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Houston Astros

The Official Site of the Houston Astros
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Players / Staff Appearances

Many fans are interested in having Astros personnel participate in their events. Please read through the guidelines and helpful hints to guide you through the process for requesting a special visit. After reviewing the information below, complete the online Player/Staff Appearance Application and submit it for consideration.

Player Request Form »

Guidelines

  • All groups requesting a player appearance must complete a Player/Staff Appearance Application and submit it four weeks in advance of the event - we cannot accept requests over the phone.
  • The application should be for a specific event and must be completed in full. Flexibility is appreciated however, requests submitted without any dates cannot be considered.

Procedures

  • When a request is received, every attempt is made to satisfy the petition. The team game schedule, practice schedule, travel schedule and each player's individual/family schedule determine availability. Unfortunately, many requisitions are not filled due to scheduling conflicts and the sizeable interest in celebrity appearances.
  • Because we receive many requests, the fulfillment process may be lengthy. As a result, it can be difficult to follow-up with phone calls on the status of your request. When information about your requisition is available, we will contact you directly whether we can or cannot arrange an appearance.
  • Once an appearance has been arranged, confirmation materials will be sent.
  • Should the confirmed player be unable to appear due to illness, injury, roster transaction, an act of God, or circumstances beyond his control, best efforts will be made to find a suitable replacement.

Appearance Fees

  • Associated with any celebrity engagements are appearance fees that need to be mutually agreed upon by the requester and the player.
  • Fees are based on a one-hour visit and payment is expected upon the players' arrival.
  • Generally appearance fees start at $1,000 and can range upwards of $5,000 for a one-hour appearance in Houston. (Fee information is an approximation and is subject to change.)
  • Honorariums vary according to a player's stature and the length and nature of the appearance.
  • Maximum appearance time is two hours.
  • Any appearance requests from outside the Houston area are more difficult to arrange.
  • Non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organizations not enlisting the assistance/sponsorship of a commercial partner (radio station, retail outlet, business etc.) may be eligible for a fee waiver. In an effort to try and assist those causes which are not-for-profit, players may forego the normal fee associated with appearances.
  • In most cases non-player appearances (i.e. front office staff) do not require an honorarium.

Helpful Hints

It is highly recommended that your event not center around a player appearance because many requests are unable to be arranged. Plan your event and approach a player appearance as an added bonus to your program.

If your event is scheduled during Spring Training (Feb. 1 - April 1):
Astros personnel are in Florida for spring training and not available for appearances.
If your event is scheduled on the day of an Astros night game (April 1 - Oct. 1):
1. Best times for an appearance are between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
2. Players report to the stadium around 2:30 p.m. and leave no earlier than 11:00 p.m.
If your event is scheduled on the day of an Astros day game (April 1 - Oct. 1):
1. Players report to the stadium around 9:00 a.m. and leave no earlier than 4:00 p.m.
2. It is difficult to schedule appearances on a day when the players have a day game.
If your event is scheduled when the team is on the road (April 1 - Oct. 1):
Players are not in Houston and not available for appearances
If your event is scheduled on an off-day (April 1 - Oct. 1):
1. Off-days are not good for appearances as the players schedule family/personal time on these days.
2. The players have two to three days a month when they do not have to work or travel (off-days).
If your event is scheduled when the team is in the playoffs (Oct. 1 - Nov. 1):
Astros personnel are not available for appearances.
If your event is scheduled during the off-season (Oct. 1 or Nov. 1 - Feb. 1):
Because very few players live in Houston during the off-season, our ability to fulfill appearance requests is limited.
Player Request Form »