The Astrodome
Houston, Texas
Bill Gilbert is a Denver guy and University of Colorado graduate who spent most of his adult life living and working in the Houston oil industry and closely following the city’s sports teams. Primarily a Type A baseball stat seam head and game historian, Bill Gilbert was either the founding father or one of the crew that got SABR started in the Houston region and he also served for years in this town as chair of the Larry Dierker Chapter. Now retired to the Austin area, Gilbert remains active there in the Rogers Hornsby Chapter of SABR, that is, the Society for American Baseball Research, where he continues to offer his ongoing analyses of the Houston Astros, the hitting and pitching leaders in each major league, other topical baseball events, and even an occasional piece on football. – Keep punting, Bill Gilbert. We will keep trying to either fair catch or run back whatever you boom our way, even if it’s mostly about baseball – and not football. Some of us prefer the baseball side of life, anyway.
Today, Bill Gilbert serves up something sweet and historic that he wrote back on January 7, 2003 about Houston’s current “damsel in distress,” the Astrodome. It’s special character is that it comes our way blessed as a memoir from one of the decreasing few who have been around for the entire life span of the grand old grandma of every other covered stadium in the modern era of the world.
Take it away, William, and thanks from all of us for the contribution!
Memories of the Astrodome
By Bill Gilbert
Two weeks ago, I attended a seated dinner on the floor of the Astrodome honoring retiring County Commissioner, Jim Fonteno. It was a long evening and it occurred to me that it would probably be the last time I would ever be there. At that point, my mind started wandering to the many memorable events I had witnessed in the hundreds of times I had been there over the past 38 years. Most of my visits to the Dome were for baseball games but there were also many other events. The Astrodome was not the best place in the world to watch a baseball game but it was certainly the most comfortable with the plush padded seats, ample leg room and cup holders. Here are some of my memories in no particular order:
– The first time I entered the building in July, 1965. A true baseball fan gets a rush when entering any ballpark for the first time. However, nothing in my experience compares to seeing the Astrodome for the first time. Domed stadiums are commonplace now, but in 1965, the Astrodome was called by some “The Eighth Wonder of the World”. Sandy Koufax beat Larry Dierker, 3-1 in the game.
– Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 1980 NLCS between the Astros and Phillies, especially the memorable plays involving Cesar Cedeno, Joe Morgan, Vern Ruhle, Gary Woods, Art Howe, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Terry Puhl, Manny Trillo and Garry Maddox.
– The 1986 NLCS between the Mets and Astros, especially Game 1 when Mike Scott beat Dwight Gooden, 1-0 on a home run by Glenn Davis and Game 6 when the Mets came back to win in 16 innings.
– Nolan Ryan’s 5th no-hitter against the Dodgers in September 1981.
– Mike Scott’s no-hitter against the Giants to clinch the Western Division Championship in 1986.
– The game several years ago when the Astros overcame an 11-0 deficit to beat the Cardinals 13-12.
– A game in the early 1970s in which Willie Mays dropped a fly ball and a female fan caught one.
– J.R. Richard dominating National League hitters.
– The 1981 game when Craig Reynolds hit 3 triples.
– The game in 1969 when the Astros tied a major league record by turning 7 double plays.
– Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell together on the right side of the infield for so many years.
– The Astros’ return to post-season play in 1997 after an absence of 10 years.
– The 1998 Division Series between the Padres and Astros, especially the duel between Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson.
– The 1999 Division Series between the Braves and Astros, especially the incredible game-saving play by Walt Weiss on a ball hit by Tony Eusebio.
– The 1986 All-Star Game, especially the 5 straight strikeouts by Fernando Valenzuela.
– The trade of my wife’s favorite player, Rusty Staub, to Montreal and how she lost interest.
– The trade of my youngest son’s favorite player, Greg Gross, to the Cubs and how he cried.
– The Sunday afternoon game when my oldest son, age 7, became lost after he broke free to run down the ramp as we were leaving the game and my relief when we found him about 20 minutes later in the company of a policeman.
– The pop foul off the bat of Jose Cruz that I caught in 1981.
– The epic basketball game in January 1968 when the University of Houston beat UCLA 71-69 with Elvin Hayes scoring 39 points and out-dueling Lew Alcindor (before he was Kareem Abdul Jabbar).
– The Heavyweight Championship Boxing match between Cassius Clay (before he was Mohammed Ali) and Cleveland Williams.
