08-11-2017, 09:24 PM
The picture is of Buff Stadium (the official name was Busch Stadium during the years the team was owned by the Cardinals) in 1959 the first year the Buffs were in the American Association (AAA) and a Cub farm team.
Across the street behind RF is the Hughes Tool Company where you could see the glow from the welders working on the drill bits. Prior to Hughes setting up shop there was a dirt track for racing cars. The folks who ran this ultimately opened a dirt track at Playland Park on South Main.
Also behind RF and CF you could see passenger trains going to/from the south to Union Station. There were several Santa Fe trains that used those tracks to get to Galveston but also their trains to the north and west as the Santa Fe didn't own trackage inside Houston so they used several other roads from other railroads to get to their own tracks in Alvin and Stafford.
Re:Buff announcers...Loel Passé and Gene Elston did the last two years of the Buffs and were part of the 3 man crew to do the Colt 45's first years. Buff games also had an early appearance on the forerunner of KPRC TV when it was KLEE. Dick Gotlieb called those games and was on the air when a man committed suicide in the press box in 1950.
After Carla damaged the stadium in 1961 and the Colt 45's began play at Colt Stadium, Buff sat unused until it was torn down.
Personally my favorite Buff was Bob Boyd, the first black player for the Buffs. Boyd was signed by the White Sox in 1950 after playing for Memphis in the Negro American League. He had several stops in the minors before being signed by the Cardinals and coming to Houston for 1954 and 1955. He helped lead the Buffs to the Dixie World Series and a loss to the Atlanta Crackers in 1954 (the Buffs got revenge over Atlanta in 1956 and 1957). Buff Stadium had been segregated since its opening with the Colored Section located down the RF line in front of the visitors clubhouse. After the 1954 season the park was officially integrated but in general early on the RF line was still for the black fans. Boyd went on to have a nice stint in MLB with the Orioles mainly before finishing up in the minors. Ironically his last two seasons was as a Houston farmhand in San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
Other Buff Stadium Pictures:
Top-Opening Day 1928
Second-1956 as Busch Stadium
Third/Fourth-Day Game Early 50's/Main Entrance Early 50's
![[Image: YPvrhw.jpg]](https://vgy.me/YPvrhw.jpg)
Early 30's Before Hughes Tool And Show Race Car Track
![[Image: iZOip6.jpg]](https://vgy.me/iZOip6.jpg)
Photo In My Home Office From Mid 50's Showing Hughes Tool & Railroad Tracks To Union Station
![[Image: kg7N4R.jpg]](https://vgy.me/kg7N4R.jpg)
Day Game 50's
![[Image: qxRVDv.jpg]](https://vgy.me/qxRVDv.jpg)
Night Game Early 50's
![[Image: xkqnqK.jpg]](https://vgy.me/xkqnqK.jpg)
Advanced Sales Box Office 50's
![[Image: ISH8lr.jpg]](https://vgy.me/ISH8lr.jpg)
Final note....After lights were installed in 1930 the first game under the lights between MLB teams happened at Buff Stadium in February 1931 between the White Sox and the New York Giants. Almost each year Buff Stadium hosted a spring training game between two MLB teams usually on their way to open the season.
Across the street behind RF is the Hughes Tool Company where you could see the glow from the welders working on the drill bits. Prior to Hughes setting up shop there was a dirt track for racing cars. The folks who ran this ultimately opened a dirt track at Playland Park on South Main.
Also behind RF and CF you could see passenger trains going to/from the south to Union Station. There were several Santa Fe trains that used those tracks to get to Galveston but also their trains to the north and west as the Santa Fe didn't own trackage inside Houston so they used several other roads from other railroads to get to their own tracks in Alvin and Stafford.
Re:Buff announcers...Loel Passé and Gene Elston did the last two years of the Buffs and were part of the 3 man crew to do the Colt 45's first years. Buff games also had an early appearance on the forerunner of KPRC TV when it was KLEE. Dick Gotlieb called those games and was on the air when a man committed suicide in the press box in 1950.
After Carla damaged the stadium in 1961 and the Colt 45's began play at Colt Stadium, Buff sat unused until it was torn down.
Personally my favorite Buff was Bob Boyd, the first black player for the Buffs. Boyd was signed by the White Sox in 1950 after playing for Memphis in the Negro American League. He had several stops in the minors before being signed by the Cardinals and coming to Houston for 1954 and 1955. He helped lead the Buffs to the Dixie World Series and a loss to the Atlanta Crackers in 1954 (the Buffs got revenge over Atlanta in 1956 and 1957). Buff Stadium had been segregated since its opening with the Colored Section located down the RF line in front of the visitors clubhouse. After the 1954 season the park was officially integrated but in general early on the RF line was still for the black fans. Boyd went on to have a nice stint in MLB with the Orioles mainly before finishing up in the minors. Ironically his last two seasons was as a Houston farmhand in San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
Other Buff Stadium Pictures:
Top-Opening Day 1928
Second-1956 as Busch Stadium
Third/Fourth-Day Game Early 50's/Main Entrance Early 50's
Early 30's Before Hughes Tool And Show Race Car Track
Photo In My Home Office From Mid 50's Showing Hughes Tool & Railroad Tracks To Union Station
Day Game 50's
Night Game Early 50's
Advanced Sales Box Office 50's
Final note....After lights were installed in 1930 the first game under the lights between MLB teams happened at Buff Stadium in February 1931 between the White Sox and the New York Giants. Almost each year Buff Stadium hosted a spring training game between two MLB teams usually on their way to open the season.