Book Hotels in Astros
Population: Unkown
Latitude: 22.71971
Longitude: 37.405602
Source: WikiPedia
Description:
– In 1981, a players' strike in the middle of the season forced the season to be split into two halves. The Astros won the division in the second half, but lost the division playoff to the Dodgers.
– In 1994, a players' strike wiped out the last eight weeks of the season and all post-season. Houston was a half game out of first place in the Central Division behind Cincinnati when play was stopped. No official titles were awarded in 1994.
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are currently a member of the National League Central Division. In 2013, the Astros will move to the American League West Division. The Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park since 2000.
The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s in 1962. The current name was adopted three years later when they moved into the Astrodome, the world's first domed sports stadium. The name references Houston's role as the center of the U.S. Space Program.
The Astros have one World Series appearance, in 2005 against the Chicago White Sox.
The Houston Astros are a member of the National League Central Division. In late 2011, Houston businessman Jim Crane purchased the Astros from Drayton McLane. As a condition of the sale, Major League Baseball required a move to the American League West Division, effective for the 2013 season. After over fifty years in the National League, this move is unpopular with many Astros fans.
Houston officials had been making efforts to bring a Major League team to Texas before the expansion in 1962. There were four men chiefly responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Houston: George Kirksey and Craig Cullinan, who had led a futile attempt to purchase the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952; R.E. "Bob" Smith, a prominent oilman and real estate magnate in Houston who was brought in for his financial resources; and Judge Roy Hofheinz, a former Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge who was recruited for his salesmanship and political style. They formed the Houston Sports Association as their vehicle for attaining a big league franchise for the city of Houston.
Given MLB's refusal to consider expansion, Kirksey, Cullinan, Smith, and Hofheinz joined forces with would-be owners from other cities and announced the formation of a new league to compete with the established National and American Leagues. They called the new league the Continental League. Wanting to protect potential new markets, both existing leagues chose to expand from eight teams to ten. Houston won a franchise in the National League to begin play in 1962. The Continental League folded before it ever started, but if its real object was to secure Houston a Major League franchise, it clearly succeeded.
The new Houston team was named the Colt .45s after a "Name The Team" contest was won by William Irving Neder. The Colt .45 was well known as "the gun that won the west." The colors selected were navy blue and orange. The first team was a collection of cast-offs culled mostly through an expansion draft after the 1961 season. The Colt .45s and their expansion cousins, the New York Mets, took turns choosing players left unprotected by the other National League franchises.
The Colt .45s began their existence playing at Colt Stadium. Colt Stadium, however, was just a temporary field until Judge Hofheinz could build an indoor stadium. Hofheinz had convinced the National League owners that the sweltering Houston summers would not be a problem as he would build an indoor baseball stadium based loosely on the Colosseum in Rome. Bonds were passed and construction began, but in the meantime the team played on some reclaimed marshland south of town. Colt Stadium was built on the same land that would eventually hold its famous successor. It was built on the cheap with little to protect fans from the weather or other hazards. True baseball fans hardly cared. Houston had become a "major league" city.
The Colt .45s started their inaugural season on April 10, 1962, against the Chicago Cubs with Harry Craft as the Colt .45s' manager. Bob Aspromonte scored the first run for the Colt .45s on an Al Spangler triple in the first inning. They started the season with a three-game sweep of the Cubs but eventually finished eighth among the National League's ten teams. The team's best pitcher, Richard "Turk" Farrell, lost 20 games despite an ERA of 3.02. A starter for the Colt .45s, Farrell was primarily a relief pitcher prior to playing for Houston. He was selected to both All-Star Games in 1962.
Despite the poor finish, there was a bright spot in the Houston line-up in 1962. Román Mejías, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the expansion draft, was named the Colt .45s' starting right fielder. It was in Houston that Mejías would play the best season of his career. Although an injury slowed him in the second half of the season, Mejías finished with a .286 batting average, 24 home runs, and 76 RBIs. His modesty and his hard play made him a fan favorite that year. Despite his good year, Mejías was traded to the Boston Red Sox in the fall of 1962.
The 1963 season saw more young talent mixed with seasoned veterans. Jimmy Wynn, Rusty Staub, and Joe Morgan all made their major league debuts in the 1963 season. However, Houston's position in the standings did not improve. In fact, the Colt .45s finished in ninth place with a 66–96 record. The team was still building, trying to find that perfect mix to compete. Craft had plenty of rookies to play, and on September 27 he fielded a team consisting entirely of rookies versus the New York Mets. Houston lost 10–3 but it was a glimpse of what was to come in the next few seasons.
The 1964 campaign began on a sad note. Pitcher Jim Umbricht died of cancer at the age of 33 just before Opening Day. Umbricht was the only Colt .45s pitcher to post a winning record in Houston's first two seasons. He was so well liked by players and fans that the team retired his jersey number, 32, in 1965.
On the field, the 1964 Colt .45s got off to a quick start, but it would not last. Craft was fired, presumably for wanting to play more experienced players, which conflicted with team management's desire to showcase the young up-and-coming talent. Craft was replaced by one of the Colt .45s coaches, Luman Harris. One player the front office wanted to showcase was teenage pitcher Larry Dierker. He started versus the San Francisco Giants on his eighteenth birthday. Dierker lost the game, but it was the beginning of a long relationship with the Houston organization.
Just on the horizon, the structure of the new domed stadium was more prevalent and it would soon change the way that baseball was watched in Houston and around the league.
With Judge Roy Hofheinz now the sole owner of the franchise and the new venue complete, the Colt .45s moved into their new domed stadium, the Astrodome in 1965. The name honored Houston's position as location of the nation's space program. The Colt .45s were renamed the Astros. The new park, coined the "Eighth Wonder of the World" did little to help the play on the field. While several "indoor" firsts were accomplished, the team still finished ninth in the standings. The attendance was high not because of the team accomplishments, but because people came from miles around to see the Astrodome.
Just as the excitement was settling down over the Astrodome, the 1966 season found something new to put the domed stadium in the spotlight once again – the field. Grass would not grow in the new park, since the roof panels had been painted to reduce the glare that was causing players on both the Astros and the visiting teams to miss routine pop flies. A new artificial turf was created called "AstroTurf" and Houston would be involved in yet another change in the way the game was played.
With new manager Grady Hatton the Astros got hot right away. By May they were in second place in the National League and looked like a team that could contend. Joe Morgan and Sonny Jackson appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, an Astros first, and Morgan was named as a starter on the All-Star Team. The Astros cooled as quickly as they got hot. They lost Jimmy Wynn for the season after he crashed into an outfield fence in Philadelphia and Morgan had broken his knee cap. There were some good notes however. Sonny Jackson set a team record with 49 steals, and led the Astros with a .292 batting average. The Astros were a young team full of talented position players (Morgan, Staub, Jackson, and Wynn) and pitchers (Dierker, Mike Cuellar, and Don Wilson) but their play was still not consistent.
