Regular night baseball came to Houston in 1930. Contrary to popular belief, however, the first actual night game in Houston was played much earlier.
“HOUSTON TO SEE NIGHT BASEBALL
“Houston baseball fandom is assured of night baseball with the awarding of contracts for lighting Buffalo stadium to the Crouse Hinds company of Syracuse. Night baseball will be the vogue in Houston within a month, according to Fred Ankenman, president of the Buffs.
“The Houston executive expressed the opinion (that) at least 15,000 fans would see the first night baseball game played in Houston.
“It is of interest to note (that) there will be no night baseball in Houston on Sunday nights. Sunday games will be played in the afternoon to avoid any conflict Sunday night church services.
“Although a number of Texas League clubs have been considering the installation of lighting equipment, the Houston club is the first to award a contract.”
~ Daily Court Review, May 31, 1930, Page 4.
What that 1930 story fails to know or research is the fact that, even though night baseball in Houston on a regular basis did not start until the 1930 Texas League season, the first night game in Houston actually happened much earlier – early enough to have lighted the summer night skies of Houston in an even earlier century.
That little known fact and so many others ooze from the heart of our new SABR hard cover, 368 page words and graphics history of Houston’s early baseball history.
Order your copy of “Houston Baseball, The Early Years: 1861-1961 today. Please e-mail our SABR Larry Dierker chapter chair, Bob Dorrill, for pricing and ordering details at bdorrill@aol.com
Have a great weekend, everybody!
The Pecan Park Eagle 
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