Minute Maid Park can no longer be called a new ballpark. 2010 will be the 11th season of baseball in the facility, which opened in March, 2000. It was originally known as Enron Field, then Astros Field, and now Minute Maid Park.
Minute Maid Park in a More In Depth Glance
Sitting on the northeast edge of downtown Houston, the retractable roof park was designed to be one of the so-called new breed of retro ballparks, and inside one can see an homage to many old, glorious ballparks, including Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Crosley Field.
Built next door to the city's old union station, which is now connected to the ballpark and houses the team's offices, Minute Maid Park is also an homage to the city's past. There is a steam engine high atop the wall that runs along left field, and the train rolls down the track whenever a home run is hit. The short porch in left field -- only 315 feet from home plate -- is known as the Crawford Boxes, after the street that runs along left field. The high wall for these seats is green and contains a hand operated scoreboard meant to evoke Fenway. Tal's Hill in deepest centerfield was inspired by Cincinnati's old Crosley Field and suggested by team president Tal Smith. There are flag poles atop the hill, and they are in play. There is ivy on the centerfield walls that evokes Wrigley.
The park contains many modern touches, including the retractable roof. There is ballpark wide wi-fi. It was the first park with a close-captioning board for the hearing-impaired. The huge scoreboard/video board in right field is 35-by-131 feet. Replays and video images are broadcast in high-definition. There are four auxiliary boards placed throughout the stadium, and there is also a speed pitch board.
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