Houston Astros

Houston Astros
2024 Houston Astros season
File:NLC-HOU-Logo.png File:NLC-HOU-Insignia.png Logo Cap insignia
Established in 1962
Major league affiliations
National League (1962–present) Central Division (1994–present)
Current uniform
File:NLC-Uniform-HOU.PNG
Retired numbers	5, 7, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49
Colors
Black, Brick Red, Sand
Name
Houston Astros (1965–present) Houston Colt .45s (1962-1964)
Other nicknames
The 'Stros
Ballpark
Minute Maid Park (2000–present) a.k.a. Astros Field (2002) a.k.a. Enron Field (2000-2002) a.k.a. The Juice Box (Fan's nickname when Minute Maid took over) Astrodome (1965-1999) a.k.a. Harris County Domed Stadium (1965) a.k.a The Dome (Fan's nickname for it being the first Domed Stadium) Colt Stadium (1962-1964)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	none
NL Pennants (1)	2005
Central Division titles (4)	2001 • 1999 • 1998 • 1997
West Division titles (2) [1][2]	1986 • 1980
Wild card berths (2)	2005 • 2004
[1] - 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. [2] - 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.
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Drayton McLane, Jr.
General manager	Ed Wade
Manager	Cecil Cooper

"Astros" redirects here. For other uses, see Astros (disambiguation).

The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The team is in the Central Division of the National League.

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Houston Astros

Beginnings: The 1960s

Subsequent to the Giants and Dodgers leaving for California, an abortive attempt was made to start a third Major League, the Continental League. Though the league never got off the ground, it established the demand for Major League baseball in other markets.

The driving forces behind the effort to obtain a Major League franchise for Houston were oilman Craig F. Cullinan, Jr. and Marco A. Perez, who had been involved with the Continental League and who was chairman of the Houston Sports Association, a syndicate of local businessmen dedicated to bringing Major League Baseball to Southeast Texas. Cullinan and Perez's group also consisted of George Kirksey, Judge Roy Hofheinz, Robert E. "Bob" Smith, and Kenneth S. "Bud" Adams. On October 17, 1960, Houston was awarded a franchise in the National League. The team was to be named the Houston Colt .45s, in honor of "The Gun That Won the West", with Craig F. Cullinan, Jr. as the team's first president.

In addition to the Houston Colt .45s, the New York Mets also joined the NL in 1962. This development came a year after the 1961 expansion of the American League, which resulted in new AL teams being placed in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Angels) and Washington, D.C. (a new Washington Senators franchise to replace the team that had left D.C. to become the Minnesota Twins the same year).

The "Colts" began play on April 10, 1962, defeating the Chicago Cubs 11–2, and for the next three years, the team played in Colt Stadium. As a condition of their entry into the National League, the Colts committed to building a new domed stadium, designed as a defense against the oppressive heat and humidity of the Houston summer.

As was typical of most expansion teams, the Colts struggled at first, losing 96 games in each of their first three years. However, those years were not without highlights. On September 29, 1963, the final day of the regular season, Colt 45's outfielder John Paciorek had a career day, going 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs, 2 walks and 4 runs scored as Houston beat the Mets 13–4. Because of chronic injuries, the game marked Paciorek's only Major League appearance. Through 2006, Paciorek still holds the record of having a perfect 1.000 average with the most at-bats. September 29, 1963 would also mark the last Major League game for the winning pitcher of that game, Astros pitcher Jim Umbricht. Stricken with cancer, Umbricht passed away on April 8, 1964. His number 32 was the first jersey number retired by the Astros.

The Colts became the first (and, so far, only) team in history to lose a game when their pitcher achieved a nine-inning complete-game no-hitter. Ken Johnson did not give up a single hit to the Cincinnati Reds on April 23, 1964, but lost when Pete Rose reached on an error, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on another error in the top of the 9th. Johnson had only surrendered two walks before that fateful inning.

The franchise's first decade featured some notable players, both hitters (Joe Morgan and Jimmy Wynn) and pitchers (Bob Bruce, Ken Johnson, Mike Cuellar, Don Wilson, Larry Dierker, Dave Giusti, and Denny Lemaster).

