Astros Give Out 250K Replica World Series Rings After Insane Demand

By Brendan Menapace

Anyone who's picked up a wiffleball bat or thrown a baseball through a tire, all the while pretending to be one of their baseball heroes in a packed stadium, has no doubt dreamed of someday getting a World Series ring of their own. Statistically speaking, though, the odds of actually getting a ring by winning the World Series are slim, to say the least.

So, for Houston fans who wanted to share that feeling with their World Series-winning team, the replica ring giveaway was a dream come true. The first giveaway, back in April, did so well that the Astros announced another one for June. But even that wasn't enough to satisfy the many Houstonians who wanted to celebrate the Astros with rings.

Naturally, the Astros marketing team took the hint and scheduled a total of six replica ring giveaways. The first promotional event allowed the first 10,000 fans to get a ring. Fans lined up hours before the game to make sure they got one.

Astros World Series replica ring giveaway produces staggering numbers https://t.co/DyTXRUFcCC pic.twitter.com/P0igDVLLAa

— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 24, 2018

After that, fans started selling their replica rings on eBay, a true indication of an item's demand.

For this last giveaway, falling on Fan Appreciation Day, the Astros gave rings to every fan in attendance, so no one had to line up or feel left out, according to ABC 13.

I am got 2017 Houston Astros championship ring very right now.❤️👌👍😊⚾️ pic.twitter.com/PYtRKhFPsa

— RAY RUBIO JR (@rayrayrubiojr69) September 18, 2018

When all is said and done, the Astros will have given out 250,000 World Series replica rings.

This is some awesome awareness by the Astros marketing team. They could've left it as one event that was successful, but they recognized the demand was there for more. Not only did they have more events, they ended it by letting everyone who showed up get one, rather than keeping it a first-come-first-served thing.

Astros fans will always come to the ballpark, but this is the kind of thing that creates even more of a positive affiliation with the team as a brand. It's also a good reminder that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you notice a promotion performing well, it's always worth trying it one more time. Or six times, if you're the Astros.