(Houston, TX) -- "Responsibility Has Its Rewards" was the message to Houston fans as the Astros, Major League Baseball, Anheuser-Busch, and the TEAM Coalition joined forces to get the word out to fans about the importance of responsible drinking and always using a designated driver.

TEAM Coalition - an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports facilities – coordinated a league-wide promotion with Major League Baseball in support of existing designated driver programs such as the Anheuser-Busch Good Sport program. TEAM and its partners are educating fans about the importance of drinking responsibly and always buckling up and designating a driver.

Approximately 225,000 fans pledged to be designated drivers during the season. And nearly 8,000 Astros fans participated in the designated driver program offered in conjunction with the Anheuser-Busch Good Sport program during home games at Minute Maid Park. From those participants, one lucky designated driver for the season – Bret Hann – was selected.

When the Astros host Game Three of the World Series on Tuesday, October 25th, Hann will be at Minute Maid Park. A secondary prize of a trip to the 2006 All-Star Game® at PNC Park in Pittsburgh was awarded to Melissa Abbett, designated driver for the season from the Texas Rangers.

“Through our Good Sport program, we’re pleased to work with TEAM, the Astros and Major League Baseball to support this great responsibility program that rewards fans for looking out for each other and making sure everyone has a safe ride home with a designated driver,” stated Anheuser-Busch Vice President of Consumer Affairs John Kaestner. “When it comes to preventing drunk driving, we’re all part of the team.”

“This promotion is an opportunity for the Houston Astros and MLB to show support for the clubs’ efforts to encourage responsible fan behavior. And for the fans, it is a great reminder that responsibility has its rewards,” said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of the TEAM Coalition.

"Fan safety in the ballpark has always been a top priority for Major League Baseball," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We believe this is an excellent program that emphasizes fans' safety to and from the ballpark."

Through the designated driver program, fans who sign up pledge to get everyone in their group home safely after the game. "We want the game-day experience to continue to be safe and enjoyable for Astros fans while they are at the stadium and as they travel home after the games," said Robert Matwick, Senior Vice President of Operations and Communications for the Astros. “We are very happy to reward our fans with such a great opportunity for demonstrating responsible behavior.”