February 5, 2025, marked the beginning of a big change at what was once known as Minute Maid Park. The downtown ballpark is celebrating its 25th birthday this season, and the Houston Astros began taking down the exterior Minute Maid signs that have been in place since 2002. Last November, the team announced a naming rights agreement with Daikin, a global leader in air conditioning, refrigeration, and HVAC systems. The Japanese-based company has a massive campus in Waller and employs 10,000 in the Greater Houston area.
Daikin Park is the fifth name to be used for the downtown home of the Houston Astros. The naming rights with Daikin extend through the 2039 season. The Astros are signed to play at the ballpark through 2050.
- Ballpark at Union Station: 1996-1999
- Enron Field: 2000-2001
- Astros Field: 2002
- Minute Maid Park: 2002-2024
- Daikin Park: 2025-2039
The agreement began on January 1st, but Wednesday was the first visible sign of a new era for the 25-year-old ballpark. Some fans came out to witness a transition in history.
Isaiah Pearson was one of many Astros fans who came out to watch the old signs come down and the new Daikin Park signs go up. He was excited for the new name but has a warm feeling for what he has known for so long. “You know the name Minute Maid is pretty significant, you know, for the City of Houston, I feel. I'm not a Houston native, but the city is so welcoming and warm, and the fans here at Minute Maid are also, you know, the same way. And so, I just fell in love with baseball as a whole, and the stadium and its name. And the nicknames that it had, you know, the ‘Juice Box’ and all that stuff. It was just it's great, you know, I can't think of any other major league baseball team that has something kind of like this,” Pearson stated.
Nguyên Hoàng Lê, a lifelong Astros fan who grew up going to games in the Astrodome, also welcomed the name change but reflected on sustained winning by the Astros in the future. “A name is a name. And then I get why some fans are upset because of all the memories, especially the golden years, you get it, right? I mean, we've lived through some painful moments, but the last ten years or so, Minute Maid became synonymous with the golden era of Astros baseball. So with changes, people get upset, I get it. But to me, it's like, let's win another championship or two. And then there’ll either be the ‘Ice Box,’ I got the ‘Ice House,’ but people call it the Ice Box. So, yeah, win a couple more and people will quickly forget about Minute Maid Park.”
Johan Hernandez has already decided his nickname for Daikin Park, exclaiming, “Welcome to the ‘ICE BOX!’” as he looked upon a crew lifting a new ballpark sign into place along Texas Avenue.
The Astros say the process of replacing exterior signs along the eastern, southern, and western facades of Daikin Park is expected to last a few days. The larger Minute Maid Park signage attached to the retractable roof on the northern side of the ballpark will take place at a different time. Overall, the transition that will include all other signage in and around Daikin Park is expected to take several weeks as the Astros are in West Palm Beach for Spring Training.
For now, fans prepare for the beginning of spring training, the promise of a new baseball season, and a new name to get used to when they come out to the game in 2025.
