The Astrodome is full of personal memories–some of my favorite memories of growing up in Houston.
The Houston Astrodome (photo, Ballparks of Baseball)
The Houston Astrodome, also known as The Eighth Wonder of The World, opened its doors on April 9th, 1965. It was a great day in Houston sports and generally for the world of sports. That’s because it was the beginning of the indoor era in major athletics.
MLB’s Astros would be named after the stadium, renamed from the Houston Colt 45s, a team that played home games at (you guessed it) Colt Stadium, an outdoor park that sat over 30,000 fans. The summer heat was a problem for fans, and so were mosquitos. So people were excited when they could watch games inside, and locals were proud that the team and the stadium reflected one of Houston’s distinguishing features, the home of NASA and space exploration.
But few people know–and a lot of local people have forgotten–that ‘Astrodome’ wasn’t the first name choice. It was called The Harris County Dome during the early development stages. Talk about s showstopper!
The Yankees came to town to play the Astros in the first game in the Dome, and Bronx Bomber star Mickey Mantle was the first player to hit an HR there.
I grew up in sports with the Dome. I witnessed great sporting events there, including baseball, football, and many special events, such as Wrestlemania 21. As a kid, we had season tickets to watch the Houston Oilers play. The “Luv Ya Blue” era with Dan Pastorini and Earl Campbell was just a little before my time, but I got to see Warren Moon and others play, like receiver Earnest Givens.
My most cherished memories are the battles with the Cowboys in The Lone Star State game. But I will say that there were many heartaches as a kid when Houston teams weren’t winning, and things were just as bad when teams came close but lost in the end.
Today, the once-proud Astrodome is closed, abandoned since 2008. Its future is still a matter of discussion and decision. But what I know for sure is that the Astrodome is full of personal memories–some of my favorite memories of growing up n Houston. It will be a sad day when the inevitable (demolition) happens.
