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The Crawford Boxes are a section of seating in Minute Maid Park running parallel to Crawford Street in downtown Houston, Texas. They are located in left field and span sections 100 through 104 . While primarily a baseball venue, Minute Maid Park can adequately host sports such as soccer and both codes of rugby.
Exterior walls were constructed of granite, limestone, and terracotta, while the interior used an extensive amount of marble. At the time, Houston, with 17 railways, was considered the main railroad hub of the Southern United States. This is also evident by the Seal of Houston, which prominently features a locomotive.
'He's a big deal': Crawford swats clutch HR
McGee has already emerged as a key piece for the Giants, as he’s appeared in six of the first eight games and has tossed 5 1/3 hitless innings while converting a Major League-high four saves. A Bay Area native, Crawford received one of the loudest ovations during pregame introductions on Friday, and his clutch hitting has given fans even more reason to celebrate as they return to Oracle Park for the first time since September 2019. For now, the Astros continue to chart home runs, collectively scratching their heads over finding an answer. But you don't need charts to realize that long balls come cheap to left field.
Riley Greene only hit two balls all season farther than this one, but such is one of the many misfortunes of playing for the Detroit Tigers. Crawford provided the lone run for the Giants on a solo shot to right-center field to give them an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, the team mustered up only three hits on the night as Yu Darvish and the Padres' bullpen were nearly untouchable. Crawford has started out the year a bit slow with just two hits in his first 19 plate appearances, but perhaps the hard contact he made Tuesday will ignite his bat. This is actually the most memorable home run on the list because it was a walk-off home run for Keston Hiura off Craig Kimbrel on July 27. Cubs fans probably figure it's fitting that Kimbrel appears here.
The Crawford Boxes decided a crucial game and that’s dumb
On May 9, 2015, Canelo Alvarez fought James Kirkland in the first boxing match fought in the stadium. In late 1997, it was announced that local Brown & Root would manage construction of the stadium, while Populous with Walter P. Moore would design it. The electrification of Minute Maid Park's retractable roof was developed by VAHLE, Inc. The station served as the main inter-city passenger terminal for Houston for over seven decades thereafter. Passenger rail declined greatly after World War II, and the last regularly-scheduled train, the Lone Star, moved its service to Houston's current Amtrak station on July 31, 1974.
Strong enough to muscle the ball more than 400 feet in a game against the Marlins on May 17. It came in Houston, home of the legendary Crawford Boxes, where some of the cheapest home runs in the majors land. Home runs are hit there that aren't home runs anywhere else .
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After the Enron scandal of 2001, the Astros and the now-bankrupt Enron came to an agreement to end the deal and rename the stadium in February 2002. In August 1996, Houston's Union Station received a US$2 million grant from the Texas Transportation Commission for renovation in a separate project. Plans for the new ballpark's location drastically changed by September mostly in response to Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay's input and pledge to substantially contribute to funding if placed downtown.
The Red Line also serves the ballpark at Preston Station, six blocks to the west. The ballpark features 19,201 seats on the lower level, 7,132 seats on the second level, 880 seats on the suite level, and 13,750 seats on the upper level. Games are typically played with the roof open only in April and May before the Houston summer heat arrives. The roof is occasionally opened during October playoff games.
However, Astros management faced a public relations problem when the energy corporation went bankrupt in 2001 due to a financial scandal. Quickly wanting to distance themselves from Enron, Astros ownership asked to prematurely end naming rights, but Enron refused. On February 5, 2002, Astros ownership filed a motion with the court overseeing the company's bankruptcy to force Enron to make an immediate decision on the matter. By February 27, the two entities agreed to end the naming rights, and settled with the Astros paying $2.1 million to Enron. Without a naming rights agreement in place, the ballpark became officially known as "Astros Field". The ballpark was named "Enron Field" after a $100 million, 30-year naming rights deal was made with Enron on April 7, 1999.
Yet another thought tossed this way involves raising the yellow home-run line above the Crawford Boxes and making any ball hit into those seats a ground-rule double. Another benefit is that these are some of the smallest sections in the stadium creating a less crowded atmosphere and making it easier to get in and out. The amenities are thin near the Crawford Box seats, so sit in 104 if you want to be close to concessions and restrooms on the main concourse. It didn’t look like much off the bat, but it carried over the fence for a walk-off homer.
When this happens these become some of the most exciting seats to be in. There are pros and cons of sitting in the Crawford Boxes for an Astros game. Outfield seating is furthest away from home plate where the action is happening most consistently during a baseball game.
The same situation could happen on a fly ball or pop up near a field boundary. Players will sometimes toss the final out of the inning into a nearby section. To have this opportunity, you’ll be out at least $300, probably more. In a challenge to home run hitters, former Astros owner Drayton McLane's office window, located in the old Union Station and directly above the Crawford Boxes, is made of glass and a sign below the window is marked 422 ft from home plate.
It features a classic gasoline pump that displays the total number of Astros home runs hit since the park opened. Crawford Boxes are a collection of five sections in left field that give an elevated outfield view to the field. These seats are among the most recognizable in all of baseball due to its design and location with dozens of home run balls flying into these sections each season. This one is a little bit cheap, because Kyle Tucker hits the ball hard and over the wall pretty much anywhere.
In addition, the ballpark was the first major sports facility to use a separate video board exclusively for closed captioning for the hearing impaired of PA system and video board content, rather than appearing along the bottom of the main board. The Astros sold naming rights of the ballpark in 2002 to locally based Coca-Cola subsidiary Minute Maid for $100 million over 30 years. The ballpark was first named "Enron Field" on April 7, 2000, with naming rights sold to the Houston energy and financial trading company in a 30-year, $100 million deal.
General contractorBrown & Root/Barton Malow/Empire Joint VentureTenantsHouston Astros (2000–present)Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 luxury suites. The 34-year-old veteran capitalized on the left-on-left matchup, pulling a 92.4 mph fastball at the bottom of the zone over the right-field wall to give the Giants a 4-3 lead. Crawford’s second home run of the season rocketed off his bat at 107 mph and traveled an estimated 385 feet, according to Statcast. After last season, management huddled in hopes of finding a solution to the Crawford arcade, but the best they could do was enclose the visitor's bullpen, raise the yellow line that denotes a home run and make hitting one to left-center field more legitimate.
When the Oakland A’s lost to the Astros on Wednesday, it was not because of the Crawford Boxes. It was because the A’s pitchers issued 10 walks, and their hitters failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity in the 7th when they had Houston on the ropes. Due to their popularity, Crawford Box seats are among the most expensive of outfield seats in the major leagues (for 2012 an individual ticket is $37). The 95.2 mph blast isn't bottom of the barrel, but it's in the lowest 4%. Public transportation allows for accessibility via bus or light rail service. The METRORail light rail system has a station located one block south of Minute Maid Park, Convention District Station, served by the Green and Purple lines.
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