Ahhhhh memories. Was actually at one of these where a HR was launched while the orange light on. Think I got about 3 free beers.
What the article doesn't describe is the mayhem afterwards. The one I attended where all were "lit" up was in I think in about 1977. There were 3 collisions just alone in the parking lot,not even getting to the gate. Then add about 6 additional wrecks on the 610 loop before this was over. Think I finally got home about 2:30 a.m. after dodging all the wrecks and emergency vehicles. My times have changed
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Foamer Night†ran from 1974 to 1978, an era when the Astros rarely had success on the field and might have even been worse at the turnstile where they averaged fewer than 14,000 fans per game. They didn’t do so well on the financial ledgers either. Franchise founder Roy Hofheinz was so deep in debt, the Ford Motor Credit Company took ownership of the franchise in 1975.
To their credit, the bean counters stuck with a promotion still heralded as a franchise highlight by old school Astros fans.
On “Foamer Night,†there was a rectangular orange light next to the scoreboard clock in right field. When the digital clock was on an even-numbered minute while the Astros were hitting, the light was illuminated. If an Astros player hit a homer – err, “foamer†– while the light was glowing, fans got free beer the rest of the night through the eighth inning.
https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Houston-Astros-Foamer-Night-Astrodome-free-beer-15373773.php
