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2018 Baseball Road Trip – Day 5 (Minute Maid Park)

Following a day of activities in the Houston area, we relaxed for a bit before heading out to Minute Maid Park for an evening contest between the Anaheim Angels and Houston Astros. We had been to Minute Maid Park once before, in September 2003. Having arrived just before game time back then, we didn’t leave ourselves time to truly explore the stadium. We planned to make up for that oversight.

1. Minute Maid Park

Welcome to Minute Maid Park! (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We arrived about two hours before game time, not long after the gates opened. There was plenty of parking at a reasonable prices less than two blocks from the stadium, though I’m sure our early arrival made finding parking much earlier. Almost like an omen, my brother had difficulty having his ticket scanned from his phone. As it turned out, we had to scan a paper copy of the ticket to allow him enter Minute Maid Park. The callousness of the ticket staff was dismaying, but we let it go fairly quickly as we toured the inside of the stadium.

The train set against the coming evening in left field at Minute Maid Park. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Much had changed, but there were still many of the landmarks we saw in 2003. Gone was the flag pole in centerfield (no tears shed here), but the train on the left field wall was still present. The evening weather was as good as could have been hoped, and the roof was open for the game.

Our seats for the game. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Following a quick trip to the concession stand for dogs and drinks, we went in search out our seats. The stadium looked much bigger with the roof open (back in 2003, the roof was closed until the 7th inning), something we did not get to experience much in our previous visit. We sensed some trouble not long after settling into our seats. The people behind us were drunk and rowdy, and I began to get a sinking feeling, as though the experience was about to be ruined.

The roof at Minute Maid Park retracted over right field. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

My fears were realized shortly after the first pitch, when one of the drunk fans vomited on us, with my brother taking the brunt. The fan explained it was his birthday, and he had too much to drink. His companion, also visibly drunk, starting screaming at the top of her lungs. Trying to be kind, I asked her to tone it down a bit, but I was told something I’d prefer not to write here.

Finally, I asked an usher to intervene. The usher talked to her, and tried to explain that she was just enthusiastic about the game. Dejected, my brother and I actively considered leaving, in order to maintain civility. The usher promised to watch over her, and eventually he did admonish her for her behavior. After that, the circumstance changed, and we were able to enjoy the game. Overall, I was disappointed by the response to the aberrant behavior, leaving me with a negative early opinion of Minute Maid Park.

Mike Trout at the plate in the top of the first. If memory serves, this is the first time I’d seen Mike Trout live. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

With most of the unpleasantness out of the way, we did our best to enjoy the game and the ballpark. In addition to seeing Mike Trout live for the first time, we also got to see Shohei Ohtani start for the Angels. Considering the amount of hype following him, I felt lucky to see him so early in his MLB career.

Shohei Ohtani delivering a pitch in the first inning. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Unfortunately, Ohtani did not have his best stuff that night, grinding out 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks. However, the Astros pitching wasn’t much better, and the game took on the feel of a burgeoning slugfest. Angels SS Andrelton Simmons hit a ball completely out of Minute Maid Park (which only seems possible with the roof open), part of a two HR, 5 RBI night.

Minute Maid at night. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Simmons’ second HR night, a three run shot in the seventh inning put the game out of the reach. In total, 11 pitchers were used in the game. As it typical when this many pitchers are used, the game slowed to a crawl at times. On this pleasantly evening, in this beautiful ballpark, the pace of play was not as draining as it can be.

Following the last out, we exited the park and headed back to the hotel. Minute Maid Park is a beautiful place, but the fan unfriendly actions of just two took away from the experience. The Astros’ response was also distressing, leaving me with an overall negative feeling about the night. Hopefully the matinee tomorrow afternoon can wash away the unsettling vibe from tonight.

2018 Baseball Road Trip – Day 5 (Johnson Space Center/Galveston)

Having arrived in the Houston area the previous evening, we were well rested and ready for a day of exploring the region before taking in an evening game at Minute Maid Park. First stop was the Johnson Space Center, a visit both my brother and I had eagerly anticipated.

