Ryan pitches Astros exhibition at Alamodome
Houston's president of business operations trying to set date against Rangers
HOUSTON -- Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan met with officials from the Alamodome on Friday in San Antonio to gauge their interest in having the Astros and Rangers play an exhibition game in the Alamo City next spring.
Ryan met with the general manager of the Alamodome and head of the San Antonio Convention Center, and informed them the Astros are interested in playing the Rangers there next year. The Rangers, who played two games against the Padres in the Alamodome in March, are under contract for another exhibition game there in 2014.
"I just basically told all the guys in my family, 'Hey, maybe we ought to try to put the Astros over here,'" Ryan said. "I came over to meet with the city and just told them that's what I'd like to do. Everybody's excited, and now we're going to have to wait and see how all the schedules work out. I think it could be a really fun event."
In March, a total of 75,210 fans turned out for two exhibition games between the Rangers and Padres, whose Double-A team is in San Antonio, in what was billed as Big League Weekend. The football stadium was configured for baseball to include a right-field wall that was only 285 feet from home plate.
Ryan said though the feedback has been good from Astros fans and people in San Antonio, nothing can be planned until schedules come out in the fall.
"It's still a wish at this point," he said. "The Alamodome is in the business of putting on a lot of events, and that's why I needed to get over here. I wanted them to know the Astros and Rangers have interest in doing the game and it comes down to the date and making it work with Opening Day and Spring Training."
Ryan, who said he was having dinner on Friday night with his legendary father, Nolan, likes the idea of bringing the Astros to central Texas to try to build up the fan base.
"We have a lot of challenges, starting with people want to see the games on TV," said Ryan, who was hired last month. "One of the things I want to do and I helped to do with the Rangers, is build the fan base in the out markets, and this could be a very big step in trying to get back on everybody's radar."