LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JUNE 2015 | Page 46

Local June_FinalEDITED.qxp_002houston 5/21/15 7:24 PM Page 46

MINUTE MAID PARK
IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE

By Jayme Lamm
Photography Courtesy of Houston Astros

The month of April marked the HOUSTON ASTROS’ hottest start
(15–7) since 1986. But the team isn’t the only thing off to a
hot start, so are our blazing hot temperatures. Hello, summer.
Baseball’s meant to be played outside – unless of course it’s
the middle of June where temperatures average 91 degrees
here in Houston. Nothing is meant to be outside because it’s
too hot. Air-conditioned baseball may be different than the
way many remember America’s pastime, but the luxury isn’t
just for players, it’s for the fans too. The average length of a
MLB game in 2014 lasted 3:02.That’s a long time to be sitting in the heat trying to rally behind your team.

roof is always a game-time decision and is a group effort in
the front office including input from the Senior VP of Business
Operations, VP of Stadium Operations, Senior Director of
Major League Field Operations and others.

MINUTE MAID PARK is known for beautifully showcasing down-

town Houston in all its glory. Luckily, the roof retracts completely off the park with 50,000sf of glass in the west wall
to allow fans a glimpse of the spectacular downtown views,
whether open or closed. But the roof isn’t only beneficial just
for games. On May 4, the roof made history being used as
shade during batting practice (via Mike Acosta who runs
@AstrosTalk). The roof is powered by mechanized panels,
which open and close in 13 minutes. In an average year, the
roof travels 14.6 miles – probably the same as Orbit, everyone’s favorite mascot.

ASTROS HOT EvENTS IN JUNE

JUNE 12 AND 13: “Celebrate
Dad” weekend
JUNE 14: Father’s Day annual
Picnic in the Park fundraising event
For more info, visit www.Astros.com.

Luckily, Houston is just one of a few cities that blesses their
baseball fans (and team) with the luxury of a roof and airconditioning. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision to open the roof for a game, including heat index,
humidity, inclement weather and wind. The roof has weather Before you plan your next Astros outing, check #RoofStatus
sensors, and if the wind is blowing at certain strength or on Twitter to see if the roof will be open or closed. Hint: It’s
direction, the roof can’t be moved. The team says the main June, so likely to be closed every game.
objective is providing the most comfortable environment for
fans. Throughout the calendar year, the roof is opened
approximately 160 times. Like all things in life, you’ll never
be able to please everyone. Some fans
love having the roof open and practically “OUR FANS LOVE THE FRESH AIR AND VIEWS AS LONG AS IT’S NOT TOO UNCOMFORTABLE
demand it as a quintessential part of the WITH HEAT AND HUMIDITY. HAVING A RETRACTABLE ROOF GIVES US A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY
game, while others only attend when the AND IS A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR OUR CITY.” – Jeff Luhnow, General Manager of the Houston Astros
luxury of air conditioning is present. The

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L O C A L

| june 15