Astros Editorial ... Food and Tickets

Tuesday nights are PowerAde nights at the ball park. All $7 seats are $1 with a 32 oz PowerAde label (Astros have done this promotion for 5-6 years).

BUTTTT ... if you don't have a label, the cheapest seats you can buy costs $12.

I always have a pocketful of labels - and I share them.

Last night, a young couple (with two small kids in tow) were asking "HOW MUCH?" at the ticket window when told their trip to the ball game was gonna cost way more than they imagined. It should have been $16 - two $7 seats and two $1 seats for the kids - but I'm guessing they were quoted at least $24 (at that $12 price for adults, the Astros are letting kids in free).

I could hear them comment to one another "so where do you get PowerAde labels?"

I tapped the guy's shoulder and handed him 4 labels and said, "ask her for the $1 PowerAde seats." I have rarely seen a total stranger so appreciative. Ohhhh thank you she gushed. Yeah, it was a genuine gush. The lady hugged me. The guy turned triumphantly to the ticket window and got 4 seats for $4 (he put the $20 bill back in his wallet and handed the ticket lady a $5 bill instead). He shook my hand. She hugged me one more time (not to self, bring labels and give them to families with moms - they give great hugggz!).

I'll probably never see them again. I hope they go to the two remaining Tuesday night games left on this year's schedule I know I'll be there to see the Brewers and the Cardinals), but school's starting and it'll be hard for families to do that. I

Personally, i'm miffed the Astros won't sell the $7 seats without a PowerAde label on Tuesday nights. I did the same thing LAST Tuesday night for some folks.

Here's a good promotion idea ... have the PA/Coca-Cola people (or Aramark) set up a cart on the sidewalk. Sell the product from iced bins for $2 ... even better GIVE it away. And oh yeah ... let 32 ounce PowerAde be the ONLY thing you can bring into the stadium and JUST on Tuesday nights. How cool would THAT be? But that might cut into concession profits (FYI - that's sarcasm).

For those who don;'t know, the Astros are the ONLY team in MLB who ban ANYYYYYYYYYY type of food or drink from being brought into Minute Maid Park. Unless you have a baby or you produce your medical needs certificate, the only "food thing" you can bring into the park is an empty water container to refill at the drinking fountains.

How tough are the gate guards about enforcing the "no food" policy? We went to the Tuesday game after returning from our California trip. My wife had two packets of Southwest Airlines peanuts.

"You can't take food in," he said as he went through my wife's puse.

What food? We were shocked that she had any food in there.

"These," he said ... and held up the two offending packets of peanuts.

Ummm ... yeah ... I'm sure that's gonna keep me from spending the $4.25 on ballpark peanuts.

More like food Nazis!

Walking by last night, there was a Quaker Oats Chewy bar, a Kashi bar, a 50 cent tube of Tom's peanuts, a small (like individual Halloween size) bag of plain M&M's and 3 PowerAde bottles sans labels. I just shook my head.

I've been to several other stadiums with vastly different procedures ...

At the Ballpark in Arlington, you can bring in whole pizzas, whole bags from Whataburger, and a cooler filled with plastic bottles of drinks (as long as the cooler fits under your seat and the drinks are non-alcoholic). Save the money for ice cream and beer.

In St. Louis, the bottles of Dasani water - iced in the tub - are $1 outside the park ($4 inside - the sign on the cart says so), and the one pound bag of Cardinals peanuts cost $2.($6 inside). I had a bag of White Castle Burgers and Waffle Fries (yes, this WAS before the diet, but I'm sure I'd take them in next time I'm there).

Going to Wrigley Field, be sure to get a hot dog or two to take in with you.

And the Astros wonder why they have trouble connecting with the fans? They wonder why people come out only when the team is winning? Really ... they wonder??? Okay - the food thing won't fix all their attendance issues. They do offer all you can eat. Coca Cola value nite ... $1 hot dog nites ... those are good steps.

Little things mean a lot. And this little thing could mean a LOT of fans in the future.