Forgotten MLB Ballparks: The Astrodome

In 1960, Major League Baseball expanded by two teams; the New York Mets and the Houston Astros. Only the Astros weren't called the Astros, they were the Colt .45s which is perhaps one of the worst names in the history of sports. The Houston Astrodome was the first domed MLB ballpark in the history of the game. The dome was necessary in order to protect fans from the brutal and unpredictable Houston summers.
Although the Astrodome wasn't cookie-cutter shaped like other MLB ballparks of the same era, it was used for multiple purposes. The Dome was also home to the NFL's Houston Oilers which you know them now as the Tennessee Titans. Multi purpose stadiums usually meant poor sight lines for baseball games.
The Dome itself presented many problems upon it's opening. Bermuda grass was planted but would die because of the lack of sunlight. There were plenty of glares of sunlight which often made it difficult for outfields to field fly balls. In response, Astroturf-an artificial grass, was born.
The Oilers would play in Houston until 1997 when it relocated to Nashville, becoming the Titans. Oilers owner Bud Adams felt that the Astrodome was inadequate for NFL football with only 50,000 seats; making it the smallest NFL stadium. City officials responded by implementing taxes to fund the addition of 10,000 additional seats as well as luxury boxes. Eight years later, Adams still wasn't happy and began lobbying for a new stadium to be built. Like many other owners, he wanted a stadium with club seating which generates much more revenue for the owner. The city had become disgusted with Adams and refused to attend games, practically allowing the team to relocate to Nashville.
The Astrodome became solely a ballpark until the Astros too wanted out in the late 1990s. Their owner, Mr. Mclane, used the threat of selling the Astros to another city as leverage to get Minute Maid Park built. The Astros began play at Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron Field, in 2000. The ballpark was one of the first MLB ballparks to have a retractable roof. The roof is always open for games when the weather is fair and less humid.
Today, the Astrodome still stands vacant. It is right next door to the Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. Plans to turn it into a luxury hotel have failed. The city doesn't know what to do with the Dome because demolition would likely harm the surrounding property. Something needs to be done because fans can almost guarantee that their tax dollars are going towards the up-keep of the place.

MLB Ballparks