Colt Stadium
Houston Colt .45s (MLB ) (1962–1964) |
Colt Stadium was a
was being built, just to the south of it.After its use in Houston, it was dismantled and moved for use in two Mexican cities.
Houston
The stadium consisted of an uncovered one-level grandstand, stretching from foul pole to foul pole, with small bleacher stands in right and left field. One baseball annual published just before the 1962 season referred to it as "a barn-like thing." It is best remembered for the horribly hot and humid weather (and attendant mosquito population) that had necessitated building the first domed stadium. The field was conventionally aligned northeast (home to center field) at an elevation of 50 feet (15 m) above sea level.
Temporary from the outset, the stadium was abandoned when the Astrodome was completed for the
The right field corner of the stadium was located in what is now the northwest corner of NRG Center. Much of the northern half of the stadium (center field, left field and the third base stands) is occupied by a power station, and home plate was approximately located where a light pole in the adjacent parking lot is.
No-hitters
The stadium was the site of two no-hitters, both thrown by Houston, but the visitors scored in both and one was a Colts' loss. In 1963, Don Nottebart shut down the Philadelphia Phillies on May 17, but an error in the fifth inning and two sacrifices scored a run for the visitors; Houston won, 4–1.[2] The following year, Knuckleball thrower Ken Johnson kept the Cincinnati Reds hitless on April 23, but an unearned run scored by Pete Rose in the ninth broke a scoreless tie and the Reds won, 1–0.[3][4] With one out, Rose bunted and reached second on Johnson's throwing error, advanced to third on a fielder's choice, and scored after another error.[5]
Low attendance
Against the hapless New York Mets late in both teams' first season, only 1,638 attended the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, September 8, 1962.[6]
February 18, 1973
Season totals
- 1962: 924,456 (7th of 10 NL teams)
- 1963: 719,502 (10th of 10)
- 1964: 725,773 (10th of 10)
The three seasons combined to 2,369,731; the first season at the Astrodome drew 2,151,470 in 1965.
Mexico
Torreón
By the early 1970s, Colt Stadium had become a county tax liability, with a lien on it. In 1971, it was sold to the owners of the
Tampico
In 1981, the owner of Unión Laguna, Juan Abusaid Ríos, had a falling out with Governor of Coahuila
In 1983, the Astros became the Astros de Tamaulipas, playing three full seasons at the stadium, known in Tampico as the Estadio Ángel Castro. The franchise moved again after the 1985 season, this time without the stadium. The Mexico City Tigers bought the stadium with the intent of moving it yet again to serve as the club's new home, but with the venue already showing structural weakness after years in the humid Tampico climate, the plans were scuttled. Ultimately, some rows of seats were reassembled at a ballfield in Pasteje, Jocotitlán, State of Mexico, and the others remained in a Tampico playground until that, too, was demolished.[7] El Mecano became the only major league ballpark to be sent down to the minors and the only one to play host to three professional teams in two nations.[7]
See also
References
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Nottebart hurls no-hitter as Houston wins, 4-1". Youngwtown Vindicator. (Ohio). UPI. May 18, 1963. p. 9.
- ^ "Cincinnati Reds 1, Houston Colt .45s 0". retrosheet.org. April 23, 1964. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ "Rare Feats: No-hit game in losing cause". Major League Baseball. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ "Colts' Ken Johnson hurls no-hitter, loses to Reds". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 24, 1964. p. 16.
- ^ "National: Colts 4, Mets 3". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (box score). September 9, 1962. p. 2, sports.
- ^ a b c Millman, Joel (5 September 2000). "Ballparks Never Die, When Mexico Puts Them Back Together". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b Luna Walss, Rodolfo (20 July 2005). "El negocio del béisbol". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ Acosta, Mike. "Rain or Shine: How Houston Developed Space City Baseball" (PDF). Houston History Magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2017.