Results tagged ‘ Minute Maid Park ’
Feel like Talkin’ Baseball? Join us on Saturday.
The doors of Minute Maid Park will be open on Saturday at 10 a.m., and we hope Astros fans will join us for the annual baseball bonanza affectionately known around here as FanFest.
In addition to player autograph sessions and fun activities on the field, we’ll also be hosting several Talkin’ Baseball sessions. From the Social Media side, we are planning for an interactive chat session with Brad Mills and Bud Norris from 2:30 to 3 CT in Union Station that will connect fans who are at FanFest in person and those following online.
We will take questions from our cyber-audience through this link. Fans who attend the chat in person in Union Station will also have the opportunity to ask questions of our manager and starting pitcher. All answers will be transcribed on our chat page for everyone to read.
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In the meantime, I need to brush up on my Astros history, quickly. I’ll be moderating a Talkin’ Baseball session titled “50 Years of Astros Baseball,” during which we’ll reminisce with a bunch of former players about 50 years of Major League Baseball in Houston.
Expected guests include: Jim Deshaies, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell, J.R. Richard and Larry Dierker. The session will take place in Union Station from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m.
Other Talkin’ Baseball sessions, all of which will take place in Union Station, include:
* The 2012 Season Outlook, 11:15 a.m. to noon
The panel: George Postolos, Jeff Luhnow, Brad Mills. Moderated by Milo Hamilton.
* Story Time with Milo Hamilton, 12:45 to 1:15.
* 50th Anniversary Plans, 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.
During this session, we’ll be previewing what’s on deck for Flashback Fridays, including retro uniforms, fireworks and alumni first pitches. We’ll also talk about fan involvement in the 25-man roster vote and the premium giveaways aimed toward celebrating our 50th anniversary, including a “Greatest Moments” Bobblehead set and many retro items from every era of Houston baseball.
The Panel: Christie Miller, Promotions and Special Events Coordinator; Mike Acosta, Authentication Manager. Moderator: me!
* Talkin’ Youth Baseball (GSFYB), 3 to 3:45 p.m. CT
The panel: Jason Bourgeois, Daryl Wade, Fred Arnold.
A full schedule of FanFest activities can be found here. We hope to see you Saturday!
Astros FanFest to be held Feb. 11 at Minute Maid Park. Details here.
The Astros released the details of their 2012 FanFest, which will take place on Feb. 11 at Minute Maid Park. That is also the day individual regular season tickets go on sale.
FanFest tickets are open to the public with no admission fee.
Player autograph session times will be released soon. There will be a nominal fee for autographs.
Here’s the FanFest rundown, taken from the press release:
This year’s festival will include several current and former Astros players signing autographs, a “Talkin’ Baseball” session with Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow and President & CEO George Postolos, and several activities for children. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase autographed and game-used memorabilia as well as promotional items and MLB Authentics merchandise. Proceeds from the event benefit the Astros MLB Urban Youth Academy.
Fans will also have the opportunity to paint or sign their name to the Astros 50th Anniversary mural, which will be displayed in the ballpark throughout the 2012 season.
Autograph Sessions
The list of current Astros players scheduled to sign autographs throughout the day are: Brian Bogusevic, Jason Bourgeois, Jason Castro, Chris Johnson, Jed Lowrie, J.D. Martinez, Bud Norris, Humberto Quintero and Fernando Rodriguez. Manager Brad Mills will also be in attendance.
Former players scheduled to sign autographs include Enos Cabell, Jose Cruz, Larry Dierker, J.R. Richard, Shane Reynolds, Bob Watson, Jimmy Wynn and many more.
Talkin’ Baseball Sessions
Astros Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton will host an informative and entertaining “Talkin’ Baseball” session with Luhnow and Postolos, during which fans will have the opportunity to participate. Alyson Footer will also host multiple sessions that day, including a chat with former Astros players and a sneak preview into the Astros 50th Anniversary celebration plans.
Footer will also hold an interactive chat session with Astros manager Brad Mills and right-handed pitcher Bud Norris. The two will interact with fans in person and online simultaneously. The session will take place in the Union Station Lobby, where the two will take questions from fans in the audience and from fans following online.
