It is not as difficult as one would think. All you have to do is purchase a message for $34.50. Messages are displayed at the end of the sixth inning at all home games in Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. Space is very limited so you should request time as early as you can for the best chance of having your message seen at the game you want.

Most people use the scoreboard messages to say happy birthday to a loved one. Some couples celebrating a milestone anniversary, say a 25th, or 50th. Every once in awhile you will find that romantic who will propose marriage to there loved one at the ballpark. Some find this romantic but it is my belief that both the man and woman should probably be die hard fans.

I would hope that someone who is asking for anothers hand in marriage would have an idea that the person would say yes before taking such a bold public step. It would be a shame if the person said no in front of thousands of people. Though I do not expect that happens very often.

I would think it would be harder than merely plunking down your $34.50 and reserving space, however according the web site, astros.com that is all that is required. That and of course enough lead time to make sure, due to limited space as mentioned earlier, that you get the message at the game you are wanting. I would also think that if one were to pay for a scoreboard announcement they would most probably be at the game and not merely watching it on television. That however is simply my opinion. I know that I myself would want to be at the game to get all the excitement of hearing the crowd clap, or possibly roar, when your personal message appears for all to see.

They have posted deadline on their web site. For instance if you want a message on a weekday game it must be submitted, and I assume paid for, no less than one business day before the game. The weekend games evidently have more requests and require a minimum of three business days advance notice.

They have made it easy to order this special feature and to purchase it directly from the web site, astros.com. You must know that the message is limited to 75 characters, including spaces. The Astros organization does reserve the right to edit content and it must be approved by the front office for content.

Some of the restrictions according to what I've read at Astros.com include, but are not limited to, the use of any MLB player's name. You can't purchase advertising for your company, although if there is a large group from your company attending the game you can welcome them to said game and therefore would be allowed to mention your companies' name. Also any messages that are obscene, offensive, or include foul language will be not accepted.

If you are interested in having a message on the scoreboard at Minute Maid Park, you can visit www.astros.com and check available dates. Submit your message for approval and I'm sure even pay for it with a credit cards all the Astros web site.

The answers to these questions were found at www.astros.com, and are the property of the Astros organization. Who knew it was so easy to get a message on the scoreboard, I certainly had no idea before I researched the web site for this article?

Learn more about this author, Ron Busby.
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