Houston Astros and Partners 'TEAM' Up to Ensure Safety at Games and on Area Roadways Throughout the Baseball Season

Designated Driver Program Offers Responsible Alternative

HOUSTON, July 21 -- "Responsibility Has Its Rewards" is the message to Astros fans as the Houston Astros, Aramark, Minute Maid Park, Major League Baseball, and the TEAM Coalition join forces to educate fans about the importance of responsible drinking, always buckling up, and designating a sober driver. Fans who act responsibly could be rewarded with World Series tickets or a trip to next year's All-Star Game.

TEAM Coalition -- an alliance of professional sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities -- has coordinated a league-wide promotion in support of existing designated driver programs. TEAM and its partners are rewarding fans for responsible behavior.

"Fan safety in the ballpark has always been a top priority for MLB," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We believe that this partnership is an excellent program that emphasizes fans' safety to and from the ballpark."

TEAM and its partners are sponsoring the Responsibility Has Its Rewards contest. Starting after the All-Star Game, each fan who pledges to be a designated driver at a Houston Astros home game can register for a drawing to be selected as the club's designated driver for the season. If the Astros play in the 2004 World Series, the individual selected for the season will receive two tickets to the first Series game held at Minute Maid Park.

If the Astros do not play in the World Series, the designated driver for the season is eligible to win two tickets to the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit (two game tickets, airfare, and hotel accommodations). The contest will begin in all MLB ballparks immediately. Official contest rules are available at http://www.teamcoalition.org/.

Television and radio public service announcements are being broadcast in the local Houston area. The TV spots use Major League Baseball umpires as spokespeople to emphasize how important teamwork and following the rules are to success on the field and how that translates to responsible behavior in the stands and on the roads.

"This promotion continues the commitment of MLB in supporting the clubs' efforts to encourage responsible fan behavior similar to the effort carried out in May for safety belt use. And for the fans, it is a great reminder that responsibility has its rewards," said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of the TEAM Coalition.

NHTSA Administrator Jeff Runge said, "I commend Major League Baseball and all the clubs for taking a leadership role to promote the designated driver program." NHTSA recognized all TEAM Coalition members for their efforts in promoting traffic safety messages through the Click It or Ticket campaign in May and now Responsibility Has Its Rewards launching with the MLB All-Star Game.

The designated driver program at Minute Maid Park offers fans a solution to the problem of how to get home safely after drinking at the game. The designated driver is the person who chooses to stay sober, drives everyone else home safely, and makes sure everyone buckles up. "We want the game-day experience to continue to be safe and enjoyable for Astros fans while they are at the stadium and as they travel home after the games," said Rob Matwick, Senior Vice President of Operations and Communications for the Houston Astros.

A recent survey conducted by Data Development Corporation shows that the Designated Driver concept is well known in America. Nearly all Americans (94%) are aware of the concept. More importantly, the role of Designated Driver is being assumed by millions of Americans (122 million people have either been a Designated Driver or have been driven home by one). Nearly all Americans (98%) believe that Designated Drivers help save lives.

TEAM's membership includes Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, Aramark, Beer Institute, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Miller Brewing Company, Coors Brewing Company, International Association of Assembly Managers, National Association of Broadcasters, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Stadium Managers Association.

For more information on the TEAM Coalition please log on to http://www.teamcoalition.org/.