Daikin Park
Houston, TX
Review by Mike
Daikin Park aka Minute Maid Park aka Enron Field is a retractable dome stadium in Houston, Texas, home of the Astros. Built at the edge of downtown, connected to the old Union Station train depot, this is a ballpark that is a world apart, both physically and conceptually, from the old Astrodome, which I never got to see, unfortunately. While the Astrodome was a marvel of its age, Daikin Park is firmly entrenched in the modern style of MLB ballparks.
This may be the brightest dome stadium that I have attended thus far. The ballparks in Phoenix and Milwaukee feel a little gloomy with the roof closed, but Daikin Park feels well-lit, cheerful and intimate. The windows beyond the left-field fence give a view of the train station and the downtown skyline, which alleviate the sense of being indoors.
There is plenty to look at around the outfield. In left field you have the Crawford Box that juts into field creating a lot of cheap home runs. As you move along towards left-center you have those big windows, supported by brick archways in the style of railroad track entrances. Above those you have the famous home-run train, that steams its way from center field to the left field foul pole when the Astros hit a home run. It’s all masterfully done.
Beyond centerfield is a terraced entertainment area on multiple levels, with staircases connecting various small balconies. Although I’m not one to hang out in such places during a game, this one is done better than most. The small terraces allow for many more spaces to actually see the field, unlike, say, Coors Field, where 90% of the people on The Rooftop have no view of the field at all.
The double-decked stand in right field is large, but very close to the field, topped by a massive scoreboard, which no one sitting in the right field stands can see. Interestingly, there is no scoreboard at all along the 3rd base line, save for a little postage stamp screen tucked under the roofline, so the thousands of fans in the right field stands have to keep twisting in their seats to see replays, scores and stats.
The field level concourse affords 360 degree views of the field, ideal for a wanderer like me, and there is an Astros Hall of Fame alley out beyond the left field fence to celebrate Astros history. I went on a good night, with the Mariners in town to battle for the division title. The stadium was packed, the crowd lively and the atmosphere electric. The Astros downtown home is intimate, visually arresting and well thought out to represent the city, the team and the state of Texas.
2025
2001
26
293
Seattle's Cal Raleigh has just connected on his 57th home run of the year. You can see the ball just about to exit the frame at the top of the photo, just right of center.