Astrodome Ballpark to Football Arena | Segment from The Eyes of Texas (1984)

[@kevinworkman4158]

The Astrodome itself was unique not only because it was the first domed stadium with Air Conditioning, but because the First Base and Third Base field seats for Baseball could rotate on a track to setup sidelines seats behind the benches for Football. Play a baseball game during the day, football at night. The astroturf field was hard as cement but it was an engineering marvel when built in 1964-65. That's why it's never been torn down--its registered as a historical national landmark building.

[@allen_p]

The Eyes of Texas was a great show. Watched a lot of Astros games at the Dome. Much better than Minutemaid. More leg room between rows.

[@chadwickwhite6107]

THIS was the ONLY DUAL USE Stadium that worked out well.

[@davidlafleche1142]

Other than the roof, the Astrodome was virtually identical to Shea, RFK, Three Rivers, Riverfront and Busch Stadium. None of them were ideal for either sport.

[@matthewjahnke4953]

I know. I went there for 3 things: Football games. Baseball games. And the rodeo.

[@adamcoe]

@@davidlafleche1142 Ditto Fulton County Stadium

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@adamcoe Fulton County Stadium was a bit odd. The gridiron was laid out from third base to first base. Conversion was much simpler: all they had to do was take down the outfield fence and pull out the sideline seats. This also allowed them to use the same broadcast booth for both baseball and football. (Oakland Coliseum had the same setup.) The downside was that foul territory was enormous. Even worse, the football sideline seats were awful, too far from the field.

[@MovieMakingMan]

A sad story. During the switch from baseball to football-seating a worker left his 5 year old grandson play. But the kid wandered off and ended up under the seats that were moving and was killed. I can only imagine the horror and guilt he felt.

[@jehobden]

I thought the tune played over the stadium transformation was cute. I guess it may have been sped up to match the sped up action on the field. I think Oakland's colosseum was the last field regularly used for both football & baseball, but now since the Raiders have left for LV, there's no need for regular changes anymore.

[@davidlafleche1142]

Whoever designed Oakland Coliseum was an idiot. That was the most inefficient conversion process ever used.

[@rockvilleraven]

@@davidlafleche1142 RFK was used for both Washington Nationals and DC United Soccer and they moved the third base stands out for the MLS team.

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@rockvilleraven RFK was the very first of the "cookie cutter" stadiums. The third base box seats swiveled out to left field for football games. (Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia did the same thing. The others in New York, Pittsburgh, Houston and St. Louis moved both sides.) It wasn't a great idea, that way, either. RFK cost $40,000.00 to do each conversion. But even that was still faster than Oakland. The easiest one was Atlanta Stadium. All they had to do was take down the outfield fence and pull out the sideline seats; but the sightlines were terrible. The Superdome also had an easy conversion. All they had to do was pull the sideline seats backwards to widen the field for baseball. Several teams seriously considered moving there, but Spring Training games proved it was not ideal for baseball. (Fans in the upper deck couldn't see the first base side.) After the Superdome was renovated, it couldn't accommodate baseball anymore; but that didn't matter, since New Orleans was never a serious contender to get an expansion team and MLB hates fixed domes anyway.

[@rockvilleraven]

I remember the Gamblers didn't sign a lease, so they left the bases uncovered.

[@bobray8637]

Thats becauae it was a dome or else it would just be like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Shea, Riverfront, Montreal, Frisco, Anaheim etc, etc.

[@kozmokohler]

I can still smell the asbestos!

[@billschipper1718]

It was a sad era in baseball. Those cookie cutter stadiums wear awful. I do miss watching a football game with the infield dirt still in place. Add rain and grass and mud then it was watchable.