Parts of the old signage could be yours if you act soon.
Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
The “Minute Maid” signs from the Houston Astros’ formerly-titled Minute Maid Park are being auctioned off online.
Shall we start the bidding at $500?
Yes, that’s correct: the letters “Mi,” “nu,” “te,” “M”, “ai”, and “d” have a starting asking price of $500. However, the signs that previously adorned the outside of Daikin Park are not the most expensive of the group.
The Astros announced a change in their ballpark’s title sponsor from Minute Maid to Daikin back in November, bringing an end to their 22-year partnership. During that time, the Astros reached seven consecutive American League Championship Series, made four World Series appearances, and won two of them. For fans in Houston, the sponsorship represented a storied era in Astros’ history and even gave the park its nickname, “The Juice Box.” Even the train in left field carried a car full of oranges.
However, the club started removing the signage in February, replacing it with “Daikin,” an air conditioning company. The train now commemorates the park’s 25th anniversary and includes a car filled with baseballs in the back.
An online auction now features the Minute Maid Park signage from every corner of the park. As of Wednesday, April 9, the highest bid has been for the “Minute Maid Park” sign that hung at the Home Plate South Gate entrance, which reached $1,900.
As of Wednesday, a lot of the letter combinations had not been bid on, so they were still an affordable $500. You ever go to a charity event that included a silent auction and found yourself bidding on something you didn’t initially want but saw that no one had bid anything well into the event and you figured what the heck, for the minimum bid it’s worth it? This could be your chance here. If you still regret missing out on Enron memorabilia, make your move now.