posted
During the great Home Run last night (10/17) against the Astros by Albert Pujols at Minute Maid Park, reference is being constantly made to the "train tracks." Pujol's ball, in replays, shows that it bounced off what looks like a set of tracks. What are these tracks? Or are they just fake? Anyone from Houston or therabouts will probably know...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
The old Union Station is a part of the baseball park and the tracks you saw are about 4 stories high and they have a steam engine imitation that will roll through there, blowing it's horn, whenever an Astro hits a home run.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Thanks Mike for your quick answer. I didn't think they were live tracks, being so high in the sky...now what's your prediction for the rest of the Astros/Cardinals series? What a game last night.
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
That was some game last night. My prediction (actually more a hope since I'm very, very biased) is the Cardinals will go on to win the NL series.
A World Series in St. Louis would be great way to say adieu to Busch Stadium (to be demolished right after the Cardinals end their season). And for the Cardinals to win the series in the final game played there--well, that would be sweet.
Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary depending on your specific team affiliation.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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While I seriously disliked the outcome, there is something magical about a bat's sweet spot tagging a baseball's sweet spot, and the resulting towering home run...
Given that, the Astros win the next game.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Mr. Smith, I believe this is the first time I've ever disagreed with anything you've posted on this forum. Well, maybe it can be attributed to you having limited knowledge of baseball matters.
At the risk of being too technical and talking a bit over your head, let me try to summarize why St. Louis will prevail in the post season. Here's my informed and highly insightful analysis:
The Cardinals are going to whoop 'em. They're goin' to whoop 'em good. They're going to whoop 'em so bad the Stros will demand a refund from their ump, Phil Cuzzi. Then its off to whoop on the ChiSox. Wompin' and stompin' to near Mr. Normans's zip code to do some more serious whoopin'. All the bad umpin' money can buy won't stop the whoopin'. Whoopees, sad Stros and Sox be. It's in the Cards who the Whooper be. Whoopee!
As I mentioned at the start, I hope I didn't get too technical with my analysis. I apologize if I did, and would be glad give it another try in crayon.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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quote:Originally posted by mikesmith: ....What you posted must have gone over my head...
You're selling yourself short, Mike. You sorta got it. Maybe I underestimated your level of baseball acumen.
And speaking of the Stros, I didn't realize Minute Maid Park (twerpy name) has such a railroad theme. I visited the Astro's website (gads, it was like going behind enemy lines) and discovered they make a big deal about incorporating Houston's railroad heritage into the stadium. Cool.
What's the stadium like? Did they preserve Union Station, and how is it incorporated into the ballpark? They have scheduled tours--know if they're worth it? Amtrak stops elsewhere, right? Is it easy to get from the Amtrak station to Minute Maid (gees, please start a campaign to get that name changed)? Any local rail use Union Station? And, is the area around Minute Maid (gee, just typing that name is like chewing foil) a place you would recommend for a travel stay (i.e., other than minor league baseball, much else to do and see in the area)?
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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To answer your questions. Union Station had been shut down for decades before Enron Park was built. In fact, the field and the home side dugout are sitting on top of the tracks that ended at Union Station. You can just walk into the old station anytime you are at the ballpark. IT is still pretty much as I remember it from 1967, minus most of the seats and activity, of course.
We could call the park the OJ field... no that won't work... no stabbings at the site... Maybe call it Astrodomain? nope... too hoaky. Minute Maid is paying millions of dollars for the naming rights to the field; maybe we could write Minute Maid and request a name change...
Getting from Amtrak to the stadium would not be too difficult. There is a trolley or buses that travel throughout downtown, and there is lots of stuff to do and see around Houston. And our minor league team will be playing next week, so that might be a good time to come see them at the OJ park... Otherwise, you'll have to wait til next year. Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Mr. Zeph, If you think Minute Maid is a twerpy name, how about my hometown stadium in San Diego, called Cat Chow Park? (Thanks to Phil Hendrie for that one.) Actually the real name of the Padres field is Pet Food Park. Will there be no end to these goofy corporate sponsorships?
