It's been almost five days since my last game -- a long time off when you take into account how many games I have attended in a relatively short amount of time. But, don't think for a minute that I was taking it easy. I picked up my father on Saturday morning in San Diego and we have been on the road ever since. Battling unbelievable heat and humidity, my dad and I drove from San Diego to Houston with stops in Tucson, AZ and El Paso,TX.
It was a fun few days -- we visited the Alamo, went to a movie (Air Force One), jogged along the San Antonio River, visited the University of Arizona, and saw most of the Southwestern United States (wide open prairie land with little to distinguish it). We tried to find a nice restaurant in Juarez, Mexico but proved unable and got several disbelieving looks as we tried to explain the Great American Baseball Trip to the guards at the U.S. border. And, when we finally drove into Houston about five hours beofre our game at the Astrodome, a monsoon like thunderstorm was gripping the city -- complete with torrential downpours, thunder, lightning, and flash flood warnings.
The Astrodome used to be state of the art. It was the first all-weather, multi-purpose domed stadium in all of sports -- opening its doors on April 9, 1965. Now it is outdated -- capable of seating 55,000 for baseball and 75,000 for football (although the local NFL team bolted for Nashville after last season) but lacking many of the amenities that teams need to generate vital revenue. A massive $80 million renovation was completed in 1989 including the replacement of the playing surface and the addition of new sky suites -- but it is obviously not an ideal venue for the National Pastime.
Seating levels, designated by more than seven different colors, stretch all the way around the park and up six separate levels and are filled with padded seats (giving a theater type atmosphere). Despite giving fans terrific views from almost every section (the bottom section is low so no seats are trapped under an overhang), the seats are pretty far from the field -- evidenced by the outfield bleachers which is separated from the outfield wall by a ten foot gap. Filling the area between the wall and the stands is a beautiful flower bed (including the spelling of the words Houston and Astros out of yellow flowers). Advertisements blanket the outfield walls and out of town scoreboards (all manual including inning by inning box scores) fill the corners of the walls near the foul poles). Three separate diamond vision screens and a black and white scoreboard offer fans instant replays and statistics from the game.
As a fan-appreciation tactic, the dugouts and bullpens are very close the stands -- both open and available so players and coaches can be seen and interacted with from designated sections. The dugouts are simple -- (temporary) rows of benches with a partial covering -- located so near the stands that the expensive seats behind home plate are actually closer to the action than the players and coaches. Meanwhile, the bullpens sit in foul territory down each baseline. Aside from some low fences in front of the dugout, neither has much protection from either the action on the field or the fans in the stands.
Otherwise the Astrodome is pretty dark and musty -- the perfect setting for an indoor rodeo, but not great to watch a pennant race unfold. Speakers hung from the ceilings pump so much noise into the seating bowl that fans can barely here themselves think -- many complained of headaches as they walked from the park -- and the astroturf is showing its age with spots and stains giving the whole park a grungy feel. But, the Astros will move into a baseball only facility at the beginning of the 2000 season. The stadium, affectionately known as the "Ballpark at Union Station" will combine the small park atmosphere will all the major stadium attractions -- and fit them all under a state of the art retractable roof. It won't be the first of its kind (like the Astrodome was) -- but it is expected to be one of the best.
While my father joined a group of local fans for a guided tour of the Astrodome, I grabbed a spot in the dugout and settled in to watch the pitchers stretch and take their informal batting practice. I commented to one of the local radio personalities how uncomfortable the pitchers looked as they stretched their legs and backs out (as opposed to just their arms) and he concurred firing off a couple jokes about the league's most pampered position. We were joined by the Astros Director of Media Relations (donning a Hawaiian shirt of his own) and the topic shifted to the uniform and how hawaiian shirts with players numbers and names would have been much more appropriate (if only Major League Baseball given its approval).
Setting up an interview at the other end of the dugout was a television crew from ESPN. A familiar looking personality -- who I later learned was Chris McKendry -- strolled right past our conversation, stopping to ask something of the Media Relations Director, before taking a seat to look over her notes. Some of the other reporters (all local TV folks) mumbled disparaging remarks about the female reporter and her "cushy assignments" as I sat in awe of the simple format being utilized by the nation's sports leader. If I had figured out sooner who she was, I would have tried to start a conversation -- instead I watched in sort of tired daze while she interview several players.
