Boldest giveaway ever? Astros Triple-A team makes 2017 World Series rings
After three straight 100-loss seasons, the Houston Astros’ well-documented rebuilding project reached the point in 2014 where fans were finally starting to get excited about the future. Look no further than the Sports Illustrated cover story that labeled the Astros as 2017 World Series champions.
Enter the Fresno Grizzlies, the new Triple-A affiliate of the Astros, who doubled down on SI’s bold headline with what the club is calling “the boldest promotion in the history of professional sports.” They’re giving away Houston Astros 2017 World Series rings at their Aug. 15 game, part of the team’s “Back to the Future” night.
Yes, future World Series rings. Bold? Yes. Brilliant? That too.
The ring promotion was announced at a Tuesday press conference by the Grizzlies, along with special “Back to the Future” theme jerseys the team will wear on Aug. 15.
We’ve seen other minor-league teams announce “Back to the Future” jerseys this year, but the Grizzlies’ jerseys were designed in-house and have a different look than the others. Notice the DeLorean-like look with a flux capacitor on the back. Before making the announcement, Grizzlies’ General Manager Derek Franks arrived in an actual DeLorean. How’s that for synergy?
But back to these rings: The replica ring is a staple ballpark giveaway these days, one that fans will line up hours to get. We’ve seen plenty of teams giving away recent World Series replica rings, even World Series replica rings from 50 years ago. But we’ve never seen a future World Series ring.
It’s surely something that will make fans in Houston take notice of their new minor-league affiliate and might inspire collectors to snatch up a few, since the chances of the Astros getting an actual 2017 World Series ring are still up in the air. They’ll be happy to get out of the AL West cellar in 2015.
But with sluggers George Springer and Jon Singleton having arrived in the big leagues and top prospects Carlos Correa and Mark Appel on the way (and maybe headed for Fresno’s Triple-A team this year), the Astros’ future certainly looks bright.
One final note about this Aug. 15 promotion by the Grizzlies: The team will be auctioning off the DeLorean theme jerseys after the game, with proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, another fitting bit of synergy on “Back to the Future” night.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
