That Time When a Game at The Astrodome Was Rained Out

The Astrodome was built to avoid weather issues. How could a ballgame get called on account of rain?

by Rich Watson

The Astros were born in 1962 as the Colt .45s, and the city of Houston was glad to have them. Watching games at Colt Stadium, though, was like sitting in a sauna. During the heart of the summer, game-time temperatures in the upper nineties were not unusual.

When co-owner Roy Hofheinz visited the Roman Colosseum, he learned it used to have an awning, called a velarium, to shield the audience from the sun. As a result, he financed and developed the creation of the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium in the world. 

Prior to Opening Day 1965, the legendary Satchel Paige test-pitched within the dome’s $4.5 million dollar air-conditioning system. He declared it a “pitcher’s paradise.” 

The Colt .45s became the Astros. The dome opened in April. Soon it was also home to the NFL Oilers and many pro and college teams.

Games and other events could be watched at a comfortable seventy-three degrees. Mother Nature, it seemed, had been conquered—until a bizarre incident during the Bicentennial year of 1976.

Comiskey Park’s Exploding Scoreboard Was a Spectacle Like No Other in Baseball

One of the showcases of this Chicago ballpark was a  scoreboard that put on a show of its own whenever the White Sox homered.

by Rich Watson

In 1948, James Cagney made a movie called The Time of Your Life, about the customers of a saloon. Cagney’s character played a pinball machine. At one point, he hit the jackpot and the game lit up, making all kinds of noise.

Bill Veeck saw the film. He was one of baseball’s great raconteurs and iconoclasts during his four decades as an owner for three different teams, including the White Sox. He looked for innovative ways to sell the game, from night baseball to integration to wacky fan promotions and more.

Seeing Cagney with his pinball machine inspired Veeck to commission the creation of something that would enliven the experience of coming to Chicago’s Comiskey Park.