HOUSTON Astros told to open Minute Maid Park roof; players consider it home field heist

Houston believes there's a connection between its record and the status of the roof.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Major League Baseball pulled the roof out from over the Houston Astros' heads.
Over the objections of the Astros, the commissioner's office ordered the roof open at Minute Maid Park for Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday night and said all games in Houston this week are likely to be played outdoors.
The decision rankled the Astros, who feel like the top's been popped off their home-field advantage. Houston prefers to keep a lid on their crowd noise, and believes there's a connection between its 36-17 closed-roof home record, compared with 15-11 when it was rolled back during the regular season.
Advantage removed
That might explain why the Astros opted to keep it closed for all but two of its regular season games after May.
"I don't think Major League Baseball should have the right to tell us about the roof," Astros outfielder Lance Berkman said. "They're trying to take the home-field advantage from us. I don't think that's right."
Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, made the announcement on the field about four hours before the scheduled first pitch. The sky was cloudless when Solomon spoke.
"We've studied weather, winds, we've studied humidity. There isn't a cloud within 800 miles of here," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "In Milwaukee, you don't get a day like this until July Fourth."
The gametime temperature was 61 degrees, and Selig said it would not get too cold for fans later in the evening. He cited baseball's decision to order the roof be opened during the 2001 World Series at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.
"I need to get a new life, because I sat and watched The Weather Channel all day determining about low temperatures, high temperatures, medium temperatures," Selig said.
Reaction
"It's almost like a road game for us now," Astros first baseman Mike Lamb said. "We're not used to playing with it open."
It didn't seem to hurt them at the start. There was a high decibel level at the beginning when Lance Berkman's first-inning single put them ahead.
Selig and Solomon said the commissioner's office followed the Astros' regular season guidelines, which they said call for the roof to be open when the temperature is under 80 degrees and there is no rain. Astros spokeswoman Lisa Ramsperger said there are no specific guidelines.
"I think it's a disregard to our fans, the comfort of our fans," Astros manager Phil Garner said.
Solomon said that the forecast is favorable for the rest of the week and that the roof is likely to be open for all games in Houston. The Astros played their first five postseason games this year with the roof closed. Solomon said the temperature was over 80 degrees for all except Game 3 of the first-round series against Atlanta.
Too late
"By the time we got here to look at the roof it was already there and we could not change it in time," he said.
"This is part of our home-field advantage and for major league baseball to try and change that is either a, ridiculous or b, they're American League fans," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said.
Selig had a different view.
"The only factor that should determine it is weather," he said. "We don't do things to give teams competitive advantages in anything."
White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand cited his experiences in the Metrodome in Minneapolis.