MLB
Daikin Park? The Ice Box? The Houston Astros say goodbye to Minute Maid Park and hello to a new sponsor
The home of the Houston Astros, originally the Ballpark at Union Station had been Minute Maid Park since 2002.
All change for the Houston Astros after the 2022 World Series winners confirmed that they will now play their home games at Daikin Park after the team and the biggest supplier of air conditioners in the world penned a 15-year naming-rights deal.
This incarnation is the fifth name the 41,000 stadium has had a different name, originally being called the Ballpark at Union Station during its planning phase. Upon opening in 2000, the arena was called the Enron Stadium for two years and then reverted to Astros Field for sixth months in 2002 before the deal with Minute Maid was confirmed.
The juice giant held naming rights through to the new deal with the Japanese Daikin which was confirmed on 18 November.
Shared values
Daikin, founded in Japan in 1924, operates the largest air conditioning manufacturing facility in North America in the Houston area and employs about 10,000 people.
“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane said in a news release. “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.”
The first game at Daikin Park will be in late March next year as the Astros host Triple-A affiliate Sugar Land in an exhibition game. The first contest of the 2025 MLB season will see the Astros take on. NY Mets on 27 March.
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