New venue, new name

See also: Astrodome

On April 9, 1965, the Houston Colt .45s became the Houston Astros, to show support for the space program based in Houston, and inaugurated indoor baseball in the brand-new Astrodome with a 2–1 exhibition win over the New York Yankees.

The new venue did not lead to a change in the team's on-field fortunes, however. They would not finish higher than eighth in the league from 1965 to 1968, and would not reach .500 until 1969. The Astrodome's construction costs, as well as the construction of several nearby hotels and an entertainment complex left the Astros $30 million in debt by 1970. Late that year, Hofheinz was forced into bankruptcy. His creditors, led by Ford and General Electric, took control of Hofheinz' interests, including the Astros.

During this time Eddie Matthews was traded to the Astros in 1967. He would hit his 500th career home run with the Astros. This was at least in part due to Hofheinz' financial problems.

1970s

In 1975, former Astros pitcher Don Wilson, who had pitched two no-hitters for the club, committed suicide. Wilson's jersey, number 40, was retired by the Astros, and a patch with his number would be worn on the team jerseys during 1975.

The Astros in 1975 would also adopt the orange, yellow and navy "Rainbow Guts" uniforms that became a team trademark and would stay with them in some form through 1993. These uniforms (nicknamed "the popsicles") bore a black band around the sleeve with the number "40" written in white, honoring Don Wilson. They were originally made by Sand-Knit, were highly popular with fans, increased awareness of the Astros considerably, and kicked off a fashion trend which would spread to Astros' farm teams from the Dubuque Packers to the Charleston Charlies. Eventually, the Rainbow Guts would be worn by many a recreational softball team, as well as high schools and colleges (notably Seton Hall, Tulane, and Louisiana Tech). Also in 1975, GE and Ford took full control of the team.

At the same time, the Astros also switched from red-orange caps to a pure orange. The team began wearing navy caps on the road in 1980 and went with navy caps in all games beginning in 1983. The Astros would sport a toned-down version of the rainbow pattern from 1987 to 1993.

In 1972, the Astros had their best showing to date. Under three different managers—including the legendary Leo Durocher, whose last managerial job would be with these Astros—the Astros finished the 1972 season at 84–69, and in second place in the National League West.

It was with the Astros that Bob Watson scored the one millionth run in baseball history on May 4, 1975. Because there were other players in other venues competing simultaneously for the right to be designated with the milestone, Watson had to run around the bases after a home run at full speed so as to ensure that he would be the one credited with scoring the historic run.

Former Pittsburgh Pirates player and manager Bill Virdon arrived in May 1975 as the team's new manager.

Ford acquired sole control of the Astros in 1978. After only a year, it sold the team to a group headed by shipping magnate John McMullen.

After three seasons hovering around .500, the Astros would be involved in their first real pennant race in 1979. Though the team was dead last in power (they only hit 49 home runs as a team and nobody hit more than 10 home runs), the 1979 Astros were a team built around pitching and speed. In fact, the Astros led the National League with 190 steals; four of the Astros' regular players had over 30 steals. The team's stars included outfielder José Cruz, Sr., third baseman Enos Cabell and pitcher J.R. Richard. This formula enabled the Astros to lead the National League West for much of the season, leading the division by 10 games at the All-Star break. However, the team was unable to hold off the Cincinnati Reds, who edged out the Astros on the last weekend for the National League West title, ultimately winning the division by 1 1/2 games. The Astros started looking good in the National league west and the best was yet to come.

1980–89: The start of something big; Taste of October

Nolan Ryan pitching

Following the 1979 season, Nolan Ryan signed with the Astros as a free agent, agreeing to MLB's first million-dollar per year salary. The club also brought back popular Texas native Joe Morgan (who began his Hall of Fame career with the Astros) to bring leadership to the young team.

