If there’s one ballpark that’s acted as our home stadium, it’s Minute Maid Park in Houston. Less than three hours away from San Antonio, it’s the closest Major League Baseball stadium to us, and we’ve certainly taken advantage. On top of that, my brother Adrian worked for the Astros for a couple years, so we became extremely close to “The Juicebox.”
Because we’ve been so many times, I can’t write about one single expereince. Instead, I’ll talk about some of my favorite moments at Minute Maid Park. We’ve been going for so long that it’s honestly difficult to remember every game, but I believe I saw my first ever MLB game here when I was around five when the Dodgers, my dad’s favorite team, played here. Since then, we’ve created unforgettable memories here.
One visit I’ll always remember was when Prince Fielder homered twice for the Brewers against the Astros and we sat super close to Ryan Braun in left field. On another visit with just my mom and I, the Red Sox were in town for interleague play and the stadium was packed with Red Sox fans when the Astros weren’t very good. One of the best things to ever happen, however, was the Astros moving to the American League, which meant they would play the Orioles in Houston one series every year! This meant I could now see the Orioles in both Houston and Arlington. In my visits up to Houston to watch my O’s, they haven’t done all too well. Actually, that’s an understatement. Since the Astros moved to the American League in 2013, the Orioles have won five games in Houston out of 22 played. Regardless, I’ve loved seeing the Orioles in Houston, where I’ve gotten to talk to Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, meet my reporter icon Britt Ghiroli and also meet Manny Machado!
Another reason Houston has been home for us is because of the family we have there. My uncle and two younger cousins live there, and we got to go to an Orioles game together for their first ever game. Always great to inspire new Orioles fans!
More recently, we got a once-in-a-lifetime (though hopefully I’ll go again in Baltimore!) experience to attend the World Series at Minute Maid Park. Not only was the World Series itself special but also it was against the Dodgers, so my dad go to see his team in the championship. The atmosphere was unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of, with it being so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. I got to see two World Series games in that series, and it was a truly spectacular time. We even got to see Jennifer Lopez at the post-game show with Alex Rodriguez!
Another incredible time for me at Minute Maid Park was when I went as a Sports Illustrated Kids Kid Reporter to cover the Astros against the Kansas City Royals. As a media member, I sat in the press box and got to be on the field to interview several players, including Jose Altuve, George Springer and Jeremy Guthrie, and I got to meet great reporters such as Alyson Footer. After so many years of going as a fan, being there as press felt weird but so cool. It was on that night that I again came to the conclusion that I have to work within baseball when I’m older because it’s where I’m happiest.
Through the years we’ve also seen many changes in Houston, such as the elimination of the infamous Tal’s Hill in center field that was replaced with Torchy’s Tacos and Pluckers. With all that we’ve seen, it’s safe to say Minute Maid Park has been a home away from home for the us.