1967 saw Eddie Mathews join the Astros, where he played first base. The slugger hit his 500th home run while in Houston. He would be traded late in the season and Doug Rader would be promoted to the big leagues. Rookie Wilson pitched a no-hitter on June 18, Father's Day, against the Atlanta Braves. It was the first no-hit shutout pitched both in team history and in the Astrodome. Wynn also provided some enthusiasm in 1967. The 5 ft 9 in Wynn was becoming known not only for how often he hit home runs, but also for how far he hit them. Wynn set club records with 37 home runs, and 107 RBIs. It was also in 1967 that Wynn hit his famous home run onto Interstate 75 in Cincinnati. He also had a pinch-hit single in the All-Star Game that year, another Astros first. As the season came to a close, the Astros found themselves again in ninth place and with a winning percentage below .500. The team looked good on paper, but could not make it work on the field.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination delayed the start to the 1968 season. When Robert F. Kennedy was killed two months later, Major League Baseball let teams decide if they would postpone games or not. Astros management decided to not postpone games, and Rusty Staub and Bob Aspromonte sat out in protest. Both were traded at season's end.
April 15, 1968 saw a pitching duel for the ages. The Astros' Don Wilson and Mets pitcher Tom Seaver faced each other in a pitching duel that lasted six hours. Seaver went ten innings, allowing no walks and just two hits. Wilson went nine innings, allowing five hits and three walks. After the starters exited, eleven relievers (seven for the Mets and four for the Astros) tried to end the game. The game finally ended in the 24th inning when Aspromonte hit a shot toward Mets shortstop Al Weis. Weis had been perfect all night at short, but he was not quick enough to make the play. The ball zipped into left field, allowing Norm Miller to score. Houston hosted the All-Star Game in 1968 and, as expected in the "Year of the Pitcher", the game was a low-scoring match that saw the National League win 1–0. Hatton was fired as manager on June 18 and Harry Walker replaced him. Walker had been fired by Pittsburgh the year before. The Astros ended the season in last place.
With baseball expansion and trades, the Astros had dramatically changed in 1969. Aspromonte was sent to the Braves and Staub joined the expansion Montreal Expos. Cuellar was traded to the Baltimore Orioles; he shared the 1969 American League Cy Young Award with Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers and enjoyed multiple 20-win seasons into the early 1970s. New players included catcher Johnny Edwards, outfielder Jesús Alou, infielder Denis Menke, and pitcher Denny Lemaster. Wilson continued to pitch brilliantly and on May 1 threw the second no-hitter of his career. He was just 24 years of age and was second to only Sandy Koufax for career no-hit wins. Wilson's no-hitter lit the Astros' fire and six days later the team tied a major league record by turning seven double plays in a game. By May's end the Astros had put together a ten-game winning streak. The Houston infield tandem of Menke and Joe Morgan continued to improve, providing power at the plate and great defense. Morgan had 15 homers and stole 49 bases while Menke led the Astros with 90 RBIs. The Menke/Morgan punch was beginning to come alive, and the team was responding to Walker's management style.
On September 10, the Astros were tied for fourth but were only two games out of first when they faced the Atlanta Braves in a critical series. On September 13, Larry Dierker had no hit the Braves and was one out away from a win when Félix Millán broke it up with a single. The Astros scored two runs in the thirteenth, but ex-teammates Aspromonte and Jackson led a three-run Braves comeback. The Astros would slide into fifth place as Atlanta went on to win the division. The series against the Braves gave the Astros, and the fans, a taste of a race. It was also the first time in the team's history that they finished the season above .500. 1969 saw both the 1962 expansion teams improve, but it was the Mets who climbed to the top first, winning the World Series. The Astros, however, did win ten of the twelve games between the two clubs that year.
In 1970, the Astros were expected to be a serious threat in the National League West. The year started with a bang when Doug Rader clobbered a shot into the upper reserve (gold) seats in left field during an exhibition game on April 3. Nine days later Jimmy Wynn knocked one into the purple seats (just below the gold) proving that the unreachable area of the dome was reachable. The seats were repainted to mark this feat. No other Astro ever hit a home run into that part of the Astrodome.
In June, 19-year-old Cesar Cedeno was called up and immediately showed signs of being a superstar. The Dominican outfielder was often compared to Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. Cedeno batted .310 after being called up from the minors. Not to be outdone, Denis Menke batted .304 and Jesus Alou batted .306. The Astros' batting average was up by 19 points compared to the season before. The team looked good, but the Astros' ERA was up. Larry Dierker and Don Wilson had winning records, but the pitching staff as a whole had an off season. Houston finished in fourth place in 1970 and saw the Reds take the division title, something that would become common in the 1970s.
The fashion trends of the 1960s had started taking root in baseball. Long hair and loud colors were starting to appear on teams uniforms, including the Astros. In 1971 the Astros made some changes to their uniform: they kept the same style they had in previous seasons, but inverted the colors. What was navy blue was now orange and what was orange was now a lighter shade of blue. The players' last names were added to the back of the jerseys. In 1972, the uniform fabric was also changed to what was at the time revolutionizing the industry – polyester. Belts were replaced by elastic waistbands, and jerseys zipped up instead of buttons. The uniforms became popular with fans, but would last only until 1975, when the Astros would shock baseball and the fashion world.
The uniforms were about the only thing that did change in 1971. The acquisition of Roger Metzger from the Chicago Cubs in the off-season moved Menke to first base and Bob Watson to the outfield. The Astros got off to a slow start and the pitching and hitting averages were down. Larry Dierker was selected to the All-Star game in 1971, but due to an arm injury he could not make it. Don Wilson took his place and pitched two scoreless innings. Cesar Cedeno led the club with 81 RBIs and the league with 40 doubles, but batted just .264 and had 102 strikeouts in his second season with the Astros. Pitcher J.R. Richard made his debut in September of the 1971 season against the Giants. The 6 ft 8 in Richard struck out 15 to tie the debut record of Karl Spooner set in 1954. Richard won the game 5–3. The city of Houston saw they had the talent for a winning team and were growing tired of finishing in the middle of the pack. The Astros were about to pull off one of the most controversial trades in team history, which would change their franchise for years to come.
In November 1971 the Astros and Cincinnati Reds made one of the most blockbuster trades in the history of the sport, and helped create The Big Red Machine of the 1970s, with the Reds getting the better end of the deal. Houston sent second baseman Joe Morgan, infielder Denis Menke, pitcher Jack Billingham, and outfielders Cesar Geronimo and prospect Ed Armbrister to Cincinnati for first baseman Lee May, second baseman Tommy Helms and infielder Jimmy Stewart. The trade left Astros fans and the baseball world scratching their heads as to why General Manager Spec Richardson would give up so much for so little. The Reds, on the other hand, would shore up many problems. They had an off year in 1971, but were the National League Pennant winner in 1970. They had plenty of power at the plate in Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Lee May. The problem was they were all right-handed batters and two of the three were first basemen. Three sluggers batting in a row in the middle of the Reds line up caused issues. The first left them vulnerable to right-handed pitching. Next, there was the problem of double play balls killing a rally. Finally, Perez, a first baseman, was placed at third base, where he was a defensive liability, in order to have both him and May in the line-up. With Menke, a proven veteran, playing third, Perez could move to first, thus strengthening the left side of the field. Cincinnati also got the 6 ft 4 in Billingham, who was just entering his prime as a pitcher and would go on to help lead the Big Red Machine to back to back World Series in 1975 and 1976. Billingham helped stabilize the Reds' rotation and Geronimo became one of the best defensive center fielder's in the league.
