Houston roll call. Who's going?

#56
#56
Anyone had any success with autographs? And how do you go about getting them if you have? My son and I are going tomorrow. I live in round rock Texas, dad lives in Benton Tn, would love to be able to send him a ball or something autographed by Tony v
 
#59
#59
TikiVol said:
I can’t wait. I live in Galveston so this is great opportunity to see the Vols on my home turf. I’ll be in section 124 all weekend. GBO.
Click to expand...
Next time you are at Katie’s, have a seafood enchilada in my honor. Love that place!
 
  • Like
Reactions: TikiVol
#63
#63
Got back after midnight this morning.

Thoughts on the weekend in case we ever go back.

(1) Daikin Park is nice but there is surprisingly little to do around the stadium - and in downtown Houston for that matter. Houston is a "working" downtown and not a tourism-centric downtown like San Antonio. I think the construction across the street from Daikin is an entertainment district the city and Astros are building but that still does not change the rest of downtown near the stadium no retail, no bars- outside hotels bars, no "common man" restaurants, no gathering places. I assume the new district will be enclosed like everything in Houston has to be due to heat and humidity.
(2) As such, should I go back, I am staying somewhere more interesting -around the Galleria or zoo, and not downtown. Hotels are cheaper and the BBQ is better. The airports are too far away from downtown anyway.
(3) There was ZERO need to pre-purchase tickets. I wish the event was almost all GA so the fans could sit together behind their respective dugouts.
(4) It was odd there was no apparent even-specific souvenirs or evenn selling merch for each school. Tennessee fans in Texas would have liked a chance to buy Tennessee gear in-person.
(5) It would be cool is this event took place concurrently with the rodeo this week. But tourney's the last week of non-conference play are rare.
(6) How can there not be a non-hotel sports bar near the stadium. Biggio's was just an oversized hotel bar with typically outsized hotel prices.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iVolSoHard, 10nacvols, volsagain and 3 others
#64
#64
fryeguy93 said:
Got back after midnight this morning.

Thoughts on the weekend in case we ever go back.

(1) Daikin Park is nice but there is surprisingly little to do around the stadium - and in downtown Houston for that matter. Houston is a "working" downtown and not a tourism-centric downtown like San Antonio. I think the construction across the street from Daikin is an entertainment district the city and Astros are building but that still does not change the rest of downtown near the stadium no retail, no bars- outside hotels bars, no "common man" restaurants, no gathering places. I assume the new district will be enclosed like everything in Houston has to be due to heat and humidity.
(2) As such, should I go back, I am staying somewhere more interesting -around the Galleria or zoo, and not downtown. Hotels are cheaper and the BBQ is better. The airports are too far away from downtown anyway.
(3) There was ZERO need to pre-purchase tickets. I wish the event was almost all GA so the fans could sit together behind their respective dugouts.
(4) It was odd there was no apparent even-specific souvenirs or evenn selling merch for each school. Tennessee fans in Texas would have liked a chance to buy Tennessee gear in-person.
(5) It would be cool is this event took place concurrently with the rodeo this week. But tourney's the last week of non-conference play are rare.
(6) How can there not be a non-hotel sports bar near the stadium. Biggio's was just an oversized hotel bar with typically outsized hotel prices.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the review. Enjoyed reading.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#65
#65
I enjoyed this one much more than Dallas simply for being able to walk to the park in 5-10 min every day. Globe Life is pretty much soulless and has a "commuting to work" vibe unless you stay at the place next door.

But the dings on Houston are absolutely correct. The area nearby is pretty limited on stuff to do and even places to eat. And most of them seemed surprised to see anybody connected with a tournament. A "working downtown" is exactly correct.

The charade of assigned seats behind the dugouts was borderline silly. GA everything but the VIP areas and let it roll.

But for pure enjoyment of ball, I enjoyed this one. (All day games in a stadium with the roof open may have played a part in that too, if I'm honest).


Either way, I'm looking forward to next year. We may have outgrown the Tony Gwynn tournament, but I selfishly wish for San Diego. The Las Vegas one looks like a blast. I'd go back to Arlington and do it better next time. The one in Frisco, Texas looked like a fun one from what I saw over the weekend, and seems to be in a fairly active area.

(Or Tampa or Jacksonville, I'm not super picky).
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo and MAD
#66
#66
WallyBalls said:
I enjoyed this one much more than Dallas simply for being able to walk to the park in 5-10 min every day. Globe Life is pretty much soulless and has a "commuting to work" vibe unless you stay at the place next door.

But the dings on Houston are absolutely correct. The area nearby is pretty limited on stuff to do and even places to eat. And most of them seemed surprised to see anybody connected with a tournament. A "working downtown" is exactly correct.

The charade of assigned seats behind the dugouts was borderline silly. GA everything but the VIP areas and let it roll.

But for pure enjoyment of ball, I enjoyed this one. (All day games in a stadium with the roof open may have played a part in that too, if I'm honest).


Either way, I'm looking forward to next year. We may have outgrown the Tony Gwynn tournament, but I selfishly wish for San Diego. The Las Vegas one looks like a blast. I'd go back to Arlington and do it better next time. The one in Frisco, Texas looked like a fun one from what I saw over the weekend, and seems to be in a fairly active area.

(Or Tampa or Jacksonville, I'm not super picky).
Click to expand...
Didn’t Tony mention having some type of event at the new downtown ballpark?
 