Now turning to COMISKEY FIELD (I don' know nuthin' bout US Cellular Park) and your expectations of your Cardinals. Yes, a team in Zip Code 60632 will have something to say about your team in a quiet, blue collar workmanlike way. I am afraid the vaunted can of Cardinals whoop-a## will be put back on the shelf. However, I am looking for a good World Series and think we will get it. Dare I mention the Red Sox/Cardinals fiasco of last year? However, your Mr. Eckstein and others are pretty formidable. I remember Eck when he helped the Angels win their World Series a few years back...the "spark plug."
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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That is assuming the Cardinals GET to the World Series; sorry for jumping the gun to the 'Stro fans, such as Mr. Smith...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Sure, Railroad Bob, bring up the Red Sox/Cardinal series. Go ahead, just twist that knife. Cut my heart out. Shake some more salt on my bleeding wounds.
But just remember this (and you hear it too, Mike): My team has a much cooler stadium name. "Busch." Now there's a name that inspires visions of baseball, fishing with the boys, working on the car, scantily clad...(well, you get the picture). You know, manly things.
And you know, that's something you just can't take away from my team. You two will have to live with "Minute Maid" and "Petco" for a long, long time. Yuk. Like, what comes to mind when you think of Petco Park (honey, will you take FiFi out for a walk). Stadiums where the most sacred of all games are played simply should not be named so lamely.
I rest my case. Speaking of which, I just bought one. Ah, Buschhhhhh......
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Wait a minute... I understand the "Busch" name will be available next season...
Hmmmmm... Better get busy writing those letters to Minute Maid, convincing them to buy Busch... :B
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Has the old railroad areas been refurbished and incorporated to the ball park theme? any chance of getting the trains back in Union Station, as Cinncinatti, St Louis and Kansas City have done to there great stations? The current platform is unworthy of your great city. There's an idea when the corporate money runs out call Enron/Minute Maid etc...Call the ball park Union Park or Union Station Park, any thougths or maybe Minute Maid Park at Union Station!
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Tanner929... No chance... none... not a single hope.... never gonna happen.
Minute Maid Park is literally sitting on top of where the tracks were. And, yes... Our Amtrak station is pathetic, even though it does have some of the benches from the Union Station, and a Blue Bell ice cream dispenser.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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OK, let's get it out of the way. I congratulate the Houston Astro's and their fans on their championship. That includes Mr. Smith. It's a class organization, class players, and class fans. Their win last night sets the table for a great World Series. I'll have to stop now, as the gag reflex is starting to kick in.
Now it's off to do some shopping. First to Costco to buy a new TV (we were able to retrieve the New Balance 497's from what remains of the old TV, and they'll be OK once the glass shards are removed). And to Petco (oh, the humiliation) to buy a new toy for the cat ("Mr. Kitty, I know it's warm on top of the TV. But we've explained to you that it's not a safe place to nap when Mr. Zephyr is watching a baseball game or political debate. Now come down from the tree and play with this new fuzzy thing").
Oh, then there's tonight. Dinner with friends (?) who are Houston fans. I'm kinda the guest of honor. They're cooking up something special, just for me. Crow a la Broche. I've actually had that dish before. Not bad. Tastes just like Owl.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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quote:Originally posted by zephyr:And you know, that's something you just can't take away from my team. You two will have to live with "Minute Maid" and "Petco" for a long, long time. Yuk. Like, what comes to mind when you think of Petco Park (honey, will you take FiFi out for a walk). Stadiums where the most sacred of all games are played simply should not be named so lamely.