Using much the same pitching and speed strategy in 1980 as they had in 1979, the Astros won their first NL West championship. They entered the final weekend series against the Dodgers with a three-game lead only needing to win one of the final three games to clinch the NL West. However, the Astros were swept, forcing a one game postseason playoff game—the first such playoff since the National League switched to two-division format in 1969. At Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Joe Niekro won his 20th game as the Astros cruised to an easy 7–1 victory over the Dodgers, clinching the team's first divisional title with a 93–70 record.

In the ensuing National League Championship Series, the Astros pushed the Phillies to five games in what is widely regarded as one of the best postseason series in baseball history. The last four games all went to extra innings, with the final game decided by one run after many twists and turns in the late innings. In the decisive fifth game the Astros took a 5–2 lead into the top of the 8th against the Phillies. However, Nolan Ryan was unable to hold the lead, and the Astros lost to the Phillies in 10 innings, 8–7.

In 1980, J.R. Richard, considered to be a front-runner for the National League's Cy Young Award and one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball, had a 10–4 record and an ERA of 1.73 on July 30, 1980 when he suffered a stroke before a game. In the days and weeks previous, Richard had complained of a "dead arm" and shoulder and neck pains. Additionally, in his last start on July 14, he said he was unable to read the catcher's signs. Although Richard survived the near-fatal stroke, he never pitched in the Major Leagues again.

In the strike-shortened 1981 season, the Astros made the playoffs once again as the second half Western Division champions. This ball club succeeded thanks to free agent acquisition Don Sutton. Even if their pitching was excellent, the Astros' "Chinese Water Torture" offense was so slow that it went "drip, drip, drip." They faced the Dodgers in the special pre-LCS playoffs. After winning the first two games, the Dodgers went on to win the final three games, thus making the Astros the first team in baseball history to lose a five-game series after winning the first two games.

After that loss to Los Angeles, the Astros' fortunes began to change for the worse. However, there were some shining moments that stood out—like in 1983 when Nolan Ryan became all-time strikeout leader in a game against the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium. Ryan and Steve Carlton battled for the lead until Carlton retired and Ryan earned it for good. The next season, shortstop Dickie Thon was beaned in the head by Mets pitcher Mike Torrez, derailing what many thought would be an extremely promising career.

1986 season

After a mediocre 1985 season, 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. The latter was replaced by Hal Lanier whose "box-office 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.

The Astros had many highlights. After the Astrodome hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July, the Astros went on a streak with five straight come-from-behind wins (two against the Mets and three against the Montreal Expos). In a game against the Dodgers]], pitcher [[Jim Deshaies (who came from the Yankees in exchange for Joe Niekro) started the game with eight straight strikeouts. On September 25, Mike Scott helped his team clinch the NL West by no-hitting the surprising San Francisco Giants. 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.

Houston's opponents in the NLCS were their expansion cousins the New York Mets, a team that with 108 wins was considered a team for the ages, destined to win a World Championship. To add a hint of flavor to the matchup, both teams were celebrating their 25th season as MLB franchises that season.

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.

A historic bet on the series was made on live television between New York's famous talk show host, David Letterman, and former Houston mayor Kathryn J. Whitmire. Letterman agreed to pay $2000 if the Astros won, and Whitmire agreed to hang a picture of Mookie Wilson in her office if the Mets won. When the Mets won, Whitemire displayed a 10' x 10' photo of Wilson in her office.

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.

This 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 2 LCS and 1 World Series, have played in the longest game for each of the 3 levels in the modern MLB playoffs.

Following the 1988 season the Astros experienced significant change. Manager Hal Lanier, unable to build on the Astros' success in 1986, was dismissed following the season, and the team conducted a fire sale. Additionally, franchise icon Nolan Ryan left the team to join the Texas Rangers in 1989, after being considered "too old" by then-owner McMullen. Ryan went on to pitch two more no-hitters for the Rangers in the early 1990s to achieve a grand total of seven, more than anyone else in Major League history. Ryan also recorded his 5,000th strikeout and 300th win with the Rangers, and entered the Hall of Fame as a Ranger.

1989 would mark the rookie season of Craig Biggio, who would set team records in many offensive categories. Biggio started his career as a catcher, but was moved to second base so as to take full advantage of his speed and other offensive talents as well as to elongate his career.

