Minute Maid Park
Houston, Texas

Formerly Enron Field and Astros Field
Tenant: Houston Astros (NL 2000-present)
Groundbreaking: November 1, 1997
First National League game: April 7, 2000 (Phi vs. Hou)
Architect: HOK Sport
Construction: Brown & Root (Halliburton)
Owner: Harris County-Houston Sports Authority
Cost: $250 million

Public financing: $180 million from hotel & rental-car tax
Private financing: $52 million from the Astros; $33 million from a no-interest loan from local business leaders.
Capacity: 40,950
Surface: Natural grass

Dimensions:
LF foul line: 315 ft.
LF alley (shallow): 362 ft.
LF alley (deep): 404 ft.
Center field: 436 ft.
RF alley: 373 ft.
RF foul line: 326 ft.

Fences:
Left field - 19 ft
Left-center - 25 ft
Center field - 5 ft - 10 ft (variable with slope of hill)
Right-center - 10 ft
Right field - 7 ft


Hosted World Series: 2005
Hosted All-Star Game: 2004
NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES

July 13, 2004 - One day after the Astros Lance Berkman thrilled the crowd in the Home-Run Derby, Roger Clemens
gets shelled in the 1st inning of the All-Star Game -- giving up 6 runs on 5 hits, including 2 homeruns.

Houston-based Enron Corporation agreed to pay more than $100 million over 30 years to name the stadium Enron
Field. However, on December 2, 2001 Enron became the largest corporation in history to declare bankruptcy. On
February 27, 2002, the Astros made an agreement with Enron to buy back the naming rights. After two full seasons
of being called Enron Field, the home of the Houston Astros then became temporarily know as Astros Field. On
June 5, 2002, the Astros announced that the Minute Maid Company paid $170 million for a 28-year naming rights
deal.

Seating bowl is air conditioned when roof is closed.

The retractable roof can close in less than 20 minutes.

Special Amenities: Inside the ballpark, there is a restaurant located in center field which offers inside or outdoor
seating options for fans seeking fine dining. The "Minute Maid Squeeze Play" area along the right field line
provides children with a fun, safe, interactive experience. The "Conoco Home Plate Tower" along Texas Avenue is
a popular gathering point for fans, and it also features a carillon to provide music at appropriate times of the day.

Minute Maid Park is the first major sports facility to feature a closed-captioning board for the hearing impaired.

A replica of a 19th century locomotive (circa 1860) and linked coal tender became a fast fan favorite in the
inaugural season. The train provides an architectural icon which combines sight, sound and motion for a dynamic
entertainment and celebration feature. It also proves a link to the past for Houston and the Union Station site.
The train was designed by Uni-systems and built by SMI & Hydraulics, which also provided the transporters for the
retractable roof. Weighing close to 50,000 pounds, the train runs along some 800 feet along the low roof track on
the west side of the ballpark.

The sloped hill in center field with the flagpole in play is called Tal's Hill after team president Tal Smith, who
added the hill to park blueprints on a whim, expecting it would be taken out before construction.

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Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KLAT 1010 (Sp.)
TV: FSN, KNWS-51

In-park dining choices: 9 AMIGOS PATIO, ALL
ABOARD FOR..., CHEW CHEW EXPRESS, SAM'S
BISTRO, UNION STATION FAVORITES, CONDUCTORS
HALL FOOD COURT, DINING CAR GRILL, ROUND
HOUSE PIZZA AND CREAMERY, BUILD YOUR OWN
BURRITO, UNION STATION DELI

Houston Dining Guide -  Best Bets

Directions & Parking

Ballpark Tour & Vacation Packages
2006 Ticket prices

Dugout Boxes $47
Field Boxes $37
Crawford Boxes $30
Bullpen Boxes $23
Club Boxes INF $48
Club Boxes OF $40
Mezzanine $16
Terrace Deck $20
View Deck INF $12
View Deck OF $10
Outfield Deck $5

Seating Chart

Purchase Tickets
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Houston Astros
501 Crawford
Houtton, Texas 77002
(713) 259-8000
  The idea for a public-private financing drive for a downtown Houston ballpark was conceived in 1996, while the
Astros played in the Astrodome. Fourteen leading Houston companies joined together to form the Houston Sports
Facility Partnership. The Partnership agreed to provide a $35 million interest-free loan with no repayment due
until 10 years of ballpark operation. With the Partnership's initial commitment, the Harris County-Houston Sports
Authority had the support it needed to present a ballpark proposal to the public in November 1996. Voters
approved the $250 million project.

 HOK's main design platform for the project was to "intertwine" the new ballpark with historic Union Station next
door. Team officials noted that approximately 60 percent of fans would enter Minute Maid Park via Union Station.
Union Station's lobby would feature the Astros Team Store and a café. Walk-up or booked Minute Maid Park
tours, would also begin in the Union Station lobby. The Astros executive offices would be housed in Union Station,
and the sixth floor would feature the Roof Deck and Club House where private groups of up to 100 could enjoy
the game and a view of the Houston skyline.

 The new convertable-roof park opened on time in April 2000.  Architects from the HOK Sports Facilities Group
recommended early on that a retractable roof would be appropriate for the Texas climate. The roof at Minute
Maid Park retracts completely off the ballpark to reveal the largest open area of any retractable roofed baseball
stadium in existence. A total of 50,000 square feet of glass in the west wall of the retractable roof give fans a view
of the Houston skyline, even when the roof is in the closed position.

 The park blends in beautifully with the downtown area.  The exterior of pale-green exposed steel, red brick and
limestone (above right) including wonderful clock-tower, is in the best classic ballpark tradition.  Inside, special
features include: More than 60 suites, a Kids play area, a full-size locomotive that runs along a low-roof track in
left field (below), extensive interior brick-work, an asymetrical playing field featuring a hill in center, a flagpole in
the field of play, overhanging balconies in left field and many more unique features.


The good: Excellent sightlines, plenty of cool quirky features and a beautiful exterior design that blends nicely
into the surrounding buildings.
The bad: It would be nice if all the seats had cup-holders (as should be mandatory in all new parks built in the 21st
century), after all, people in the upper deck drink coke and beer too.  Also, in our opinion the continious
stock-ticker on the scoreboard just doesn't belong in a ballpark.  The ballpark used to be a sanctuary from the
real world.
The ugly: Don't you just love the corporate naming? This stadium had 3 different names in 3 years.
Photo courtesy of Alan Garrett
Media credit: www.sportsevents.net