| As with most of the facilities that the Continental League has used in its first two years, Robinson Stadium is not really suitable for professional baseball. Located in a southern suburb of Houston, the ballpark is set in the middle of a neighborhood, which does make for a very serene atmosphere. Robinson Stadium is a very basic facility, comprised of just a large wooden grandstand, which is completely uncovered. All the seating is benches without backs, so bringing your own seat back is recommended. Sightlines are poor here as the netting obstructs the views from all the seats in the grandstand. The concourse area is located behind the grandstand and is also completely uncovered. It features one large concession stand and a small souvenir table. Concession options include frito pies, sausage on a stick, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, and fried green beans. For such a small operation, the variety of food options is quite impressive. Prices are quite cheap and the quality is good. But I was most impressed with the very laid back atmosphere. There was no wacky sound effects and the fans seemed into the game (though there wasn't that many of them). Also, there was no between inning games or mascot to distract the fans. If you're not here to watch baseball, you'll be pretty bored. One other charming aspect was the two small kids who were selling bubble gum in the stands. I'm sure they weren't authorized by the team to do so, but nobody bothered them. And most fans couldn't resist buying some gum from the cute kids. My only complaint with the atmosphere is that the team didn't play the national anthem or Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The PA announcer said it was because of “technical difficulties”, but they were able to play music in between innings, so I'm not sure what the real reason was. Perhaps someone had taken the recordings home with them and not brought them back. A couple other minor complaints here – first, the tickets are priced at $8, which seems a bit high considering the seats are so uncomfortable and the quality of play is so low. Secondly, there was no programs or scorecards available. So there was no way to tell who the players were. How hard is it to just print up some roster sheets ? Attending a game at Robinson Stadium is definitely an interesting experience – it is certainly not like 99% of other minor league ballparks. I'm not sure the CBL will survive for much longer, but I was happy I got to see a game in Texas City. And in fact the CBL only lasted into the 2010 season before folding.
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