82-595: Minute Maid Park , rebranding to Daikin Park on January 1, 2025, (originally Enron Field and formerly Astros Field ) is a retractable roof stadium in Houston , Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 and is the home ballpark of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball . The ballpark has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 luxury suites with a natural grass playing field. It
164-590: A Virginia businessman who was expected to move the Astros to the Washington D.C. area because of poor revenue. In June 1996, University of Houston alumnus, BMC Software and San Diego Padres owner, John J. Moores , who wanted to own the next NFL franchise in Houston, met with Texas State Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr. , and other local Hispanic leaders in regard to the future of a football-only Astrodome and
246-399: A WWE pay-per-view event. Paul McCartney , RBD , Jay-Z , Beyoncé , Taylor Swift , Eagles , Madonna , Bad Bunny , Lady Gaga and Red Hot Chili Peppers have all performed at Minute Maid Park. The nationally syndicated TV talk show Rachael Ray held a mass wedding at the park following Hurricane Ike for 40 couples who were unable to get married after a company they paid to hold
328-416: A cricket match on November 11, 2015, the second in a series of three Cricket All-Stars matches played by retired greats of the game. Shane Warne's Warne's Warriors clinched the series 2–0. Keeping with the naming conventions from the previous match at Minute Maid Park, the ends were named after Nolan Ryan and José Cruz , two players that have their numbers retired by the Astros. On January 30, 2017,
410-402: A $ 15 million renovation for the 2016 season. The center field fence was to be moved in from 436 feet (133 m) (which from 2000 to 2016 was the longest in baseball) to 409 feet (125 m) from home plate, but the center field renovations were delayed until after the 2016 season, due at least in part to the 2015 playoffs cutting into planned construction time. The largest entrance to the park
492-557: A US$ 2 million grant from the Texas Transportation Commission for renovation in a separate project. Plans for the new ballpark's location drastically changed by September mostly in response to Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay 's input and pledge to substantially contribute to funding if placed downtown. It was at this time where the Union Station location was proposed by Lay. Upon an agreement among all of
574-554: A bill supported by five of the six area Harris County senators that would create the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. With companion House Bill 92 authored by Houston-born Representative Kim Brimer voted upon and adopted by both chambers, the authorization for creation of a sports authority was approved. It was signed into law by Governor George W. Bush on June 2, 1997. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority would assist in financing for
656-416: A display at Petco Park's entrance at Home Plate Plaza. Fans are allowed to pose for pictures next to the aluminum numbers, which are 3 feet 11 inches (1.19 m) high, 5 + 1 ⁄ 3 feet (1.6 m) wide, and 1 foot (0.30 m) deep. Originally, the numbers were atop the batter's eye in center field, until they were relocated in 2016. The numbers were not ready for display in time for
738-563: A field cost prohibitive. Installations throughout the world employ a variety of different configurations and styles. The first retractable roof sports venue was the now-demolished Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States. Constructed in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera , the arena was home to minor league basketball, college basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams before becoming
820-541: A fully functional retractable roof at its debut in 1989 . Architecturally speaking, retractable roofs vary greatly from stadium to stadium in shape, material and movement. For example, American Family Field has a fan style roof, while Toyota Stadium in Japan has an accordion -like roof. Most retractable roofs are made of metal, while some, such as the roof of State Farm Stadium , are made of water-resistant fabric. Although each retractable roof differs in these aspects,
902-472: A game for a fee. In addition, the ballpark was the first major sports facility to use a separate video board exclusively for closed captioning for the hearing impaired of PA system and video board content, rather than appearing along the bottom of the main board. In 2006, the Chick-fil-A cows were unveiled on the fair poles, saying EAT MOR FOWL, and the cows have Astros caps on. If an Astros player hits
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#1732783330553984-757: A member club of the National League (NL) West Division . The team plays its home games at Petco Park in downtown San Diego . Founded in 1969 as an expansion franchise , the Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League (PCL) team that arrived in San Diego in 1936. The team's name, Spanish for "fathers", refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded Mission San Diego in 1769. In 1976, Randy Jones achieved
