It’s gross in Houston a lot of the time. As such, the Astros only had their roof open at Minute Maid Park 14 of 81 home games last year. They’d like to open it more, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Specifically, they’d like to be able to open it up mid-game, after the sun goes down and it cools off a tad. Which is something they used to do but ceased doing in 2005 for some reason.
What seems nuts to me are the listed parameters for when the roof can and can’t be open there:
Currently, the roof is closed for the threat of rain, threat of sustained winds above 30 mph, temperatures below 65 degrees for a night game and air temperature or heat-index readings above 88 degrees for a night game or 84 for a day game -- which just about covers late April through the end of the season.
I get the rain, wind and heat, but ... below 65 degrees? I know Texans don’t do cold very well but, man, that seems particularly weak.