On The Playing Field
For a small donation, fans will have the unique opportunity to take batting practice on the field of Minute Maid Park. Opportunities to run the bases will also be available. Tours of Minute Maid Park will also be offered.
Signature Nacho Sampling
Minute Maid Park’s culinary team has spent the offseason developing some new recipes. The Astros and ARAMARK, the team’s exclusive food and beverage partner, invite fans to help decide which signature nacho finalist will be featured on Minute Maid Park’s menu. Fans attending Astros FanFest will have the chance to sample and vote for their favorite nachos, which will be placed on the permanent menu in 2012. Signature nacho sampling and voting will be located at section 208 on the Club Level.
Free Kids Activities
Several inflatable games on the field, face painters, balloon artists and a “Talkin’ Youth Baseball” session with Bourgeois are also a part of this year’s FanFest. “Story Time With Milo Hamilton” will feature the Astros radio voice reading a popular children’s story.
This year’s event will also include a Special Valentine’s Day Buffet in the FiveSeven Grille and several entertaining video features throughout the ballpark and on the El Grande video board.
Additional information, including autograph signing times for current and former players, will be released the week of the event.
ASTROS TICKETS ON SALE
In conjunction with FanFest, the Astros will make their individual-game tickets for the 2012 regular season available for purchase beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. Those tickets can be purchased online at Astros.com, at the Minute Maid Park Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-877-9ASTROS. Tickets may also be purchased at all Astros regular Houston-area Ticketmaster outlets. The Astros have plenty of special ticket offers available and will not be raising a single ticket price in 2012, as compared to prices at the end of the 2011 season.
Follow Alyson Footer on Twitter
Minute Maid Park in 2012: cheaper tickets, cheaper beer, new outside food and beverage policy.
The day that Jim Crane officially became the owner of the Houston Astros, he hinted that several changes were on the way that would benefit fans in 2012.
This wasn’t just window dressing. Asked during the press conference in November if those changes included lowering ticket prices, Crane indicated that was indeed the area that he and President/CEO George Postolos would be focusing their attention on in the immediate future.
Turns out, Crane consulted with the staff on these issues even before he took over as the Astros’ owner. And now, less than three months before Opening Day, a comprehensive plan has been put in place.
Ticket prices for more 5,000 seats have been lowered, and more affordable beer prices will be offered throughout the ballpark. And for the first time since Minute Maid Park opened, fans will be permitted to bring in their own food and beverages.
“We feel this is the right thing to do,” Crane said. “It is a way for us to let our fans know how vital they are to our success, and to let them know we’ve been listening to them.”
From the get-go, Crane has been open-minded about fan ideas and suggestions. He has attended several meet and greets throughout January with season ticket holders, and many of the decisions made to lower prices and allow outside food and drink were made after hearing the feedback from the fans.
Here’s the skinny:
Tickets:
The Astros reduced the price of seats in the Field and Club levels and the Outfield Deck.
Seats in Field Box II (section 132, rows 11-40 and all of sections 133-134) are now priced at $29, down from $41 in 2011. The new Power Club (sections 233-236) in the Club Level offers tickets for $35 that includes a $15 credit for food, beverage and retail items. Those seats were $46 in 2011 with no food credit.
The Outfield Deck tickets are now $5 for adults and $1 for kids ages 3-14 . In 2011, adult tickets were $7. With this reduction, a family of four can attend a game for $12.
As a special thank you for their loyalty and commitment, the Astros will also issue five percent rebates to full-season and 27-game plan season ticket accounts in 2012 to those who have renewed their tickets by the Jan. 31 deadline. Those rebates will be distributed in the form of a gift card that can be used to purchase food, merchandise or individual game tickets at Minute Maid Park.
Beer:
The Astros have expanded their $5 beer special to include every permanent concession stand and permanent bar at Minute Maid Park where domestic beer is sold. This beer in a 14-ounce cup will now be available at 35 locations throughout the ballpark.
Outside Food and Beverages:
Fans are now allowed to bring food and water into Minute Maid Park for games. Food must be transported in a small, clear (see-through) plastic bag, and water must be in a sealed, plastic bottle, being one liter or less in size. One bottle of water per person is allowed.