1066-503: A motion with the court overseeing the company's bankruptcy to force Enron to make an immediate decision on the matter. By February 27, the two entities agreed to end the naming rights, and settled with the Astros paying $ 2.1 million to Enron. Without a naming rights agreement in place, the ballpark became officially known as "Astros Field". The Astros sold naming rights of the ballpark in 2002 to locally based Coca-Cola subsidiary Minute Maid for $ 100 million over 30 years. Its official name
1148-654: A new baseball-only ballpark in Downtown Houston . Meanwhile, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels pieced together a plan to build a new ballpark next to the Astrodome in the Astrodomain . The Astros echoed the Astrodomain location sentiment because they believed construction time would be shorter. Eckels, who convinced then Mayor Bob Lanier of the lack of viability for the ballpark in a downtown location,
1230-473: A new stadium built for the team there. Citing a lack of adequate luxury boxes , in October, Astros vice-president Bob McClaren claimed that renovations to the Astrodome would help increase revenue. Drayton McLane pointed toward Astrodome renovations as necessary, saying, "It's 30 years old and not a lot of money has been spent to remodel it." According to the organization, the team was in danger of being sold to
1312-551: A no-hitter into the ninth inning , which was previously the closest that the team had come to achieving this feat. In 2024 , first year Padre Dylan Cease threw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on July 25th. On November 14, 2023, Peter Seidler , who owned the Padres since 2012, died at the age of 63. The Padres are one of two teams in the National League West that have never won
1394-592: A pair of major conference schools, alternating between Big 12 members University of Texas at Austin , Texas Tech University , Baylor University and SEC member Texas A&M University , as well as two other teams from around the country. On May 9, 2015, Canelo Alvarez fought James Kirkland in the first boxing match fought in the stadium. Alvarez defeated Kirkland via knockout in the third round. The University of Houston–Downtown also holds their commencement ceremony in Daikin Park. Minute Maid Park hosted
1476-601: A portion of the Ballpark District to the "Hall of Fame District", and the portion of Hamilton Avenue that runs within that district to "Milo Hamilton Way" on April 8, 2009. For the 2011 season, the park added a large Daktronics HD screen nicknamed "El Grande" replacing the original one in right field. At 54 feet (16 m) high and 124 feet (38 m) wide, it is the fourth largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball, behind T-Mobile Park (home of
1558-491: A signature feature of the ballpark until 2016. The design of the new park integrated the former Union Station building's main concourse, reutilizing the space for a clubhouse, cafe, team store, and office space. A large model train was also included within the park's design as an homage to the station. In late 1997, it was announced that local Brown & Root would manage construction of the stadium, while Populous with Walter P. Moore would design it. The electrification of
1640-651: A skylight that opens on a hinge, rather than on a track. Retractable roofs are used in residences, restaurants and bars, swim centres, arenas and stadiums, and other facilities wishing to provide protection from the elements, as well as the option of having an open roof during favourable weather. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show that David S. Miller, founder of Rollamatic Retractable Roofs, filed U.S. patent 3,277,619 in August 1963 for "a movable and remotely controllable roof section for houses and other types of buildings". While any shape
1722-475: A soccer venue happened during the 2006 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup . The stadium hosted the first leg of the quarterfinal between Portmore United of Jamaica (the "home" team) and Club América of Mexico. Minute Maid Park hosted the 2020 Royal Rumble on January 26, one of the promotion's four annual flagship professional wrestling events. This was the first time it has hosted
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#17327833305531804-642: Is any significant threat of precipitation.) Depending on the stadium, weather or gameplay conditions, and the judgment of the officials, play may or may not continue until the roof is fully closed. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may be opened under some circumstances depending on the venue. If it is closed after the game begins, typically it must remain closed for the duration of the game. Some modern athletic facilities are using less-complex roof systems commonly referred to as open roofs . These are constructed with similar materials as retractable roofs, such as polycarbonate or tempered glass roofs. Hinged at
1886-436: Is inside what was once Houston's Union Station , and the left-field side of the stadium features a railway as homage to the site's history. The train moves along an 800-foot (240 m) length of track on top of the length of the exterior wall beyond left field when the Astros take the field during the first inning, when an Astros player hits a home run , and when the Astros win a game. It is driven by Bobby Vásquez, who goes by
