Houston Astros
When the Dodgers and Giants moved out of California, there were plans of putting up another baseball organization that was to be called the Continental League (CL). The union though was not entirely established so by the seventeenth of October 1960, the owner of CL, Roy Hofheinz, awarded a team to the National League (NL). The said franchise is now recognized as the Houston Astors which had the moniker of Colt .45 in the past. Two years after, the New York Mets was created. NL’s rival, the American League (AL) did not allow itself to be left behind so an expansion also took place that formed the Los Angeles Angels.
The Houston Astros started playing on the tenth of April 1962 where it was scheduled to face Chicago Cubs in its inaugural game. The team won with a score of eleven is to two. Three years after, the franchise would now hold its home games in Colt Stadium but the name was later changed to Astrodome as it is recognized at this juncture. It was on the ninth of April 1965 that the Astros “baptized” the stadium as they were up against the New York Yankees. The club’s rookie, Joe Morgan, was able to set a record that marked runs, triples and hits. His performance was considered remarkable that is now the archives of the National League (NL).
If you may recall, it was previously mentioned that the Houston Astros was once called the Colt .45 while its home stadium was recognized as Colt Stadium to the new Astrodome. According to a 1965 article published in the Sporting News Official Baseball Guide, the stadium’s name was changed right after the team also decided to modify its identity. There were issues that emerged but despite of which, the franchise was appropriate for the arena as the venue itself had a futuristic ambience. The city represented by the Astros is actually the headquarters of the astronaut program of NASA.
Houston Astros’ Astrodome has state- of- the- art facilities. The stadium has an “advanced” scoreboard that features animations whenever any of the athlete’s team can successfully make a home run. In the early stages after the arena was constructed, interesting gimmicks were staged such as personnel wearing spacesuits to stay true to the futuristic image it was promoting to the public. The venue is absolutely beautiful where a lot of individuals even say that it can qualify to be the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” It may be an exaggeration but the exquisiteness of the structure is something to behold.
Likened to the Colosseum of Rome, the Astrodome is also similar to the Shea Stadium and RFK Stadium that was an all- round stadium. The arena does not only accommodate sports such as baseball and football but can also host indoor activities such as concerts, political meetings and basketball, for example. Not only is the venue for double purpose, it also catered a large audience. The structure also features seats that are normally spotted only in theaters. This alone gives spectators a whole lot of comfort whenever they watch a live game of the Houston Astros. There were also luxury sections for the VIP’s.
Astrodome is actually the first stadium to employ an artificial kind of surface for playing. The arena opted for such because the roof that covered the field resulted to the death of the grasses. Before the roof was painted black, it was originally transparent but spectators were complaining of the glaring sunlight so the management decided for a coating project. Yes, the problem was solved but the fauna life also did not survive. Because of which, the venue utilized a merchandise made by Monsanto Corporation known as the Astro Turf. The product can be used in any condition which even required low maintenance.
To avail of Houston Astros tickets in the Astrodome, you can check out Houston Astros schedule in the team’s official website.