New Vantage Point!!!

I have been an Houston baseball fan for a long time. I first watched professional baseball in Buff Stadium, where the Cardinal farm team played through the 1950's. In the early '60's I watched from the grandstands in Colt Stadium. When the Astrodome opened in 1965, I moved indoors with them. I most often sat in the pavilion seats in centerfield, though on several occasions I was in SRO (standing room only).

For the last ten or so years of the Astros tenure in the Dome, I was able to buy a mini-season ticket. That enabled us to sit in the same seat for 27 games a season. My seats were in the Loge (purple) level.

In 2000 the Astros moved to Enron Field, now named Minute Maid Park. That year a group of six of us bought a pair of full season tickets, on the fourth level. Over the 11 seasons in Minute Maid, we have moved till we reached our current seating, fourth level front row, directly behind home plate.

I have seen almost all the important games the Astros have played, all the All Star games, the Jeff Kent homer against the Cardinals, the extra inning loss in game 6 of the 86 playoffs, Mike Scott's no hitter to clinch the pennant in 86, playoffs in each of the series in the 80's and 90's, the first World Series game!


There have been occasions when someone would give me seats in the expensive sections of the various stadia. I have sat in field boxes five rows behind the Astros dugout. I have sat in the Sky Box owned by Gulf Oil. But tonight will be the first time I have sat in the luxury box at field level right behind home plate. It is the section where the owner, Drayton McLane sits. It is the section where President Bush and his wife Barbara sit.

I will try to behave myself in a dignified manner. And I will try not to boo Carlos Lee!

Wandy Was Wonderful!

It is always fun to go to the ball park, whether or not your team is doing as well as you might want. But it is lots more fun when your team plays well. Last night the Astros played well as a team and Wandy Rodriguez was wonderful.

Playing the World Champion Phillies and facing Cliff Lee may could have presented a much bigger problem, but the 'Stros got nine hits in the four innings that the lefty lasted. The biggest blow came off the bat of Wandy--as unlikely as that sounds. With the bases loaded in a scoreless game, Rodriguez took the first five pitches he saw and found himself with a full count. He fouled off four pitches before lacing a line drive into the right filed corner for a two run double. He scored moments later on a hit by Kaz Matsui. The four runs was more than enough.

Wandy had the Phils under his heel for the night and the Astros wound up with a 7-0 win! It was all topped off by a huge fireworks show sponsored by Marathon Oil. Very nice night at Minute Maid.