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Key Information

Houston is located in the United States
Houston
Houston
class=notpageimage|
Location in the United States

Colt Stadium was a Major League baseball stadium that formerly stood in Houston, Texas. It was the temporary home of the expansion Houston Colt .45s for their first three seasons (1962–1964) while the Astrodome was being built, just to the south of it.

After its use in Houston, it was dismantled and moved for use in two Mexican cities.

Houston

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When the Houston Sports Association was granted an expansion franchise for the 1962 season, it bought the city's longtime minor-league team, the Houston Buffaloes, to obtain the major league rights to the area. However, the Colt .45's decided the Buffs' longtime home, Buffalo Stadium, was unsuitable even for temporary use and built a makeshift stadium until the Astrodome opened.

The stadium consisted of an uncovered one-level grandstand, stretching from foul pole to foul pole, with small bleacher stands in right and left field. One baseball annual published just before the 1962 season referred to it as "a barn-like thing." It is best remembered for the horribly hot and humid weather (and attendant mosquito population) that had necessitated building the first domed stadium. The field was conventionally aligned northeast (home to center field) at an elevation of 50 feet (15 m) above sea level.

The stadium was abandoned when the Astrodome was completed for the 1965 season. The Astros occasionally used it for running and exercising to acclimatize players to warm weather before a road trip. However, the players had to be careful, as rattlesnakes would often take up residence on the field. Monsanto engineers also used it as a testing ground for its synthetic ChemGrass, later known as AstroTurf, inviting cars and horses to ride on the synthetic surface to gauge its durability. It sat abandoned for ten years, accumulating random odds and ends from nearby Astroworld and weathering in the blistering Texas sun.

The right field corner of the stadium was located in what is now the northwest corner of NRG Center. Much of the northern half of the stadium (center field, left field and the third base stands) is occupied by a power station, and home plate was approximately located where a light pole in the adjacent parking lot is.

No-hitters

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The stadium was the site of two no-hitters, both thrown by Houston, but the visitors scored in both and one was a Colts' loss. In 1963, Don Nottebart shut down the Philadelphia Phillies on May 17, but an error in the fifth inning and two sacrifices scored a run for the visitors; Houston won, 4–1.[2] The following year, knuckleball thrower Ken Johnson kept the Cincinnati Reds hitless on April 23, but an unearned run scored by Pete Rose in the ninth broke a scoreless tie and the Reds won, 1–0.[3][4] With one out, Rose bunted and reached second on Johnson's throwing error, advanced to third on a fielder's choice, and scored after another error.[5]

Low attendance

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Against the hapless New York Mets late in both teams' first season, only 1,638 attended the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, September 8, 1962.[6]

Colt Stadium junkyard,
February 18, 1973

Season totals

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  • 1962: 924,456 (7th of 10 NL teams)
  • 1963: 719,502 (10th of 10)
  • 1964: 725,773 (10th of 10)

The three seasons combined to 2,369,731; the first season at the Astrodome drew 2,151,470 in 1965.

Mexico

[edit]

Torreón

[edit]

By the early 1970s, Colt Stadium had become a county tax liability, with a lien on it. In 1971, it was sold to the owners of the Algodoneros del Unión Laguna, a Mexican League team, and was dismantled and shipped in pieces over the next four years[7] to Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, for use as the team's home venue. Renamed Estadio Superior in a naming rights deal with a beer sponsor, Unión Laguna used the stadium between 1975 and 1981. It was located near the Estadio Corona soccer stadium on land used today for a soft drink company.[8] The stadium was popularly known as the Estadio Mecano[9] or Millón de Tuercas (Million Screws) due to its resemblance to an Erector Set and its ability to be assembled and disassembled.

Tampico

[edit]

In 1981, the owner of Unión Laguna, Juan Abusaid Ríos, had a falling out with Governor of Coahuila José de las Fuentes.[8] Abusaid sold the team to the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana (Union of Oil Workers of the Mexican Republic), which moved the franchise to Tampico, Tamaulipas. While the stadium was taken down in Torreón and moved to Tampico, the franchise spent the 1982 season in Monclova, Coahuila as the Astros de Monclova.

