Say it Ain’t So – Don’t Change the Astros’ Name

The new owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane, is revealing the changes he's going to make, and some of the changes he's just thinking about, including a new name for the team.

The first thing Jim Crane must do is figure out how to get people back to the ballpark after the Astros' worst season ever.  He's starting by lowering some ticket prices, and allowing fans to bring their own food and water into the stadium. The Astros haven't  allowed that for years.

Other potential changes include new uniforms and logos, changes to the playing field, taking down “Tal’s Hill” in center field, and even a re-evaluation of the name “Astros,” which the team has used for 47 years of its 50-year history.

With the team switching to the American League next year, Crane says a name change is a serious possibility. “We’re going to study the information, both from our fans and from all sorts of marketing people. I’m not saying we’re going to change. We haven’t made a decision. If the change is going to come, it’s going to come next year.”

via Ultimate Astros » Astros drop ticket prices, relax food policies in new ‘fan-friendly initiatives’.

Crane doesn't have to do any of these things to attract people back to Minute Maid Park.  He could sell out the stadium and have people hanging from the rafters by just putting a winning team on the field.

Baseball fans don't care about the food, or what the uniforms look like, or even the team's name if the team is winning games. Fans will ignore a multitude of short-comings to watch a winner.