1990–99: Rebuild, New Owner, A New Look, and A New Success

Many people consider the best trade the Astros ever made to be their deal for Jeff Bagwell at the trading deadline in 1990. The Boston Red Sox, in a tight race for the American League East title, needed relief pitching help. The Astros gave the Red Sox journeyman Larry Andersen in exchange for minor-leaguer Bagwell, who would win the 1990 Eastern League MVP award for the AA New Britain Red Sox. With Mo Vaughn in their system, the Red Sox reasoned that Bagwell was expendable, and while Andersen did help the Red Sox to the divisional title, Bagwell went on to become the Astros' all-time home run leader and, in most people's minds, the best overall player in Astros history. The trade was so lopsided that it appears on virtually any list of the best/worst trades in MLB history, and "Larry Andersen" became a popular phrase in Boston to describe the futility of the Red Sox front office during the 86-year "Curse of the Bambino." However, after the 1991 season, the Astros made one of the worst trades in franchise history, sending speedy outfielder Kenny Lofton to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Eddie Taubensee. Lofton would prove to be one of the best center fielders of the 1990s, earning five AL stolen base titles, six All-Star appearances, and four Gold Gloves.

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.

Many people consider one of teh best trades the Astros ever made was their deal for Jeff Bagwell at the trading deadline in 1990. The Boston Red Sox, in a tight race for the American League East title, needed relief pitching help. The Astros gave the Red Sox journeyman Larry Andersen in exchange for minor-leaguer Bagwell, who would win the 1990 Eastern League MVP award for the AA New Britain Red Sox. With Mo Vaughn in their system, the Red Sox reasoned that Bagwell was expendable, and while Andersen did help the Red Sox to the divisional title, Bagwell went on to become the Astros' all-time home run leader and, in most people's minds, the best overall player in Astros history. The trade was so lopsided that it appears on virtually any list of the best/worst trades in MLB history, and "Larry Andersen" became a popular phrase in Boston to describe the futility of the Red Sox front office during the 86-year "Curse of the Bambino." However, after the 1991 season, the Astros made one of the worst trades in franchise history, sending speedy outfielder Kenny Lofton to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Eddie Taubensee. Lofton would prove to be one of the best center fielders of the 1990s, earning five AL stolen base titles, six All-Star appearances, and four Gold Gloves.

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.

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 Guts" 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.

In the 14 years since Drayton McLane has taken ownership of the Houston Astros, they have had the fourth best record in all of Major League Baseball. Only the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves have done better overall.

2000s: New stadium; First pennant

After years at the outdated Astrodome, the Astros moved into their new stadium in 2000. Originally called Enron Field, the stadium was one of the first to feature a functional retractable roof, considered a necessity in Houston. Additionally the ballpark featured more intimate surroundings than the cavernous Astrodome. It is believed by some that the departure of the NFL's Houston Oilers after Houston refused to build them a new stadium contributed to the construction of Enron Field.

The ballpark features a train theme, since the ball park was built on the grounds of the old Union Station. The locomotive also pays homage to the history of Houston, where by 1860, 11 different railroad companies had lines running through the city. This is also represented in the city of Houston's official seal. A train whistle sounds, and a locomotive transverses a wall above the outfield after Astros home run. 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. This was modeled after a similar feature that was located in Crosley Field, former home of the Cincinnati Reds. The terrace at Crosley Field was sloped at 15 degrees in left field, while Tal's Hill is sloped at 30 degrees in straightaway center. Over the years, many highlight reel catches have been made by center fielders running up the hill to make catches.

Perhaps most significantly, with its short left field fence (only slightly longer to left field than Fenway Park), overall shorter dimensions, and exposure to the elements, including the humid Texas air, Enron Field played like a hitters' park. This was a dramatic difference from the Astrodome, which was considered to be an extreme pitchers' park. In a challenge to home run hitters, owner Drayton McLane's office windows, located in the old Union Station above left field, are made of glass and marked as 442' from home plate.

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.

