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Fernando Martinez Joins The Redhawks: Reid Ryan Joins The Houston Astros As President
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Fernando Martinez clubbed a 2 Run HR in 1st game back with the Houston Astros this year. Unfortunately, he took a monster dive in Averages right after his ensuing opener. The 24 Year Old Man from the Dominican Republic, hit for a 3 Slash Line of .181/.229/.501 – after posting a .237/.300/.766 during his 2012 campaign with the big club – spanning 118 AB (6 HRs and 14 RBI). Martinez went unclaimed this week, after being placed on waivers – and will report to Oklahoma.
By Brian Hamilton (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here): Follow @bham2421
Week That Was For The Stros:
Fernando Martinez, whom the Astros acquired off waivers from the New York Mets in January 2012, will be joining the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks.
He was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. Martinez did not have any options remaining, meaning that he would have to clear waivers and be placed on an MLB teams active roster in order for the Astros to lose him.
He went unclaimed and has been assigned to AAA.
Fernando Martinez 2 Run HR April.23
The Houston Astros Should Not Trade The Popular Jose Altuve…Yet Or Maybe Ever…
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Jose Altuve was named an ALL-Star Reserve at 2B in 2012 with his .309 AVG in the 1st half and after appearing in the 2011 Futures Game. He hit .290 with 33 SB and 80 Runs in his 1st full season. He is under club control until 2018. Will he last in an Astros uniform until then?
By Lee White (Astros Correspondent)
Ever since last season, mentions of the Houston Astros trading their All Star Second Baseman have been cropping up, and for good reason. Whether you agree with me or not, Jose Altuve is an All Star, and not just because he is on the Astros.
Last season at the All Star game, Altuve was voted as the best Second Baseman in baseball by his peers (Major League players and Managers). He is a great ball player. He hits for a high Batting Average, Steals Bgs and has a some pop in his bat for his size. He also plays pretty good defense.
Jose Altuve (1 Altuve) faces Jon Rauch (1.29 Altuves):
Is Jeff Luhnow Preparing To Make Trades?
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General Manager Jeff Luhnow has stockpiled a lot of talent in the Minor Leagues in the last few months – and is looking to acquire a helluva lot more. With the club having lost 6 games in a row since the opener, this could get ugly real quick – with every meaningful player being traded away. This is Jim Crane’s mandate. The Astros full game plan is to be as bad as they can be in the next few years – in order to Draft as high as possible. We have had great chats at the strosbros.mlblogs.com Podcasts, plus Sully’s Daily Baseball Podcasts here at the Reports has also covered the topic.
By Lee White (Astros Correspondent)
Is Jeff Luhnow back at it with his magical trades? Is Paul Clemens coming up to the Major League level? No one knows anything at this point. Okay, before we at the ‘Stros Bros begin any speculation, lets give a little back story.
Other than the Opening Night victory, plus last nights 3 – 0 loss to the Mariners, in which they had 2 perfect Innings, the Houston Astros have been atrocious. Especially the bullpen.
Okay, on Sunday the bullpen was also alright, having given up 1 run in 4.2 Innings, but even the sun shines on a dog’s hind end every now and again. But, of course the Astros bullpen is bad. That was a given headed into the season, but with this bad bullpen, it seems as if some moves are on the horizon.
WEBN Interview with Luhnow:
Rick Ankiel Earns A New MLB Life Yet Again
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Ankiel could be used in any of the Outfield Positions as a PH/defensive replacement even if he is not in the Starting Lineup for the Astros, Ankiel only batted .236/.292/.669 with the Nats in 2 years but was slugging .411 – with 17 XBH (5 HRs, 10-2B and 2 3B ) in just 158 AB during the 2012 campaign. The Nats released him near the end of June after Jayson Werth returned to the lineup and Bryce Harper was called up. Injuries has plagued him for the majority of the 2009 – 2010 years. At age 33, does he have any baseball left? The Astros fans will soon find out.
By Richard Perez (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here): Follow @yokorick
In his tenth overall MLB season, Rick Ankiel is on his fourth MLB team after struggling to stay in the Majors since 2010, being designated as a back-up outfielder with the Royals, Braves, and finally the Nationals. As a Non-Roster Invitee, Ankiel has found a home with the Houston Astros organization.