The Astros' acquisition of Lee May added more power to the lineup in 1972. May, Wynn, Rader and Cedeno all had 20 or more home runs and Watson hit 16. Cedeno also led the Astros with a .320 batting average, 55 stolen bases and made spectacular plays on the field. Cedeno made his first All-Star game in 1972 and became the first Astros player in team history to hit for the cycle in August versus the Reds.
Houston led the league with 708 runs and were playing the first winning season in team history, but the Reds were hot and pulling away fast. Despite having a winning season, the Astros fired manager Harry Walker and replaced him with Leo Durocher. The skipper of the 1951 New York Giants had his best seasons behind him and the Astros finished 16–15 with Durocher as manager. Still, the second-place finish was the best season the Astros had to date, with a strike-shortened season record of 84–69.
Astros fans had hoped for more of the same in 1973, but it was not to be. The Astros run production was down, even though the same five sluggers the year before were still punching the ball out of the park. Lee May led the Astros with 28 home runs and Cesar Cedeno batted .320 with 25 home runs. Bob Watson hit the .312 mark and drove in 94 runs. Doug Rader and Jimmy Wynn both had 20 or more home runs. Wynn's 20 came despite a season long slump.
The Astros were hurting in their pitching. Larry Dierker and Tom Griffin sat out for long periods of time due to injuries and Don Wilson had a bad year and spent time in the bullpen. Pitchers Dave Roberts and Jerry Reuss did manage to win 16 or more games each, with little help from the bullpen. The Astros bullpen was in bad shape with nobody having more than six saves. Durocher became ill during the season and retired when the season ended. The Astros were 82–80 finish and the Astros finished in fourth place.
The Astros again finished in fourth place in 1974 under new manager Preston Gomez. The Astros were in need of rebuilding both on and off the field. The empire of Roy Hofheinz was beginning to fall apart and he would soon have to sell. The Astrodomain had accumulated a $38 million debt and the Judge, dealing with illness, was in no position to try to rebuild. 1975 would see many new changes in the Astros system.
With the $38 million deficit of the Astrodome, control of the Astrodomain was passed from Judge Roy Hofheinz to GE Credit and Ford Motor Credit. This included the Astros. The creditors were just interested in preserving asset value of the team, so any money spent had to be found or saved somewhere else. Tal Smith returned to the Astros from the New York Yankees to find a team that needed a lot of work and did not have a lot of money. However, there would be some bright spots that would prove to be good investments in the near future.
The year started on a sad note. Pitcher Don Wilson was found dead in the passenger seat of his car on January 5, 1975. Cause of death was asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. Wilson was 29 years old. Wilson's 5-year-old son Alex also died as his room was connected to the garage. Wilson's number 40 was retired on April 13, 1975.
The 1975 season was the introduction of the Astros new-look uniforms. Many teams were going away from the traditional uniform and the Astros were no exception. The uniforms had multishade stripes of orange, red and yellow in front and in back behind a large dark blue star over the midsection. The same stripes run down the pant legs. Players numbers not only appeared on the back of the jersey, but also on the pant leg. The bright stripes were meant to appear as a fiery trail like a rocket sweeping across the heavens. The uniforms were panned by critics, but the public liked them and versions started appearing at the high school and little league level. The uniform was so different from what other teams wore that the Astros wore it both at home and on the road until 1980.
Besides the bright new uniforms there were some other changes. Lee May was traded to Baltimore for much talked about rookie second baseman Rob Andrews and utility player Enos Cabell. In Baltimore, Cabell was stuck behind third baseman Brooks Robinson, but he took advantage of his opportunity in Houston and became their everyday third baseman. Cabell would go on to become a big part of the team's success in later years. With May gone, Bob Watson was able to move to first base and was a bright spot in the line up, batting .324 with 85 RBIs.
The two biggest moves the Astros made in the offseason were the acquisition of Joe Niekro and José Cruz. The Astros bought Niekro from the Braves for almost nothing. Niekro had bounced around the big leagues with minimal success. His older brother Phil Niekro had started teaching Joe how to throw his knuckleball and Joe was just starting to use it when he came to the Astros. Niekro won six games, saved four games and had an ERA of 3.07.
José Cruz was also a steal, in retrospect, from the Cardinals. The Cards were in a position where they had too many outfielders and Cruz was having a hard time breaking in. He showed promise in 1973, but only had a batting average of .227. Not wanting to give up on Cruz, he had been given the chance to prove himself again 1974. Cruz improved but lost his job to rookie Bake McBride. He was sold to the Astros for $25,000. Cruz became a fixture in the Astors' outfield for several years and would eventually have his number 25 retired.
The 1975 season was the worst the team had ever seen in their history. Their record was 64–97, far worse than the expansion Colt .45's. It was the worst record in baseball and manager Preston Gomez was fired late in the season and replaced by Bill Virdon. Virdon had managed the Yankees and Pirates before joining Houston. The Astros played .500 ball under Virdon in the last 34 games of the season.
With Bill Virdon as the manager the Astros improved greatly in 1976 finishing in third place with a 80–82 record. A healthy Cesar Cedeno was a key reason for the Astros bouncing back in 1976. Bob Watson continued to show consistency and led the club with a .313 average and 102 RBIs. José Cruz became Houston's everyday left fielder and hit .303 with 28 stolen bases.
1976 saw the end of Larry Dierker's playing career as an Astro, but before it was all over he would throw a no-hitter and win the 1,000th game in the Astrodome. He was dealt to St. Louis in the off-season, but would return to Houston and be a big part of the organization.
The Astros finished in third place again in 1977 with a record improved at just one more win than the season before at 81–81. The Astros were still in need of consistent players at key positions. The middle infield was a trouble spot that saw different players playing second and short on any given night. One such player was Art Howe. Howe, who almost gave up on baseball before getting a chance in Houston, was willing to play anywhere just to get playing time. Howe would hit .264 with 58 RBIs while playing at second, short, and third. Howe, like Larry Dierker, would also become part of the Astros future.
While J.R. Richard, Joe Niekro and Joaquin Andujar had winning seasons, the pitching was still in need of help. The Astros did not have a dominant lefty in the rotation. Floyd Bannister was thought to be that dominant lefty, but the rookie pitcher was inconsistent, going 8–9 with an ERA of 4.03. It would be a long time before the Astros had a dominant left hand pitcher.
