April 9, 2013 (Tuesday)
“When I walked through the tunnel and looked across the expanse of the field and up at the roof, it was really breathtaking.” – Larry Dierker
On this date, April 9, in 1865 Lee surrendered to Grant at Appamatox, ending the Civil War. One hundred years later, the brand new bigger than life Astrodome in Houston was opened on this date, April 9, 1965.
The Houston Colt .45s baseball team took a new name, “Astros,” after the Astrodome in which they played. They now play in Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron Field, located downtown. They have moved from the National League to the American League this year, but are still named, “Astros.”
My two oldest sons, David and Danny, and I attended an Astro game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. We saw Pittsburgh Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente make what seemed like an impossible catch in the outfield and the huge message board flashed, “Not bad!” The big board really went all out with a cowboy’s guns blazing whenver there was a home run by the home team.
In the summer of that year, 1965, Billy Graham conducted a crusade in the Astrodome. The message board, in four sections, displayed John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Ben and Doris Howard made all the arrangements for a bus trip to the crusade by First Baptist Church Rockport members and friends. We filled two big Continental Trailways buses for the journey.
The big arena was also home to the Houston Oilers, now known as the Tennessee Titans, and they nicknamed it “The House of Pain.” Now a different team, “The Houston Texans,” plays in Reliant Stadium, next door. Believe it or not, it is larger than the Astrodome, which was sometimes known as the Eighth Wonder of the World.”
During Hurricane Katrina, busloads of people from New Orleans were refugees in the Astrodome, and visited by Oprah Winfrey, who came with words of encouragement for them.
There it sits today, out of use for ten years, its fate in doubt as it continues to deteriorate. It probably will be demolished. I’m sure it will be remembered.