It seems clear that with his explosion towards the end of Spring Training that he could potentially earn a spot on the Astros 25 Man Roster. More than likely we will see Ankiel be platooning with J.D. Martinez in Left Field, with the former Starting Pitcher taking the Starting job, and having the young and inexperienced Martinez under him and learning from the ten-year veteran, Ankiel.
Don’t Run On Rick Ankiel – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
Jose Altuve: The Speedy Little Big Man
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Jose Altuve was named an ALL-Star Reserve at 2B in 2012 with his .309 AVG in the 1st half and after appearing in the 2011 Futures Game. He hit for a 3 Slash Line .290/.340/.750 with 34 Doubles, 7 HRs and 41 RBI. The man also had 33 SB (7th in the NL) and 80 Runs in his 1st full season. Altuve is also a great defender (4th in the NL with Assists during the campaign – while only committing 11 Errors. He is under club control until 2018 with the Houston Astros.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Last year we all discovered what was the phenomenon of what was the Jose Altuve Movement. You can check out that article here. Since that day, the Astros have traded away every semblance of a veteran – and are carrying a salary that is being challenged by the Yankees Taxi Sqaud of players that have come in since the start of the week.
One of the best things to do at Minute Maid Park – and on broadcast via Root Sports, will be to watch the little speedster from Venezuela. He is 5 Foot 5 – and swings like Jeff Bagwell. Everything about this man is pure heart, emotion and effort.
MLB Fancave gets measure in Altvues!!
Astros Opening Day Dilemma At Minute Maid Park
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Minute Maid Park is jacking up ticket prices for Opening Day.
By Richard Perez (Astros Correspondent): Follow @yokorick
A recent flame war has started on the web recently, Twitter to be specific, and people are upset about the Astros Opening Day ticket prices have been doubled. Why would they do that, you ask? Because this night is going to be the biggest night for the Houston Astros baseball club as far as marketing goes.
This, quite honestly, is much more than just another Opening Day baseball game. ESPN is going to broadcast it on national television; furthermore, if you asked yourself “why in the world would ESPN want to air an Astros game on national TV” when it first was announced, I’ll explain why.
As I just stated, this is MORE than just a baseball game, this is the very first game of the Astros’ inaugural season in the American League. A historic event for the franchise regardless of the product out on the field. This is about the franchise as a whole, not just what the analysts deem a team destined for a third straight one hundred loss season.
For those casual fans who want to just see a cheap baseball game, there will be 80 more games played this year in Minute Maid Park, go see one of those games.
Minute Maid Park Roof Opening:
Can Nate Freiman Make The Houston Astros?
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Freiman has a 3 Slash Line of .294/.364/.847 in the Minor Leagues – with 71 HRs and 368 RBI in just 1876 AB for the Padres organization.
By Lee White (Astros Correspondent) Follow @Lee_White73
Nate Freiman was taken by the Houston Astros in the Rule V Draft. Freiman, a career .294 hitter in Minors, has never seen Major League playing time. He has that chance now. Freiman has shown the ability to hit, and hit with power. 2012 marked his second straight season driving in 100 runs or more. The only mark on Freiman that I have found is he doesn’t really have a position to play in the field. Good thing the Astros will have a DH this season!
It is simply crazy that the Padres had not protected this 6 Foot 7 Giant. It may be a loss that will be felt for years if the man from Massachutsses pans out for Houston.
Nate Freiman walkoff HR for the San Antonio Missions:
Luhnow Spins His Trade Magic Again For The Astros In: Get Carter
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Lowrie had a stellar 1st half, cracking 14 HRs and 36 RBI, while holding a 3 Slash Line of .253/.343/.803. He slumped to a .200/.273/.606 in a 2nd half slump after being hurt in July. He is 28 Years Old and under team control for the A’s only through the 2014 season.
By Richard Perez (Astros Correspondent): Follow @yokorick
As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the Astros have traded Shortstop Jed Lowrie and Pitcher Fernando Rodriguez to the Oakland A’s for Chris Carter, Brad Peacock, and Minor leaguer Max Stassi. Astros mastermind General Manager Jeff Luhnow worked out another amazing trade, getting anybody to agree to take Fernando Rodriguez all on its own is a miracle, but getting more than what he’s worth is astounding.
He’s worked nothing but pure trade magic during his first full calendar year with the club, dumping off Dan Carpenter, Brandon Lyon, AND Carlos Lee over the course of last season. Not to mention plenty other players he traded as well, yielding a number a top prospects, making the Astros’ farm system go from worst to first.
