The impact of Hurricane Harvey will likely force the Astros to play six home games at Tropicana Field?
The Houston Astros have a six-game home stand scheduled to kick-off on Tuesday. Hurricane Harvey has made it impossible for the city of Houston to play host to these games.
Several options have been discussed but it appears that the best course of action is for the Houston Astros to travel to St Petersburg, FL and play six games at Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays are in Kansas City and Chicago during the same six game stretch so the logistics work from an availability standpoint.
While baseball is truly secondary at this point, the Astros will now embark on a stretch of 19-straight games away from Minute Maid Park.
“At this point our focus is on the safety of our fans, our players and their families and our front office staff and their families,” said in a statement by Astros President of Baseball Operations Reid Ryan. “As we continue to monitor the conditions, we have been in communication with Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers and will provide an update on Monday.”
Originally reported by Jon Morosi, it is not “official” as of yet. It appears likely that this will be the decision – the Astros will host the Rangers and Mets at Tropicana Field.
#MLB considering sites outside Texas for #Astros – #Rangers series set to begin Tuesday, per source. Will discuss shortly on @MLBNetwork.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 28, 2017
The #Astros #Mets series this weekend will likely be moved to Tampa Bay as well, but a final decision will not be made today, source says.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) August 28, 2017
MLB Appreciates Tropicana Field
This is the second time that Tropicana Field has bailed Major League Baseball out of a tough situation. In 2015, the Baltimore Orioles played a “home-game” at Tropicana Field against the Rays. Riots and protests prevented Camden Yards from host duties. It also made for an interestingly “quiet game” when the Orioles and White Sox played in silence.
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