2006 season

After losing the World Series, the Astros prepared for the offseason. They signed Preston Wilson and moved Lance Berkman to first base, ending the long tenure by Jeff Bagwell due to injuries and a degenerative arthritic shoulder. The Astros resigned pitcher Roger Clemens on June 22, 2006. For their first pick in the 2006 draft, the Astros drafted high school catcher Maxwell Sapp, who ranked second among all high school catchers. On July 12, 2006, Houston traded two minor league prospects to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for left-handed hitter Aubrey Huff and cash. In August 2006, Preston Wilson said that he wasn't getting enough playing time since Luke Scott returned from AAA ball with the Round Rock Express. In response to Preston Wilson not getting enough playing time, the Astros released Preston, and the division rival Cardinals signed him for the rest of the season. After a dramatic last two weeks of the season, including a four game sweep of the Cardinals, the Astros did not get to the playoffs losing their last game to the Braves, 3–1. The Astros had managed to win 10 of their last 12 games of the season, and all but erased what had been an 8 1/2 game lead by the front running St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros were within a 1/2 game of the Cardinals on Thursday September 28, but that is as close as the 2005 NL Champions would get.

On October 1, (despite the fact that five out of the 22 teams that failed to reach the postseason in Major League Baseball had a better record than the Astros), the Astros were the last remaining team that still had a chance to reach the 2006 postseason; consequently they were the final MLB team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

On October 31, the Astros declined option on Jeff Bagwell's contract for 2007, subsequently ending his 15-year tenure as an Astro. Bagwell left his name well-known in the Astros history books. On November 11, Bagwell files for free agency. Finally to end his amazing career, Bagwell announced his retirement on December 15.

On November 6, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte filed for free agency on Monday, five days before the Nov. 11 deadline.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, November 10, the Astros made a one-year deal with Craig Biggio worth $5.15 million to continue his march into the history books as he eyes 70 more hits to reach 3,000. This will mark Biggio's 20th season as an Astro.

On November 24, the Astros Signed outfielder Carlos Lee to a 6-year contract for $100 million, a franchise record. They also signed pitcher Woody Williams.

On December 8, Andy Pettitte, who signed with the Astros in 2003, announced that he will be returning to the Yankees accepting a 1 year $16 million contract with player option year also worth $16 million if picked up. "It shocked me that [the Astros] would not continue to go up, when the Yankees continued to push and push and pursue and they [the Astros] really didn't do much," Pettitte said. "It was a full-court press by the Yankees. I've talked to the guys, and obviously they wanted me to come back up there." The Astros reportedly offered a one-year $12 million contract but would not offer a player option for another year.

On December 8, frustrated by the Pettitte negotiations, the Astros were on the verge of acquiring right-hander Jon Garland from the Chicago White Sox in return for Willy Taveras, Taylor Buchholz, and Jason Hirsh but the deal was nixed by the White Sox because right-hander Taylor Buchholz reportedly failed a physical that he never took.

On December 12, the Astros traded 3 for 2 when they traded Willy Taveras, Taylor Buchholz, and Jason Hirsh to the Colorado Rockies for Rockies pitchers Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio. This trade turned out terribly for the Astros by the end of the 2007 season, as Taveras continued to develop, Hirsh had a strong rookie campaign, and Jennings was oft-injured and generally ineffective.

2007 season

Main article: 2007 Houston Astros season

On April 28, the Astros purchased the contract of Hunter Pence, the organization's top prospect from Triple-A affiliate, and made his debut that night where he got his first career hit and run scored.

By May 2007, the Astros had suffered one of their worst losing streaks since the 1995 season with 10 losses in a row, losing 4–3 to the Cincinnati Reds on May 30. The Astros were just one loss shy of tying their worst skid in franchise history, before snapping that streak the next day, also against the Reds.

On June 12, the Astros beat the Oakland Athletics for the first time in team history.

On June 28, second baseman Craig Biggio became the 27th player to accrue 3000 career hits. On the same night in the bottom of the 11th inning Carlos Lee hit a towering walk-off grand slam to win the game for the Astros.