One of the big problems the Astros had was that they were unable to compete in the free agent market. Ford Motor Credit Company was still in control of the team and was looking to sell the Astros, but they were not going to spend money on better players. Most of the talent was either farm grown or bought on the cheap.
1978 saw the Astros slip to fifth place with a 74–88 record.
While money issues hurt the Astros, so did injuries. Cedeno was out most of the season due to a knee injury and Howe dealt with a broken finger. José Cruz really started to shine as an Astro and led the team with a .315 average, 83 RBIs and 37 steals. J.R. Richard was the only Astros pitcher that had a stellar year. He won 18 games and struck out 303 batters, and threw back-to-back shutouts in May.
It may have been an off year for the Astros, but they were building for the future. Players like Denny Walling and Rafael Landestoy were proving to be talented reserves. The starting pitching was looking good with J.R. Richard, Ken Forsch and Joe Niekro. Relief pitcher Joe Sambito was settling in as the closer. The foundation was being laid for making a serious run at winning their first pennant.
1979 would prove to be a big turnaround in Astros history and during the offseason the Astros made an effort to fix some of their problem areas. They traded Floyd Bannister to Seattle for shortstop Craig Reynolds and acquired catcher Alan Ashby from Toronto for pitcher Mark Lemongello. Reynolds and Ashby were both solid in their positions and gave Houston a much needed fix.
The 1979 season started with a huge boost from pitcher Ken Forsch, who no-hit the Braves on the second game of the season. This would only be the beginning of the excitement that was to come in 1979.
Houston also learned in May that Dr. John McMullen had agreed to buy the Astros. Now with an investor instead of the financier Ford Motor Credit in charge, the Astros would be able to compete in the free agent market.
In July, the Astros went to Cincinnati leading the National League West, something the Reds were accustomed to doing. July 4 fireworks erupted when, tired of the Reds taunting pitcher Joaquin Andujar, a fight broke out involving Cesar Cedeno and Ray Knight. Houston went on to win the game and had a ten-game lead in the NL west. But holding on to the lead would prove to be a challenge for the Astros, who now felt the pressure of being on top of the division.
The other team that was not too happy seeing the Astros on top in the West was the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers had challenged and won the division over the Big Red Machine and won the division in 1977 and 1978. At the end of July the Dodgers came to the Astrodome to play in a game that saw Forsch give up only three hits to the Dodgers. The game turned out to be more than an outstanding pitching performance by Forsch. The Dodgers taunted Cedeno, causing the aggravated[clarification needed] Cedeno to throw a hard fastball in the Dodgers dugout. Later that inning Enos Cabell was hit by a pitch and this time the benches emptied. Houston's lead in the division was shrinking and the heat of the Houston summer was only matched by the Astros tempers.
The Astros were playing great ball. José Cruz and Enos Cabell both stole 30 bases. Joe Niekro had a great year with 21 wins and 3.00 ERA. J.R. Richard won 18 games and set a new personal strikeout record at 313. Joe Sambito came into his own with 22 saves as the Astros closer. Things were going as they should for a team that could win the west.
The Astros and Reds battled the final month of the season. The Reds pulled ahead of the Astros by a game and a half. Later that month they split a pair and the Reds kept the lead. That would be how it would end. The Astros finished with their best record to that point at 89–73 and 1½ games behind the NL winner Reds. The Astros proved they were contenders and they were ready to show Major League Baseball how serious a contender they were.
With Dr. John McMullen as sole owner of the Astros, the team would now benefit in ways a corporation could not give them. The rumors of the Astros moving out of Houston, which started when Judge Roy Hofheinz Astrodomain started to crumble, had stopped and the Astros were now able to compete in the free agent market. McMullen showed the city of Houston that he too wanted a winning team, signing nearby Alvin, Texas native Nolan Ryan to the first million dollar a year deal. Ryan had four career no-hitters already and had struck out 383 in one season. Win or lose, Ryan would fill the seats.
Joe Morgan, who regretted leaving the Astros, returned in 1980. Now back in Houston with two MVP awards and two World Series rings, Morgan wanted to help make the Astros a pennant winner.
1980 saw one of the best pitching lineups the Astros ever had, with the fastball of Ryan, the knuckleball of Joe Niekro and the terrifying 6 ft 8 in frame of J.R. Richard. Teams felt lucky to face Ken Forsch, who was a double-digit winner in the previous two seasons. Richard became the first Astros pitcher to start an All-Star game. He pitched two innings striking out three, including Reggie Jackson. After a medical examination three days later, Richard was told to rest his arm and he collapsed during a July 30 workout. He had suffered a stroke after a blood clot in the arm apparently moved to his neck and cut off blood flow to the brain. Surgery was done to save his life, but the Astros had lost their ace pitcher after a 10–4 start with a stingy 1.89 ERA. Richard attempted a comeback, but would never again pitch a big league game.
After the loss of Richard and some offensive struggles, the Astros slipped to third place in the division behind the Dodgers and the Reds. They bounced back to first with a ten-game winning streak, but the Dodgers had regained a two-game lead when they arrived in Houston on September 9. The Astros won the first two games of that series and the two teams were tied for the division lead. The Astros held a three game lead over the Dodgers with three games left in the season against the Dodgers. The Dodgers swept all three games, forcing a one-game playoff the next day. The Astros faced Dave Goltz. Terry Puhl scored on a fielders choice in the first to give the Astros a 2–0 early lead. Art Howe's third inning homer furthered the lead. The frustrated Dodgers showed their discontent when Alan Ashby slid into home and Joe Ferguson gave Ashby a knee to the ribs. Benches cleared and Dodgers fans began tossing food. The game was stopped until order was restored. The Astros went on to clinch the division for the first time in team history.
The team would face the Philadelphia Phillies and Steve Carlton in Game One of the NLCS after a six-hour flight the night before. The Phillies would win the opener after the Astros got out to a 1-0 third-inning lead. Ken Forsch pitched particularly strong fourth and fifth innings, but Greg Luzinski hit a sixth-inning two-run bomb to the 300 level seats of Veterans Stadium. The Phillies added an insurance run on the way to a 3–1 win.
Nolan Ryan faced Dick Ruthven in the second game. Craig Reynolds scored on a Terry Puhl single in the third, but in the fourth Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski hit back-to-back doubles and Maddox singled to score Luzinski. Puhl tied the game with a seventh inning double to score Nolan Ryan, who had walked. In the bottom of the seventh, Larry Bowa and Bob Boone singled and advanced on a Gross sacrifice bunt. Lefty Joe Sambito relieved Ryan, walked Rose to load the bases and struck out Bake McBride. He was pulled in favor of the right-handed Dave Smith, who struck out Schmidt to end the inning with the bases loaded. Each team would score in the eighth to tie the game. In the tenth inning, Puhl singled, moved to second on an Enos Cabell sacrifice and scored after a Morgan intentional walk and a Cruz single. A Bake McBride error set up a Cedeno grounder scoring Rafael Landestoy. Dave Bergman, a defensive replacement for Art Howe in the eighth, hit a triple off Phillies reliever Kevin Saucier to give Houston a 7–3 lead. The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the tenth, but Joaquin Andujar ended the game on a Schmidt flyout.