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The Astros will also continue to offer several of the popular ticket specials that have been available in recent years:
Price Matters Days presented by H-E-B
This offer, which is available for every Monday through Thursday Astros game, includes one View Deck II ticket, one hot dog, a bag of H-E-B chips and one soda for $10, which represents a savings of over 50 percent. Also, for $10 more, fans can purchase a lower level seat in the Bullpen Boxes.
All You Can Eat
For $30, this deal includes a Mezzanine game ticket and unlimited hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, nachos, soda and water and is available for every home game. Groups of 20 or more are eligible to purchase this package for $25.
Coca-Cola Value Zone
This offer, which is available for every Friday, Saturday and Sunday game, includes a Mezzanine ticket and Astros cap, as well as a hot dog and Coke product beverage for $20.
POWERADE Double Play Tuesdays
This offer, which is available every Tuesday, features two Outfield Deck tickets for $2. Additionally, fans can now also purchase two Field Box II tickets for $40, which is new in 2012.
9-Inning Lunch Break
This package is offered for weekday, 1:05 p.m. games and includes a Field Box ticket and $20 in Minute Maid Park food and beverage vouchers, which is a $61 value, for $45, a savings of $16 per ticket.
Dynamic Pricing
This offer is available for every Astros home game for select seats. Prices, which fluctuate based on demand, can represent up to 50% in savings per ticket.
Special Fundraising Pricing
Charities and community organizations can earn up to $10 per ticket by selling discounted Astros tickets.
Group Ticket Specials
With the Astros Group Ticket Program, groups of 20 or more can purchase discounted tickets. Group discounts can be as high as 50% per ticket, depending on the size of the group.
What offseason? Players are working out now, and we have the pictures to prove it.
Remember when ballplayers used to show up to Spring Training fat and out of shape after spending the offseason either working a part-time job or sitting on the couch eating potato chips?
Yea, me either.
That routine died out generations ago. Once players started making enough money to support themselves year-round, they were able to concentrate on staying in shape, and some — maybe even most — actually do just that.
The Astros have always had a large number of players who work out in Houston during offseason, for two reasons: a) the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Dr. Gene Coleman, makes himself available throughout the winter to conduct workouts in the home clubhouse, and b) Houston’s mild climate in the winter makes the city a destination spot for many players looking to establish year-round roots. With so many players living in Houston or spending a healthy portion of the offseason here, it’s easy to utilize the Minute Maid Park facilities to get in the daily workouts.
Some players have been here the entire offseason. Others started coming by after Thanksgiving, and a few began their Minute Maid Park workouts when the calendar flipped to 2012. In total, anywhere from 12-15 players have had a presence here this winter.
MLB.com reporter Brian McTaggart recently dropped by the weight room to check it out for himself and gave a rundown of players, which includes Wandy Rodriguez, Humberto Quintero, Bud Norris, Chris Johnson, Brett Wallace, Brian Bogusevic, Angel Sanchez and Fernando Rodriguez. Jarred Cosart, one of the club’s top pitching prospects after arriving in the trade with the Phillies last year, has been working out with Coleman most of the offseason. Catcher Carlos Corporan and catching prospect Chris Wallace have been spotted there as well.
“We had workouts starting the last week in October up until about a week before Christmas,” Coleman told McTaggart. “We had nine weeks of workouts there, and we developed a base to start with, and we started developing strength the second time through. And now we’re trying to maximize strength and develop some power and get them ready for Spring Training.”
Brian Bogusevic, Gene Coleman, Angel Sanchez, Fernando Rodriguez.
Bogusevic
Humberto Quintero
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Reliever Fernando Rodriguez will appear with Milo Hamilton on Astroline Thursday at 7 CT at Buffalo Wild Wings in Midtown. Astroline can be heard on 740 KTRH and will be streamed live on Astros.com. As always, you can tweet me your questions for Rodriguez and we’ll read them on the air.
The schedule for Astroline shows through February is as follows (guests TBD):
Wed. January 25
Thurs. February 2
Wed. February 8
Wed. February 15
Thurs. February 23
Wed. February 29
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On April 28, athletes from all over the country will come together at Minute Maid Park to honor Joe Niekro at the 3rd Annual Knuckle Ball…A Pitch for Life.
