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Minute Maid Park (also known as Enron Field, and Astros Field.) So I finally went to Minute Maid Park.. Not so impressive. Seats are small in the lower section. Got to sit in the suite. A good amount of boards and displays are around the park. The canon that goes off every time we make a homerun is cool. Love the bull/cowboy think which is reminiscent of the light up display at The Astrodome. Train was kind of funny. Good size but not large. Wonder why they won't hold concerts in it. The roof was closed The food was expensive as at all ball parks. There's always a hole lotta functions going on the screens of stadiums and arenas. They should instant replays, player bios and even showed lots of people kissing in the audience.

In the early 60's Willow Creek Little League that had been playing behind Red Elementary was given land across South Main from the South Main Drive Inn and Homeco Field was built. Due to the lights from the baseball fields the Little League had to pay to have a large sheet metal wall built to keep the lights from disrupting the movies. Growing up in Willow Bend I remember driving up Willow Bend Blvd and always checking out what movie was playing on the South Main Drive Inn screen.

Is it just me or is there definitely a diamond shape in the middle of a field? I was looking around HA and went back in time to 1953. While looking around I came across this shape. This could be one of two things. It could be a baseball field, or a drive-in theater. There (was) a drive-in theater located on Old Spanish Trail, but this is a different location. Looking around, you could give this an address of 1500 Old Spanish Trail. It was where, eventually, the Shell Technology Center building was built and later demolished. It was on the corner of the property. Maybe one day, we will accidentally find out what this was.

A little confused. Well, maybe it makes sense? The Houston Monarchs had both a field, and a stadium. When Houston Monarchs first started, they were playing in a field called East End Park. After growing as a team with the combined fans and spectators they built themselves a stadium. Photograph of the Mexican Inn baseball team. Photograph of the Mexican Inn Baseball Team, Houston Texas. Spectators are seen sitting on the back in the stadium. A pair of bats and catcher's shin guards and his chest pad are seen on the grass in front of the players. Pictured, back row, from left to right: Felix Tjerina ; Pilo Hagnes ; Cuote - Felix Castro ; unidentified ; Walter Avaloz ; Johnny Cortez ; Mike Zepeda ; Lupe Garcia ; Jesse Aldaco ; Roy Garcia ; Mr. Najo ; Pasquilito Garcia ; Freddy Bolderas ; Jorge Cordova ; Jasper Castillo ; Ismael Cormozo. - From all over town - be he pitched "the best" at Monarch Stadium on Kline Street." Mexican Inn Base Ball Team Houston, Tex, Apr. 1934

Herald Park (also known as Fair Grounds Base Ball Park, Houston Base Ball Park, Fair Ground Park, and League Park.) I don't think Gonzo was suggesting it was, but West End Park wasn't the first baseball park in the city. West End Park was built around the turn of the century, and baseball had been played in Houston for many years before that. The Texas League formed in the 1880's, with Houston as one of the original members. As far as early baseball park locations go, I know that, in 1887, the Houston Heralds baseball team had a park located "at the head of" Travis Street. And, in 1896, a Houston baseball team played a Chicago baseball team at a "new baseball park at the end of" Travis Street. Still, West End Park, which was built by the Houston Electric Street Railway Co., near what is now the intersection of Andrews and Heiner, was undoubtedly among the city's earliest baseball parks. It hosted UT/A&M football games in addition to baseball games.

Found a few rare base ball diamond fields on this cool website. I've personally never heard of them so I thought I would share with HAIF. Credit: https://sabrhouston.org/local-history/ Houston Monarchs Vs. So. Pacific at East End Park. Aug. 8th 1926. Paid Admission 1,000 - Score 9-8 favor Houston Monarchs - City Champions.

I have been reading the Booj Houston, The Forgotten City and trying to locate the location for the first campus of ASJ Jr. High which bcame Miller Jr. High.

I was browsing the newspaper Jewish Herald-Voice dated April 24, 1941 and came across a sports field (for baseball and football) that was located "off South Main." The field was named Lobbuck Field. I figured this was HISD's Butler Stadium located at 13755 South Main Street. The Butler Stadium wasn't built until the mid 1960s so I closed that thought. I kept reading the articles about this sports field and I guess it's apart of Hermann Park? All of the news clippings have different dates. Ranging from 1943 to 1949. The old Settegast Field is also mentioned. I'm not too sure about that one. I haven't looked into it. Does anyone know what that's about? Where was it located and who is it named after? Activities for Labor Day, with the matches to take place at Hermann Park. At 11 a.m. the softball tourney will take place at Lubbock Field. A box lunch will be held from 12 till 1:30 at Hermann Park. The softball finals and bowling finals will take pale that afternoon at their respective locations. The ping-pong tourney will be held at the T.M.C.A. From 4:30 until 6 that evening.