The third game, scoreless through nine innings, was a pitching duel somewhat typical of the Astrodome. Joe Niekro started against Larry Christenson of the Phillies. Christenson would pitch six good innings for the Phillies, but Niekro would go ten. Dave Smith came out in the eleventh to hold the Phillies back. Tug McGraw gave up a leadoff triple to Morgan to start the inning and Landestoy came in to pinch run. Denny Walling hit a fly ball that scored Landestoy. The Astros win was soured by an ankle injury in the sixth inning to Cesar Cedeno, who was lost for the remainder of the playoffs. Morgan was also infuriated with Virdon for pulling him for pinch runner Landestoy, creating a personal rift that would result in Morgan leaving the Astros at season's end.
Game Four went into extra innings, with the Phillies taking the lead and the win in the tenth inning. Pete Rose started a rally with a one-out single, then Luzinski doubled off the left field wall and Rose bowled over catcher Bruce Bochy to score the go-ahead run. The Phillies got an insurance run on the way to tying the series.
Rookie Phillies pitcher Marty Bystrom was sent out by Philadelphia manager Dallas Green to face veteran Nolan Ryan in Game Five. The rookie gave up a run in the first inning, then held the Astros at bay until the sixth inning. An Astros lead was lost when Bob Boone hit a two out single in the second, but the Astros tied the game in the sixth with an Alan Ashby single scoring Denny Walling. Houston took a 5–2 lead in the seventh. Ryan had pitched well up that time, striking out six and holding the Phillies to just two runs they scored in the second. The Phillies came back in the eighth after a single by Larry Bowa, a potential double play ball that Ryan was not able to handle, then a textbook bunt by Greg Gross to load the bases. Ryan walked Rose, allowing Bowa to score, and Ryan was pulled for Joe Sambito. The Phillies scored on a force at second, leaving men on the corners and one out. Ken Forsch was brought in and struck out Schmidt for the second out of the inning. Forsch gave up a game-tying single, then Manny Trillo shocked the Astros with a two-run triple to left, giving the Phillies a 7 – 5 lead. The Astros came back against Tug McGraw with four singles and two two-out runs. Now in extra innings, Gary Maddox doubled in Del Unser with one out to give the Phillies an 8 – 7 lead. The Astros failed to score in the bottom of the tenth.
A 1981 player strike ran between June 12 and August 10. Ultimately, the strike would help the Astros get into the playoffs when injuries and age worked against them.Joe Morgan left for the Giants and the Astros sent Enos Cabell to the Giants for left-handed pitcher Bob Knepper. With plenty of pitching, the Astros sent Ken Forsch to the Angels for infielder Dickie Thon.
Nolan Ryan and Bob Knepper picked up steam in the second half of the season. Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter on September 26 and finished the season with a 1.69 ERA. Knepper would finish with an ERA of 2.18. In the wake of the strike, Major League Baseball took the winners of each “half” season and set up a best-of-five divisional playoff. The Reds won more games than any other team in the National League, but they won neither half of the strike-divided season. The Astros finished 61–49 overall, which would been third in the division behind the Reds and the Dodgers. Advancing to the playoffs as winners of the second half, Houston beat Los Angeles in their first two playoff games at home, but the Dodgers took the next three in LA to advance to the World Series.
By 1982, only four players and three starting pitchers remained from the 1980 squad. The Astros also had three pitchers over the age 35 and Knepper was the only starter under the age of thirty. The Astros were out of pennant contention by August and began rebuilding for the near future. Bill Virdon was fired as manager and replaced by original Colt .45 Bob Lillis. Don Sutton asked to be traded and was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash and three young prospects, including Kevin Bass. Minor league player Bill Doran was called up in September. Bass also got a look in the outfield. The Astros finished fourth in the west, but young talent was starting to appear.
Before the 1983 season, the Astros traded Danny Heep to the Mets for pitcher Mike Scott, a 28 year old who had struggled with New York. Art Howe sat out the 1983 season with an injury, forcing Phil Garner to third and Ray Knight to first. Bill Doran took over at second, becoming the everyday second baseman for the next seven seasons. The Astros finished third in the National League West.
The 1984 season started off badly when shortstop Dickie Thon was hit in the head by a rising fastball from Mets pitcher Mike Torrez. Thon suffered a shattered bone above his left eye. After surgery, Thon suffered from blurry vision for the next several months and was lost for the season. Craig Reynolds took over at his former position for Thon. Enos Cabell returned to the Astros after slumping Ray Knight was traded to the Mets in August. In September the Astros called up rookie Glenn Davis after he posted impressive numbers in AAA Tucson. The Astros finished in second place, tied with Atlanta.
In 1985, Mike Scott learned a new pitch, the split-finger fastball, from former Houston pitching coach Roger Craig. The pitch looked like a normal fastball, but moved sharply downward at the last moment. Scott, who was coming off of a 5-11 season, had found his new pitch and would become one of Houston's most celebrated hurlers. In June, Davis made the starting lineup at first base, adding power to the team. In September Joe Niekro was traded to the Yankees for two minor league pitchers and lefty Jim Deshaies. The Astros finished in fourth place in 1985.
After finishing fourth in 1985 the Astros fired general manager Al Rosen and manager Bob Lillis. The former was supplanted by Dick Wagner, the man whose Reds defeated the Astros to win the 1979 NL West title. The latter was replaced by Hal Lanier who, like his manager mentor in St. Louis, Whitey Herzog, had a hard-nosed approach to managing and espoused a playing style that focused on pitching, defense, and speed rather than home runs to win games. This style of baseball, known as Whiteyball, took advantage of stadiums with deep fences and artificial turf, both of which were characteristics of the Astrodome. Lanier's style of baseball took Houston by storm. Before Lanier took over, fans were accustomed to Houston's occasional slow starts, but with Lanier leading the way, Houston got off to a hot start, winning 13 of their first 19 contests.,,
Prior to the start of the season the Astros acquired outfielder Billy Hatcher from the Cubs for Jerry Mumphrey. Hatcher had not played much in Chicago, but Lanier named him the club's everyday left fielder, playing alongside José Cruz and Kevin Bass. Lainer also made a change in the pitching staff, going with a three-man rotation to start the season because of several off- days. This allowed Lanier to keep his three starters (Nolan Ryan, Bob Knepper, and Mike Scott) sharp and to slowly work in rookie hurler Jim Deshaies. Bill Doran and Glenn Davis held down the right side of the field but Lainer rotated the left side. Denny Walling and Craig Reynolds faced the right-handed pitchers while Phil Garner and Dickie Thon batted against left-handers. Lainer knew the Astros had talent and he put it to work.,
The Astrodome was host to the 1986 All-Star Game in which Astros Mike Scott, Kevin Bass, Glenn Davis, and Dave Smith represented the host field. The Astros kept pace with the NL West after the All-Star break, posting many highlights along the way. They went on a streak of five straight come-from-behind wins (two against the Mets and three against the Montreal Expos). On September 23 in a game against the Dodgers, Jim Deshaies started the game with eight straight strikeouts. The next night Ryan kept the Giants hitless through seven innings, then struck out the side in the eighth for twelve strikeouts. Houston had clinched a mathematical tie for the division crown. Mike Scott would take the mound in the final game of the two game series and pitch a no-hitter to clinch the NL West. This was the only time in MLB history that any division was clinched via a no-hitter. Scott would finish the season with an 18–10 record and a Cy Young Award to go along with it.,,
The 1986 NLCS was noted for great drama and is considered one of the best postseason series ever. In Game 3, the Astros were ahead at Shea Stadium, 5–4, in the bottom of the 9th when closer Dave Smith gave up a two-run home run to Lenny Dykstra, giving the Mets a dramatic 6–5 win.
