Climbing Tal's Hill
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Astros: Tropicana Field will be home away from home

By Eric Huysman

ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 27: Ken Giles #53 shakes hands with catcher Evan Gattis #11 of the Houston Astros after earning a save in the ninth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 27, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 27: Ken Giles #53 shakes hands with catcher Evan Gattis #11 of the Houston Astros after earning a save in the ninth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 27, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Astros will not be heading back to Houston for the six game home stand.

The airports are closed with region wide flooding which had no end in sight. Tropical storm Harvey is about to enter the Gulf of Mexico and head towards Houston. Most of the city is underwater. How does this affect the Astros?

Most schools have been canceled for the rest of the week. In fact, the high school I teach at is a shelter for those in the south belt area. As I struggle to get my in-laws out of a shelter in Friendswood, about three miles away, what’s next for the Stros?

They were to return to Houston to play the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park starting on Tuesday. As a season ticket holder, I was supposed to go to the game. However, with all the rain the Houston area has gotten, how will the Astros play three games at MMP?

A swim with the Rays.

The answer was just announced, the Astros and Rangers will play at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay. The Astros had flown into Dallas but now will head out to Tampa. Why there?

The Rays are out-of-town, so it came down to a team on the road for the week. The Astros announced that they could also play the Mets in Tampa as well. They would make that decision later, but it would be best for Houston to recover.

Tropicana Field is also a neutral field, unlike 2008 when Hurricane Ike pushed the Astros to Milwaukee versus the Cubs. The Brewers were really close to Chicago, so many Cubs fans made the trip. With the Astros season on the line, the Cubs swept the doubleheader with the game one no-hitter.

According to Reid Ryan (per Mark Berman), the Astros tried to play the next three games in Arlington, then switch the next series to play at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers did not want that. Instead, they wanted to play all six games in Arlington. What did the Stros do? They said thanks but will go to Tampa instead. The Rangers wanted it all.

Thoughts with Harvey.

The players are not robots. They are aware of what’s going on in the Houston area. Josh Reddick said it was hard to focus. Many players around baseball have sent their prayers to the Houston area via social media. Some players are also planning to make donations.

Houston will probably take a hit with ticket revenues playing in Tampa. However, they did hold spring training in Kissimmee for many years. They could have a large fan base attend games. The key is safety. There is no way even to consider playing baseball in Houston at the moment.

George Springer tried to send a message in a song that he played in the locker room. He blasted, ‘Everything will be alright.’ It will take a while for Houston and the surrounding areas to recover and rebuild. As people return to their homes over the next few days, baseball will be there help you get through the tough time.

As Ryan said, thanks to the Rays for allowing the Stros to play in their ballpark. Unlike the 2008 Astros team, the outcome of these games should not derail the season. With 32 games left, the Astros have a 13.5 lead in the AL West.

Next: Astros home series versus Rangers in holding pattern with Harvey

The Astros, like their fans, are Houston strong. Hopefully, the Astros give fans something to get excited about in October.

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