1968-553: Is only 315 feet (96 meters), one of the shortest in Major League Baseball . Home runs must clear a 19-foot wall in front of the elevated boxes which houses the hand-operated out-of-town scoreboard, displaying the day's other games. Landry's , a restaurant group, had bought the naming rights to the Crawford Boxes in 2003, which ran various promotions for its restaurants there. Games are typically played with
2050-526: Is possible, common shapes are flat, ridge, hip-ridge, barrel and dome. A residence might incorporate one or more 3' by 5' retractables; a bar or restaurant a retractable roof measuring 20' by 30'; and a meeting hall a 50' by 100' bi-parting-over-stationary. Stadium retractable roofs are generally used in locales where inclement weather, extreme heat, or extreme cold are prevalent during the respective sports seasons, in order to allow for playing of traditionally outdoor sports in more favorable conditions, as well as
2132-703: The Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the 1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS), tying the series before the Padres won the next day. He was named the NLCS Most Valuable Player , and San Diego advanced to their first World Series . In 2016, The San Diego Union-Tribune ranked Garvey's Game 4 homer as the No. 1 moment in San Diego sports history. However, he played 14 of his 19 seasons with
2214-607: The Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge. The institution remains in existence today. The ballpark was named "Enron Field" after a $ 100 million, 30-year naming rights deal was made with Enron on April 7, 1999. After the Enron scandal of 2001, the Astros and the now-bankrupt Enron came to an agreement to end the deal and rename the stadium in February 2002. Early stadium sketches from Kansas City-based HOK Sport (now Populous ) using
2296-466: The NFL and MLB , as well as from stadium to stadium. In general, if a game begins with the roof open and weather conditions become less favorable, the home team may, with the approval of the field officials and visiting team, request the roof be closed. (Such a scenario is generally rare, due to the accuracy of modern weather forecasting and a general err on the side of caution that keeps a roof closed if there
2378-704: The New York Yankees in the 1998 World Series . The Padres are owned by the estate of Peter Seidler , who owned the team from 2012 until his death in 2023. The team has won two NL pennants, in 1984 and 1998 , losing in the World Series both years; they are the oldest team that has never won the World Series, along with the Milwaukee Brewers . As of 2024 , the Padres have had 18 winning seasons in franchise history . Despite reaching
2460-762: The San Diego Hall of Champions , which is open to athletes native to the San Diego area (such as Nettles) as well as to those who played for San Diego teams (such as Gwynn). Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches Restricted list 33 active, 0 inactive, 0 non-roster invitees [REDACTED] 7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list * Not on active roster Suspended list Roster , coaches , and NRIs updated November 22, 2024 Transactions • Depth chart → All MLB rosters The San Diego Padres farm system consists of seven minor league affiliates. Throughout
2542-528: The Seal of Houston , which prominently features a locomotive. Two more floors were added the following year. The station served as the main inter-city passenger terminal for Houston for over seven decades thereafter. Passenger rail declined greatly after World War II , and the last regularly-scheduled train, the Lone Star , moved its service to Houston's current Amtrak station on July 31, 1974. With this move,
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2624-663: The Seattle Mariners ), Progressive Field (home of the Cleveland Guardians ), and Kaufmann Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals ). The old screen was taken out and replaced by billboards. Additionally, a smaller HD screen was added on the far left field wall. The ring of advertisement screens around the park were replaced in favor of HD ribbon boards. After the Astros reverted to their original colors and logo in 2013, much of Minute Maid Park
2706-486: The 1970s and those were as good a stadiums as there were. They were the most modern stadiums in the world, and now they're saying they're all bad. That they can't make a go of it without a new stadium. It helps, but there are other things involved." Later that year, Houston's NFL franchise and joint-tenant of the Astrodome, the Houston Oilers , announced they were leaving to Nashville, Tennessee in order to have
2788-521: The 2008 season, the Astros' groundskeepers began installing 2.3 acres (9,300 m) of a new turfgrass playing surface at Minute Maid Park. The Astros also became one of the first to use the new Chemgrass , later known as AstroTurf after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome in 1966. In honor of longtime Astros broadcaster Milo Hamilton , the City of Houston officially renamed
2870-400: The Houston energy and financial trading company Enron in a 30-year, $ 100 million deal. However, Astros management faced a public relations problem when the energy corporation went bankrupt in 2001 due to a financial scandal . Quickly wanting to distance themselves from Enron, Astros ownership asked to prematurely end naming rights, but Enron refused. On February 5, 2002, Astros ownership filed