In 1983, the Astros became the Astros de Tamaulipas, playing three full seasons at the stadium, known in Tampico as the Estadio Ángel Castro. The franchise moved again after the 1985 season, this time without the stadium. The Mexico City Tigers bought the stadium with the intent of moving it yet again to serve as the club's new home, but with the venue already showing structural weakness after years in the humid Tampico climate, the plans were scuttled. Ultimately, some rows of seats were reassembled at a ballfield in Pasteje, Jocotitlán, State of Mexico, and the others remained in a Tampico playground until that, too, was demolished.[7] El Mecano became the only major league ballpark to be sent down to the minors and the only one to play host to three professional teams in two nations.[7]

See also

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References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Colt Stadium

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Colt Stadium was a temporary open-air park in Houston, Texas, that served as the home field for the expansion Houston Colt .45s of from 1962 to 1964. Constructed rapidly starting in August 1961 on the site that would later become part of the complex, the stadium was designed as an interim venue because the innovative domed stadium was not ready for the 1962 season. With a capacity of approximately 33,000 seats arranged in a single tier of multicolored bleachers—featuring shades like flamingo red, burnt orange, chartreuse, and turquoise—Colt Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, drawing 25,271 fans for the Colt .45s' inaugural game against the Chicago Cubs. Its location at the northwest corner of the future site exposed it to Houston's intense heat, humidity, and frequent mosquito swarms, earning it a reputation as one of the most uncomfortable venues in MLB history; during a single June 1962 doubleheader, over 80 spectators required medical treatment for . The stadium hosted the Colt .45s for just three seasons, during which the team compiled a 196–288 record, and it played a key role in Houston's entry into as the National League's first expansion franchise west of . Notable events included the initiation of games in , a scheduling innovation driven by the stadium's floodlights and Houston's growing fanbase, as well as young pitcher Larry Dierker's MLB debut on his 18th birthday in September 1964. The final game occurred on September 27, 1964, after which the team rebranded as the Houston Astros and moved to the newly completed in 1965. Following its brief tenure, Colt Stadium was dismantled in 1970, with its components relocated to , where it was reassembled as El Mecano in 1971 before being moved again to ; today, remnants serve as a . Despite its short lifespan and harsh conditions, the stadium symbolizes Houston's ambitious push into during the , paving the way for the revolutionary and the city's enduring baseball legacy.

Design and Features

Architectural Design

Colt Stadium was constructed as a temporary, single-deck, open-air ballpark to serve as the interim home for the Houston Colt .45s while the was being built. The design featured a simple, functional layout with a continuous extending from foul pole to foul pole, emphasizing accessibility and basic spectator viewing without upper tiers or elaborate enclosures. This open configuration provided no overhead cover, relying entirely on natural ventilation to manage 's , which often exacerbated discomfort during games. The stadium's aesthetic incorporated a modern, colorful palette, with seating upholstered in pastel shades reminiscent of rainbow sherbet, including prominent flamingo-pink cushions in the main areas to create a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. Half of the seating consisted of these cushioned chairs, while the remainder and sections used basic , contributing to the venue's economical and straightforward build. Amenities were minimal, including floodlights for evening play and concession areas that stocked to address the prolific presence drawn by the surrounding marshy terrain and lack of barriers. Later, the structure was repainted gray before its relocation. Built at a cost of approximately $2 million, the project began in late 1961 and was completed in time for the 1962 season opener on April 10, on a site in what would become the northern parking area of the complex. This rapid timeline reflected its provisional role, with the entire facility designed for easy disassembly and reuse, ultimately leading to its dismantling in the late . The absence of or enclosed elements underscored its short-term purpose, prioritizing cost efficiency over long-term comfort adaptations.

Field Dimensions and Capacity

Colt Stadium featured expansive dimensions that emphasized pitching dominance and defensive play over power hitting. The left and right field foul lines measured 360 feet from home plate, with left-center and right-center power alleys at 395 feet, and straightaway center field reaching 420 feet, accompanied by a 30-foot-high wall in center that further deterred home runs. These deep fences contributed to pitcher-friendly conditions, as evidenced by the Houston Colt .45s' low power output in their inaugural 1962 season, when the team hit just 92 home runs across 162 games. The infield adhered to standard specifications of the era, featuring a 90-foot diamond with foul lines extending well beyond walls due to the stadium's generous foul territory of approximately 31,700 square feet. Minimal bleacher seating was provided in left and right fields, while the center field area remained open, occupied primarily by the integrated into the wall, which preserved visibility for outfielders but limited spectator options in that sector. Seating capacity at Colt Stadium totaled around 33,000, arranged in a single tier of grandstands stretching from foul pole to foul pole, supplemented by temporary in the outfield corners to accommodate larger crowds. The pitcher's stood at the 1960s MLB standard height of 15 inches above home plate, with the rubber positioned 60 feet, 6 inches away, while batter's boxes measured 4 feet wide by 6 feet long on each side of the plate, aligning with league regulations to ensure fair play.