Jed Lowrie Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
Master Schedule For All 30 MLB Parks In Double Header Opportunities In 2013
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By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Over the course of 4 years of massive baseball travel, I have attempted 28 MLB Doubleheaders – and completed 22 of them. I Every year I take a look at the new MLB schedule and the 183 days worth of games. In the list (after the youtube clip I post), will feature every doable double-header scenario for a fan to view baseball games. Keep in mind that if you have never seen a MLB Park before – that rushing a day is not advised at all in these journeys.
The most common doubleheader is Wrigley Field or US Cellular Field – to be combined with Miller Park as part of a day-night doubleheader. The Yankees and Mets do play a few games on the same day together and are listed. The o.Co Coliseum in Oakland and AT & T Park also have a few doubleheader chances this season.
Other great doubleheader partners include both Dodger and Angel Stadium – combined with Petco Park if there is a matinée contest involved. Progressive Field and PNC Park also lends itself to easily connected doubleheaders if one has a day contest. Also watch out for Sunday Night ESPN games as part of programming as Eastern teams feature that 8:05 PM EST start time – which will lend it available to double up with a day matinée. The Phillies are compatible with both New York teams Via Amtrak Train option – and also with the Baltimore Orioles.
These doubleheaders mostly are located in different cities and some might even include a doable flight in the middle.
https://mlbreports.com/2012/03/02/field-of-dreams-site/
Field of Dreams Has To Be Part Of Your Trip Link Up Top and Video Down Below:
Roger Clemens: Close To Returning To Houston
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Roger Clemens won 7 Cy Young Awards with his Career Record of 354-188 (.658). A lot of MLB people thought that the Astros would bring Clemens in to spark attendance at Minute Maid Park this season.
By Lee White (Astros Correspondent) Follow @Lee_White73
The Houston Astros have made many changes this off season. From uniform changes all the way to the broadcast booth. The Astros are close to yet another change. Many thought Roger Clemens would return to Houston as a pitcher. That didn’t happen. It doesn’t look like it will happen either. However, the Houston Astros are close to a deal with Clemens to return as a Minor League Pitcher’s mentor.
Roger Clemens Pitching with the Sugar Land Skeeters Aug.25/2012
Houston Astros Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward
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Nicholas Rossoletti (Baseball Writer): Follow @NRoss56
The 2013 Houston Astros payroll is one of the stranger payrolls to look at given the current state of baseball where player’s salaries seem to be ever-increasing. Before Dec.18, the Astros were paying exactly one player above One Million Dollars annually. That player was shortstop, Jed Lowrie. Then, the team added 1B/DH Carlos Pena to its roster on a one year deal for approximately $2.9 Million according to reports and reliever, Jose Veras on a 1 Year/$1.85 Million dollar deal. Thats it. Three players earning more than a Million Dollars on a professional baseball franchise approximately sixty (60) days until pitchers and catchers report. (Please note that the Astros are rumored to be interested in signing Third Baseman Jose Lopez who may be added to this list). These are your 2013 Houston Astros, who are a far cry from the Astros of the mid-2000’s who signed Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens, traded for Carlos Beltran and made a run at a World Series. Read the rest of this entry
What MLB Park Will Be The Next To Host A WrestleMania?
Wednesday, October.31/2012
Wrestlemania 18 (At SkyDome) was Hulk Hogan vs ‘The Rock.’ Hogan was his heel face character ‘Hollywood’ Hogan from his NWO days in the WCW for the event. The fans of Toronto gave the Hulkster several standing ovations for his entrance and as well for the Match. He was the most popular wrestler in Canada that day. While he lost to Dwayne Johnson in one of his best contests of his career, this match gave the WWE the idea to turn him Baby Face Again. The next week “Hulkamania” was reborn with Red and Yellow.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I have previously mentioned that baseball and wrestling was my entire life as a young kid in the 80’s. To me, nothing was bigger than the World Series every fall or WrestleMania every spring. In 1990, the city of Toronto hosted WrestleMania 6 at the (NEWEST) ballpark in the MLB, “The SkyDome.” Back in the day, the building was considered state of the art. I mean they were the 1st park to carry McDonalds as a fast food joint for a concession, they had luxury suite hotel rooms (in which some people forgot to draw the curtains to in heats of passion) and everything was big league. So when almost 68000 fans packed into SkyDome to watch the 1st ever WrestleMania in Canada (and also an MLB Park), it was an un-believeable atmosphere.