#67
#67
The minor league parks, like Frisco, are the right size to create a fun environment for these events.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#70
#70
WallyBalls said:
I enjoyed this one much more than Dallas simply for being able to walk to the park in 5-10 min every day. Globe Life is pretty much soulless and has a "commuting to work" vibe unless you stay at the place next door.

But the dings on Houston are absolutely correct. The area nearby is pretty limited on stuff to do and even places to eat. And most of them seemed surprised to see anybody connected with a tournament. A "working downtown" is exactly correct.

The charade of assigned seats behind the dugouts was borderline silly. GA everything but the VIP areas and let it roll.

But for pure enjoyment of ball, I enjoyed this one. (All day games in a stadium with the roof open may have played a part in that too, if I'm honest).


Either way, I'm looking forward to next year. We may have outgrown the Tony Gwynn tournament, but I selfishly wish for San Diego. The Las Vegas one looks like a blast. I'd go back to Arlington and do it better next time. The one in Frisco, Texas looked like a fun one from what I saw over the weekend, and seems to be in a fairly active area.

(Or Tampa or Jacksonville, I'm not super picky).
Click to expand...
I guess the ones we haven't outgrown (reputation wise)

Las Vegas
Scottsdale
Arlington (1 of 2 weekends)
Houston

The second tier tourneys would be

Round Rock
Jacksonville
Frisco

Third tier that would be a nice weekend:

San Diego (Tony Gwynn Classic)
Conway, SC (Baseball at the Beach) We played there in the 90s or early 00s I think


I think a great plan would be what the softball team does. Play in a first or second weekend tourney against big time competition and then host a tourney in Knoxville at LNS and Covenant Health Park on the third or 4th weekend with a group of in-state and nearby schools like ETSU, Tenn Tech, App State, UNC-Asheville, WCU, MTSU, etc. against a handful of northern schools. With 2 stadiums, you could have 8 teams.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WallyBalls, chuckiepoo and MAD
#71
#71
WallyBalls said:
I enjoyed this one much more than Dallas simply for being able to walk to the park in 5-10 min every day. Globe Life is pretty much soulless and has a "commuting to work" vibe unless you stay at the place next door.

But the dings on Houston are absolutely correct. The area nearby is pretty limited on stuff to do and even places to eat. And most of them seemed surprised to see anybody connected with a tournament. A "working downtown" is exactly correct.

The charade of assigned seats behind the dugouts was borderline silly. GA everything but the VIP areas and let it roll.

But for pure enjoyment of ball, I enjoyed this one. (All day games in a stadium with the roof open may have played a part in that too, if I'm honest).


Either way, I'm looking forward to next year. We may have outgrown the Tony Gwynn tournament, but I selfishly wish for San Diego. The Las Vegas one looks like a blast. I'd go back to Arlington and do it better next time. The one in Frisco, Texas looked like a fun one from what I saw over the weekend, and seems to be in a fairly active area.

(Or Tampa or Jacksonville, I'm not super picky).
Click to expand...
I have still not seen an indoors baseball game.
Monday morning, I noticed the roof was closed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volsagain and chuckiepoo
#72
#72
fryeguy93 said:
I guess the ones we haven't outgrown (reputation wise)

Las Vegas
Scottsdale
Arlington (1 of 2 weekends)
Houston

The second tier tourneys would be

Round Rock
Jacksonville
Frisco

Third tier that would be a nice weekend:

San Diego (Tony Gwynn Classic)
Conway, SC (Baseball at the Beach) We played there in the 90s or early 00s I think


I think a great plan would be what the softball team does. Play in a first or second weekend tourney against big time competition and then host a tourney in Knoxville at LNS and Covenant Health Park on the third or 4th weekend with a group of in-state and nearby schools like ETSU, Tenn Tech, App State, UNC-Asheville, WCU, MTSU, etc. against a handful of northern schools. With 2 stadiums, you could have 8 teams.
Click to expand...
Outgrown in what way?
LSU was in Frisco. That’s a pretty big name.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#73
#73
fryeguy93 said:
I guess the ones we haven't outgrown (reputation wise)

Las Vegas
Scottsdale
Arlington (1 of 2 weekends)
Houston

The second tier tourneys would be

Round Rock
Jacksonville
Frisco

Third tier that would be a nice weekend:

San Diego (Tony Gwynn Classic)
Conway, SC (Baseball at the Beach) We played there in the 90s or early 00s I think


I think a great plan would be what the softball team does. Play in a first or second weekend tourney against big time competition and then host a tourney in Knoxville at LNS and Covenant Health Park on the third or 4th weekend with a group of in-state and nearby schools like ETSU, Tenn Tech, App State, UNC-Asheville, WCU, MTSU, etc. against a handful of northern schools. With 2 stadiums, you could have 8 teams.
Click to expand...

Between you and me I think there's a very good chance something like that happens as long as the construction at LNS progresses like it should.

The Desert Classic is an opening weekend deal (or Vegas could shift), which would open up a nice Todd Helton Invitational window exactly like you said.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#74
#74
fryeguy93 said:
I have still not seen an indoors baseball game.
Monday morning, I noticed the roof was closed.
Click to expand...

You ain't missing much. Last year was the first time I had seen one.

Very kinda blah experience. Didn't feel right to me (even if I did appreciate the warmth).
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top