History in Houston

Construction and Opening

Colt Stadium was constructed as a temporary venue for the expansion Colt .45s of Major League Baseball's National League, serving as their home field from 1962 to 1964 while the permanent was built on an adjacent site in Houston, Texas. The stadium was financed by local investors through the Houston Sports Association, a group that included prominent figures such as Judge , who played a key role in securing the franchise and overseeing the project's development. The design was handled by the architecture firm Lloyd, Morgan & Jones, known for their work on modern Houston structures, with construction beginning on August 9, 1961, and completing in time for the 1962 season at a total cost of $2 million. This rapid timeline reflected the urgency to establish a suitable MLB facility, as the existing Buffalo Stadium was deemed inadequate for major league play. The stadium opened on April 10, 1962—coinciding with Hofheinz's 50th birthday—with the regular-season opener against the Chicago Cubs, where the Colt .45s secured an 11–2 victory before a crowd of 25,271 fans. Early games drew strong interest, highlighted by a state record attendance of 33,145 on June 10, 1962, for a doubleheader against the .

Seasons and Notable Events

The Houston Colt .45s began their franchise history at Colt Stadium with the season, finishing with a 64–96 record and placing eighth in the National League. The team opened on against the Chicago Cubs, securing an 11–2 victory in their debut game, highlighted by Román Mejías' two home runs and six RBIs. This win marked the first in club history, drawing a crowd of 25,271 fans to the temporary ballpark. In 1963, the Colt .45s posted a 66–96 record, again finishing ninth in the National League. A notable milestone occurred on June 9, when they hosted the San Francisco Giants in the first Sunday night game in history, prompted by Houston's extreme daytime heat; the Colt .45s won 3–0 behind Hal Brown's . Another highlight was pitcher Don Nottebart's against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 17, a 4–1 victory that became the first in franchise history, with Nottebart striking out eight and walking three. The 1964 season saw the Colt .45s conclude their time at Colt Stadium with a 66–96 record, finishing ninth in the league for the second straight year. On April 23, pitcher Ken Johnson threw a nine-inning against the but suffered a 1–0 loss—the only such defeat in MLB history—due to two errors and a walk in the ninth inning. A notable event was young pitcher Larry Dierker's MLB debut on September 22, his 18th birthday. The final game at the stadium came on September 27 against the , a 1–0 extra-inning win for Houston in 12 innings, powered by Bob Bruce's and Jim Wynn's game-winning single scoring . Several unique events defined the stadium's brief MLB tenure. The spacious field dimensions, including 420 feet to center field, contributed to low totals across the three seasons, with the Colt .45s ranking last in the National League in homers in 1962. Extreme heat was a recurring challenge, exemplified by the June 10, 1962, doubleheader against the Dodgers, where temperatures reached the 90s and 78 fans were treated for heat prostration. Additionally, served as the public address announcer during the early games of the 1962 season, earning $10 per game in a role that predated his national journalism career.

