Because of my dedication to our new blog, I decided to take my first-ever trip to H-Town to see your beloved Astros in person and do a little scouting.  Ok, I lie, I was actually in town to help our beloved Matthew haul the ridiculously large BBQ smoker he was about to purchase in Humble on Sunday morning–we just lucked out by having the Tigers and ‘Stros in town for an exhibition game at Minute Maid right as we rolled in.  A few thoughts about the trip, the game, and the place formerly known as Enron Field:

1. I hadn’t seen a whole lot of Texas in any of my many wild roadtrips over the years; Dallas had been my primary exposure to the state.  So, as you might expect, I didn’t care too much for your “country” based on those experiences.  That said, I must admit, I really liked Houston.  The downtown area was really nice and was surprisingly easy to navigate through (I had always heard awful things about the traffic there, but found it to be much better than the Dallas area…seemed to be far fewer retarded people cruisin’ around).  I also was kind of amazed by how clean the downtown was and how little rif-raf there seemed to be on the streets.  The people were generally very friendly, though you certainly can’t ever drive out of Dumb People Nation no matter how far you’re willing to go (the folks sitting in the Crawford Boxes being the prime example in this case).  I couldn’t believe how thick the humidity already was considering it was just in the 70s and not even April 1.  Y’all must suffer through your summers mightily.  And this is coming from someone used to the ungodly humid summers the Natural State serves up every year.

2. No doubt about it, Minute Maid Park is a gem.  Count Busch Stadium II, Comerica Park, Coors Field, and The Ballpark in Arlington (or whatever they’re calling it now) as the “new” ballparks I had previously been to–MMP ranks right up there with any of ‘em.  Because the place was only about half full for a game-that-didn’t-count, we got to move around every couple of innings and managed to spend time in the RF area (where Pence was getting all sorts of love), the Crawford Boxes (seriously, they might as well be called the “Short Bus Boxes” judging by the people we saw there), and just a few rows directly behind home plate.  That LF porch is just as ridiculous as it looks on TV.  I really felt like I could give Miggy Cabrera a good slap on the ass from where we were sitting.  RF kind of sucks because you can’t see the giant scoreboard, but there really wasn’t too bad of a view anywhere in the park.  Fantastic atmosphere to watch a game and great amenities everywhere you looked.  Being that it was my first experience in a closed-roof stadium, the whole feeling like I was watching baseball in a large gymnasium was a little odd, but I’m sure it’s great when the dog days of summer roll around.

3. I can see why you guys are so big on Hunter Pence.  His acknowledgement of the RF fans after his homer was really cool.  Y’all keep it real with your homegrown Texans and I’ve always appreciated that.

4. Shawn Chacon wearing #1 as a pitcher REALLY pissed me off.  Like being one of the first flat-billed sideways cap guys wasn’t bad enough.  That guy can go to hell.

5. Maybe Miguel Tejada has one more 30HR season in him after all. 

6. Carlos Lee is even fatter in person.  Berkman seemed less fat.  Both run like a brontosaurus.  Wow. 

7. I wish Carlos Guillen was my fantasy shortstop.  That guy is one professional hitter.

8. Goode Co.’s BBQ is pretty overrated.  The sausage was great, the ribs were ok, and the brisket tasted like pot roast and should’ve come with boiled potatoes and carrots.

9. I still couldn’t believe Texas was getting to play Memphis in Houston.  I didn’t see much fanfare on the streets for having the tourney come to town.  No surprise on the outcome of the game, of course.

10. Getting to meet fellow blogger Tim was great–that’s one swell fella.  Using “Tim-isms” on my wife at home wasn’t the best idea, however.  I damn near had to camp out on the couch last night.  The dude is kind of my hero now.  Sorry, Matt.

11. Seriously, Matt’s BBQ smoker–all 14 feet of it–ridiculous.  And ridiculously awesome.

Definitely a great little baseball/BBQ roadtrip!  I still hate your Astros, but I love your city and now have a real point of reference.