On July 24, Craig Biggio announced that he would be retiring at the end of the 2007 season, his 20th season with the club (and a franchise record). 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. He is now signed through 2009. On July 29, long time and former All-Star third baseman Morgan Ensberg was designated for assignment to make room for newly acquired Wigginton.

On August 26, former first baseman Jeff Bagwell's number 5 was officially retired after a 15 year career with the Astros.

On 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 as the new General Manager of the Astros. He made his first move as GM by trading Jason Lane to the Padres on September 24.

On September 30, Craig Biggio retired, ending a 20-year career with the Astros.

On November 7, 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. Also UTIL Mark Loretta accepts Houston's salary arbitration.

On November 30, the Astros and 2B Kazuo Matsui finalized a $16.5 million, three-year contract.

On December 12, the Astros trade 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, the Astros trade INF Chris Burke, RHP Juan Gutierrez, RHP Chad Qualls to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Jose Valverde.

On December 27, the Astros came to terms on a deal with All-star, Gold Glove winner Darin Erstad.

2008 Season

Main article: 2008 Houston Astros season

On January 11, the Astros started off 2008 by signing Brandon Backe to a one-year deal. During the rest of the month they also signed Ty Wigginton and Dave Borkowski to one-year deals.

In February the Astros signed Shawn Chacon to a one-year contract.

The Astros started off their Spring Training campaign with a loss to Cleveland on the 28th. Spring Training ended with a loss to the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid before the Stros went on to face the Padres. Manager Cecil Cooper and General Manager Ed Wade had a tough decision to make before the trip. Astros pitcher Woody Williams had a bad spring going 0-4 throughout the stay in Florida. They released him on March 30 with which he retired.

The Astros also announced their starting pitching rotation. As usual Roy Oswalt was given the ball on opening day. With Jason Jennings in Texas and Woody retired, the Astros named Brandon Backe to the second spot. Wandy Rodriguez would get the ball in the third spot with Shawn Chacon and Chris Sampson following them in the # 4 and 5 spots.

The Astros opened up their season in San Diego without second baseman Kazuo Matsui. Matsui, who had been injured in Spring Training was completing a Minor League rehab assignment. The game that day was bad for Houston because Roy Oswalt gave up four runs in six innings of work. The final was 4-0 Padres. Also the Astros lost the second game of the series with Mark Loretta and Geoff Blum also starting.

On Wandy's start the Astros won their first game with a 9-6 victory over the Padres. The Big Puma hit the game winning home-run in the 9th, which was a three-run shot. On the final day of the series Shawn Chacon pitched a good game but the Stros lost after Chacon exited with the score tied 2-2.

In May, the Astros have made some roster moves by sending rookie catcher J.R. Towles to the Triple A Round Rock Express and calling up center fielder Reggie Abercrombie. Dave Borkowski was sent down earlier in the month and Chris Sampson was moved to the bullpen and Brian Moheler moving into the starting rotation.

On June 25, Shawn Chacon 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 have played Boston previously in 2003, but they were swept when they played in Fenway Park

Logos

• Colt .45s logo, 1962–64
  Colt .45s logo, 1962–64
• Astros logo, 1965-1974
  Astros logo, 1965-1974
• Astros logo, 1994
  Astros logo, 1994
• Astros logo, 1995-1999
  Astros logo, 1995-1999
• Astros logo, 2000-present
  Astros logo, 2000-present

Season-by-season results

For the past five seasons. To see entire season results, see Houston Astros Record-by-Year

World Series Champions (1903–present)

NL Champions (1901–present)

Division Champions (1969–present)

Wild Card Berth (1994–present)

				Regular season					Attendance		Playoffs
Season	Team	League	Division	Finish	Won	Lost	%	GB	Attendance	Average
2004	2004	NL	Central	2nd	92	70	.568	13	3,087,872	38,121.9	Won NLDS (3-2) (Braves) Lost NLCS (3-4) (Cardinals)
2005	2005	NL	Central	2nd	89	73	.549	11	2,804,760	34,626.7	Won NLDS (3-1) (Braves) Won NLCS (4-2) (Cardinals) Lost World Series (0-4) (White Sox)
2006	2006	NL	Central	2nd	82	80	.506	1½	3,022,763	37,318.1
2007	2007	NL	Central	4th	73	89	.451	12	3,020,405	37,288.9
2008	2008	NL	Central	4th	63	61	.508	13.0	1,634,854	36,330
Totals					377	357	.514	2005 National League Champions

