People will come: Astros forge 'new path' with Triple-A makeover

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- The Astros expected upward of 5,000 fans to attend their Triple-A rebranding launch party Saturday afternoon at Constellation Field. What they weren’t expecting was having to delay their formal presentation on the field for several minutes -- to accommodate scores of fans that formed a line so long that it wrapped around the ballpark.

With only around 22 miles separating the Astros and their rebranded Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, fans in this area are plenty familiar with the parent club that plays up the road in downtown Houston. Sugar Land, a progressive, fast-growing city located southwest of Houston, is Astros country as much as the neighborhoods that surround Minute Maid Park.

Residents, many donning Astros gear, showed up in droves on a bright, sunny, 64-degree Saturday, eager to welcome in a new era of Space Cowboys baseball.

“It's going to bring a lot of fans here. It's going to bring a lot of attendance to Sugar Land,” said catcher Korey Lee, ranked the Astros’ top prospect by MLB Pipeline. “They’ll get to follow us whenever we’re here, and then going to Houston, they’ll get to see our development. That’s what I think is really, really important in the Minor Leagues, is for the fans to come and see the development of what we're doing and what we put in and then hopefully one day get to see us on the big show at Minute Maid.”

Lee, who recently moved to the Houston area, was one of four Houston prospects to attend Saturday’s launch party and model the new uniforms that the Space Cowboys will wear in ’22. Joining Lee and Triple-A manager Mickey Storey were pitchers Brett Conine and Chad Donato and first baseman J.J. Matijevic.

“I identified immediately with what they were going for,” Storey said of the new Space Cowboys logos and uniforms. “And I thought they hit it on the money. You'll see a lot of different unique names in Minor League Baseball, and I thought this was actually spot on, with the community and the affiliation with the Astros. The bright colors are a nice touch, too.”

The party began with the unveiling of a Space Cowboys banner outside the ballpark. A stage presentation included addresses from Astros officials and Sugar Land dignitaries, a brand reveal video, jersey modeling, a live concert from The Stags and a fireworks show to conclude the event.

The Space Cowboys also introduced their new furry blue mascot, Orion, a cosmic space dog (official species: Canis Cosmicus), who has become the trusty sidekick of the Sugar Land Space Cowboy. Sources confirmed Orion and Orbit, the Astros’ lovable, green, out-of-this world mascot, are already best friends -- despite being from different galaxies.

Constellation Field was the home of the Atlantic League Sugar Land Skeeters from 2012-19, and the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in '21. The ballpark was always considered one of the best in the country, dating back to its years housing a non-affiliated team. When MLB began the process of restructuring the Minor Leagues, Constellation Field was an obvious choice to make the jump to affiliated baseball.

The only thing that has changed in current times is the attention the renamed Space Cowboys will receive on a larger scale, with players now being one phone call away from making the quick jaunt up the road to Minute Maid Park.

The Astros’ soiree on Saturday helped to put their stamp on a partnership that is likely to last a long time.

“Having been someone who actually played any Atlantic League at a point in my career, even while I was managing here, with the affiliation of the Astros, it was still like the name ‘Skeeters’ was [associated with] an indy ball team,” Storey said. “To have the Astros owning the team and now being affiliated with a Triple-A team, it definitely makes sense to rebrand and start a new path.”