Attendance and Criticisms

During its three seasons as the home of the Houston Colt .45s, Colt Stadium struggled with consistently low attendance, reflecting the challenges faced by a new expansion franchise in a hot Southern climate. In 1962, the inaugural year, the team drew a total of 924,456 fans for 81 home games, averaging 11,413 per game and ranking seventh in the National League among 10 teams. This figure was respectable for an expansion team, surpassing the New York Mets' league-worst 922,530 total but trailing the American League's other newcomer, the Los Angeles Angels, who attracted 1,144,063. Attendance declined sharply thereafter, dropping to 719,502 in 1963 (average 8,883, last in the NL) and 725,773 in 1964 (average 8,960, again last), amid the team's sub-.500 records and growing fan dissatisfaction with the venue's conditions. The stadium's open-air design exacerbated Houston's extreme summer heat and humidity, leading to widespread criticisms from fans and players alike. Temperatures frequently exceeded 100°F during daytime games, with one notable instance on June 10, 1962, reaching 100°F and causing multiple fans to faint from ; spectators often resorted to soaking towels in ice water to cope. The lack of shade or any cooling systems made the environment unbearable, prompting the Colt .45s to schedule a high proportion of night games—over 60% in 1962—to avoid peak , including the major leagues' first Sunday night contest on June 9, 1963. Players echoed these complaints; outfielder , who debuted with the team in 1963, later described Colt Stadium as "the hottest place on the face of the ," highlighting the relentless discomfort that affected performance and morale. Additional operational flaws compounded the issues, including severe mosquito infestations and inadequate . The stadium's location near marshy areas led to swarms of , particularly at night, forcing vendors to sell and grounds crews to fog the stands regularly, which further irritated attendees. Poor created visibility problems for fielders tracking fly balls under the insufficient illumination, while the dirt generated dust clouds in the wind, adding to the overall haze and discomfort during games. These environmental and infrastructural shortcomings, stemming from the stadium's hasty construction as a temporary facility, alienated fans and underscored the need for a more suitable enclosed venue. The cumulative effect of low turnout and these persistent criticisms accelerated the push for a permanent home, directly contributing to the rapid completion and opening of the in 1965 as the Colt .45s' new ballpark. The temporary nature of Colt Stadium amplified these problems, as minimal investments in improvements left unresolved the very issues that deterred attendance and comfort.

Relocation and Later Use

Dismantling and Move to Torreón

Following the relocation of the Houston Colt .45s to the newly opened in 1965, Colt Stadium stood unused adjacent to the dome, primarily functioning as a storage yard for approximately five years. To minimize its visibility as an eyesore in aerial photographs of the complex, Astros owner ordered the structure painted gray. Over this period, the stadium gradually fell into disrepair as a result of neglect. In 1970, after Harris County declared the unused stadium taxable—imposing a financial burden on the Astros—Hofheinz initiated its complete dismantling to clear the site and eliminate the liability. The disassembly process, which occurred piece by piece and encompassed seats, fixtures, and other components, reflected the stadium's original that facilitated such deconstruction. The resulting parts were stored on-site near the until 1974, when they were sold for $100,000 to Juan Abusaíd on behalf of the —commonly known as the Torreón Cotton Pickers—a team in Mexico's Liga Mexicana de Béisbol seeking an economical solution for a new . The components were then transported roughly 650 miles south to , , , where reassembly beginning in late 1974 transformed the structure into Estadio Superior in 1975, named after a local sponsor. This relocation addressed the Mexican club's need for a cost-effective venue while allowing Houston authorities to repurpose the land adjacent to the .

Use in Torreón

Following its disassembly in , the stadium was transported and reassembled in , , , where it became operational in 1975 as Estadio Superior, named after a local sponsor. It served as the home venue for the , the local franchise in the Mexican League, recognized as a Triple-A level circuit affiliated with . The reassembly preserved much of the prefabricated steel structure originally designed for Colt Stadium, allowing for relatively quick installation adjacent to the existing Estadio Moctezuma. The facility hosted games from 1975 through 1981, providing a dedicated space for the Algodoneros during a period of regional growth in the sport. Modifications during reassembly, including the omission of the original bleachers, reduced its from the Houston-era 33,000 to an estimated 20,000–25,000 spectators, better suiting local demand while maintaining the venue's open-air design. This adjustment helped accommodate crowds for and playoff contests, contributing to increased fan engagement in Torreón and surrounding areas of La Laguna region. Under the Algodoneros banner, the team experienced competitive seasons at Estadio Superior, drawing notable talent that elevated the franchise's profile. Players such as Héctor Espino, a legendary Mexican slugger and multiple-time league home run leader, joined the roster in 1979 and 1980, where he set a record with 11 consecutive hits in one stretch and continued to draw significant crowds with his power hitting. The stadium's role as a modern facility at the time spurred local attendance boosts, fostering a stronger culture in by offering fans access to high-level Triple-A play and memorable performances. Adaptations to the structure were minimal, focusing on practical enhancements for the hot, arid Mexican climate of , such as reinforced roofing elements for better shade in the grandstands, while retaining the original field dimensions of left field at 360 feet, center at 420 feet, and right at 360 feet. The venue remained exclusively dedicated to throughout its tenure in , without conversion for other or events, emphasizing its purpose-built design for professional play. The stadium's use in Torreón concluded after the 1981 season, when the Unión Laguna franchise relocated to as the Astros de Monclova and the stadium was sold for further transport. This marked the end of its role as a key landmark in the city, after which it was prepared for relocation.