Quick facts

Founded: 1962 (National League expansion)

Uniform colors: Black, brick red, sand

Logo design: Red five-pointed star with the word "Astros" below it in script

Owner: Drayton McLane, Jr.

General Manager: Ed Wade

Manager: Cecil Cooper

Team motto: The Return of the Good Guys

Playoff appearances (9): 1980, 1981, 1986, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005

World Series appearances(1): 2005

Television Stations: FSN (Houston), KTXH(My 20)

Radio Stations: KTRH-AM 740 (flagship); KLAT-AM 1010 (Spanish); KBME-AM 790 (used to broadcast games in emergencies, power knockouts, weekday spring training games, or when KTRH can not broadcast said game).

Announcers (Radio): Milo Hamilton (Home games only), Dave Raymond, Brett Dolan

Announcers (TV): Bill Brown, Jim Deshaies

Spring Training Facility: Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee, FL

Rivals: St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers

Famous Fans: George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Hilary Duff, Matthew McConaughey, Tracy McGrady

See also: Lone Star Shootout (Rangers-Astros rivalry)

Traditions

Despite being a relatively young team, the Astros have established many traditions among players and fans.

The Killer Bs

The Killer Bs are a group of players of the Houston Astros. They earned this nickname from all having a last name starting with the letter "B" and all performing commendably. The original Killer Bs were nicknamed in the '90s, and consisted of Craig Biggio, Derek Bell, Jeff Bagwell, and Sean Berry. Since the formation of the original Bs, newer members have been added to the list during their time with the Astros, including Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltrán, Chris Burke, Brandon Backe, and Michael Bourn. The ones of unusual note in the Killer B's group is Backe, Burke, and Bourn. Burke, achieved fame as a B when he delievered greatly for the Astros in the playoffs multiple times. Backe has hit home runs as a pitcher, and is good at bunting, as well as driving the ball for singles. Bourn is not a high batting average player, but is one of the fastest members of the Astros, perhaps faster than former Astro Willy Taveras. These three players are unusual to be considered Killer B's, but in many fans eyes have earned the title.

The O's Bros

The O's Bros are a group of fans who attend every Roy Oswalt home game (some road games as well). Created in May 2002, the O's Bros would hang "O's" instead of the traditional "K" for every strikeout Oswalt would get, along with performing a strikout dance. They originally had two signs they would hang, one saying "Wizard of O's" and the second saying "O's Bros". In 2004, the Bros revealed a new and improved O's Bros sign. Section 337 of the Upper Deck at Minute Maid Park was the home of the O's Bros for 5 plus years, but has recently relocated to section 255 of the Mezzanine due to obstructed viewing in the upper deck. The O's Bros are always looking for new members and joining is simple: just show up.

Los Caballitos

The newest tradition is Los Caballitos, a group of devoted Carlos Lee fans that attend every Astros home game, usually standing in a balcony above the Crawford boxes near the Home Run Pump. Their name in Spanish means "The little horses," a name that pays homage to Carlos Lee's nickname El Caballo, meaning "the horse." This is due to his speed and large build. They traditionally have wood-stick horses that they hold as they cheer. They are often dressed as Mexican cowboys, complete with sombreros. This is another homage to Lee, as one of his life interests is ranching.

The Little Pumas

The Little Pumas formed during the 2008 season when Lance Berkman was among the league leaders in many offensive categories, due to a hot-hitting month of May. The name of the group pays tribute to Berkman's nickname, "Big Puma", which, in a tongue-in-cheek remark during a radio interview, he coined due to his fierce yet quick style of play. as well as his dislike towards his other nickname, "Fat Elvis". At games they can be found cheering on the "Conoco Home Run Porch", dressed up as none other than pumas.