At the peak of his Major League Baseball pitching career, Niekro was famous for his command of the knuckleball, a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. Like a knuckleball, Niekro’s life took an unpredictable path on October 27, 2006, when he died suddenly from a ruptured brain aneurysm. In honor of his memory, his daughter, Natalie Niekro, created The Joe Niekro Foundation, with a mission to raise funds for brain aneurysm research, and treatment, and help bring public awareness to this devastating condition affecting as many as 1 in 15 people.
A number of former players from the Astros, Major League Baseball, NFL and NBA will be on hand at the black-tie gala. The event will feature a reception, formal dinner, silent and live auction. Joe’s brother and Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, with a special presentation of The 2012 Joe Niekro Humanitarian Award to Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner and current Chairman of the Board of the Harris County -Houston Sports Authority, J. Kent Friedman.
To kick things off, special performances from country music superstars Chuck Wicks and Trailer Choir will take place at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar on April 27.
Proceeds from the musical concert will also benefit The Joe Niekro Foundation and brain aneurysm awareness. The two hit acts will also make a special appearance at The Knuckle Ball gala.
For tickets and more information on both events and The Joe Niekro Foundation, visit www.joeniekrofoundation.org/knuckleball.
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The Astros have several part-time positions available, including jobs in Guest Services, Tour Guides and the Box Office.
You can find a complete list of job opportunities available here, or an application can be filled out simply by dropping by Union Station during business hours.
New year, new blog: FanFest, Caravan, Astroline, Bagwell. (Will the Hall call?)
Happy New Year, Astros fans! Hope you ate too much, enjoyed time with your families and watched a lot of football (not necessarily in that order) over the holiday break. The first day back at work for baseball people is a lot like Groundhog Day: six weeks until Spring Training with a full slate of activities to get to first, before we head to Florida.
Many of you have asked about FanFest, caravans and Astroline. Here are some general guidelines for what’s on tap, although we’ll be posting a more formal schedule when it’s all ready to go.
In the meantime, hope this provides some assistance…
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Baseball Dinner
The Annual Houston Baseball Dinner Benefiting Grand Slam for Youth Baseball will take place on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Americas Hotel near Minute Maid Park.
The event will include a special celebration of the Houston franchise’s 50th anniversary, with several former MVPs and current players expected to attend. Award winners include Pitcher of the Year Wandy Rodriguez and Rookie of the Year J.D. Martinez, as well Jason Bourgeois, the winner of the Darryl Kile (Good Guy) Award. Two former Astros will be recognized as well: Hunter Pence, voted as the team’s MVP, and Lance Berkman, who will be presented the Greater Houston area’s Major League Player of the Year award. Longtime television broadcaster Bill Brown will be recognized with the Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball.
Former Astros expected to attend include Bob Aspromonte, Jimmy Wynn, Larry Dierker, Bob Watson, J.R. Richard, Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell.
To order tickets, click here or call 713-259-8686.
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FanFest
The next day, on Saturday, Feb. 11, the Astros will host FanFest at Minute Maid Park. Full details and a rundown of player appearances will be released at a later date, but here are the basics: FanFest will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature autograph sessions with current and former players and interactive activities for all age groups.
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Caravan
The Astros most likely will be ready to release their full caravan schedule early next week, but here’s a peek:
The caravan (aptly and creatively renamed CAREavan this year) will begin a little later than usual, in order to coordinate it with the baseball dinner and FanFest. The Houston-area caravan stops will take place the week of Feb. 6 and will include stops in Sugar Land/Missouri City, Spring, Cypress and Katy. There will be an autograph signing session at an Academy Sports + Outdoors each day, starting around 6:30 p.m. CT. The lone exception is Friday, Feb. 10, when the Academy signing will start at 3:15 p.m. because of the baseball dinner that evening.
Brian Bogusevic signs autographs at Academy Sports + Outdoors last year during the caravan.