Wrestle Mania 6 The SkyDome–Photo Courtesy of WWE
Now I lived in Calgary at the time, yet I had seen my first MLB Game in 1989 at the SKYDOME. I would have loved to have been in that audience. I watched the events transpire from CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) in a big Restaurant in Calgary. (Yes people, there used to be no black box that you would be able to buy ALL PPV events on.)
HOGAN VS THE ROCK FULL MATCH FROM WRESTLEMANIA 18
The Jose Altuve Phenomenon
Friday June.15/2012
Jose Altuve is listed as 5 foot five although he may be even shorter than that. His lethal swings have created a new metric measurement based on his height called an ‘Altuve.’ Everyone is picking up the new measurement including social media platforms dedicated to the cause: @howmanyaltuves on twitter and the official website http://www.howmanyaltuves.com –Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Baseball lends itself to traditions and nicknames like no other sport in the world. During last year, there were two phenomenons in the form of social media and radio. I was lucky enough to be part of them both. The MLB ‘Fancave’ sidekick Ryan Wagner was dubbed ‘thickish’ by Mitch Williams of the MLB Network. The social media took off on his nickname and blogs, websites and a lot of the Fancave skits had Mike O’ Hara calling Wagner ‘thickish.’ I love things like this. I took it upon myself to be the West Coast distributor of the movement. I was even fortunate enough to have Ryan Wagner write a blog about my buddy Justin and I. It was cool to be part of the fun of this social media driven nickname.
Then the summer of 2011 hit. I was listening to MLB Roundtrip like I do every night while at work. Mike Ferrin and Morgan Ensberg were talking about Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros. There were saying the man was swinging out of his cleats like he was Paul Bunyan. They also mentioned that Altuve was the leader of the Texas League (before his call up) for average. The next thing I knew Ensberg suggested that they should come up with a new unit of measurement called an “Altuve.” The idea would be that you can divide the total amount of feet hit for a home run divided Jose Altuve’s height. I couldn’t stop laughing at the concept. To me, Ensberg was entirely right, Altuve does sound like a unit measurement! For the next few weeks, the guys kept on speaking of long homers hit and how many Altuve’s they would go. Read the rest of this entry
The First Five Games of The Streak
Tuesday April.10/2012
Douglas “Chuck” Booth at Citi April 9th
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)- Well, I finally get a chance to breathe for one second. Too bad it was at the expense of the events that transpired yesterday. Contrary to popular belief, this world record streak is not a walk in the park. Traveling is a hard thing to do at the best of times. I will break down the trip synopsis game by game. I am breaking down the travel games at Parks day by day. Read the rest of this entry
Minute Maid Park Review: Courtesy of Stadium Journey’s Correspondent Paul Derrick
Sunday, April. 8/2012
This review is courtesy of www.stadiumjourney.com, the best source for stadium reviews and information.
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Minute Maid Park
Official Review by Paul Derrick, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent
The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. The Astros have been calling Houston home since 1962. Originally known as the Colt .45s in 1962, then after the .45s moved to the world’s first multi-purpose dome (Astrodome) they became the Astros. In 2000, the Astros made another move to their current home of Minute Maid Park, located in downtown Houston. Minute Maid Park, like its predecessor, was one of the first of its kind being one of the first retractable-roofed stadiums. This was definitely a great idea as fans are protected from Houston’s notoriously humid weather, but also allows fans to enjoy outdoor baseball during favorable weather. Minute Maid Park has the capacity to seat just under 41,000 people.
Minute Maid Park is definitely a one of a kind venue. The largest entrance to the park is inside what was once Houston’s Union Station, and the left field side of the stadium features a train as homage to the site’s history.
The train moves along a track on top of the length of the exterior wall beyond left field whenever an Astros player hits a home run, or when the Astros win a game. The engine’s tender, traditionally used to carry coal, but is usually filled with giant oranges in tribute to Minute Maid’s most famous product, orange juice.
The playing field also has a lot of neat nooks and crannies to it from the short porch in left known as the Crawford Boxes to Tal’s Hill in center. Another cool feature you will see at Minute Maid is a concourse above Tal’s Hill which features the “Conoco Home Run Porch” in left-center field that is actually over the field of play, and features a classic gasoline pump that displays the total number of Astros home runs hit since the park opened.
