Going Over to Minute Maid Park Always Leads Thoughts to Spring

I took a ten minute walk from Fox Sports Houston's offices to Minute Maid Park on Thursday to attend a media luncheon corresponding to the equipment trucks leaving for Florida.  That means baseball is not that far off.  In fact, it is less than a week when pitchers and catchers will first take the field in Kissiimmee.

It obviously didn't SEEM like baseball was close during the walk in 30 degree temperatures with a wind whipping through Discovery Green and all along Crawford Street as I made my way to the ballpark.  But once I headed inside the press gate and was greeted by one of the attendants by name I knew I must be nearing "home."

Not having been inside MMP since the major construction projects were well underway I glanced at the giant video board in RF.  The old videoboard in centerfield will be replaced by two permanent ads. There is also a secondary video board high on the first base side for those sitting in right field.  With the luncheon in the 5-7 Grill that meant I walked the concourse down the left field line and once I was at the Landry's Crawford boxes I checked out the press/broadcast area.  What was once the main press box is being converted into 150 luxury Press Lounge seats that will be sold as season tickets.  One level up--where formerly the video board controls, broadcast booths and general manager's boxes were located the new pressbox is under construction.  It will be a three level booth seating about 70.  The old booth had room for 105, but never needed that many seats except on Opening Day or for post season.  The video control room has been relocated down the left field line.  Broadcast booths for home and visiting radio have been moved to the first base side of the level.  Using essentially the same "footprint" that already existed it appears everything will fit.

Astro GM Ed Wade was part of the luncheon.  He indicated that the main things happening in the spring will be the battle for the #5 spot in the rotation plus some bullpen spots and finalizing who will serve as backups in the outfield and infield.  Jason Michaels has one of those posts locked, but Brian Bogusevic, and Jason Bourgeois will have good chances to stick.  As Ed pointed out, if some of those in competition don't appear to be the answer there are always players released by other clubs in the spring that might be available.

Real news from spring training will start coming in about five days.  It may not be much, but it will be baseball~