No Houston-based athlete is "drawing more attention these days" than Astros SS Carlos Correa, who ranks "No. 1 on your Astros memorabilia shopping list and No. 1, in terms of the fastest start in on-field performance," according to David Barron of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. As a "bilingual personality in a market like Houston," the rookie's endorsement and promotional possibilities "are boundless." Houston-based ad agency Lopez Negrete Senior Account Exec Jorge Gomez said, "There is a big young Hispanic demographic in Houston and a big Caribbean demographic. His possibilities are endless." Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said, "Certainly having a bilingual player and a bicultural player who can be a superstar in this market, I think he can have broad appeal across the country and specifically in Texas. With the way he acts and the way he carries himself and the way he communicates, he's a very polished young man for 20 years old. I have a feeling he'll have some cereal boxes in his future." Barron reported Frank Higginbotham, Correa's marketing rep, "spent several days earlier this month in Correa's native Puerto Rico working with the Salvation Army and other organizations to line up charitable opportunities." Higginbotham said that he will "do the same in Houston ... and that Correa's first endorsement-related deals will involve not products but philanthropy." Higginbotham: "Our first order of business is establishing Carlos with some charities in Houston." He added that Correa will "move slowly on the promotional front." Other than equipment deals, Correa "has no endorsement agreements in place." Higginbotham: "We have been very slow to this point." The Astros said that a Correa T-shirt was the "most popular item among customers by a factor of 10-to-1" during his first week on the roster. Authentic Correa jerseys (at $282.99 each), replica jerseys and T-shirts are "available at the Astros gift shop and through the team's website" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/28).
