Seriously ...I love everything the new regime has done ....EXCEPT THIS. And we must boycott those billboards. Ive been tweeting Luhnow my disdain on this subject. As an Astros fan & a Houstonian, I want Minute Maid Park to look the best possible. And those signs simply MUST come down to achieve that. I don't want hear "Houston has the ugliest ballpark" because of these damn signs... But since Mary Finger (developer of One Park Place, Montrose Whole Foods/Condos, & Condos next to HEB @ W. Alabama) will soon be adding to the Downtown view with 2 new 7-story condos to take place of the old 10-story Ben Milam Hotel (to be demolished) across the street from Left Field, I'd imagine a ballpark view will be a major selling point to his new condos, so they may be coming down anyways. Besides, how will any residents have a view with those ****ing billboards in the way?!? Either way, these boards must come down ASAP.
Don't think Luhnow has any say on that matter. I'm with you though; it was one of the first "da ***?" moves the new ownership has made.
This is Crane's baby - he actually thinks it's a great idea and was visibly excited about it when I was there back in June. While on the field for BP, he tried to sell me and the company I work with one. We declined. I didn't have the heart to tell him they look like complete crap and degrade the stadium, but that's what I believe. Luhnow was with us at the time, but didn't say anything at that point. Just an unbelievably bad idea. Awful.
Wow, 300K a year for 5 years (tax deductible!) from 12 of the largest corporations in Houston. All they get in return is free advertising that they would have paid exponentially more to acquire. And it's only a 5 year commitment, so I'm sure it'll be dismantled then. Yeah. No advertising revenue to the Astros in the future. Nope. This is "for the benefit of the City of Houston", Jim Crane said so. I'm just shocked that Drayton didn't think of this first. And btw: the train sucks, always has. Junction Jack sucks. The Fowl Poles suck. Might as well put up a "Hit the Oranges Win a Free Steak!" sign and go full carny minor-league-style.
Injuries are part of the game, my man. Take away the hill, flagpole, train and the place becomes no better than the bland Turner Field. I'd prefer that all original elements stay, though if the train has to go...what about something less tacky that can be on the track? Or more seats? That signage is awful -- it interferes with the area where Pujols hit that monster shot.
It only takes one person getting hurt, and it will for sure be gone. I only want the flag gone. It can never be as bland as Turner Field. Can't believe they changed the Coke bottle a couple of years ago. The 755 club is nice, but crowded with people not actually watching the game.
Everyone argues that the hill could cause an injury - yet it never has. I think an outfielder running into an outfield wall and getting hurt is more likely to happen. So if you remove the hill by moving the wall in, it could end up making an injury more likely.
Some of our most memorable moments involve that hill. Willy T chasing down a Chipper moonshot and catching it on the hill with his back to the infield. Bidge hitting a bomb there that same game and AndrUw Jones faceplanting on the hill trying to catch it. Epic.
Not only do those signs mess up the great view, but they had to move the pennants. Now some of them are stuck in a corner you can't really see them. Why couldn't they just put those ads on the outfield walls?
Keep the hill, get rid of(or keep) the train, get rid of the signage. Having said that, they'll probably take the hill out, take the train out, keep the signage up and remove the Crawford boxes to even it out with the rest. :roll eyes:
As someone who has been pitched the plan, that's not really how it works. I'm with most: I don't like the signage in the park - but the program itself? A full-time, year-round committment to refurbish and maintain little league baseball fields (which includes a full-time field manager, league fees for the kids, uniforms and equipment, umpires) is really pretty cool. If serious, you're going to be very happy very soon...........
Yeah the end goal is great -- nobody is disputing that. But come on Crane, couldn't you have raised the money another way than junking up the stadium? It looks terrible and diminishes the experience for the fans (all 5,000 of them in the stadium each night)
Oh, I hate the sign - but he has to incentivize. No corporation is going to pay $3.25MM over 5 years to not tell the most captive audience you can have for such a project. And real estate in the park is getting smaller. As nicely as they've integrated sponsorship into the park.... it's still *everywhere.* It's gonna be a shame watching him sell what's left......
I don't buy that answer. If that's the most creative "incentive" he can come up with, then he set the bar too low. With what should be a hit with the fans (helping out the community), instead he's compromised the fan experience. They should never have approved that. In my opinion it demonstrates very unoriginal thought and junks up the stadium.
I think we're splitting hairs. I agree wholeheartedly - it's hideous. But if he's going to do the program, there isn't a company anywhere that would sign-up for it if the deal didn't include prominent MMP real estate.
I totally agree. Those signs aren't coming down, though. And in perpetuity, that's a revenue stream for Crane, while he gets to build up some civic goodwill in the short-term.