I rest my case. Speaking of which, I just bought one. Ah, Buschhhhhh...... [/QB]
Right you are, zephyr. In their furious attempt to be a "modern day" baseball venue, here are a couple of things I noticed at games at Petco (San Diego.) They have eliminated the wonderful organ interludes during games, that we have all heard since childhood and generations before that. Petco's seats are tiny and cramped, in order to cram more fans in. The PA system is way too loud, and the operators use rap and bling-bling effects to "impress" the fans. I do like the AC/DC Highway to Hell they play when Trevor Hoffman tries to save. There is a constant cacophony at Petco, and rarely a quiet moment during innings where you can catch your thoughts as in other parks. "Friar franks" (Padre dogs) were delivered to me with STALE BUNS. And finally, the Padres are a less-than-scintillating team and do odd things such as break key players ribs in "clubhouse celebrations." I just want old-fashioned baseball without this kind of spin. Go Good Sox!
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote: I congratulate the Houston Astro's and their fans on their championship. That includes Mr. Smith.
Ok, I must set the record straight. I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the Astros win... Nothing... nada... zippola... In fact, I fell asleep during the bottom of the 7th...
I did have that feeling that allowed me to confidently and unequivocally predict their next win on Tuesday, after the colossal home run.
Having said that, I think we should steal the Busch name for our stadium... St Louis doesn't need it any more...
And Railroad Bob, our seats are comfortable. We paid for them with our tax dollars, so they had better be comfortable!!!!
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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quote:Originally posted by mikesmith: I must set the record straight. I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the Astros win...Nothing... nada... zippola...
OK. I'll keep you on my Christmas list for now.
Now getting back to that twerpy name for a ballpark, you can't have "Busch". Name's taken. Can't have it. Get over it. Just not available. Nope...never...end of story!
But here's an idea. Minute Maid (merely typing it still grinds on my nerves) is owned by Coca-Cola Inc. So you might say Coke is the corporate sponsor. And they own a whole bunch of things. Check this list out: http://www2.coca-cola.com/brands/brandlist.html
This list provides a wealth of alternatives to Minute Ma-a-mah-ah (sorry, I just can't type or say that name one more time). I found one intriguing possibility in the "B's".
And while you're at it, why don't you also do something about the team's name. Astros? Why is the team named after a cartoon canine? Geez, don't you Houstonians know the Jetsons are just make-believe? Colt 45's was just fine.
And to touch briefly on rr things, is Union Station served by any rail? Like the trolley, light rail, or whatever?
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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Hey mikesmith, not releated to mike scott perhaps?
The architectes should have incorperated the rail station under the ball park it worked for for arena's the old Boston Garden sat on top of the old North Station as does the new North Station and the New Fleet Center just without the ambience and the championships. Madison Square Garden squashed itself on top of Pennsylvania Station in NY but Houston could have done better.
So does anyone else like the idea of renaming it Union Station Park? or Union Park.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Tanner929, Union Station Park is an outstanding name for the stadium. But, hey, do you think a city who names their team after a cartoon character would consider renaming their ballpark to such a fitting name?
As far as laying track under the stadium, remember this is Houston. The Bayou City. You dig a foot down there, and you can start hitting the still-fermenting ooze of the Mesozoic Era. No, I'd be very careful about any Big Digs there.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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Houston doesn't have any basements... We don't need them. And there is a river flowing under downtown; so tunnelling isn't exactly a good idea, especially with our thousands of earthquakes each year.
Union Field would be great... However Union Station couldn't come up with the $85,000,000 required for the naming rights...
And there is no rail line to Union Station, but our wheeled downtown trolley does drive past it...
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
The Astros were named the Astros in 1965, when the Astrodome was built and the Astronauts {NASA} arrived in Houston, courtesy of LBJ...
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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quote:Originally posted by mikesmith: Houston doesn't have any basements... We don't need them. And there is a river flowing under downtown; so tunnelling isn't exactly a good idea, especially with our thousands of earthquakes each year.
You are spoofing about the earthquakes, right? That is news to me and I have lived there.
