Tapia a Finalist for Houston's Mascot Contest

Sammy the Seagull creator and former Ryan Sanders Baseball executive Richard Tapia is among the finalists competing to be the new mascot of the Houston Astros.

Tapia worked for Ryan Sanders Baseball from 2001-2009 as a sales executive and mascot performer.  He is no newcomer to the mascot world, having served as several other mascots for greater Austin-area sports teams.

Most notably, Tapia was mascot at The University of Texas from 1999-2003.

Today at 12 noon, the final four contestants in the Astros “You Make the Call” Mascot Contest will be competing in the final round in an individual open audition at the Food Court at The Shops at Houston Center. The Astros received over 45,000 fan votes to narrow the pool down to these final four contestants: Jason Carson, Trent Coots, Will Havens and Tapia.

Each finalist will get 15 minutes to make a lasting performance in front of the panel of judges and fans in attendance. Each performance will be recorded and posted online at Astros.com on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Fan voting will begin that day and close on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. The panel of judges and the fan vote will combine to select the next Astros Mascot performer for the 2013 season.

The final round of competition is open to all fans and media, with admission being free.

Additional information on Tapia can be found at www.facebook.com/richardformascot