My father finished his tour and joined me on the field to watch the remainder of batting practice. We dodged several errant balls as they ricocheted off of the batting cage and watched in silence as the heart of the Houston batting order put on a hitting display for the admiring fans. My father got excited upon seeing Bill Virdin, a former Pittsburgh Pirates player and manager with several teams (now a coach for the Astros) and mumbled continuously about how exciting it was to be down on the field. We left before practice had ended as dad was complaining of hunger pains and headed for the press box to gather our belongings.
As I stood on the field watching batting practice, I didn't really know what to expect from Tim Purpura, the Assistant General Manager for the Astros. I had received a very nice e-mail from him a few days prior to my visit letting me know that everything was taken care of in preparation for my visit, but I had never actually spoken to anyone from the Astros on the telephone. On top of that, up until the moment I met him, I think Mr. Purpura was under the impression that my name was Kevin.
But, Mr. Purpura proved to be one of the friendliest and most honest of the folks I have met on this trip. He played baseball as a child and was talented enough to possibly play in the major leagues, but blew his knee out before college and lost much of his interest in playing. After attending college and working in various professions, Mr. Purpura decided he wanted to work in baseball and was given the suggestion of attending law school en route to the big leagues. The suggestions paid off as Mr. Purpura moved to Arizona to work on the Arizona Fall League (a creation of Major League Baseball) after law school and eventually worked his way up to the big leagues. His past experiences with baseball obviously gave him a different perspective on the game -- one that seemed to focus more on the simplicity of the game and the talents of the players than the growing influence of business and money in the game.
He spent nearly an hour with my father and I standing in the Astros dugout talking about the team, the league, the sport, and especially the stadium. Most of the time we talked about the new ballpark -- which Mr. Purpura is currently in the process of helping design with others from the upper management of the team. He explained how the funding was to some extent still up in the air (with a major vote from the Houston City Council coming just today) and that the design was progressing (with debates still being waged over the construction of the dugouts) more and more each day. At the same time as he gushed over the new complex, Mr. Purpura did acknowledge that the Astrodome had been a good home to the Astros explaining how much the players enjoy playing in the park and how the facilities (clubhouses in particular) are better than a lot of the stadiums.
As the conversation shifted to broader subjects, Mr. Purpura became more guarded about his words. When asked what he thought the path baseball was on for the future Mr. Purpura replied "Well, if we haven't killed baseball yet -- I don't know what else we could do," and explained how he thought baseball was searching for a long term solution to its current problems. He was supportive of interleague play, and the possibility of re-aligning baseballs divisions (possible doing away with the American and National leagues) if it meant that more fans would come out and enjoy an afternoon or evening at the ballpark. He seemed to think that baseball had lost a whole generation of fans (namely my generation -- the fans that are currently in the teens and twenties) but believes that baseball might be able to recover if it makes some calculated changes. I promised not to write down much of what he said, but I can tell you the rest of his comments were very honest and telling of the tough job that front office folks have.
Overall, I would say I learned more about the game of baseball from Mr. Purpura than I have learned from any other front office person I have met with. And, to top it off, Mr. Purpura was kind enough to present my father and I with official Astros caps -- which we wore as we sat in the stands to watch the game. It is always nice to find nice folks from the front office -- especially with a team as successful as the Astros.
To get your credential and gain admittance to the press box, you have to pass by Charlie Hardy -- one of the oldest and friendliest press gate attendants you will meet in all of baseball. If the elevator ever comes to get you, Charlie will direct you to the correct level and you eventually come across the fifth floor of the stadium -- mostly filled with club level seats but converted to accommodate broadcast booths and press tables for newspaper writers. The hallways are dark, the facilities sparse, the bathrooms primitive, and the view of the field is slightly obstructed by overhanging seats. The press box is open to the field -- a double edged sword as you are on top of the action but the noise is unbearable. Thankful, a nice restaurant offers a delightful array of food and drink to the working media and the Media Relations staff is friendly and helpful.
To be perfectly honest, the baseball writers gathered in the box on this night were neither talkative nor very interesting to listen to. I could go out on a limb and say that they were trying to impress the ESPN visitors (some commented that Ms. McKendry was attractive), but that would seem out of character for this rough and tumble bunch of guys. Most sat quietly in front of their computers (not typing however) and watched the game. Joining me in the press box was a very friendly radio host -- Vince Cotroneo -- (appropriately wearing a Hawaiian shirt) who grilled me about my trip and joked about Michigan. He suggested some good restaurants in the stadium and quipped about the poor officiating. He left in the eighth to prepare for his locker room post-game radio show -- it was quiet after that.
