KHOU-11’s Dan Lauck asks and answers the tough question today:
Minute Maid Park was packed with cheering fans, but some of the screams are from people who want to know why the ballpark’s retractable roof wasn’t open on a beautiful day.
11 News checked and was told it was part of the game plan.
So when does strategy justify the price taxpayers paid for a convenience rarely used?
The Chase tower, like Jack’s beanstalk, climbed right into the clouds Monday morning. It was drizzly, rainy and miserable — the kind of day when you want a roof over your head, especially, if you’re pitching.
That roof was roughly one fourth of the cost of the ballpark. That’s $60 million to insure there were no rainouts and that no one had to sit in 100-degree heat in the middle of the summer.
Astros Playoff GuideBut Saturday was perfect and Sunday was beautiful.
No, the weather had nothing to do with closing the roof this weekend.
“The players want it that way,” said Rob Matwick, Astros Senior Vice President, Building Operations & Customer Service.
“The difference between the roof open and the roof closed could be as much as four to five dBA (decibels),”said Omar Longoria, HFP acoustical consultants.
Whatever the team is doing is working. Let’s close that roof on the Cardinals. Surely taxpayers will understand.
