21 Apr 2000

 

 

 

Enron Field versus Cougar Field

Tonight I made my first trip to Enron Field.  It's a magnificent facility compared to the Astrodome!  First, it LOOKS like a ballpark, despite that ridiculous hill leading up to the center field wall WITH THE FLAGPOLE IN PLAY.  The concourse outside of the stadium SMELLS like a ballpark.  The grass on the field isn't that plastic crap that we had in the Astrodome.  The sightlines are good for Major League Baseball stadium (although Dodger Stadium, despite its age, still might be the best place to watch ball in the bigs).  In all, the place is good for Houston and good for Major League Baseball fans.

Unfortunately, the Astros performance has not been good at all yet at home this season.  Jose Lima, a 20 game winner a year ago, has gotten into his head that the park is too hitter-friendly -- not entirely incorrectly; the ball flies off the bat in the place, although I wonder if part of it isn't a juiced up ball -- and consequently he has made it so by hanging pitches over the fat part of the plate.  I thought someone was going to get hurt as hard as they were hitting his mistakes, of which there were many!  When people are blasting line drives off the outfield fences, the pitcher is having a rough time, no matter what park he's pitching in!  That San Diego's journeyman pitcher (and former UH player!) Woody Williams held a lineup with Biggio, Bagwell, Caminiti, Hidalgo to almost nothing is evidence it's NOT just the park.  Right now, the Astros aren't even close to the championship baseball of the last few years; they are playing BAD baseball.  Some thoughts on why are named Carl Everett, Mike Hampton, and Craig Biggio:  Everett, around 28 years old and just coming into his own, was the best everyday player on the team a year ago, and was traded; Mike Hampton, also just coming into his own despite a bad start with the Mets, was the best pitcher in the National League last year, and was traded; Craig Biggio was still a very good leadoff man and second baseman last year and is a battler, but he is getting older and is clearly on the downside of his career, and was signed to an contract extension last year.  Figure in that Roger Cedeno, Everett's replacement, is hitting .175 in the 2-hole right now, that the two guys on staff with talent comparable to Hampton's are not performing (Lima's head is messed up right now, and Scott Elarton is just about to return from injury rehab, which may provide a boost), that Caminiti and Alou are already suffering from injuries -- and this could be a long season.

On a brighter note, there are a number of games left at U of H's Cougar Field, a wonderful place to watch a ballgame.   At Cougar Field, one is not miles away from the action.  It's an intimate, cozy place to watch baseball played the way it ought to be played -- Rayner Noble's way.   UH has been in the top 10 most of the year despite the fact that their best hitter since he's been here -- Brandon Caraway, normally the leadoff man who causes all sorts of trouble -- has been in a terrible slump, and Shane Nance, one of two legitimate all-American pitchers on the staff, has been out much of the season because of a freak injury.  Shane has been pitching some lately, and everything is coming together at about the right time.  UH should get the chance to host a regional again at Cougar Field based on their power ranking, and maybe even a super-regional.  This is the best chance they've had to get to the College World Series since I've been here.  The rest of my baseball weekend will be spent at Cougar, not Enron, Field.  Go Coogs!

 


 

Copyright (c) 2000, Kevin L. Whited