THE FOODA walk around the Astrodome will present you with numerous options for dinner -- but you won't get the same options on each level of the park. The standard fare includes jumbo hot dogs and sausages in addition to the souvenir soda cup (the largest in baseball -- "everything in Texas is big") and watery ballpark beer. But, alternating "fare stations" also include pizza (Hawaiian style on this night) and Luther's Barbecue. Luther's specialty is a baked potato carved out and topped with barbecue beef, cheese, sauce and a whole host of other delectable items. Of course, nachos (topped with beef, real cheese and jalapenos) and a variety of deserts (funnel cakes, frozen yogurt, and ice cream) round out the remainder of the baseball food groups.
Since my father was paying for dinner, I decided to sample Luther's Barbecue Turkey Sandwich -- a heaping portion of thickly cut turkey smothered in smoky barbecue sauce (topped with onions and jalapenos if you so desire). It was a messy sandwich -- but one that not only filled my growling stomach but pleased it. As for the pretzel, I didn't purchase one until the top of the sixth inning so I was stuck with one that had been spinning in its case for several hours. It had a pleasant taste but was tough on the jaw and matters weren't helped by the tangy mustard that dribbled off the side onto my pants. Most of the fans in the park also went for the barbecue and only a few opted for the beer. Shockingly enough, two of the fans sipping the alcoholic beverages were younger than I was -- supplied by their father who sat idly by sipping a diet soda instead.
The festivities surrounding Larry Dierker's Excellent Hawaiian Adventure kicked off the for the evening. Thousands of local fans donned bright Hawaiian style shirts and stormed the field in hopes of winning one of three trips to Hawaii. Don Ho was on hand to sing the National Anthem (as well as a few of his personal favorites) and Polynesian Dancers entertained fans between innings. The night was sponsored by Continental Airlines but was in honor of the Astros Manager who routinely wears hawaiian style shirts and has inspired quite a following in Houston (with the grounds crew switching to Hawaiian shirts as their regular uniform).
As for the fans who chose not to embarass themselves with wild clothing, most were genuinely interested in the game on the field. I saw several folks, including one 12 year old girl, scoring the game and taking an active interest in the box scores from the previous night's game. Of course, there was a nice sampling of young children attending their first major league game and a few young ladies who appeared more interested in their male companion than the pitch count. The outfield bleacher sections managed to start a wave during the early innings but the crowd wasn't into the rallying behind their team -- content instead with cheering on the hometown heroes during exciting moments.
I was joined at the game by my father, Jay Reich, who flew out from Seattle and has been driving with me across the Southwest for the past four days. Since he only gets to watch National League teams when interleague play visits Seattle, we spent most of the time comparing the two leagues, styles of play, and general strategy. He was very excited to be at the ballpark -- not to mention the fact that he got to spend some time with his son. I have to say (begrudgingly) that it was nice to be back at the ballpark with my dad the man who taught me to play baseball, watch baseball, score baseball and enjoy baseball.
And it was easy to enjoy baseball on this night. After scoring one run in the first inning, the Astros broke out (thanks to aggressive running by Craig Biggio) and took a 4-1 lead after three innings. Astros starting pitcher Darryl Kile cruised into the eighth inning striking out seven (but pitched well over 100 pitches). After a while, the Cardinals figured out Kile's curve ball and struck for three runs to even the score after eight innings. The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning (as the crowd rose to its feet with a deafening cheer) and Craig Biggio blasted a triple down the first base line to score three runs. The Cardinals threatened in the ninth putting runners on second and third with only one out, but the Astros bullpen shut the door to capture the team's second consecutive victory.
Dad and I sat in the press box for a while after the game and watched as the attendants cleaned the field and turned off the lights in the stadium. I could see my dad watching every action very carefully, trying to soak in as much of the atmosphere and tradition of the game and the ballpark. It was as if he were a kid again -- visiting Forbes Field in Pittsburgh with his father and brother -- anxious to return again for another showing of the greatest game around.
Here's my father sitting in the Astros dugout before the game. He had never been
on a major league playing field before and seemed VERY excited.
Here's a view of the Hawaiian festivities from the press box. Check out the colors!!
Here's a view of the Astrodome from our seats in the upper deck.