Move to Tampico and Current Status

After the 1981 season, following seven seasons of use in Torreón, Colt Stadium—known locally as "El Mecano" due to its —was sold to the revived Alijadores de franchise of the Mexican League and disassembled for relocation over 500 miles southeast to , . The structure was reassembled in by 1983 as Estadio Ángel Castro, where it continued to serve as a venue while retaining key elements of its original design, such as the steel-frame construction and seating layout. The Alijadores de Tampico had been revived in the Mexican League in 1971, but used other facilities until the arrival of the stadium; it then supported professional games as the home of the rebranded Astros de Tampico from 1983 to 1985, before the team folded and professional baseball ceased at the venue. Throughout the early 1980s, it also hosted local amateur leagues and community events. In the mid-1980s, after the franchise departed, the stadium was incorporated into the campus of the Universidad del Noreste in and adapted for multi-purpose activities beyond , including soccer matches, concerts, and various events. The Tigers purchased it in 1985 with plans to relocate it again, but due to high costs and structural damage from the , they abandoned the idea, leaving it in place. As of 2023, the aging structure stands in a dilapidated state on the university grounds, functioning primarily as a public recreational area and occasional event space, with portions of the original seating and framework still visible but no longer suitable for organized sports at a professional level; some sections have been repurposed as a and storage.

References

  1. https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/colt-stadium/
  2. https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/acosta-astros2.pdf
  3. https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2017/10/19/a-look-back-at-colt-stadium-the-home-of-the-colt-45s/
  4. https://sabr.org/journal/article/houstons-role-in-the-initiation-of-sunday-night-baseball/
  5. https://ballparkdigest.com/200904041698/major-league-baseball/visits/colt-stadium-houston-colt-45s-1962-1964
  6. https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/1964-Colt-Stadium-final-Houston-game-9292180.php
  7. https://ballparks.com/baseball/national/coltst.htm
  8. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1962.shtml
  9. http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Stadium_statistics.html
  10. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Colt_Stadium
  11. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/houston-colt-45s
  12. https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-astrodome-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world-changed-sports-and-spectatorship-in-america/
  13. https://cdm17006.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/ArchDrawing/id/104/
  14. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196204100.shtml
  15. https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-10-1962-expansion-colt-45s-win-first-game-in-franchise-history/
  16. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1963.shtml
  17. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196306090.shtml
  18. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196305170.shtml
  19. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1964.shtml
  20. https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-23-1964-ken-johnson-pitches-a-no-hitter-for-houston-and-loses-the-game-to-reds/
  21. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196409270.shtml
  22. https://bill37mccurdy.com/2013/11/16/june-10-1962-heat-fells-fans-in-houston/
  23. http://projectballpark.org/history/nl/colt.html
  24. https://abc13.com/post/remember-when-fans-drop-from-heat-at-colt-stadium/3574892/
  25. https://www.chron.com/local/history/major-stories-events/article/Houston-Colt-45s-brought-majors-to-town-but-8406125.php
  26. https://ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/colt-stadium/
  27. https://theclio.com/entry/66552
  28. https://intelisport.com.mx/2021/07/20/recuerdos-del-parque-superior/
  29. https://www.facebook.com/AlgodonerosUL/posts/en-1979-h%25C3%25A9ctorespino-impuso-la-marca-de-11-turnos-consecutivos-conectando-de-hit/2310339882385957/
  30. https://oem.com.mx/elsoldelalaguna/deportes/hector-espino-el-superman-que-vistio-la-franela-guinda-18524845
  31. https://blog.hmns.org/2018/07/lost-or-forgotten-houston-history-sports-edition/
  32. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Alijadores_de_Tampico
  33. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-ta14891/y-1983
  34. https://ballparkdigest.com/2016/09/28/a-look-back-at-colt-stadium/
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