Pences Peeps

Pences Peeps formed around July of the 2007 season.

Former Astros that are in Hall of fame

While there has yet to be an Astros player to go into the Hall of Fame as an Astro, there have been several that have played or managed in Houston.

Baseball Hall of Famers

• 2 Leo Durocher, MGR, 1972-73
• 2 Nellie Fox, 2B, 1964-65
• 11 Eddie Mathews, 3B, 1967
• 8 Joe Morgan, 2B, 1963-71 & 1980
• 38 Robin Roberts, P, 1965-66
• 34 Nolan Ryan, P, 1980-88
• 20 Don Sutton, P, 1981-82
• Gene Elston, play-by-play announcer, 1962-1986
• Harry Kalas, play-by-play announcer, 1965-1970
• Milo Hamilton, play-by-play announcer, 1986-present

Retired numbers

Jeff Bagwell 1B	Craig Biggio C,2B,OF	Jimmy Wynn OF	Jose Cruz OF	Jim Umbricht P
Mike Scott P	Nolan Ryan P	Don Wilson P	Larry Dierker P,M	Jackie Robinson -

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

Current Roster

Houston Astros 2025 spring training roster
40-man roster				Non-roster invitees		Coaches/Other
Pitchers 52 Bryan Abreu 41 Spencer Arrighetti 56 Ronel Blanco 58 Hunter Brown 73 Luis Contreras 66 Shawn Dubin 68 J. P. France 77 Luis García 67 Ryan Gusto 71 Josh Hader 72 Nick Hernandez 53 Cristian Javier 74 Bryan King 43 Lance McCullers Jr. 63 Kaleb Ort 55 Ryan Pressly 54 Tayler Scott 62 Bennett Sousa 59 Framber Valdez 60 Forrest Whitley		Catchers 17 Víctor Caratini 21 Yainer Díaz 18 César Salazar Infielders 27 Jose Altuve  9 Zach Dezenzo 11 Grae Kessinger  3 Jeremy Peña 28 Jon Singleton 10 Shay Whitcomb Outfielders 44 Yordan Alvarez 89 Kenedy Corona 14 Mauricio Dubón 13 Cooper Hummel  4 Pedro León 20 Chas McCormick  6 Jake Meyers -- Taylor Trammell 30 Kyle Tucker				Manager 19 Joe Espada Coaches 97 Jason Bell (coach) 85 Javier Bracamonte (bullpen catcher) 37 Alex Cintrón (hitting) 23 Dave Clark (first base) 29 Michael Collins (coach) 99 Tommy Kawamura (major league coach) 22 Omar López (bench) 36 Josh Miller (pitching) 95 Bill Murphy (bullpen) -- Tony Perezchica (third base) 46 Troy Snitker (hitting) 38 active, 0 inactive, 0 non-roster invitees 7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list * Not on active roster † Suspended list Roster, coaches, and NRIs updated November 4, 2024 Transactions • Depth chart → All MLB rosters

Minor league affiliations

• AAA: Round Rock Express, Pacific Coast League
• AA: Corpus Christi Hooks, Texas League
• Advanced A: Salem Avalanche, Carolina League
• A: Lexington Legends, South Atlantic League (North)
• Short A: Tri-City ValleyCats, New York - Penn League (Stedler)
• Rookie: Greeneville Astros, Appalachian League (West)

Radio and television

As of 2008, 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 FSN Houston (a subfeed of FSN Southwest), although some games are on My Network TV affiliate KTXH, with the games produced by FSN Houston. Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies compose the broadcast team on TV.

External links

• Houston Astros official web site
• Houston Astros news from the Houston Chronicle
• Astros team page on Baseball-Reference.com
• Astros Point - Your Houston Astros Online Home
• The Daily Astros Update
• Houston Astros Video on ESPN Video Archive

References

• Houston Astros Official Website
• A Six-Gun Salute: An Illustrated History of the Houston Colt .45s, by Robert Reed (Rowman-Littlefield Publishing, Boston, 1999)

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