Game 4 – Minute Maid Park

What a great park! We arrived in downtown Houston early enough to walk around downtown and the park. From the outside of the park you can see the Minute Maid Express Train on the Left Field wall. Before the game there was lots of activity as well. First, 5 Harley Davidson motorcycles rode around the field. The first driven by Manager Phil Garner and the second by his wife. This was the Kick Start the Cure benefiting Mothers Against Cancer. Then, the flags for all the countries that participate in the International Little League were brought onto the field. At the end of the 5th inner (which is when it was an official game) play was interrupted to award long time umpire Bruce Froemming an award for surpassing the record for longest consecutive years of service for a major league umpire. This beautiful ballpark has combined in its design some of the quaintness and eccentricities of some of the old time ballparks. The left field scoreboard is reminiscent of Fenway park including the Monster seats and the ability to view the game from the rooftop of Union Station is reminiscent of Wrigley Field. (see Game 04 of 30 page for highlights of the game.)