Oh, Great: Minute Maid Park To Feel Even More Like Downtown Tokyo

• None of this is even remotely surprising. Drayton put billboards on the foul poles - he has zero respect for the game. At Minute Maid the game is treated as an afterthought. Circus atmosphere first, baseball game second. Pole-to-pole ribbon video is an annoying visual distraction at other parks and it will be here as well. Truth is, I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. Regarding the second video screen in left field; I don't go to the park to watch the shell game, the kiss cam, the dance cam, the smile cam, the blooper reel, the weather report, or the videos where the players discuss their favorite songs & movies. I go to watch a baseball game. My season tickets are, by choice, in an area where I don't see the giant video. Looks like Drayton decided he'd fix that for me. As well as adding the billboard pole-to- billboard pole ribbon screen to show me revenue stream, and remind me when to make noise or to tell me when someone hit a homerun. Which I suppose is only fitting because he clearly doesn't expect people to actually be watching the game - that would interfere with the branded distractions.

• I agree with tideturns An upgrade for the park is appropriate and needed. Especially now since so many family events are scheduled at the park. The park is so much more now that just the place for THE baseball game.

• Wrigley Field is one example of a good place to catch a game...and that park where the Indians play....and Camden Yard

• Pink: I apologize. Your choice of words obviously set me off. Probably the massive hangover I am enduring this morning. I agree about the ads and distractions. The hot sauce race makes me embarrassed to be an Astros fan.

• ....uh Early, have you not been reading? How about fewer ads and distractions so I could actually watch the ball game. I play ball and I watch it (or try to).

• Pink: Tacky place to watch a ball game huh? What the fuck are you talking about? How should the Astros make Minute Maid less crass? Replace all the seats with Eames chairs? Paint the place in some nice muted-tones and replace everything with modernist lighting fixtures? Please favor us with an example of a ball park that is not, as you put it, "crass, gauche, corny and juvenile". You insufferable pompous ass. One gets the feeling you do not watch baseball at all.

• Long love the Astrodome!

• Horribly tacky place to watch a ball game, much in keeping with the 'outsize spirit of Texas', or some other goofy sounding rationalization. Crass, gauche, corny and juvenile.

• Whatever. All I want is for them to take those fucking Eat More Fowl deals off the foul poles. I may be wrong, but I think Minute Maid is the only park that has a bunch of tacky shit all over the foul poles. I'd say Pesky is turning in his grave but he's still alive...

• But they're not telling you the real reason for this: it's a further way to distract the fans from Carlos Lee walking after a ball hit down the left field line.

• "You have to stay fresh," she said. "That's what you do in your home." Ummm...am I supposed to be doing that?

• i see absolutely nothing wrong with upgrading minute maid park... your article is baseless whining, imo. also how is it an oversized sports bar if the HD screen isn't showing video of the game below? i commend them for wanting to upgrade an 11 year old park and trying to generate more revenue in the dugout level press boxes. you forgot to mention the extra video board that will be added to left field to solve the problem of the bullpen boxes not being able to see the video board...

• I really wish Pam would stop describing whatever they are doing with the press box as "hip, young and funky."

• If only they could reinstall the old scoreboard from the Astrodome.

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