For fans that have attended Minute Maid in the past but not in 2011, new for the 2011 season is a large HD screen nicknamed “El Grande” replacing the original one in center field. At 54 feet high and 124 feet wide, it is the second largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball, behind Kauffman Stadium. The old screen was taken out and replaced by billboards. Additionally they added a smaller HD screen on the far left field wall. The ring of advertisement screens around the park have also been replaced in favor of HD ribbon boards in 2011.
Fan Fare Score 4.1 stars 
Crowd Score 3.6 stars
What is FANFARE?
The FANFARE scale is our metric device for rating each stadium experience. It covers the following:
- Food & Beverage
- Atmosphere
- Neighborhood
- Fans
- Access
- Return on Investment
- Extras
Each area is rated from 0 to 5 stars with 5 being the best. The overall composite score is the “FANFARE Score”.
Food & Beverage 5
No trip to the ballpark is complete without some peanuts and crackerjacks (or so the song says, anyway). Fortunately, Minute Maid Park, has a bevy of food choices for you.
I’ll start by mentioning the Astros’ Sizzling Grille located in sections 116 and 125 where you can enjoy a Texas sized mild or hot sausage with your choice of toppings on a fresh baked poppy seed roll. If your taste buds are yearning for some fresh cooked sausages then the Sizzling Grill is where you need to be.
One of my favorite spots is the FiveSeven Grille owned by two of the greatest Astros of all time, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. The FiveSeven Grille is a nice sitdown resturant that offers a variety of great options as well as to go orders for fans to enjoy in their seats. The FiveSeven Grille is located near section 156.
A couple other favorites of mine include the Goya Latin Cafe and Lefty’s BBQ at Union Station. The Goya Latin Cafe has one of the best chicken in chipotle sauce I have ever had. They offer a vast array of different products from Beef Picadillo to grilled Cuban sandwiches. The Goya even offers frozen sangrias and margaritas if that is what you are in the mood for. The Goya Cafe can be found behind home plate near section 119. My last favorite spot is Lefty’s BBQ which offers mouth watering Texas favorites like beef brisket, ribs, sausages and smoked turkey with all the great fixins. If Texas BBQ is on your mind then Lefty’s is your place.
Minute Maid definitely provides many options and are right on par with most MLB park prices, so definitely make sure you bring a big appetite and even bigger checkbook.
Atmosphere 4
The atmosphere at Minute Maid Park is unfortunately declining the worse the team gets. As of the time of this review (July 2011) the Astros are the worst team in baseball and on their way to their first 100-loss season in franchise history. So anytime you go to Minute Maid Park now you may see a more than average influx of opposing fans at games, especially when some of the big teams like the Cubs, Cardinals or Mets are in town. At times you may see a 50/50 crowd if someone like the Red Sox or Yankees are in town for inter-league play.
There are still neat things around the ballpark that provide that great baseball atmosphere, but the fans are definitely hurting this atmosphere. The Astros provide a great atmosphere for the kids as well as the diehard baseball fan. It just seems the baseball atmosphere will get worse before it gets better.
Neighborhood 4
As I mentioned earlier, Minute Maid Park is in downtown Houston so you have a variety of options. I will list a couple of my ballpark favorites. First off is the Home Plate Bar & Grill. The place is packed during every Astros home game, but it’s virtually empty in the off-season. Predictably, the decor is a stuffed-to-the-gills collection of autographed jerseys and posters of sports figures. Intent on watching the game? Sit downstairs – the mezzanine section has just two 13-inch TVs. The food wins big points, but drinks and service are somewhat lacking. The incredibly delicious crawfish po’boy is Tuesday’s standout special. Wash it down with a $2.50 Mexican beer or $1.50 well drinks.
Another option right outside the ballpark is The B.U.S. If you end up on Travis St. on the way to Minute Maid Park for an Astros game, just look for the big blob of Stros gear, Ray-Bans, and Ice Cold brew all nestled under an open warehouse-like bar right across from the stadium and you have come across the B.U.S. Inside you will find 2 main bars made out of wood, many large old school big screen TVs, projections, pool tables, darts, shuffle board, an uber amount of sports memorabilia, and a bunch of happy, fired up baseball fans having a good time whether they have tickets to the game or not. It’s not the cheapest place as far as beer prices, but overall it’s a great place to unwind, relax, and drink up before or even after the game.