The area just to the west of Briargrove, across the drainage ditch was the Bob Smith Little League playing fields. There were several diamonds with bleachers close to Westheimer. As you went back, closer to San Felipe (which didn't go through at the time), there were large mounds of earth, probably left from deepening flood control ditches in the area. We would ride our bikes on these "hills" and made several mountain trails back there. Eventually development occured, and apartments filled in the property from Westheimer to Woodway. I remember a big fire in later years destroyed several of these buildings, but that's different story.

Amazing find here! Uptown sure had lots of physical activity going back in the day. I wonder if there are any photographs? The baseball field was also named Post Oak Park. From the newspaper The Houston Post. dated July 21, 1923: Game Notice. The Post Oak team will play the George L. Glass No. 1 team Saturday afternoon at Post Oak Diamond. Sunday afternoon Texas Sporting Goods team will play at Post Oak. Post Oak has one of the best diamonds around Houston on a good five miles out on Westheimer Road. Seating capacity is grandstand about 400 people and accommodations for about 50 cares back of a 200-foot backstop 10 feet high. The Houston Post. dated February 17, 1924: Post Oak Notice. All Post Oak players are asked to meet at Post Oak Diamond Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. All players that do not have cars will please rig Hadley 7024 or Hadley 3867. All last year's players and others that wish to try out are asked to come out. Post Oak will have as good a diamond as any in the city, and a dressing room with shower, bath, and grandstand to seat about 30 people and a back stop about 150 feet long, from 10 to 20 feet high. Located five miles out on Westheimer Road at Post Oak.

Finally researched this massive sports complex. Looks like it has gone through a few transformations and is now jointly-owned. The 75 acre (now 55 acre) sports field was developed by the Stella Link Redevelopment Authority. https://southcampus-under-construction.squarespace.com/history In 1998, a number of local families personally guaranteed a bank loan so that SLRA could purchase 75 acres of land just east of Stella Link Boulevard, just south of the 610 South Loop. South Campus was born. The complex is also located off of South Main Street (Highway 90.) Using the McGovern Campus Park as a model, SLRA sold 12 acres at the northwest corner of the original South Campus tract to a group that founded and built the Emery Weiner School. At the other end of the tract, a smaller portion of the land was sold for the development of the St. Catherine’s Montessori School. In 2003, the South Campus Sports Association was formed as a separate section 501(c)(3) organization by four area youth sports leagues—West University Little League, Braes Bayou Little League, West University Softball Association, and the Near Town Soccer Club—with the singular purpose of purchasing and developing the remaining acreage. Later in 2003, the Southwest Football League and Houston Youth Lacrosse joined the South Campus family. Now, more than a decade and a half later, as a result of thousands of volunteer hours of planning, fundraising, and execution, the 55-acre South Campus Sports Complex provides real fields of dreams for more than 5,000 Houston-area children annually, providing fully equipped, state-of-the-art, lighted facilities for youth baseball, soccer, softball, football, and lacrosse practices and games. * 6 baseball fields * 5 softball fields * 4 soccer fields and 3 futsol courts * 3 football/lacrosse fields and press boxes * 3 concessions stand and restroom facilities

