games out a the Ballpark and have always enjoyed the experience. If I go for BP in the summer, I go to right field where there’s a massive canopy shading all of the seats (vs. left field where you’re staring directly into the sun). May get fewer balls hit my way, but I’m also able to enjoy the game without those pesky sunspots being etched into my vision.
I don’t mean to knock your post, everyone’s got their own take on things. It’s just that I think the Ballpark is a pretty great place in it’s own way and think that you might like the experience more if you visit during a cooler time of year and don’t view it so much from an “as compared to MMP” perspective, just taking in a game at another Major League stadium.
My $.02…
A few things
Yes, I should have expected the heat, just wasn’t expecting it to be that bad I guess (My Bad).
For BP, I figured with the Yankees being there and a Lee pitching for Rangers, there would be lots of righties (which there were), they just all sucked and didn’t hit it there…YES, I should have gone to RF…
As far as the ballpark, it really is a nice stadium. From the outside and inside it looks very nice. I like the little whiffleball field in center field. The Pro shop there is HUGE. I don’t like that many fans can’t see the scoreboard in the stadium. In Houston only, a few sections can’t see the scoreboard. I sat near RF pole, all the way up. Couldn’t see the scoreboard, and barely saw the television board…That must have been same case for about 8,000 other people…
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Aug 13, 2010 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions
100% agreed on the scoreboard and video board. Among other tidbits from Nolan’s recent interviews, he’s said that improving those are one of the TOP priorities – possibly even before the post-season (possible jinx?).
Didn’t mean to come off as combative as I probably did. I think stadium experience posts are really great for improving everyone’s planning for trips, etc. I just wanted to play devil’s advocate a bit, as I’m pretty impressed with the Ballpark (but admittedly avoid the really hot months). Another negative that I’ll add to the list — no Shiner on tap. Apparently this happened as a result of the Jerry-dome going up and the resulting contractual mumbo-jumbo (technical term there). I think it’s a cardinal sin to have a stadium in Texas that doesn’t offer the good stuff….maybe that’s just me.
Off topic but I haven’t seen this mentioned here on TCB. Nolan’s all but confirmed that Round Rock will be a Ranger’s affiliate in the future (somewhat expected) and that the Hooks will likely remain assocated to the Astros.
by dallastros_fan on Aug 13, 2010 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
yea...
it’s ok…no offense taken…
as far as RR…I think many of us have realized that RR will be gone…hoping our next triple A affiliate will be close…I am glad I got to see Round Rock before it went to rangers…
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Aug 13, 2010 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions
This will probably show how impractical my knowledge of architecture is…
but seeing the mention of measures which could be added to the Ballpark at Arlington which might cool it off…..what about using water mist sprayers? could large exhaust type fans be added which would move a slow breeze through the stadium? (and as I think of the last suggestion, how long would it take for an opposing team to allege that the fans are adjusted during the game to give a HR advantage to the home team?)
The BP at Arlington
along with MMP are two of the more beautiful stadiums around today IMO. I went to Arlington shortly after the BP was built to see a few games. Driving up to it and seeing the red brick walls was just amazing (goose bumps just like going to the dome as a kid). It has beautiful playing field and yes it was hot then too (July). At least the heat in Arlington is quite a bit drier than in Houston and here in Corpus Christi (hate the humidity).
I lived in Houston when MMP was built and went to many games there. I hated to see the Astrodome go but MMP is just a beautiful field and yes thank Drayton and Tal for the roof!
I really do like both stadiums to watch games at. They each have their own unique beauty and atmosphere.
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