2952-554: The Padres became the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games earning the nickname, "Slam Diego Padres". Until 2021 , the Padres were the last team in MLB that had yet to throw a no-hitter. The record was broken on April 9, 2021, as Joe Musgrove accomplished the feat against the Texas Rangers , finally ending the longest no-hit drought by a team in MLB history. On September 5, 1997, Andy Ashby took
3034-733: The World Series, though they have made and lost both appearances as the National League Pennant winner in 1984 and 1998 . The following elected members of the Baseball Hall of Fame played or managed for the Padres. Roberto Alomar Rollie Fingers Goose Gossage Tony Gwynn * Rickey Henderson Trevor Hoffman * Greg Maddux Willie McCovey Fred McGriff Gaylord Perry Mike Piazza Ozzie Smith Dick Williams Dave Winfield Jerry Coleman + Dick Enberg The Padres have retired six numbers. The numbers are commemorated in
3116-951: The building became only office space for the HB&;T as well as the Missouri Pacific Railroad. On November 10, 1977, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service . In August 1995, Astros owner Drayton McLane , then leasing the Astrodome from Harris County , commented to the Houston Chronicle that he was not in the market for a new ballpark. In reference to Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium and Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium , McLane noted, "[...] I remember when those were built in
3198-512: The comfort of spectators watching games played in such weather. Unlike their predecessors, the domes built primarily during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, retractable roofs also allow for playing of the same traditionally outdoor sports in outdoor conditions when the weather is more favorable. Another purpose of retractable roofs is to allow for growth of natural grass playing fields in environments where extreme hot and/or cold temperatures would otherwise make installation and maintenance of such
3280-528: The exterior of the ballpark in a plaza area. The two former teammates are depicted playing baseball with each other. The plaza also displays pennants for all Astros division and league championships, as well as their World Series titles. There are also several plaques to commemorate notable Astros and their achievements. The ballpark was first inaugurated with a preseason game against the New York Yankees on March 30, 2000, with naming rights sold to
3362-793: The facility. A permanent, fixed roof was installed in 1998. The Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre , now called the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia opened in January 1988. It was the first retractable roof system installed in a Grand Slam tennis venue. The roof enables matches to continue during rain, extreme heat, and in the presence of smoke from bushfires in surrounding regions. The Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) in Toronto , Ontario had
Minute Maid Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-678: The first Cy Young Award for the Padres. In the 1980s, Tony Gwynn became a major star, winning eight National League batting titles . Under manager Dick Williams , the Padres clinched their first NL pennant , losing to the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 World Series . In 1995, Kevin Towers became general manager; under his lead, Ken Caminiti became the first Padres player to win the MVP Award . The Padres achieved their second NL pennant alongside Trevor Hoffman , eventually being swept by
3526-504: The first MLB stadium to incorporate cashierless stores . While primarily a baseball venue, Daikin Park can adequately host sports such as soccer and both codes of rugby . The venue can also play host to large-scale music concerts. It is not large enough to comfortably accommodate American football . However, the opening of BBVA Compass Stadium four blocks southeast on Texas Avenue for MLS 's Houston Dynamo in 2012 has effectively made its use for future soccer games moot. Its debut as
3608-492: The first member of the Hall of Fame to have his plaque depicting him wearing a Padres cap. Winfield played for six teams in his 22-year career, spending his first eight seasons in San Diego. In 2004, the Padres retired No. 19 in honor of Gwynn, who is widely considered the greatest Padres player ever. He played his entire 20-year career with San Diego and won an NL-record eight batting titles . The most recent number to be retired
3690-420: The flagpole were scheduled to be removed following the 2015 season, but remained in place due to an unexpected playoff run. While Crosley Field's infamous left field terrace, which was half as steep (only 15°) as Tal's Hill (30°), was a natural feature of the site on which the park was located, Tal's Hill was purely decorative. On June 4, 2015, the Astros announced that they would be removing Tal's Hill as part of
3772-571: The front. City Mayor Todd Gloria also announced that the City of San Diego will be renaming a street near Petco Park "Peter Seidler Street" in his honor, joining Baseball Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman who have streets near the ballpark named after them. The following 16 people have been inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame since it was founded in 1999. Gwynn, Winfield, Fingers, Gossage, Randy Jones, and Graig Nettles (3B, 1984–1987) are members of
