Astros thrilled to finally put a ring on it
After 56 years, jewelry signifies dream come true
As each Astros player walked onto the field to accept his World Series championship ring Tuesday night, he became a little bit less of a hardened, seasoned professional athlete and a little bit more of a star-struck, starryeyed kid.
It was the night, as manager A.J. Hinch said, that ballplayers spend their lives dreaming about. And now it’s reality — 3 ounces of white and yellow gold, 214 diamonds and a field of blue and orange sapphires — earned for reaching the pinnacle of their profession.
“I might sleep with mine tonight,” said outfielder Josh Reddick, who had two home runs and drove in six runs in the Astros’ 10-6 win over the Orioles. “I’m wearing it home tonight.”
Tuesday’s ring presentation was the second day of the Astros’ two-day cel-
ebration of the franchise’s first World Series title, a celebration 56 years in the making and, for team officials and ring designers, a painstaking eight-week marathon of trial and error to get the perfect look for a unique moment in Astros history.
For Astros fans and players, it includes everything that made the season special — the iconic orange and blue colors, the “Houston Strong” motto that inspired the team in the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s assault on Houston, the city skyline and the Commissioner’s Trophy the Astros earned for beating the Dodgers for the World Series title.
“It’s what you’ve been playing for,” Hinch said. “All you talk about in the clubhouse is ‘we want a ring,’ and there you have it, right on your hand.
“It’s pretty bright. It’s pretty big. It’s very important, and it’s a signature for many of our careers, including mine. This big shiny thing that you immediately put on your hand and feel like a little kid again.”
Players, coaches, clubhouse staff members and Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio were the first to receive their rings. The Astros plan over the next few days to distribute 1,332 rings, the second-largest team order to the 1,900-plus ordered by the Chicago Cubs for their 2016 World Series title, to club employees from the front office staff to groundskeepers to ushers.
“You dream of having one of these,” said Astros owner Jim Crane, modeling his ring. “It’s a dream come true. So it’s great. It’s a great memento and a historical piece.”
Four tiers of rings were designed for distribution among players and other Astros employees, said an official with Jostens, the Minneapolis-based ring designer.
The company also produced 112 rings for sale to the public for $11,200 each, replicating many of the same designs as the player rings, plus other jewelry items for men and women.
Brandon Pemble, one of the Astros’ merchandise buyers, said there was a chance the 112 top-line rings could be sold out by Wednesday.
“We knew Astros fans would come out in full force, but this is beyond what we could have predicted,” Pemble said.
One of the 112 rings will be auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the Astros Foundation.
For fans with more modest budgets, key rings, bracelets and a paperweight that replicates the features of the ring presented to players and coaches were popular items Tuesday night.
“Elite” fan rings start at $649, and regular fan rings at $349.
As for the player rings, they are fashioned in 14-karat white gold with yellow gold accents, 214 diamonds totaling 10.55 carats, 16 blue sapphires and nine orange sapphires.
The top of the ring includes the Astros’ “H” logo, composed of 11 baguette diamonds to represent 11 playoff wins, plus 101 diamonds — one for each regularseason win.
Fifty-six diamonds encircle the top of the ring, representing 56 seasons of Major League Baseball in Houston. Sides feature the player’s name and number, the World Series trophy, city skyline and “Houston Strong” logo, and the back has the team’s “Earned History” logo.
Jostens executive Chris Poitras said club officials and designers went through at least 10 permutations to come up with the final model. The toughest part, he said, was finding the exact shade of orange and blue sapphires to match the Astros’ colors.
“We hear the stories and the impact, and this story is very unique, given everything that happened in this city and to this team last year,” Poitras said. “Our job was to bring ideas and fashions and work (with the team) to bring this story together.”
It is, however, a lot of bling – 2.4 to 3 ounces, depending on one’s finger size.
“It’s not comfortable,” Crane said, laughing. “It’s huge. The designs are so big, and we actually downsized it from the one the Cubs had last year. But that’s what (players) like now.”
Poitras said each ring required contributions from about 40 workers, with each requiring about 13 hours to complete. Casting, setting, polishing and assembling took place in three locations — Minneapolis, Montreal and … wait for it …
Denton, Texas, just a short shot up the road from DallasFort Worth, where the Texas Rangers, as Houston fans are happy to remind you, are still waiting for their first ring ceremony to match the one the Astros staged Tuesday night.