LOS ANGELES -- Astros owner Jim Crane arranged to send every full-time employee based in Houston to Games 1 or 2 of the World Series presented by YouTube TV. Astros president of baseball operations Reid Ryan said about 250 employees will make the trip to Los Angeles, with half of the group coming to Game 1 on Tuesday and the other half for Game 2 on Wednesday.
"I went out there and welcomed them when they came in," Ryan said prior to Game 1. "We provided them with tickets and a plane flight. They have really good seats, and we wanted them to come and experience this because everybody in this organization has been a part of helping us get to where we are today."
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In a staff meeting on Monday morning, Ryan informed the employees they would be going to Dodger Stadium to cheer on the Astros.
"It was a quick turnaround," Ryan said. "People had the afternoon to figure out if they were going to go in group one or group two. There are several employees that weren't able to come at all because they were maintaining either the watch parties or getting ready for the home games, but if it goes six or seven [games], we're going to make sure they come out."
Ryan, meanwhile, said he has been inundated with ticket requests from all corners, including former Astros. He said 1986 National League Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott, a southern California resident, would be in attendance for Game 1. Several of the Astros' minority owners were also in attendance.
"It's been a crazy 72 hours since the last out was made [in the American League Championship Series presented by Camping World]," Ryan said. "When I said I've had 1,000 text messages, I've had 1,000 text messages. So many people want to come to the games in Houston or here, but the tickets are gone because our season-ticket holders bought them up and the secondary market is going crazy. You're talking $700 for standing-room only tickets, so people want to come and they're begging me for seats, and we just don't have them."