However, the signature game of the series was Game 6. Needing a win to get to Mike Scott (who had been dominant in the series) in Game 7, the Astros jumped off to a 3–0 lead in the first inning but neither team would score again until the 9th inning. In the 9th, starting pitcher Bob Knepper would give two runs, and once again the Astros would look to Dave Smith to close it out. However, Smith would walk Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry, giving up a sacrifice fly to Ray Knight, tying the game. Despite having the go-ahead runs on base, Smith was able to escape the inning without any further damage.
There was no scoring until the 14th inning when the Mets would take the lead on a Wally Backman single and an error by left fielder Billy Hatcher. The Astros would get the run back in the bottom of the 14th when Hatcher (in a classic goat-to-hero-conversion-moment) hit one of the most dramatic home runs in NLCS history, off the left field foul pole. In the 16th inning, Darryl Strawberry doubled to lead off the inning and Ray Knight drove him home in the next at-bat. The Mets would score a total of three runs in the inning to take what appeared an insurmountable 7–4 lead. With their season on the line, the Astros would nonetheless rally for two runs to come to within 7–6. Kevin Bass came up with the tying and winning runs on base; however Jesse Orosco would strike him out, ending the game.
At the time the 16-inning game held the record for the longest in MLB postseason history until October 9, 2005 when the Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7–6 in an 18-inning Division Series game. However, the 1986 game still holds the record for longest League Championship Series game. Also, Game 3 of the 2005 World Series would tie the record for longest World Series game at 14 innings, meaning that the Astros, despite having been to only 4 LCS and 1 World Series, have played in the longest game for each of the 3 levels in the modern MLB playoffs.
After the 1986 season came and went, the team had difficulty finding success again. Hometown favorites Nolan Ryan and José Cruz moved on and the team entered a rebuilding phase focusing on younger players. Craig Biggio debuted in June 1988, joining young prospects Ken Caminiti and Gerald Young. Biggio would become the everyday catcher by 1990. A trade acquiring Jeff Bagwell in exchange for Larry Andersen would become one of the biggest deals in Astros history. Glenn Davis was traded to Baltimore for Curt Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley in 1990.
The early 1990s were marked by the Astros' growing discontent with their home, the Astrodome. After the Astrodome was renovated for the primary benefit of the Houston Oilers, the Astros began to grow increasingly disenchanted with the facility. Faced with declining attendance at the Astrodome and the inability of management to obtain a new stadium, in the 1991 off-season Astros management announced its intention to sell the team and move the franchise to the Washington, D.C. area. However, the move was not approved by other National League owners, thus compelling the Astros to remain in Houston. Shortly thereafter, McMullen (who also owned the NHL's New Jersey Devils) sold the team to Texas businessman Drayton McLane in 1993, who committed to keeping the team in Houston.
Shortly after McLane's arrival, which coincided with the maturation of Bagwell and Biggio, the Astros began to show signs of consistent success. After finishing second in their division in 1994 (in a strike year), 1995, and 1996, the Astros won consecutive division titles in 1997, 1998, and 1999. In the 1998 season, the Astros set a team record with 102 victories. However, each of these titles was followed by a first-round playoff elimination, in 1998 by the San Diego Padres and in 1997 and 1999 against the Atlanta Braves. The manager of these title teams was Larry Dierker, who had previously been a broadcaster and pitcher for the Astros. During this period, Bagwell, Biggio, Derek Bell and Sean Berry earned the collective nickname "The Killer Bs". In later seasons, the name came to include other Astros, especially Lance Berkman.
Coinciding with the change in ownership, the team switched uniforms and team colors after the 1993 season in order to go for a new, more serious image. The team's trademark rainbow uniforms were retired, and the team's colors changed to midnight blue and metallic gold. The "Astros" font on the team logo was changed to a more aggressive one, and the team's traditional star logo was changed to a stylized, "flying" star with an open left end. It marked the first time since the team's inception that orange was not part of the team's colors. Despite general agreement that the rainbow uniforms identified with the team had become tired (and looked too much like a minor league team according to the new owners), the new uniforms and caps were never especially popular with fans.
Off the field, in 1994, the Astros hired one of the first African American general managers, former franchise player Bob Watson. Watson would leave the Astros after the 1995 season to become general manager of the New York Yankees and helped to lead the Yankees to a World Championship in 1996. He would be replaced by Gerry Hunsicker, who until 2004 would continue to oversee the building of the Astros into one of the better and most consistent organizations in the Major Leagues.
However, in 1996, the Astros again nearly left Houston. By the mid-1990s, McLane (like McMullen before him) wanted his team out of the Astrodome and was asking the city to build the Astros a new stadium. When things did not progress quickly toward that end, he put the team up for sale. He had nearly finalized a deal to sell the team to businessman William Collins, who planned to move them to Northern Virginia. However, Collins was having difficulty finding a site for a stadium himself, so Major League owners stepped in and forced McLane to give Houston another chance to grant his stadium wish. Houston voters responded positively via a stadium referendum and the Astros stayed put.
The 2000 season saw a move to a new stadium. Originally called Enron Field, the stadium was one of the first to feature a functional retractable roof, a particularly useful feature with unpredictable Houston weather. The ballpark also featured more intimate surroundings than the Astrodome. In 2002, naming rights were purchased by Houston-based Minute Maid. Additionally the ballpark featured more intimate surroundings than the cavernous Astrodome.
The park was built on the grounds of the old Union Station. A locomotive moves across the outfield and whistles after home runs, paying homage to a Houston history which had eleven railroad company lines running through the city by 1860. The ballpark also contains quirks such as "Tal's Hill", which is a hill in deep center field on which a flagpole stands, all in fair territory. A similar feature was located in Crosley Field, but Tal's Hill is sloped at 30 degrees in straightaway center versus fifteen degrees at Crosley Field. Over the years, many highlight reel catches have been made by center fielders running up the hill to make catches.