Out-of-town stops will begin Feb. 1 and will include visits to Austin, Brownsville, Harlingen/McAllen, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
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Astroline
General manager Jeff Luhnow will appear on Astroline on Wednesday (Jan. 4) at Buffalo Wild Wings on Gray St. in Midtown. The show, hosted by Milo Hamilton, begins at 7 p.m. CT and will be aired on 740 KTRH and Astros.com.
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Hall of Fame announcement
Second time a charm for Jeff Bagwell?
The Hall of Fame will announce its 2012 inductees on Jan. 9, and as was the case last year, our man Jeff Bagwell will likely be the talk of the Internet regardless of whether he gets in.
Bagwell received 41.7 percent his first time on the ballot in 2010-11. Judging from published reports by voters who are making their choices public, Bagwell has received more support this time around. That said, it’s not looking promising that he will receive enough votes to count for 75 percent of the final tally. I think a lot of us agreed a while back that Bagwell’s third time on the ballot was going to be his best chance to be voted in anyway, given his longtime teammate Craig Biggio will appear on the ballot for the first time at the end of 2012 and should have no problem getting in on the first try.
I’ve read the arguments against Bagwell’s HOF candidacy that range from the well-reasoned to the (IMO) completely absurd. That’s what happens when you have more than 500 people giving more than 500 opinions, but it’s good to see more voters are coming around on Bagwell this year. The PED issue continues to follow Bags, as many writers are still taking the guilt-by-association route — as in, he played in the 1990s, so he must be guilty, despite any real evidence that he was actually associated.
Some writers simply think Bagwell was a very good player, but not among the best ever. A friendly reminder to the voters who actually watched Bags play in person 10, maybe 12 times during his 15-year career: there is good baseball played all over the country, played by Hall of Fame-worthy players who spent their entire careers in places other than the Northeast. That their feats weren’t televised nationally on a regular basis doesn’t make them less worthy of being recognized for what they accomplished.
If early returns are any indication, it appears that Barry Larkin will be the lone inductee in Cooperstown in July.
(Of the many pro-Bagwell columns, I think I like this one the best.)
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Here’s a fun story about someone you may not have heard of before but is a huge part of the Astros’ operation. Mike Acosta started in the late 1990s as a broadcasting intern and eventually worked his way into a job the Astros created especially for him — Authentication Manager. In this Ken Hoffman column in the Houston Chronicle, Acosta discusses bobblehead technology and why he has so much to be excited about as the Astros prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Major League Baseball in Houston this year.
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On this date in Astros history:
January 3, 1962 – A groundbreaking ceremony takes place on the future site of the Astrodome. The ceremony’s attendees, include players from the Colt .45s, city and county officials, fire pistols into the ground to celebrate the historic event.
To receive daily updates of Astros historical moments, follow @astros on Twitter and look for the hash tag #Astros50.
Last minute ticket info as we near the Spring Training finish line
As we inch toward the beginning of the regular season, we’d like to pass along some information about the upcoming exhibition game at Minute Maid Park, along with a couple of ticket tidbits you may have missed…
March 30 vs. Boston Red Sox
Before Brad Mills joined the Astros, we didn’t see much of the storied AL East Red Sox beyond an Interleague series every four years or so. But I sense it’s no coincidence that we’ve seen more of the Red Sox in the last two years than we did in the 15 years prior, now that Mills is in the mix.
For a baseball fan living in Houston, that can only be viewed as a good thing. While having the Royals and Blue Jays as our exhibition guests at Minute Maid Park for the better part of a decade was nice and all, it’s simply more fun to have a team like the Red Sox in town. And they’ll be here March 30 at 7:05 CT (in addition to a three-gamer in early July.)
Click here to reserve your tickets for the final exhibition game of 2011…
Also, we’re offering a First Pitch sweepstakes for the Astros-Red Sox game. Fans can text “pitch” to 26099 for the chance to throw out the first pitch on March 30. The contest ends Thursday afternoon and the winner will be notified on Friday.
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If you’re more focused on the regular season, check out this new cheap ticket, premium game package: The Opening Day 3-Game Hot Pack.
The package includes a ticket to Opening Day (April 8 versus the Marlins), a ticket to the June 28 game versus the Rangers and July 3 versus the Red Sox.
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