Entrance to the Johnson Space Center. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

1. Johnson Space Center

We arrived at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) shortly after it opened at 900 am. Arriving early, we found parking to be ample. Walking up the the visitor center, we encountered the first magnificent site of the day. The space shuttle Independence was placed atop a NASA 747, a mock-up of how shuttles were transported from landing site to launch site in Florida. Being old enough to remember the initial shuttle flight of the Enterprise piggybacking on a 747, it brought me back to the day of that flight so many years ago.

Space shuttle Independence atop a NASA 747 in front of the Johnson Space Center. The two craft are even larger than they appear in this image. In fact, I needed to back up as far a possible in the parking lot to include both in my picture. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Upon arriving at the visitor center, we decided to take the Tram Tour of the JSC. The $29.95 price seemed to be a bargain for what was sure to be one of the highlights of the trip. Assembling just outside of the visitor center to the right, we boarded the tram and awaited the start of the tour. Once we were underway, we saw something is did not expect to see: Longhorns.

A Longhorn lazing in the sun at the JSC. Unbeknownst to me, there is a long history intertwining the space program and the steer here. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Before this trip, I honestly didn’t know much about the JSC, and the tour guide took the time to explain the history of the Longhorns and the space program. Much of the land that the JSC now occupies what was once a steer farm, and NASA wished to retain some of the history of the land. If you are curious (as I was) about the connections, you can check out the Longhorn Project.

Following the visit with the Longhorns, we passed over a small gully, which contained surprise number two of the tour. In the gully was a five foot alligator. Seemingly unfazed by our presence, the gator sat nearly motionless as we passed by. Apparently, gators occasionally visit the JSC, traveling from Armand Bayou Park across the street.

The Tram Tour is different each day, though there are stops it makes each time. We passed by several buildings on our way to Mission Control. As we walked up to the access point to the old Mission Control, we were informed by our tour guide that access would require us to climb 82 steps to reach the site. Though there was an elevator for those with mobility issues, my brother and I decided to climb the stairs to reach the old Mission Control.

The view of the old Mission Control from the gallery. Visiting this place was a surreal experience, to say the least. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The effort was well worth it. We sat in the gallery seats just behind the controller locations. Unfortunately, the site was being renovated for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, so we were unable to walk among the workstations. While mildly disappointed, I was still thrilled to be in the same room where the magic happened. In fact, we sat in the seats were the Lovell family watched the Apollo 13 broadcast, not long before the mishap. Being old enough to remember the final Apollo missions, sitting this close to where a group of people worked together as one was like a dream come true. It reminded me of how far we came so fast in those days, and how we haven’t fulfilled the promise of the future forged by the Apollo program.

Personally, had the tour ended there, it would have been time well spent. However, there was much more to see. Next on the tour was Building 9, which housed some of the new technology NASA was developing for future space mission. While there was plenty to see here, I became transfixed by the Orion spacecraft.

The Orion spacecraft in Building 9 at the JSC. (Photo credit; Jeff Hayes)

The Orion is the capsule that will house astronauts as we return to space. Orion is expected to ferry four astronauts to the moon, where the yet to be built lander will bring them to the surface. Seeing the capsule buoyed my spirits concerning NASA and our potential for returning to the moon and possibly beyond.

Another piece of technology caught my eye on the floor in Building 9. Mimicking the movement of creatures on Earth, one of the probes was modeled after a spider. Though we didn’t see it in motion, it was intriguing to speculate how it might fare on an alien world.

NASA is apparently using spiders for exploration in the future. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The 90 minute tour ended far too quickly, though there was still one more place of interest to visit. The Saturn V building caught our attention. In front of the building was an ad hoc museum of the rockets used in the NASA arsenal through the years. While the other rockets were interesting, the Saturn V held the my gaze. The most powerful rocket ever to launch humans into space, the Saturn V is huge, occupying a building more than the length of a football field. Seeing it in person was sobering, a reminder of how amazing the program to put men on the moon truly was.

The Saturn V rocket. It was just about too big to fit in a single image. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

My brother has remarked that this was his favorite part of this trip. Even though I respectfully disagree, I will return to the JSC in the future, if only to visit the fully refurbished Mission Control.

2. Galveston

Never having seen the Gulf of Mexico on the Texas coast, we drove down to Galveston to find some lunch. We found parking near the beach, and walked down to the water near the pier. The white sand and amusement area on the pier reminded me of the Jersey Shore. Being a work and school day, there were few people on the beach, which afforded in nearly unfettered access.