Featuring a short left field fence (only slightly longer than that at Fenway Park), overall shorter dimensions, and exposure to the humid Texas air, Enron Field is friendly to hitters. The Astrodome had been an extreme example of a pitcher's park. In a challenge to home run hitters, owner Drayton McLane's glass office windows sit 422 feet from home plate in the old Union Station above left field.
With the change in location also came a change in attire. Gone were the blue and gold uniforms of the 1990s in favor a more "retro" look with pinstripes, a traditional baseball font, and the colors of brick red, sand and black. The "shooting star" logo was modified but still retained its definitive look.
2004
After two fairly successful seasons without a playoff appearance, the Astros were early favorites to win the 2004 NL pennant. They added star pitcher Andy Pettitte to a roster that already included standouts like Lance Berkman and Jeff Kent as well as veterans Bagwell and Biggio. Roger Clemens, who had retired after the 2003 season with the New York Yankees, agreed to join former teammate Pettitte on the Astros for 2004. The one-year deal included unique conditions, such as the option for Clemens to stay home in Houston on select road trips when he wasn't scheduled to pitch.
Despite the early predictions for success, the Astros had a mediocre 44–44 record at the All-Star break. A lack of run production and a poor record in close games were major issues. After being booed at the 2004 All-Star Game held in Houston, Williams was fired and replaced by Phil Garner, a star on the division-winning 1986 Astros. Though Garner had only one winning season during his managerial stints with Milwaukee and Detroit, the team responded to him. The Astros enjoyed a 46–26 record in the second half, earned an NL wild card playoff spot and beat the Braves in five games of the National League Division Series. They lost National League Championship Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, with Game Six featuring a dramatic walk-off home run by Jim Edmonds in the twelfth inning.
Clemens earned a record seventh Cy Young Award in 2004. Additionally, the mid-season addition of Carlos Beltrán in a trade with the Kansas City Royals helped the Astros tremendously in their playoff run. Despite midseason trade rumors, Beltrán would prove instrumental to the team's hopes, hitting eight home runs in the postseason. Though he had asserted a desire to remain with the Astros, Beltrán signed a long-term contract with the New York Mets on January 9, 2005.
2005
In 2005, the Astros started poorly and found themselves with a 15-30 record in late May. However, from that low point until the end of July, Houston went 42–17 and found themselves in the lead for an NL wild card spot. July saw the best single month record in the club's history at 22-7. Offensive production had increased greatly after a slow start in the first two months.
The Astros had also developed an excellent pitching staff, anchored by Roy Oswalt (20–12, 2.94), Andy Pettitte (17–9, 2.39), and Roger Clemens (13–8 with a league-low ERA of only 1.87). The contributions of the other starters - Brandon Backe (10–8, 4.76) and rookie starters Ezequiel Astacio (3–6, 5.67) and Wandy Rodríguez (10–10, 5.53) - were less remarkable, but enough to push the Astros into position for a playoff run. The Astros won a wild card berth on the final day of the regular season, becoming the first team since the world champion 1914 Boston Braves to qualify for the postseason after being 15 games under .500.
The Astros won the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves in four games, with a Game Four that set postseason records for most innings (18), most players used by a single team (T-23), most grand slams (2), and longest game time (5 hours and 50 minutes). Lance Berkman hit an eighth inning grand slam and Chris Burke hit the game-winning home run in a 7–6 win. Clemens made only his second career relief appearance, earning the win with three shutout innings. Shaun Dean, a comptroller for a construction company, would catch both the Berkman and Burke home runs and donate them to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) featured a rematch of the 2004 NLCS. The Astros lost the first game in St. Louis, but would win the next three games. Though the Astros were poised to close out the series in Game Five in Houston, Brad Lidge gave up a monstrous two-out three-run home run to Albert Pujols, forcing the series to a sixth game in St. Louis, where the Astros won a World Series appearance. Roy Oswalt was named NLCS MVP, having gone 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the series. Current honorary NL President William Y. Giles presented the league champion Astros with the Warren C. Giles Trophy. Warren Giles, William's father and President of the National League from 1951 to 1969, had awarded an MLB franchise to the city of Houston in 1960.
The Astros' faced the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Chicago had been considered the slight favorite but would win all four games, the first two at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago and the final two in Houston. Game 3 marked the first Fall Classic in Texas and was the longest game in World Series history, lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes. Early conventional wisdom held that the White Sox were a slight favorite, but that Houston would be an even match. Difficulties with situational hitting plagued the Astros throughout the World Series.
2006
In the 2006 offseason, the team signed Preston Wilson and moved Berkman to first base, ending the long tenure of Jeff Bagwell. The Astros renewed the contract with Clemens and traded two minor league prospects to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for left-handed hitter Aubrey Huff and cash. By August, Preston Wilson complained about his playing time after the return of Luke Scott from AAA Round Rock. The Astros released Wilson and he was signed by St. Louis. A dramatic season end included wins in 10 of their last 12 games, but the Astros missed a playoff appearance when they lost the final game of the season to the Atlanta Braves.
On October 31, the Astros declined a contract option on Jeff Bagwell for 2007, ending his 15-year Astros career and leading to his retirement. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte filed for free agency five days before a November 11 deadline. Pettitte would later express frustration over negotiations with the Astros. The team signed Craig Biggio, then just seventy career hits shy of 3000, to a one-year contract worth $5.15 million. On November 24, the Astros signed outfielder Carlos Lee to a six-year contract for $100 million, a franchise record. They also signed pitcher Woody Williams.
On December 12, the Astros traded Willy Taveras, Taylor Buchholz, and Jason Hirsh to the Colorado Rockies for Rockies pitchers Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio. A trade with the White Sox, involving the same three Astros in exchange for Jon Garland, had been nixed a few days earlier when Buchholz reportedly failed a physical. In the end, Taveras continued to develop and Hirsh had a strong 2007 rookie campaign, while Jennings was oft-injured and generally ineffective.
2007
On April 28, 2007, the Astros purchased the contract of top minor league prospect Hunter Pence. He debuted that night, getting a hit and scoring a run. By May 2007, the Astros had suffered one of their worst recent losing streaks (10 games). On June 28, second baseman Craig Biggio became the 27th MLB player to accrue 3,000 career hits. That night, Carlos Lee hit a towering walk-off grand slam in the eleventh inning. On July 24, Biggio announced that he would retire at the end of the season. He hit a grand slam in that night's game which broke a 3–3 tie and led to an Astros win.
On July 28, the Astros traded RHP Dan Wheeler to Tampa Bay for right-handed slugger 3B Ty Wigginton and cash considerations. On July 29, former All-Star third baseman Morgan Ensberg was designated for assignment to make room for Wigginton. On August 26, former first baseman Jeff Bagwell's number 5 was officially retired. In August 27, manager Phil Garner and General Manager Tim Purpura were relieved of their duties. Cecil Cooper and Tal Smith were named as interim replacements, respectively. On September 17, in a 6–0 loss to the Brewers the Astros were officially eliminated from the 2007 playoffs.