3854-465: The guidance of longtime baseball executives, Eddie Leishman and Buzzie Bavasi , as well as a new stadium , the team struggled; the Padres finished in last place in each of its first six seasons in the NL West , losing 100 games or more four times. One of the few bright spots on the team during the early years was first baseman and slugger Nate Colbert , an expansion draftee from the Houston Astros and
3936-710: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, as well as hosting over a dozen regular season National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the 1960s and 1970s. The arena's dome-shaped roof covered 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) and was made up of eight equal segments constructed from close to 3,000 tons of steel, in which six segments could retract underneath
4018-443: The leadership entities, the idea of a retractable roof stadium was confirmed for the new ballpark. A November referendum was planned for Harris County residents to approve the deal. The Harris County referendum that took place on November 5, 1996, to help fund the ballpark passed by a narrow margin of 51% to 49%. In response to the referendum, during the 75th Texas Legislature Texas State Senator John Whitmire of Houston sponsored
4100-610: The longest in MLB) being reduced to 409 feet. In addition, seating sections 256, 257, and 258 in the outfield mezzanine would be removed. However, the project had to be postponed due to the Astros' unexpected American League Wild Card championship and subsequent postseason appearance, along with the stadium's offseason event schedule. The renovation was completed during the 2016-2017 offseason. The flagpoles became out of play. In April 2022, Minute Maid Park received Amazon's "Just Walk Out" technology for two of its concession stands, becoming
4182-445: The lower level, 7,132 seats on the second level, 880 seats on the suite level, and 13,750 seats on the upper level. Retractable roof A retractable roof is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights . The term operable skylight , while quite similar, refers to
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#17327833305534264-500: The name Bobby Dynamite. The train is an upscaled replica of the General 4-4-0 and is pulled by a cable which is operated by the driver. The engine's tender is filled with giant oranges in reference to Minute Maid's most famous product, orange juice. Prior to Minute Maid buying the stadium's naming rights, the tender was filled with logs. In a challenge to home run hitters, former Astros owner Drayton McLane 's office window, located in
4346-631: The new ballpark as well as allow for renovation of the Astrodome by allowing for special county-wide taxation of rental cars, tickets, parking, and hotel use. In June 1997, with the ability to create a sports authority signed into law, concurrent votes of the Harris County Commissioners' Court and the Houston City Council to establish the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority on effective September 1, 1997. Its chairman and 12 other directors were jointly appointed by
4428-440: The old Union Station and directly above the Crawford Boxes, is made of glass and a sign below the window is marked 422 ft (129 m) from home plate. The Crawford Boxes are a section of seating in Daikin Park running parallel to Crawford Street in downtown Houston , Texas. They are located in left field and span sections 100 through 104 (with all but the latter in fair territory). The home-plate-to-fence measurement there
4510-475: The park's retractable roof was developed by VAHLE, Inc. Groundbreaking for Enron Field was on October 30, 1997. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Enron CEO Kenneth Lay , Houston Mayor Bob Lanier , Astros owner Drayton McLane , Harris County Judge Robert Eckles, Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee, and Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Chairman Jack Rains . Statues of longtime Astros players Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are located in
4592-471: The park's opening in 2004, but they were unveiled midseason. Also beginning in 2016, the numbers are displayed in the Ring of Honor on the upper deck façade above the press box behind home plate . In 1988 Steve Garvey was the first player to have his number retired by the Padres. He played only five seasons with San Diego, but hit the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against
4674-402: The pole, all fans in attendance get a coupon for a free chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A . Hunter Pence is the first and second Astros player to ever hit the left field "Fowl Pole" when he did it twice in the 2007 season. Ty Wigginton became the third Astro to hit the left field pole on September 16, 2007. Kazuo Matsui hit the right field fair pole on August 3, 2009, with a two-run homer in
4756-454: The postseason five times from 2005 to 2024, the team has yet to return to the World Series. From 1969 through 2024, the Padres have an overall record of 4,127–4,717–2 (.467). The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team that arrived in San Diego in 1936. This minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by 18-year-old Ted Williams , the future Hall of Famer who