The beach and pier in Galveston reminded me of the Funtime Pier on the New Jersey shore. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Walking onto the pier, we were disappointed to see that it was closed. Returning to the beach, I was captivated by the view of the Gulf. It reminded me of the story of Isaac Cline trying to warn the residents of Galveston that a hurricane was approaching in 1900, and how vulnerable the place seemed to the Gulf.

Though there were similarities to the Jersey shore here, we don’t have pelicans there. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Lunch was next on the agenda, and we decided on Jimmy’s on the Pier. Arriving late during the lunch rush, we were surprised to see so many people there. Despite being a seafood restaurant, we ordered more land based entrees. Seating was scarce after getting our food, but we were able to sit outside while we ate.

As soon as we were ready to leave, there were people prepared to take our seats. One last walk around the pier section of Galveston was followed by the trip to the hotel to relax before the game that evening. Though this was designed to be a baseball blog, I couldn’t help but share our experiences from the JSC.

2018 Baseball Road Trip – Day 6 (Houston to Marshall, Texas)

Following a busy first full day in Houston, we relaxed before heading to Minute Maid Park for a Tuesday afternoon matinee. Rather than squeeze in any more sightseeing in the Houston area, we stayed close to the hotel before checking out and heading for the stadium.

1. Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We arrived at Minute Maid Park late in the warm and humid morning, finding parking plentiful across from the stadium. Unlike last evening, we had more than sufficient time to stroll the grounds before heading into the ballpark. As mentioned before, this was not our first visit to Minute Maid Park (our first visit game in September 2003), but we did not build in much time to explore the park before that game.

Wandering around the stadium we discovered there was much to see. Perhaps my favorite display outside the park was The Plaza at Minute Maid Park. It featured statutes of beloved Astros players, as well as a tribute to the Astros playoff teams of the past. Considering how few teams make good use of space outside the ballpark, the displays here was a refreshing exception to the rule.

The Plaza at Minute Maid Park. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The increasing warmth and humidity prompted us to enter the stadium to seek some relief a bit earlier than planned. Upon entering the ballpark, it was clear that the roof was closed (in contrast to the game the previous evening). When I asked a stadium employee why the roof was closed, the terse response was “because is 89 degrees in Houston”. Though I have been to Houston only twice, I assumed that the population was well attuned to heat and humidity, even in late April. The response reminded me of what I might hear in the Northeast; so much for Southern hospitality.

Wall art inside Minute Maid Park. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Undaunted by the response to my question, we continued to explore the inside of Minute Maid Park. While there were most definitely changes in the ballpark, some of the exhibits did not. The biggest change was the flagpole in centerfield. In truth, I was not a fan of that part of the stadium, and I was glad to see it go.

With the roof closed, Minute Maid seemed like a much different place. In fact, it seemed almost dank in comparison to the open roof game the night before. Following our tour of the park, and the obligatory visit to the concession stand, we headed for our seats. For this game, our seats were on the third base side, about halfway up the section.

The view from our seats. With the roof closed, it seemed dark, in stark contrast to the sunshine outside. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The Astros’ opponent for the 110 pm game was once again the Anaheim Angels. The Astros starter was Justin Verlander, former AL Cy Young winner and MVP (2011). By this time, Verlander was 35 years old, an age at which a number of hard throwing pitchers begin to lose their edge. Because of this, I watched Verlander closely during his start.

Justin Verlander was on top of his game this afternoon. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Verlander worked much harder than I expected. At the end of the Astros at-bat, he sprinted to the mound, getting to work immediately. Though his velocity was still in the mid 90s, his pitch selection and changes in speeds made him much more effective. Obviously, he learned that with age, natural ability needs to be augmented with hard work in order to remain successful. Verlander gave up two runs and four hits in his seven innings, while striking out nine.

Minute Maid Park before game time. (Photo credit)

The closeness of the game resulted in a fairly quick affair, with the Astros prevailing 5-2. Since our next ball game was about 24 hours away in Memphis, Tennessee, we did not linger long in Houston. The remainder of the daylight hours were spent covering miles. After about three and one-half hours, we called a day in Marshall, Texas.