The New Orleans Times-Picayune's Ron Thibodeaux has a great column up about the Astros and their history in New Orleans.
I’m as conflicted about all this as any of them. I’ve been an Astros fan just about all my life — specifically, since July 25, 1965, when, at age 7, I traveled with my dad, grandpa and uncle from down the bayou to Houston to get a look at that newfangled domed stadium, widely hailed as the “eighth wonder of the world.” The game featured three future Hall of Famers — Joe Morgan, Frank Robinson and Tony Perez — as well as Pete Rose, whose Hall-worthy career was ultimately eclipsed by off-the-field misdeeds. Cincinnati beat Houston 3-1 that day, but it hardly mattered. We were captivated by the Astrodome, the million-dollar scoreboard, the field crew that dragged the infield dressed like astronauts and, oh yes, the baseball team. I was hooked...
...Meanwhile, once Houston moved its AAA affiliate from New Orleans to Texas and then to Oklahoma years ago, it stopped marketing itself in this part of Louisiana. I couldn’t tell how many years it’s been since the Astros’ preseason “caravan” of players and coaches stopped in New Orleans.
The reality is, the Astros moved on from here a long time ago. The switch to the American League next year will only distance them even farther. Call me a fanasaurus, but I’m inclined to stick with the “real baseball” of the National League and all those other teams I’ve been watching for the past 47 years.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
