Astros Train Baseball Sculptures

For a special Houston Astros installation, I had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of custom sculptural baseballs that replaced the iconic oranges carried by the Astros train. Fabricated through Smash Designs, these oversized baseballs became a unique addition to one of Houston's most recognizable ballpark features.

The project combined multiple fabrication techniques, including custom molding, fiberglass construction, hand sculpting, and layered finishing processes to create durable, large-scale forms capable of withstanding long-term display. Seeing the pieces evolve from raw materials into finished sculptures was a rewarding experience and offered valuable insight into large-scale production methods.

My primary contribution focused on the finishing stage, where I hand-painted the red stitching on each baseball. Maintaining consistency, accuracy, and realism across every piece required patience and attention to detail, and it was satisfying to see those finishing touches help bring the installation to life.

As a lifelong Houston sports fan, contributing to a project connected to the Astros made this one especially memorable.