Since 2002, after separating themselves from the disastrous bankruptcy of Enron, the Astros home has been Minute Maid Park. On Monday, they announced that would change as the largest air conditioning manufacturer in Japan, Daikin (with U.S. headquarters in Waller), will enter a 15-year agreement for naming rights on the Astros downtown ballpark.
We have always been partial to the original name: The Ballpark at Union Station. But, we understand the economics of stadiums. Naming rights represent a critical source of income for sports franchise and the Astros are no exception. How much Daikin would pony up for the naming rights was not announced, but it is likely somewhere between $3 million and $10 million per year.
Minute Maid was a perfect replacement for Enron, the original owner of naming rights at the ballpark. After their disastrous implosion, the Astros changed gears and brought in Minute Maid, whose headquarters was in Houston (they have since moved to Atlanta).
While Daikin might not be the household name Minute Maid is, they are a massive company and the fact that they are Japanese opens up opportunities for the Astros in a country that produced some outstanding major leaguers including Shohei Ohtani.
Speculation is the “juice box” is now the “ice box” but what will fill the back of the train on the outfield wall? For decades now, it has been loaded with giant oranges. Owner Jim Crane hinted that they had plans and it was a surprise. A box car full of window units? We’ll see next spring.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
