The roof is often closed because Houston's climate has never been, isn't now and never will be suitable for 100 percent outdoor baseball on a consistent basis. That's because Houston is the Miami of the Sunbelt. It's an inferno. Oh, and those mosquitoes. The Colt 45s, the former name of the Astros, had tried to play outdoor baseball in Colt Stadium to no avail.
Fans quit coming.
Just too damn hot. The major differences are easy to spot. Enron Field actually is an old-fashioned baseball field, which is to say it has unique dimensions in left, center and right field unlike the Astrodome. Tal's Hill in dead center field angles up, and outfielders must maneuver around a padded flagpole nearby in the field of play. I like the jagged dimensions and the hill in center field.