Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

   Confession time…I LOVE sports, not playing but watching them. You need to understand when I say sports, I am talking about the southern holy trinity of sports: baseball, football and basketball. The problem that I’ve always had is where we lived until last year had zero professional ball teams. That left us cheering for LSU, New Orleans Saints, and the high school where I used to work. I'll always love LSU and the Saints but they were several hours away from our house.
   Fast forward to our new home where we can root for the Houston Astros, Houston Texans, and the Houston Rockets!! I am in sports fan heaven. 
   Last Friday we went to watch the Astros play the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. I was so excited to attend my first Astros game! They even gave me a certificate to commemorate the day. Come with me as I take you out to the ballgame.
Minute Maid Park in Bayou City
Before we moved, people asked what I was going to do about the name of our blog. It must have been fate because Houston is the Bayou City so we really are 
Barking from the Bayou!
Houston Astros mural
There are several places to take selfies at Minute Maid Park and this new mural is a fan favorite. It features the players with their theme for the year, “Take it back!” They are referring of course to the World Series trophy which they won in 2017.

Pregame at  Minute Maid Park
We arrived early enough to watch the teams pre-game practice. It was fun watching them warm-up for the game.
Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof and on nice gamedays, they open it up. When we arrived, the roof was partially open but we watched as they opened it all the way.
They add the lines and batter's box before each game
Once the teams leave the field, the grounds crew leap into action. Did you know they chalk the field before each game? Here they are making the batter’s box.
They make the base/foul lines and put out the bases. The person in charge of home plate spent a long time making it perfect. Several people have the job of getting the dirt exactly so-so. It was very impressive watching the field come to life.
PLAY BALL!! The game was exciting and it was fun watching all of my favorite players in person.
There is no question that the Houston Astros have a HUGE fan base. Looking around after the game started, there were very few empty seats except in the very upper deck. We got to participate in the “wave” which was awesome and during the seventh inning stretch, everyone stands up, stretches their legs and sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” I’m not going to lie; I was singing at the top of my lungs! It was a BLAST!
Houston Astros Homerun Train
Ninety feet above the field is the famous Home Run Train. It’s a replica of a 1862 steam engine and each time the Astros score, the engineer sounds the bells and whistles. When they hit a homerun, the train engine takes the 40-second trip up and down the track. 
Why a train inside the ballpark?
The west end of Minute Maid Park used to be Union Station. The cargo used to be logs but when it became Minute Maid Park, they switched the load to oranges.
How cool is that?
Minute Maid Park fireworks
Each Friday night game will feature a firework show after the game. They say everything is bigger in Texas and that goes for their pyrotechnics! The show was timed perfectly to the music and there were a LOT of beautiful fireworks. We seldom get to watch fireworks because we are inside keeping Bentley calm so this was a special treat.
In the end, the Astros lost 3 to 6 but tied the series at two games each. We are looking forward to attending many more games this season. They even have a dog day later this summer so maybe the Bayou Boys can go with us.
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19 comments :

  1. I'm with winston churchill "no sports" but to go to a game is a special thing... it is this feeling in the stadium the food the music and a kind of thrill, what makes it even for me to a highlight...

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  2. Oh I have nefer been to or even seen a baseball game butt is sure looks like FUNS
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  3. Thanks for the tour. We're looking forward to a long season of minor league Sacramento River Cats, and SF Giants and Oakland A's. Our hearts belong to the El Paso Chihuahuas though.

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  4. We are so excited for you! Mom remembers her one and only time at Yankee Stadium back in the 70's. There is nothing like seeing baseball in person.

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  5. We like baseball, but our team is usually really lousy. I see your Astros beat us 11-0 here at home last night! Ugh! Enjoy going to some sporting events.

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  6. How very cool you've got lots to see and do with so many great teams!

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  7. What a fun time! There's really nothing better in the summer than being at the stadium watching your team playing baseball.

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  8. Ghostwriter says she was never much into sports. Baseball is the only one she actually understands. But her dad was a big sports fan. On Saturdays he would sit and listen to one game on the radio while watching another one on the TV. He was from PA and his favorite teams were always Pittsburg.

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  9. We enjoy a pro baseball game from time to time, and back in the day, we attended many more games when bleacher seats were only $4!

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  10. ... buy me some peanuts 'n' cracker jacks (with a toy at the bottom of the box please!)

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  11. Hot dogs and popcorn make me happy
    Hugs Cecilia

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  12. I like hot dogs and popcorn. Would love to go to a game. Don't think I was to one yet. Joined Pet Parade blog hop

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  13. We were able to see a few MLB games when my kids were young and we visited my family in the Bay Area. My son still has a foul ball hit by one of the Houston Astros when they were in town playing the SF Giants!!
    hugs
    PugRanch MOm

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  14. Watching sports on TV can be fun, but being at the actual event is so much more! Even if you don't love the sport, seeing it live is always a blast. We used to go to the Nascar races a lot, and I've also really enjoyed going to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox with my family.
    How great for you to have all that so close now!!

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  15. Super cool! Minute Maid Park looks like a great stadium. I have never been there, so thank you for the tour. :)

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  16. Woohoo...how exciting for you to enjoy one of your sport passions in your new hometown. Here's to a great season! ⚾️

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  17. Ma loves sports too! Butts right nows all our team suck EXCEPT for the Warriors!!! Sorry, butts we will have to take down your Rockets again ☺ (paws crossed!). I thinks that is why everyone in the Bay Area loves them so much, because they have been the bright star in a dim sky of professional sports around here. Oh, there are the SJ Sharks too, butts Ma isn't much into hockey. Butts she does love to watch the Sharks play sometimes.
    Anyhu, the game sure did look like funs! Baseball is always more fun in pawson!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  18. How exciting for you to enjoy one of your sport passions.

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