Space Cowboys launch with enthusiastic thud

Infielder JJ Matijevic has been one of the bright spots for the
Sugar Land Space Cowboys this season. This week he became
the first Space Cowboy called up to the Houston Astros
when Jose Altuve went out with an injury.

After a lot of hype and promotion, the Houston Astros rebranded their AAA affiliate from the Sugar Land Skeeters to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys this season.

When opening day arrived to launch the new brand it crashed. The season started on the road against the Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants) and they lost their inaugural game 7-6. Then they lost the next one 4-3. And the third one 6-0. You get the picture. They finally won the fifth and sixth games and came home for their season opener at Constellation Field with a 2-4 record.

The Space Cowboys opened the home stand against rival Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers) and lost another 7-6 decision before a crowd that filled just over half the stands.

This is not the start the Space Cowboys wanted. Last year as the Skeeters in their first season as the Astros Triple-A affiliate, they won the Eastern Division title with a 71-49 record. As the Skeeters, the franchise has been a powerhouse.

The Skeeters began in 2012 as an independent ball team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. They remained in the league through the 2019 season. In those eight years, they made the playoffs five times and won two league championships. In the COVID year of 2020 they hosted the four-team pop-up Constellation Energy League and won that as well.

In 10 years as the Skeeters they were 713-584 (including playoffs). Winning was both a tradition and an expectation. When the Astros purchased the team last year, it created quite a buzz. The winning continued both in Sugar Land and Houston. That’s what has made this slow start as the Space Cowboys so painful. Like most diehard Skeeters fans, I was resistant to the rebranding. I still slip every now and then and call them the Skeeters, but the new name and look have grown on me and I like it.

As of this writing, the Space Cowboys are 4-10 and in last place in the Pacific Coast League. So far I’ve been to three home games. The inaugural home opener for the Space Cowboys was disappointing in attendance and result. Granted, it was a Tuesday night, and for a weekday crowd it was pretty big. The games on Friday and Saturday had much larger and more enthusiastic crowds.

I have to give the Astros a lot of credit for their investment in the ballpark. Over the last two seasons they have made significant upgrades and Constellation Field looks better now than it did on opening day in 2012 (I know, I was there).

The ballpark has an exciting new look and feel, but as good as that is, I miss the Skeeters days. From my own observations and in conversations with longtime Skeeters fans, we agree that the “family” feel of the Skeeters is gone. The new netting around the infield (required by Major League Baseball) is a barrier separating fans and players. The fun interactions aren’t there anymore. The Skeeters did a lot to interact with fans. The Space Cowboys don’t. They have a more uppity air of professionalism.

It’s also a lot more expensive to go to games now than when they were the Skeeters. Ticket prices and parking passes have roughly doubled in price. The food is more expensive and the quality has gone down. Still, it’s closer and more affordable than attending an Astros game.

All that being said, I’m still holding out hope that this franchise will turn things around. It would be great if they could find a way to lift the net before and after games so fans, especially the kids, can get autographs and talk with the players. It would be nice if they did autograph sessions on the concourse each Sunday like the Skeeters did. It would be nice if they had Skeeters throwback days. It would be great if they won ball games like the Skeeters did.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the Space Cowboys and I’m sure I’ll adjust to all the new stuff and the new ways of doing things. It’s gotta be growing pains. We’ll grow through this. The Space Cowboys are the future of the franchise. The Skeeters are now a memory, albeit a very pleasant one.

Joe Southern is the managing editor of the Wharton Journal-Spectator and the East Bernard Express. He can be reached at news@journal-spactator.com.