Thanks to @Ross I discovered a new park that was located in the Texas Medical Center in the decade of the 1910s. Ross suggested this pre-dates the Hermann Park. I researched, and according to the Hermann Park Conservancy, Hermann Park opened in 1914. Or, in 1914, the park was announced and the master plan started. Hermann Park may have opened a year later than 1914? https://www.hermannpark.org/history/timeline/ In May of 1914 Houston real estate investor and industrialist George H. Hermann announced publicly his intention of deeding to the City of Houston 285 acres of this property for a municipal park across the street from the Rice Institute and thus Hermann Park was born. A century later, Hermann Park is 445-acres of beautiful green space and is visited by an estimated 6 million people per year. I first discovered the park while researching the Colonial Park Amusement Park near Fannin Street and Southmore Avenue. 1913 City of Houston map: The Houston Post dated July 19, 1913: Amusements: Main Street Park- Wild West Broncho Bustling at 5 p.m. Isis Theater- "Beauty and the Beast" and other motion pictures. Pearce's Theater- "The Master Painter" and other motion pictures." Top O'Houston, Carter Roof- Motion pictures, carabet, features and refreshments. The Houston Post dated June 8, 1912: Dekor to make flight at Main Street Park Houston Aviator will give exhibition prior to leaving the city. Fred De Kor, the aviator. will make a series of exhibition flights Sunday afternoon at Main Street Park, prior to leaving the city. Mr. De Kor has been contemplating giving the public thorough exhibition of his powers for some time and now feels that he has the best opportunity to do . The flights will be made at Main Street Park at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon-- The advertisement showing the date: Don't fall to see the exhibition flight at Main Street Park June 9, 1912 at 2:30 p.m. By Aviator Fred De Kor. In huis new aeroplane, The Green Dragon. The Houston Post dated September 28, 1912: Baseball Sunday, Sept. 29 At Main Street Park Game Called at 4 O'Clock. Houston Sporting Goods Vs. Sharp and Hughes. Both clubs have strong line-up, and a good game is promised. Batteries- Houston Sporting Good, Wehrman and Holt; Sharp and Hughes, Malloy and Page. Take South End Cars and transfer for Main Street Park. The Houston Post dated January 5, 1913: Farming With Aetna Dynamite. Demonstration will be held at Main Street Park Tuesday afternoon, January 7, at 3 o'clock. Stump Blasting, Subsoiling, Tree Planting, Ditching. Everybody invited. Take Sound End Car, transfer to Westmoreland. L. Harde & Co. Dealers in Agricultural Blasting Material, Room 3, Cotton Exchange Building. The Houston Post dated December 24, 1911: Location is Changed. For three years the Sunny South has made the traps at Delmonico Garden famous. In 1912, however, the Houston Gun Club offers a new location, Main Street Park. The new grounds are considered far better in accommodation than the old, and, since last July, have been used as the regular grounds of the Houston Gun Club. Main Street Park is located on the extension of Main street out beyond the Rice Institute. The park is reached by the South End and Westmoreland Farms car lines. The service off the South End line is present on every hour, but for the Sunny South the street car company will be requested to make special provision. With this improvement the park will be as accessible as Delmonico. Main street has already had its baptism as a trap shooting center, the Texas handicap having been held there in midyear of 1911.

There is an effort underway by Christian Navarro (son of Yolanda Black-Navarro) to rename Settegast Park to Los Compadres Park. The effort is meant to commemorate an organized baseball team known as Los Compadres comprised of predominately Mexican-American players who played for the team at Settegast Park at various times from the 1950s up through the 1980s. Personally, I certainly support efforts to commemorate the history of Los Compadres through renaming the baseball field and/or a plaque or historical marker on site, but not by renaming the entire park. For anybody interested, the link to the Second Ward Super Neighborhood 63 Zoom meeting where the proposal is discussed is below. Password/code is h6Z!UzYV. Fast forward to around the 40 minute mark for the presentation by Mr. Navarro: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/eDe_Ddz0ItgG7Yal1Y-j3j574ftd4qe2_SdYcC5MZf8y-6vMJRH2hFcbyvDAGxM2.VIyZBzr4XGnWruRk?startTime=1627946025000

The most positive & exciting thing I learned of as a kid back in 69 growing up around Dumble street, was the East End Little League Ball Park! We lived so close we could always hear the crowds roar all summer long, we got used to it. Our home was situated so close we all walked and were basically at the crossroads where all the heighborhhod kids passed our house on the way to the park. This is how we got to know so many people over the years. Photographs were common so I have plenty of those that act as a time-capsule for those years. There was the little boys league, I think we called it the Peewee's, older ones became the Minors, then much older boys were Senior League. This place was the heart & the community center of Broadmoor. Most of the original concession stands and announcer booths are gone. Only recently have they built new venues at this park. To this day there still are no sidewalks. Luckily, I still have some of the address books of many of my collegues. Maybe not current but serve as a diary of sorts. I can add more but hopefully others can add their experiences. I was lucky my mom was always a team-mother and was the core and reason we all got this once in a life time childhood experience. There was a song by Bruce Springsteen called "Glory Days" and I can really relate to the lyrics. These were the days when I hit the ball over the fence and everyone was cheering and clapping and shouting my name. I can still see the faces of my team mates & my managers as I entered home plate! Life is short enjoy it. Ok, getting emotional...

Does anybody live in this area and have any opinions on the crime, traffic, etc? I'm looking at Rice Military/Cottage Grove area and really like it because of the proximity to Memorial Park and Washington Ave. I originally intended to get as close to Memorial Park as possible, but am interested in a property that is between Shepherd and Studemont, north of Washington, nearby West End Park. This area does seem quite a bit more sketchy than the areas West of Shepherd, but it should be cleaned up in a few years. I drove by West End Park at night the other day and did notice what seemed to be either bums or crack dealers, that is making me have second thoughts. Anybody here live by West End Park off of Patterson?