Troubles at the Astrodome

Apr. 8, 1965 - The new home of the Houston Astros, known as the Astrodome, undoubtedly is the last word in sports stadiums. There’s just one thing wrong with it. You can’t play baseball in it in the daytime.

The Astros went through the motions of an intra-squad game today and were fortunate no one was killed.

Fly balls dropped all about the players, many coming dangerously close to their heads. Few were caught.

All of the outfielders wore helmets. They could have used fly nets, too.

The trouble is due to the skylight structure of the dome, which is composed of plastic windows and steel girders measuring 710 feet in diameter. Once the ball rises up against this jigsaw background of light and dark, it becomes virtually impossible to follow.

In the first inning, each of three outfielders took turns allowing routine fly balls to drop a good distance away from them, apparently without ever having spotted them.

The players, careful not to be too critical of what has been dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World, were plainly disturbed by this unexpected hazard.

Astros general manager Paul Richard did not try to hide his disappointment.

“It’s impossible to play under these conditions,” he said. “Of course, somebody will win, and somebody will lose. But who’s kidding who? This wouldn’t be baseball. I’ve seen high flies dropped before, but nothing like this.”The lights, turned on a few minutes after the start of the game, did not help. Neither did sunglasses.

“If these don’t help, we have two options,” Richards continued. “We may try to cover the dome, at least up to the second rung, with a huge tarpaulin extending from home plate halfway to first and third base.

“Or, we may have to paint the entire inside of the dome.”

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