SUGAR LAND — This was baseball, the game of unwritten rules and subdued emotion, and yet the Sugar Land Skeeters threw caution to the wind and caved to celebration Thursday night.
When the Skeeters began taking batting practice three hours before the 7:10 p.m. first pitch, the newly renovated ballpark was still empty, save for a handful of reporters and dozens of staff flitting about in blue and yellow polos, yet the air hummed with palpable anticipation.
At 5:35 p.m., the gates opened and eager spectators flooded inside to the booming tones of the PA announcer’s voice declaring, “Welcome to the beautiful Constellation Field! Get yourself a hot dog, grab yourself some popcorn, kick back and relax and enjoy a beautiful evening at the ballpark.”
Blue, white and yellow balloon towers dotted the concourse. Astros owner Jim Crane and general manager James Click milled about before heading up to a second-floor suite. As the teams filtered into their dugouts, Skeeters mascot Swatson and Astros mascot Orbit stood side by side 10 rows above home plate and doled out high fives while staffers shot confetti out of canons.
Following a year of pandemic-induced attendance limits and a canceled minor league baseball season, it all felt strangely ordinary, like slipping on a broken-in glove.
Longtime Astros fan George Mass lingered by the home dugout, hoping to catch a glimpse of Astros lefthander Framber Valdez, who is scheduled to make his second rehab start Saturday in Sugar Land.
“I was just peeking in the dugout, and it looks like a replica of Minute Maid,” Mass said. Which is exactly the intention the Astros had when they renovated the dugout this offseason, according to vice president of affiliate operations Thomas Bell.
Donning a white Zack Greinke jersey and an Astros mask, Mass recalled meeting Valdez at Minute Maid Park during the 2017 World Series run. Thursday was Mass’ first time attending a game at Constellation Field, or any farm team game, but the retiree said the convenience and allure of seeing one of his favorite Astros up close prompted him to make the drive to Sugar Land.
“I don’t do nothing except follow the Astros and the Texans,” he said. “I’ll probably be back.”
On the first-base side, Aimee Vignocchi and her sons Zachary, 13, and Levi, 8, took in the sights and sounds. Zachary was clad in a Hawaiian-print Skeeters jersey and a cap bearing the signatures of the entire 2019 team. His mom and brother wore blue and yellow balloon hats.
The family lives in Katy and have been regular spectators at Skeeters games for as long as Aimee Vignocchi could remember. Both her sons play baseball and have cherished their interactions with Skeeters players.
Eagle-eyed Zachary pointed out that the extended netting and new orange paint on the foul poles. Other than that, they said the vibe Thursday was the same one they’ve enjoyed for years.
“It feels so accessible,” Aimee Vignocchi said. “You’re right down in the action.”
Levi took a break from munching on his burger to chime in: “It’s super fun because they have a playground and the grassy part,” he said, pointing across the outfield.
On the grassy berm in right field, Kelly, John and Suzanne Fox lounged on a blanket. The trio live a couple miles from the ballpark and first started attending Skeeters games when Constellation Field opened nearly a decade ago, in 2012. They watched former NBA star Tracy McGrady and ex-Astros outfielder Jason Lane pitch for the Skeeters.
“I didn’t know Jason Lane could throw a knuckleball,” John said with a chuckle. “Turns out that’s all he could throw.”
Now that the Skeeters are affiliated with the Astros, their responsibilities align more with player development than headline-grabbing celebrity signings. That’s just fine with these fans.
“I’ll trade that for better play anytime,” John said.
“Yeah, at one point with the Skeeters, it was like watching ‘Bad News Bears,’” Kelly added.
While the Foxes continued to go to Minute Maid Park eight to 10 times a year, their attendance at Constellation Field eventually petered off — until this year.
“I wanted to come on opening day because that’s the exciting part,” Suzanne Fox said. “It’s hard to get them at Minute Maid.”
Walking around the park as the sun began to set over right field, fans could be overheard discussing when they could get a glimpse of Astros players or soon-to-be major leaguers in Sugar Land. Astros pitcher Jake Odorizzi is scheduled for a rehab outing Sunday, the third game of a six-game series against El Paso. Valdez, sitting in the dugout, temporarily took up bat boy duty Thursday.
Aside from Odorizzi and Valdez, the Skeeters roster features six players who have logged service time in the big leagues: Outfielder Ronnie Dawson, infielder Alex De Goti, infielder Taylor Jones, righthander Nivaldo Rodriguez, righthander Peter Solomon, catcher Garrett Stubbs, infielder Abraham Toro and righthander Hector Velázquez. Skeeters outfielder Jose Siri, who went 1 for 4 on Thursday, leads all minor league players with 24 RBIs on the season and is still waiting for his big league debut.
“It’s exciting that we don’t have to go all the way to Round Rock (to see Class AAA ball),” Kelly Fox said. “I like minor league games because they do all these fun little things in between innings.”
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Once there, fans were reminded of the relaxed atmosphere and goofy in-game promotions inherent to minor league ball. Cajoled into participation by her family, Suzanne Fox participated in a rubber chicken toss on the third-base side after the fourth inning.
Official attendance was announced as 4,424, though the festive atmosphere could have made a much larger figure seem believable.
Skeeters media relations head Ryan Posner nodded approvingly as he surveyed the crowd.
“Packed house,” he said. “On a good night, maybe half of this when we were independent.”
The smaller ballpark suited Keith and Gay Taylor, who live at the Del Webb retirement community in nearby Richmond and are newly minted members of the Silver Skeeters, a club for fans 55 and over.
“It’s local, convenient, cheap and you’re closer to the field,” Gay Taylor said. “It’s more of an intimate game. … It’s something we’re going to look forward to now that we know other Del Webbers. It’s nice to connect with them, too.”
The Skeeters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning as De Goti drove in the first Class AAA run in Constellation Field history with a groundout, followed by an RBI single by designated hitter Lorenzo Quintana.
The crowd groaned as the Chihuahuas took a 3-2 lead on an RBI double but cheered enthusiastically as left fielder Dawson and shortstop Yadiel Rivera relayed a throw to catcher Michael Papierski to tag a second runner out at home and retire the side.
Fans erupted again when Jones singled to drive in De Goti and retook the lead for the Skeeters in the following frame. In the sixth, they provided a standing ovation when right fielder Bryan De La Cruz blasted a three-run shot over the left field scoreboard — the first Class AAA home run at Constellation Field and what ended up being the final runs of the night.
Manager Mickey Storey said the support was refreshing for the Skeeters, who played the 2020 season in front of limited capacity crowds and opened this season with two road series.
“It was awesome,” he said. “We knew we would draw pretty well, being in Houston and being an affiliate and being the first time with the Astros, but it was really good to see our home fans, see our guys out there in their white uniforms and close out the ninth inning with a win. It was good to get that vibe of being a home team for once and having the crowd behind us instead of screaming at us.”
After the final out, most fans stayed glued to their seats to watch a fireworks display. As the dark sky above right field shimmered, Skeeters fans craned their necks upward, appreciating a new standard and a return to normalcy wrapped up in one night.