Fans 3
Well, as bad as I hate to say this, Astros fans are some of the worst fair weather fans you will find in the league. Just a little over five years ago, Minute Maid Park was buzzing with fans as the Astros made their run at the World Series. Unfortunately for the ‘Stros, the fans, and Minute Maid Park it has gone down hill since then. I will say if you are still looking for some of those diehard fans you’re better off looking for them in the 300 and 400 sections rather than lower to the field. I have sat all throughout Minute Maid Park and have found the more dedicated and knowledgeable fans seem to be higher up. Unfortunately for the fans it doesn’t look like they are going to get any better any time soon, so they will just have to hope the rebuilding process doesn’t take as long as it did in Pittsburgh.
Access 4
Access to Minute Maid Park is usually not too bad. If you work downtown or are visiting, then I would highly recommend taking the Light Rail. Unfortunately, the city of Houston still has a pretty dismal public transportation system. As long as you aren’t fighting the usually brutal Houston traffic though, getting to Minute Maid can be pretty easy.
Parking will cost anywhere from $10-$20 depending on the distance from the ballpark as well as importance of the game. The concourses are wide enough to make a trip all the way around the ballpark with ease.
Bathrooms are plentiful and I have never noticed much of a line during my many visits.
Return on Investment 5
Right now (2011) is about the best return on investment you will ever find at Minute Maid Park. With plenty of promotional deals, the Astros are making a trip to Minute Maid Park quite an affordable trip for the family. The Astros offer promotions like all summer long kids are free, so I can buy a regularly priced ticket and both of my sons get in free. If you’re planning a trip to Minute Maid Park in the near future I would definitely check the promotional schedule to see when you can get the most out of your money.
Extras 4
There are a few neat extras I like about the park. One is Tal’s Hill. I think it adds that special unique aspect to Minute Maid Park. As well as it can make for some great blooper reels or SportsCenter highlights depending on how the center fielder handles the hill.
Another great extra is the Train located on tracks at the top of the stadium. It is a neat fixture and the kids love it.
One of my favorite extras is the singing of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” during the seventh inning stretch. You don’t even have to be a fan of baseball to enjoy that. Trust me, no matter what your age is you will be hard pressed from at least humming the tune during this.
My last point goes out to the great inclusion of the retractable roof which makes plenty of fans happy on those blistering hot summer days.
- Paul Derrick
***Thanks to Paul Derrick and Paul Swaney for giving us all of this great information on Minute Maid Park. Be Sure to check out their entire site for ballpark reviews. They are also coming out with an MLB Magazine shortly. sign up here for all of the latest updates at Stadium Journey.***
Paul Swaney and his son
www.stadiumjourney.com, the best source for stadium reviews and information.
***Thank you to our Baseball Writer- Douglas “Chuck” Booth for preparing today’s feature on MLB reports. To learn more about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” and Chuck Booth, you can follow Chuck on Twitter (@ChuckBooth3024) and you can also follow Chuck’s website for his Guinness Book of World Record Bid to see all 30 MLB Park in 23 days click here or on the 30 MLB Parks in 23 days GWR tracker at the Reports click here. To Purchase or read about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames Book, ” please click here ***
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MLB Ballpark Traditions: National League
Sunday December 25, 2011
Doug Booth- Guest Baseball Writer: The entire baseball community is looking forward to the ‘New Marlins Ballpark’ in 2012. This new opening will give some of extreme ballpark chasers a chance to tack another ballpark to their viewing history. I will be attending the opening of this Ballpark in April and that will make it 35 Major League Stadiums for me, 5 that are defunct and this park in Miami will help me re-establish the 30 current MLB Parks. We all assume that Oakland will have a new baseball park eventually so I will have a few years before attending a new baseball park again. These traditions only help the folklore of baseball. I believe it helps distinguish the sport from the other major sports leagues.
Here are the National League Parks Traditions:
Wrigley Field
1. 7TH inning stretch-made famous by Harry Caray and kept up by guests now.
2. They started throwing the ‘opposition’s’ home runs back onto the field and have not stopped even though it is illegal to throw the baseballs back on the field.
3. They have their own song “go Cubs go” which they play after every win.
4. Of course they have the curse of the ‘BILLY GOAT’ and also have not won a World Series in 103 years.
Minute Maid Park
1. They have a train that goes from side to side whenever they hit a homer.
2. They play the song “Stars at Night” right after 7th inning stretch
3. They play all their games indoors and only open up the roof when the park is cleared.
Miller Park
1. They do 2 really cool waves. One is a reverse wave where the goes clockwise all around the ballpark and then change direction. The other one they do is a slow motion wave which is hilarious.