4838-422: The primary logo, it remains as the mascot of the team and is now used as an alternate logo and on the uniform sleeve. Brown and gold were the Padres' original colors. The team's first uniforms featured a cream base for the home uniforms and a tan base for the road uniforms. Brown letters with gold trim adorned the uniforms, which featured the team name in front of both designs. A second tan uniform, this time with
4920-513: The remaining two, supported by a 260-foot (79 m) long exterior cantilevered arm. Olympic Stadium in Montreal , Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics . However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. Even then, movement of the roof was impossible in high wind conditions, and technical problems plagued
5002-469: The rival Los Angeles Dodgers , where he was also more productive, and the retirement of his number by San Diego has been heavily debated. On April 15, 1997, exactly 50 years after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line , the No. 42 he wore with the Brooklyn Dodgers was retired throughout major league baseball. Later that year, Randy Jones 's No. 35 was retired by the Padres. He
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#17327833305535084-536: The roof of T-Mobile Park is unique in that it is the only one in North America that does not form a climate-controlled enclosure when in the extended position; rather, it acts as an "umbrella" to cover the playing field and spectator areas during inclement weather, with no side walls enclosing the stadium. In North American major sports leagues , specific rules exist governing the movement of retractable roofs before and during gameplay. These rules vary between
5166-507: The roof open only in April and May before the Houston summer heat arrives. In the first twenty seasons of the park (2000-2019), the Astros played 1,614 games at home and played with the roof open for the whole game for 1,103 of them (for the 2017-2019 postseason games alone, they played all home games with the roof closed). There is a manually-operated out-of-town scoreboard in left, below the Crawford Boxes. The ballpark features 19,201 seats on
5248-567: The sixth inning to beat the Giants . Carlos Lee hit the left field pole on July 28, 2010, giving the Astros an 8–1 win against the Cubs . Two days later, Jeff Keppinger hit the left field pole to help the Astros win, 5–0, against the Brewers . In the 2023 Major League Baseball postseason (October 7th, 2023), Yordan Alvarez hit a solo home run to the right field pole which made the game 6-4. After
5330-568: The stadium hosted Super Bowl Opening Night for Super Bowl LI at nearby NRG Stadium . From 2017 until 2020, the park hosted the final rounds of the Houston leg of the FIRST Championship . To avoid damaging the field while the Astros were in season, the competition fields were built on a stage over the infield dirt between first and third base. Until 2016, center field featured a 90-foot (27 m) wide incline called Tal's Hill, named for former team president Tal Smith . The incline
5412-508: The structure's gutters, open roofs fully close and open by the mechanics of a rack and pinion system or a push/pull drive system. Open roofs are typically seen at smaller athletic venues such as country clubs and universities, and also in the construction of commercial greenhouses and garden centres for climate control purposes. San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego . The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as
5494-462: The team held a public memorial and celebration of life for team owner Peter Seidler , who died in November 2023. Team CEO Erik Greupner announced that the club would honor his memory with his initials of "PS" inside a gold heart next to Coleman's memorial on the front of the pressbox down the right-field line. Throughout the 2024 season, players would wear jerseys with the same heart-shaped patch on
5576-476: The team's history, the San Diego Padres have used multiple logos, uniforms, and different color combinations. Their first logo in 1969 depicted a friar swinging a bat with Padres written at the top while standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it. The "Swinging Friar" has popped up on the uniform on and off ever since. Although the "Swinging Friar" is no longer used as
5658-399: The wall behind the spot in right-center field where his winning home run in the 1984 NLCS cleared the fence, but the number disappeared when the stadium was expanded in 1997 and the location was masked by an overhang. It reappeared in 2002 when all the retired numbers were moved and inscribed on the outfield fence. † Number retired by Major League Baseball The Padres also have a "star on
5740-421: The wall" in honor of broadcaster Jerry Coleman , in reference to his trademark phrase "Oh Doctor! You can hang a star on that baby!" Nearby the initials of the late owner Ray Kroc are also displayed. Both the star and the initials are painted in gold on the front of the pressbox down the right-field line accompanied by the name of the person in white. Kroc was honored in 1984, Coleman in 2001. On March 23, 2024,