– The tennis match in 1973 when Billie Jean King upset Bobby Riggs in straight sets.
– Bill Yeoman’s Veer-T offense at the University of Houston, especially the 100-6 win over Tulsa (when Larry Gatlin scored one of the touchdowns) and the Bluebonnet Bowl win over Auburn and Pat Sullivan.
– The College Basketball Final Four in 1971 when UCLA won over Villanova, Kansas and Western Kentucky.
– The 2 Bluebonnet Bowl games involving my school, The University of Colorado, a win over Houston and a loss to Texas and Earl Campbell.
– Two players that I saw play both football and baseball in the Astrodome, Tom Paciorek and John Stearns.
– The high school playoff game when Howard Sampson of Baytown Sterling made a game-saving tackle on Quarterback Tommy Kramer of San Antonio Lee on the one-yard line. Sampson and Kramer went on to continue their rivalry as members of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
– The performance by Elvis Presley as the featured entertainer at the rodeo in the late 1960s.
– Performances by other entertainers over the years, including George Strait, Julio Iglesias, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntyre, Lee Ann Rimes, Charlie Rich, Charlie Pride, Johnny Cash and Tony Bennett.
– The 12 years I played Senior Softball in the Dome, especially the 2001 game when I hit a home run in the first inning and scored the winning run in the last inning.
– The last regular season game played in the Astrodome (in 1999) when the Astros brought back their all-time best players for a post-game ceremony followed by a performance by Willie Nelson which he ended by singing “Farewell Party” as people filed out.
1/7/03
The Pecan Park Eagle 
February 17, 2013 at 7:00 pm |
I’m proud to say I attended a lot of these. For me, the standouts were 1) my first time there, 2) Game 1 of the 1986 NLCS (I then saw every post season game played in the Dome & Minute Maid, 3) the UH-UCLA game, 4) UT’s repeated pounding the snockers out of Cougar High to reciprocate against those that cheesy Jenkins ran up against UT, 4) running into Elvin Hayes before an NBA doubleheader (must have been 1969) that included the San Diego Rockets, 5) a postgame concert by the Beach Boys around 1987, and 6) the last series when I took my whole family to celebrate the many great times we had there. I saw many of Bill’s other memories on TV. Can’t say I thought much of the Billy Jean King-Bobby Riggs match. I’ll spare you my personal thoughts on that one.
February 18, 2013 at 12:53 am |
A demolition derby in the early 80’s. Only one I’ve ever seen.
February 18, 2013 at 3:41 am |
The 71-69 UH basketball victory over UCLA in 1968 changed the college sport into a big time TV attraction. I was happy to have been there for that one and the rise of Cougar football and the veer offense into the national spotlight. My most personal memories are of the 1979-80 football seasons in which my English Bulldog “Babe” served as the mascot of the UH “Mad Dog Defense.” Our biggest night came about on 10/11/1980, when the Cougar football game vs. Texas AM was forced to kick off at 11:33 PM because Game 4 of the Astros-Phillies NLCS played long into extra innings prior to us. As part of a pre-arranged half-time skit, now well after midnight, I was allowed to come onto the field dressed in an Astros rainbow jersey uniform and warm up as though I were just another reliever who had failed to get the word that the baseball game finally had ended. – Then, instead of pitching to the no longer available Phillies, I am called onto the football field in Astros gear to attempt a field goal. I make it from 35 yards out, becoming the first person in history (at half time) to hit an Astrodome field goal after midnight – and the first and only kicker in history also to do it dressed in an Astros rainbow uniform. – Babe and I spent the rest of the night trying to meet Reveille, but the Aggie mascot guard wanted no part of us. The good news that strange day was the fact that UH defeated AM, 17-13. The game wasn’t over until 2:42 AM, Sunday morning, 10/12/1980. – The bad news was that the Astros lost the game prior to ours by a Phils win clip of 5-3. The worst news came later on that dreary Sunday that we all melted into. The Phillies rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the 8th to take an 8-7 win in 10 that made them the 1980 NL champs. I watched it on TV. Had to rest my kicking leg.
The only real memory I have of the Astrodome that I’d like to erase is the night in 1984 that Dickie Thon took that pitch to the head. I’ll never forget that sickening sound and the dead pigeon look of his body as it fell to the ground. We feared the worst from our seats down the right field line. Thank God he survived, even if it did ruin his career.
We can’t let the Dome go to dust, folks. There’s too much Houston body and soul loaded into all our memories of the place.