2. They have the sausage race!!!
3. The sing the song “Over The Barrell” after “Take me out to the ballgame”.
4. ‘Bernie Brewer, (Brewers mascot) goes down the slide in upper left field bleachers-and has recently started throwing t-shirts from there.
5. They give out fridges for who has the best-“Tailgate Party”.
Busch Stadium
1. Easily the most respectful fans in baseball.
2. They cheered the 2004 Boston Red Sox even when they lost the World Series, so they are classy.
PNC Park
1. They have the pierogi races.
2. Between every inning they have text messages posted on-screen from people.
3. They have one of the coolest beginnings where they have a pirate ship full of pirates and they take over the opposing team’s ship on the scoreboard.
Great American Ball Park
1. They have fireworks that explode from the ship in center-field when there is a home run.
2. The Reds Museum is the best “Hall Of Fame” out of all the teams.
Dodger Stadium
1. The beach balls are still being thrown around.
2. It is routine to show up 4 innings into the game and leave at the 8th inning-Last year I watched a game that lasted only 2 hours and the parking lot was jammed because people had arrived late and did not leave early because the game was so quick. I still love the replay of the ‘KIRK GIBSON’ homer because of all the tail lights in the parking lot that were leaving.
AT&T Park
1. The Kayaker’s in McCovey Cove are fun to watch.
2. The hecklers in center-field always are after the opposing outfielders with this chant’ “What is the matter with (insert player here)? The answer is: “He’s a bum!” They do this all game.
3. They have a Panda Bear now because of Pablo Sandoval-(Kung-Fu Panda.)
4. They chart the splash hits that go into the cove.
Coors Field
1. They sell food and beverages outside the ballpark with their own vendors for a good price.
2. They use the ‘humidor’ to reduce the flight of the baseballs by 8-10%.
Chase Field
1. They sing “Sweet Caroline” like the Boston fans do.
2. They are the only park that plays a second verse of “Take me out to the Ballgame”.
3. They are very fanatical at security about you operating camera/videos so watch out.
Petco Park
1. There is a picnic area where you can watch the game for 5 dollars.
2. They are the most pet-friendly stadium as pets are allowed into the game a lot.
Turner Field
1. ‘The tomahawk chop’ is the worst tradition in baseball, but it is here to stay-routinely sections of people will get up and stand while doing the chop.
2. Skip Caray and Mark Lemke do the pregame show from the media gondola in center-field every home game.
3. They routinely have ‘concerts’ on weekend night games free of charge and are decent groups. I saw Arrested Development there last year.
Citi Field
1. The ‘BIG APPLE’ still comes out after every homer is hit (unless it is stuck which has happened at Citi Field).
2. There are planes that come over every five minutes–I find this very disrupting to the game and that is why I have the park ranked 11th overall.
Sun Life Stadium coming soon/New Marlins Ballpark in 2012!!
1. You can buy a parking pass that will work for any home date online-which is convenient.
2. The mascot is always featured on the big screen throwing fake pies at people in the stands who have on opposing gear.
Nationals Park
1. The president’s race is a definite highlight of every game-and one of them always falls flat on their face–usually it is Teddy Roosevelt.
2. They shoot t-shirts into the crowd-that have chili-dogs wrapped up in them–just ask the 20 people or so that were pelted with the contents when they failed to wrap the t-shirts tight enough with the food.
Citzens Bank Ballpark
1. The Phillie Phanatac is always in trouble with the ‘grounds crew’ because he whips around in the ATV.
2. There is about 4,000 S.R.O’S for every game and most hang out in ‘Ashburn’s Alley’.
3. They boo the home players more than any other team including Boston and both NY clubs. That is understandable considering they booed Santa Claus–and cheered when Michael Irvin was knocked unconscious at the old ‘VET’.
4. They have the biggest fine in the league for jumping on the field.
Click here to view Part 1 of Doug Booth’s Ballpark Traditions feature on MLB reports, with a look at the American League Traditions.
*** Thank you to our Guest Baseball Writer- Doug Booth for joining us today on MLB reports. To learn more about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” and Doug Booth, you can follow Doug on Twitter (@ChuckBooth3024) and click here for Doug’s website, fastestthirtyballgames.com***
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