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Talk to any longtime Astros fan, at some point a discussion about the 2005 World Series will come up at some point. And fan is especially dedicated to their Astro fandom, he or she will still be bitter about the stadium being open during the World Series.
But fear not. During the first two games of the American League Championship Series between the Astros and New York Yankees, the roof will be closed.
Astros president Reid Ryan said the retractable roof at Minute Maid Park will be closed for Games 1 and 2 of ALCS against the Yankees.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 12, 2017
But do you ask is the roof being closed important? Two fronts. Heat and noise.
The big thing was 2005 was about keeping the noise in the ballpark. An environment that the Astros are accustom to and the Yankees who play outdoors might not be as well adjusted.
Two, Houston is damn hot and air conditioning is the lifeblood of being a Houstonian. No need to take that away for ascetics.
Frankly, the only thing I care about with the roof is allowing the Astros to pick. In 2005, there was a clear feeling the league had forced Houston hand to open the stadium.