MLB.com's Brian McTaggart noted the Astros yesterday "unveiled special uniforms" that they will "wear during their first two home games of the season, April 2 and 3, against the Orioles." Lettering and the numbering on the uniforms "will be in gold, along with a gold star on the caps and a World Series champions logo." The team will also have other "early-season promotional items" including a replica World Series trophy, World Series posters and a George Springer World Series MVP bobblehead. The Astros also "unveiled their marketing slogan" for '18, "Never Settle" (MLB.com, 2/7).
PLAYING BY THE RULES: The Fritz Pollard Alliance said that the Ravens are "not in violation of the Rooney Rule" with their plan to transfer the GM role from Ozzie Newsome to Eric DeCosta after the '18 season. The rule "doesn’t apply in this case because the Ravens had an internal succession plan in place" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 2/6).
DASH CAM: The NWSL Dash are "aiming to roughly double their average home attendance" by '20. Dash Exec VP & CMO David Brady said that it is "part of the team’s three-year plan in an attempt to increase sponsorship revenue and visibility for the soccer team in the Houston area." The timing of the Dash’s growth is "aimed in part to coincide" with the '19 FIFA Women's World Cup and the '20 Tokyo Games. The Dash "averaged about 4,500 fans" in '17 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/6).