On September 20, Ed Wade was named General Manager. In his first move, he traded Jason Lane to the Padres on September 24. On September 30, Craig Biggio retired after twenty years with the team. In November, the Astros traded RHP Brad Lidge and SS Eric Bruntlett to the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Michael Bourn, RHP Geoff Geary, and minor leaguer Mike Costanzo. utility player Mark Loretta accepted Houston's salary arbitration and Kazuo Matsui finalized a $16.5 million, three-year contract with the team.
On December 12, the Astros traded OF Luke Scott, RHP Matt Albers, RHP Dennis Sarfate, LHP Troy Patton, and minor-league 3B Mike Costanzo, to the Baltimore Orioles for SS Miguel Tejada. On December 14, they sent INF Chris Burke, RHP Juan Gutiérrez, and RHP Chad Qualls to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP José Valverde. On December 27, the Astros came to terms on a deal with All-star, Gold Glove winner Darin Erstad.
2008
In January and February, the Astros signed Brandon Backe, Ty Wigginton, Dave Borkowski and Shawn Chacon to one-year deals. The starting rotation would feature Roy Oswalt and Brandon Backe as numbers one and two. Wandy Rodríguez, Chacón and Chris Sampson rounded out the bottom three slots in the rotation. Woody Williams had retired after a 0-4 spring training and Jason Jennings was now with Texas. On the other side of the roster, the Astros would start without Kazuo Matsui, who was on a minor league rehab assignment after a spring training injury.
In the season opener, Oswalt gave up four runs in six innings and the Astros lost 4–0 to the Padres. The team would lose the second game as well, but earned a win in the third game after a Wandy Rodriguez start and a Lance Berkman three-run homer. In the final game of the series, Shawn Chacón pitched a solid game in an Astros loss. By May, the Astros sent Dave Borkowski and rookie catcher J. R. Towles to the AAA Round Rock Express and called up center fielder Reggie Abercrombie. Chris Sampson was demoted to the bullpen, replaced in the rotation by Brian Moehler.
On June 25, Shawn Chacón was suspended indefinitely for insubordination. The next day the Astros placed him on waivers.
On June 28, the Astros beat the Boston Red Sox for the first time in team history. They would finish 86-75, third in the NL Central.
2009
Manager Cecil Cooper was fired on September 21."Astros ax Cooper; Clark takes over". Associated Press via ESPN.com. 2009-09-21. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4492590&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines. Retrieved 2009-09-21. </ref> Dave Clark, manager of the AA Corpus Christi Hooks in the Houston organization, managed the Astros for the remainder of the season.
The Astros finished the 2009 season with a record of 74-88, good for fifth place in the NL Central.
The 2010 season was the first season as Astros manager for Brad Mills, who was previously the bench coach of the Boston Red Sox.
On July 29, the Astros' ace starting pitcher, Roy Oswalt, was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for J. A. Happ and two minor league players, center fielder Anthony Gose, and shortstop Jonathan Villar, playing for Class-A Advanced and Class-A respectively.
On July 31, 2010, outfielder Lance Berkman was traded to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers Jimmy Paredes and Mark Melancon.
The Astros finished with a record of 76-86.
On July 30, the Astros traded OF Hunter Pence, the team's 2010 leader in home runs, to the Philadelphia Phillies.
On July 31, the Astros traded OF Michael Bourn (who in 2010 won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award) to the Atlanta Braves.
On September 17, the Astros clinched their first 100-loss season in franchise history, achieving the 100th defeat of the season at Wrigley Field in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, leaving the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Angels as the only MLB franchises which have never had a team lose 100 games in a season.
On September 28, the Astros ended the season with an 8-0 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout in the game, enabling the Cardinals to win the National League Wild Card (the Cardinals would eventually go on to win the 2011 World Series). The Astros finished with a record of 56-106, the worst single-season record in franchise history.
In November 2010, Drayton McLane announced that the Astros were being put up for sale. McLane stated that because the Astros was one of the few franchises in Major League Baseball with only one family as the owners, he was trying to move forward with estate planning. McLane is 75 years of age as of November 2011.
In March 2011, local Houston businessman Jim Crane emerged as the front-runner to purchase the franchise. In the 1980s, Crane founded an air freight business which later merged with CEVA Logistics, and later founded Crane Capital Group. McLane and Crane had a previous handshake agreement for the franchise in 2008, but Crane abruptly changed his mind and broke off discussions. Crane also attempted to buy the Chicago Cubs in 2008 and the Texas Rangers during their 2010 bankruptcy auction.
Crane came under scrutiny because of previous allegations of discriminatory hiring practices regarding women and minorities, among other issues. This delayed MLB's approval process. During the summer of 2011, a frustrated Crane hinted that the delays might threaten the deal. In October 2011, Crane met personally with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, in a meeting that was described as "constructive".
On November 15, 2011, it was announced that Crane had agreed to move the team to the American League, and the team was officially sold to Crane. Crane was given a $70 million concession by MLB for agreeing to the switch; the move was a condition for the sale to the new ownership group.
On November 17, 2011, the Astros were officially sold to Crane after the other owners unanimously voted in favor of the sale. It was also announced that 2012 will be the last season for the Astros in the NL.
On January 23, 2012, Jim Crane announced new fan-friendly changes, including lowering of some ticket prices and allowing outside food and water inside. Also announced was that a uniform and a possible name change would be considered for the 2013 season, when the Astros move to the American League. Due to local uproar from both fans and the media, Crane announced that the team name would remain the Houston Astros.
Two awards are presented each year, one to a Houston Astro and one to a St. Louis Cardinal, each of whom exemplifies Kile's virtues of being "a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man." The winner is selected by each local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
While not officially retired, the Astros have not reissued number 57 since 2002, when former Astros pitcher Darryl Kile died as an active player with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The number 42 is retired by MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson
Nellie Fox
Leo Durocher
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Joe Morgan
Don Sutton
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Milo Hamilton
Harry Kalas
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Roster updated May 15, 2012
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As of 2008[update], the Astros' flagship radio station is KTRH, 740AM. Milo Hamilton, a veteran voice who was on the call for Hank Aaron's 715th career home run in 1974, is the current play-by-play announcer for home games. Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan share play-by play duty for road games, while Raymond additionally works as Hamilton's color analyst.
Spanish language radio play-by-play is handled by Francisco Romero, and his play-by-play partner is Alex Treviño, a former backup catcher for the club.
Television coverage is mainly on Fox Sports Houston (formerly a subfeed of Fox Sports Southwest, now its own network; logo on top-right of the screen reads FSASTROS), although some games are on My Network TV affiliate KTXH (My 20), with the games produced by FSN Houston. Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies compose the broadcast team on TV.
The Astros have been represented by a trio of rabbit mascots named Junction Jack, Jesse and Julie.
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