Memories of Minute Maid

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The Houston Astros and Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc (Daikin) today announced they have reached an agreement on a 15-year, exclusive naming-rights partnership that brands the home of the Astros as Daikin Park.

The agreement, effective January 1, 2025, will run through the 2039 season, and includes official naming rights, other partnership benefits, and giving back to the Greater Houston community through educational programming and youth sports development in underserved communities.

Daikin Industries, Ltd.(DIL) is a leading global indoor comfort solutions provider with over 98,000 employees around the world, and over 22,000 employees across Daikin group companies in the U.S.. The company was founded in Japan on Oct. 25, 1924, and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Daikin constructed and operates a 4.2 million square foot campus, the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America (Daikin Texas Technology Park), located in Waller, Texas, a part of the Greater Houston community. Daikin provides jobs for approximately 10,000 people in the Greater Houston area.

In addition to Daikin products, the company also provides Goodman, Amana®, and Quietflex brand products, three of the most well-known and respected brands for HVAC in North America.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” said Jim Crane, Owner and Chairman of the Houston Astros. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future.”

etc etc

[MFS62]

I just learned the Astrodome is still vacant.
This is too much information about Houston stadia to process.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

So no more 'pumpkins (as Keith always called them) on the train behind the LF wall.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This was originally called Enron Field, wasn't it?

For a little while, after the Enron scandal, it was called Astros Field. That's the name I've stuck with in the UMDB.

For ballparks that have never had a non-corporate name, I've toyed with the idea of listing them by their addresses. I haven't done that yet, but may start to do so for parks that have had name changes. The site has out of date names for the parks in Atlanta and San Francisco and Phoenix, and perhaps others as well.

[cal sharpie]

When I was there about 22 or so years ago it was called Minute Maid but the seats had an Enron E on the side of them.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

It's a nice ballpark! I took the tour once. It was just me and two employees, and they let me do just about everything except run up Tal's Hill, which as since been removed. I also wandered into the Astrome through a very open garage door. I looked for someone to give me permission to go in and take photos. No one was there, and I ended up in the middle of what was centerfield. It was a glorious baseball day despite not actually seeing any baseball.

[MFS62]

Cool story.
Later

[Edgy MD]

Without looking them up, I can't really identify who Dalkin is and what they offer. None of their sub-brands are ringing a bell either.

Given a dozen guesses, I suppose I could figure out what "home comfort solutions" refers to, but I'm not sure that puts me in the ballpark, so to speak. I do hope that home field advantage for the Astros is henceforth referred to as home comfort solution advantage.

[ashie62]

Japanese company. Not so well known here

Advertising deal for them makes sense

[Centerfield]

I still don't know what Strauss is or why they were on the helmets during the post-season.

Whoever they were trying to reach, I wasn't it.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Strauss is a German Carhartt competitor.

First read home comfort was a furniture store.

Surely you recognize Amana. If you lived in a cheap apartment building it was the brand of fridge there

[Edgy MD]

Ah, yes, that Amana. They have solved many a home comfort issue.

Named for and founded by the somewhat traditional-living (and communal dining) Amana Colonies of rural Iowa, where my sister drove off the pavement and fell into somebody's front yard while we were apparently playing a game of WORST TOURISTS EVER.

[stevejrogers]

I just learned the Astrodome is still vacant.
This is too much information about Houston stadia to process.

Later

Sadly they don’t even offer tours! So even if I did convince the group I’ve visited the Downtown area for a weekend with for the last three years to go nearly a half hour away for, it’d be to just check out the exterior!

[Frayed Knot]

When I was there about 22 or so years ago it was called Minute Maid but the seats had an Enron E on the side of them.

Yes, you may recall that that was a VERY quick change of naming rights so they probably hadn't gotten the chance to start ripping the E's off yet.



And I'm going to guess that this new place is pronounced DIE-kin

[whippoorwill]

Strauss is a German Carhartt competitor.

First read home comfort was a furniture store.

Surely you recognize Amana. If you lived in a cheap apartment building it was the brand of fridge there

Radar Range

[Gwreck]

It’s been dead to me since they took out the hill.

[G-Fafif]

No Tropicana Field in 2025. No Minute Maid Park at all.

[Edgy MD]

It’s been dead to me since they took out the hill.

I dug the hill too.

Despite myself, I dug it.