From their creation in 1962, the Astros were originally known as the Houston Colt .45s. You know, after the gun. The stadium, was known as the Harris County Domed Stadium, and I'm so happy they changed that name, because that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long to say (so long, I bet you didn't even read all the "A"s) and the name just sounds like a 4 year old came up with it.
In 1965, a dispute between the Colt .45s and Colt Firearms resulted in a name change. Then on the day of December 1st, 1965, the Houston Astros became the official name of the team, that would play on the Houston Astrodome.
The Astrodome was the first of its kind. Never before had a stadium been enclosed by a dome. And never before had a playing field used artificial turf, which is where the word "astroturf" comes from.
At the end of the 1999 season, the Astros left the Astrodome and move on to Minute Maid Field. Since that move, the Astros have been at the highest of highs, reaching the World Series in 2005, to the lowest of lows, having the worst record in the MLB the last 3 seasons, all with 100 losses. And I wish that the 100 loss seasons were the worst part, but it's not!
After voting last month, the now named Reliant Astrodome will be torn down in 6 days. The stadium that hosted the Astros, Houston Oilers, Live Stock Show and Rodeo, the battle of the sexes, and for a long time, held the record for longest playoff game in MLB history (16 inning against the New York Metropolitans) saw its first stage of destruction 5 days ago. The famed stadium one known as the "8th wonder of the world" is a landmark in the city of Houston, and to me, its not being there will be just strange.
So, after all the mess of destruction, lets just celebrate. Happy birthday Houston Astros and Reliant Astrodome. Thank you for the memories, and just know, we can't wait for more.
No comments:
Post a Comment