As to the tunneling: Remember the movie with the caverns under New Orleans? Don't remember its title. Complete NONSENSE ! ! ! There are no caverns under New Orleans. It is sand, silt, river mud, all very fine particles down for hundreds of feet. No caves and no caves possible. If there were any they would be full of water, anyhow.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Seriously, Houston has thousands of earthquakes each year. All of them are below 1 on the Ricktor scale, but we have them.The largest visible fault line I have seen is in Spring Branch, between Long Point and Hammerly {or was it Westview} on Campbell. The road rises about 2 feet northbound.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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quote:Originally posted by mikesmith: Seriously, Houston has thousands of earthquakes each year. All of them are below 1 on the Ricktor scale, but we have them.
OK, I believe you. Less than 1 in usually imperceptible except to the seismograph. Here it wouldn't even be counted. The Taiwan Weather Bureau only reports those that are 4.0 or greater. We are up to about 150 so far this year. (That is, 4.0 at the epicenter where ever it is on the island and surrounding seabed. In actuality in Taipei we only have about one a month in the 1.0 plus range and 4.0 once in every few years. Don't want you to think we are shaking all the time.)
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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posted
Oh well, so long as this sportstalk.com thread has landed here at our rail forum, I thought all concerned that a New York Times guest columnist gives The Series to.......(drumroll)
The New York Times is not a legitimate news source, so if they think Houston will win,we are probably in trouble.
Maybe they'll be like a broken clock and be right this one time...
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Mr. Norman, I'm the guilty party here for starting this sportstalk.com thread, but there was a "train theme" to my original question. How was I to know it would grow to include the fault zones of Houston and whether New Orleans has underground caves? But I am learning a lot that I didn't know before. The name "Astros" to me has a 60s ring to it; I'd prefer the old Colt .45 moniker, but I guess gun names have fallen out of correctness just like Native American college team names like Squaws and Seminoles.
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Try my school on for size, Railroad Bob, when it comes to getting in x-wise over a politically correct mascot issue.
I'm certain the student, be it "my day' or present day and likely majoring in Dance with the College of Fine and Applied Arts, portraying Chief Illiniwek has performed of his/her own free will at half-times, and had a worthwhile line to add to a resume' or what artists call a portfolio.
GBN University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign BS Accountancy, 1970
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I'm suprised the NYTimes editorial board would allow Texas to win anything, of course they could claim "The fix was in!" The Washington Post Paper only refers to the local NFL Team as Washingtons Football Team. The Washington Basketball Team had to change its name. Well the Baltimore Bullets worked well for the city known for its history of munitions manufacturers but when they moved to DC (The murder capitol at the time) it just didn't work. While I'm ranting, Could the NHL see they have way to many franchises because the team names resemble a grade school intermural league. That is all.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Lastly, Mr. Smith, I'm at a loss to understand how one can refer to the most quoted newssource anywhere in the world as other than a legitimate newssource. To disagree with the editorial positions taken by The New York Times is one thing, but to state the Times is not a recognized newssource is something else.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Mr Norman: The NYT USED to be the most respected news source on the planet. They used to be the Paper of Record. They have not been anywhere near that for the last decade and a half. Their editorial board, columnists, and overall competency of their alleged reporters have gone downhill... steeply downhill... over the last 15 years. They have suffered scandal after scandal of making up the news, hiring imbeciles to write for the paper, and ignoring any news story that differs from, or denegrates, their point of view.
They are a shadow of what they used to be.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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The New York Times is the newspaper that I have read for the past sixty years (at my age of five, my Mother read it to my Sister and myself), and I intend to keep read reading for whatever years the Good Lord gives me to do so.
Of possible interest: I also read The Wall Street Journal
GBN
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I think this thread has now presented "all the news that's fit to print."
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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BTW, Have you heard that Houston's old Union Station is a part of the Astro's Minute Maid Ballpark? Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Sooner or later the Moderator, if any, around here is going to kill this off topic thread.
Here is a Q to Mr. Smith unrelated to any political-social-economic ideologies.
For what sports facility did (NYSE symbol) ENE hold naming rights?
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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