HOUSTON -- Within 24 hours of announcing their ballpark will no longer be named for Enron Corp., the Houston Astros on Thursday started peeling away signs displaying the company name or tilted "E" logo.

Brisk market for Enron artifacts

HOUSTON -- Enron Field may be history, but there's apparently some value left in artifacts that carry the Enron Field name. Business is booming at the Astros' souvenir store at what used to be known as Enron Field for anything that has "Enron Field" on it. So some people are buying in bulk the mouse pads, paperweights, insulated coffee mugs, T-shirts and picture frames have all been moved to the front of the store. Pennants and hats are sold out. "This memorabilia will never be produced again," Bobby Mintz, vice president of Tri-Star Productions, a sports collectible shows producer, said. "Therefore, it does have the potential to appreciate" in value. Consider that an original Astrodome pennant from 1965 could be worth as much as $150 today, he said. One prime attraction for collectors could be the Enron Field signs that have been unbolted from the park. The Astros, however, say they're going into storage. -- Associated Press

Maintenance crews boarded scissor lifts and roamed newly dubbed Astros Field, taking down heavy copper diamond-shaped signs from arched entrances.

"We're just wandering around, seeing what we need to take down," crew member Larry Bostick said. A crumpled, diamond-shaped "Enron Field" sticker that used to be on a sign designating seating sections was stuck to his shoe.

The team agreed Wednesday to pay Enron $2.1 million to get out of the company's $100 million, 30-year naming rights deal.

Astros spokesman Jimmy Stanton said the team will not erect any "Astros Field" signs because owner Drayton McLane hopes to strike a naming rights deal with another company within two months.

Now the Astros face ridding their two-year-old ballpark of the Enron's name, which has come to symbolize corporate misconduct after the company imploded last year amid allegations of accounting abuses.

Hundreds of signs throughout 42,000-seat ballpark display the name, from seating charts next to ticket windows to the four clock faces in a tower at the home plate entrance.

Thursday's effort started small, with signs workers could remove with socket wrenches and putty knives.

Stanton said officials didn't yet know if they will bring in cranes to take down the huge blue letters that say "Enron Field" above the right-field entrance and above the scoreboard.

Enron's name was on everything from staff uniforms to cups, napkins, plates and tickets for the 2002 season sold in early February.

Team officials said napkins that say "Enron Field" likely won't accompany cocktails this season, but final decisions on switching out those small items have yet to be made.

McLane said whatever remains visible when the Astros face the Boston Red Sox in two exhibition games March 29-30 will be covered with tarps. But officials said pressure is on to remove as many "Enron Field" displays as possible.

Companies that have expressed interest in naming rights for the ballpark include Conoco Inc., Compaq Computer Corp. and Landry's restaurants. Dynegy Inc., once Enron's prospective merger partner, has declined interest.

Experts said McLane's hope of getting a deal done in two months may be too optimistic, particularly in terms of getting new signs up.

"This year's probably a bust in terms of finding a naming partner. The season is just too close," said Steve Camp, a Dallas lawyer who helped negotiate the naming rights deal for the Arizona Diamondbacks' 4-year-old Bank One Ballpark.

Camp said the ballpark can just be called Astros Field for a season, giving the team and the new naming rights partner a chance to market the new moniker.

"If I were a serious buyer, I'd want to give it some time and let some of the ill feelings about Enron dissipate before I put my name there," he said.