HOUSTON – Watch any Astros game, and you’ll most likely see a player wearing some non-traditional, edgy gear. Those shirts are from Apollo Houston, a local company started by die-hard Astros fans.
“What we found out worked was the foundation, the community, the city, and the people; and that’s what we built it around. It’s been wild to see what’s actually come to fruition,” said ‘Apollo Dez,’ co-founder of Apollo Houston.
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It started during the Astros sign-stealing scandal. Apollo Houston created shirts that read “H-Town vs Everyone.” Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers Jr. asked them for some merchandise.
“The ‘H-Town vs Everyone’ is kind of how we zigged when everyone else was zagging during the scandal when it broke, and I was like, ‘Hey, let’s just roll into it. Let’s just embrace it.’ And they reached out and were like, ‘Hey, can we get these shirts.’”
Their shirt that reads “The Franchise” is a nod to Framber Valdez. A colorful tie-dye shirt that reads “Peace, Love, and Heaters” is for Ryan Stanek. Stanek and his entire family rocked the shirts. “Machete and Chill,” a spoof of the common phrase ‘Netflix and Chill,’ shows a picture of Martin “Machete” Maldonado laying down.
“The fact that the city has kind of rallied around us, being a small business and a local business, it’s been huge and it’s bigger than us now.”
Seeing so many players rock the gear on national television feels unreal for these lifelong Astros fans.
“It’s a testament to our team putting the work in and having an idea. It’s cool to see that process play out and see where one thing can lead to an actual shirt and the guys wearing it,” said Dez.
Apollo Houston also dabbles in podcasting and streaming.