5822-559: The weddings went bankrupt. Comedian Jeffrey Ross served as best man for all 40 couples. The ceremony was aired as part of a special episode of the talk show on November 21, 2008. The stadium also is the host of the Houston College Classic college baseball tournament, part of the winter fan festival held in February. The tournament features local schools the University of Houston and Rice University every year,
5904-410: The working title "The Ballpark at Union Station" were released to the public on October 11, 1996, where Astros President Tal Smith was open about his suggestions for the stadium including the location of the flagpole in center field and a traditional dirt path from the pitcher's mound to home plate . While the dirt path was not implemented, the flagpole idea became known as " Tal's Hill " and remained
5986-420: Was Trevor Hoffman 's No. 51 in 2011. He had retired from playing after 2010, when he left the game as MLB's career leader in saves with 601, including 552 with the Padres. Prior to moving to Petco, the team played at Qualcomm Stadium , where the retired numbers were originally displayed on banners hanging from the light towers above the left field stands. However, Garvey's number was commemorated instead on
6068-696: Was a native of San Diego. In 1969 , the Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new expansion teams, along with the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals ), the Kansas City Royals , and the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers ). One of its earliest owners was C. Arnholt Smith , a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. Despite initial excitement,
6150-555: Was a two-time All-Star (1975, 1976) and the club's first Cy Young Award winner in 1976. On the day his number was retired, the Union-Tribune wrote that Jones was "the most popular athlete in the history of this city" during the mid-1970s. Dave Winfield was next to have his number, 31, retired in 2001, when he was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His retirement ceremony also celebrated his decision to be
6232-747: Was built as a replacement for the Astrodome , the first domed sports stadium ever built, which opened in 1965. In 1909, during the time when West End Park was Houston's premier residential area, the Houston Belt and Terminal Railway Company commissioned the design of a new union station for the city from New York City –based architects Warren and Wetmore . The location called for the demolition of several structures of Houston prominence. Horace Baldwin Rice 's residence and Adath Yeshurun Congregation's synagogue among other structures were removed. With an original estimated cost of US$ 1 million, Union Station
6314-574: Was constructed by the American Construction Company for an eventual total of five times that amount. Exterior walls were constructed of granite , limestone , and terracotta , while the interior used an extensive amount of marble . It was completed and opened on March 1, 1911. At the time, Houston, with 17 railways, was considered the main railroad hub of the Southern United States . This is also evident by
6396-405: Was inspired by similar features that used to exist at Crosley Field and Fenway Park . There was a flagpole in play on the incline, an element inspired by Yankee Stadium before its remodeling in the mid-'70s, and Tiger Stadium as well. Milwaukee Brewers player Richie Sexson once hit a ball off the flagpole. There was a mark there until the 2011 season, when the pole was repainted. The hill and
6478-433: Was quoted as saying, "They keep telling me about these miracles in other cities, but it doesn't work in Houston [...] If we are going to put this stadium some place, let's stick with a proven place." This plan was considered to be nearly finalized when the Astros and Harris County agreed to a US$ 250 million county-funded stadium whose overrun costs would be funded by the Astros. In August 1996, Houston's Union Station received
6560-478: Was repainted to navy and orange from brick red. Signs with the previous logo and colors were also replaced. More than 4,500 US gallons (17,000 L) of paint were used and over 1,000 signs were replaced. In June 2015 the Astros announced Tal's Hill would be removed in a major renovation project during the 2015-2016 offseason, to be replaced with additional seating, concessions, and escalators for fans. This would result in center field dimensions of 436 feet (then
6642-456: Was the long-time home run leader until 2024, when Manny Machado overtook him. The team's fortunes gradually improved as they won five National League West titles and reached the World Series twice, in 1984 and in 1998 , but lost both times. The Padres' main draw during the 1980s and 1990s was Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn , who won eight league batting titles. They moved into their current stadium, Petco Park , in 2004 . On August 20, 2020,
6724-480: Was then changed to "Minute Maid Park". Starting January 1, 2025, the stadium will be known as Daikin Park after Japanese conglomerate Daikin , who owns Waller -based air conditioning manufacturer Goodman Global , agreed to acquire the stadium's naming rights. The agreement is seen to run through 2039. In 2004, the Astros launched Wi-Fi throughout the ballpark, allowing fans to use the Internet while attending
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