History of the Houston Astros

On October 17, 1960, Houston was awarded a franchise in the ten-team National League and was to play in the west division. As the franchise was starting out, they were named the Houston Colt .45s, in honor of the gun that won the West. The “Colts” first game was on April 10, 1962, and they defeated the Cubs 11-2. For the next 3 years, the franchise played in Colt Stadium.

The first number that was retired by the Astros was #32, worn by Jim Umbricht. He was stricken with cancer, and died on April 8, 1964. Almost 2 years since the Astros franchise had been formed.

On April 9, 1965, the Houston Colt .45s became the Houston Astros to show support for the space program based in Houston. In 1965, The Sporting News Official Baseball Guide had this to say about why the team was renamed: "Late in the year 1964 the Harris County Domed Stadium was officially named the Astrodome after the Houston club changed its nickname, December 1, from the Colt .45s to Astros. The move resulted from objections by the Colt Firearms Company to the club's sales of novelties bearing the old nickname." Even with the name change, the scoreboard still showed some recognition to the Colt .45s as it featured electronically animated cowboys firing pistols, with the "bullets" ricocheting around the scoreboard, when an Astros player would hit a home run. Early on, the groundskeepers also wore astronaut spacesuits to promote that modern image.

During the summer in Houston, the city had oppressive heat and humidity. As a defense against this kind of weather, the Astros committed to building a new domed stadium. The result was the Astrodome. The Astrodome was based on the Roman Coliseum. It was a multi-purpose stadium, and was designed for baseball and football purposes. However, because it was enclosed, it could also be used for events traditionally held in indoor arenas, such as basketball, concerts and political conventions, allowing outdoor-sized crowds in an indoor venue. The Astrodome was the first stadium to have individual “theatre-like” seats for every single seat. Also, it was one of the first stadiums to have luxury seats and club seating. The scoreboard could show various animations after a home run or a win. Not only that, but the Astrodome was also one of the first stadiums in the country to use an artificial playing surface.

In 1975, the Astros had adopted new jerseys. They were orange, yellow and navy "Rainbow Guts" uniforms that became a team trademark and would stay with them in some form through 1993. The uniforms were nicknamed, “the popsicles.” The jerseys were made by Sand-Knit. 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.

In 1980, the Astros had a lot of speed, and had good pitching. They didn’t have much power, but they didn’t need much anyway. They won their first NL West championship in 1980. The team also clinched its first divisional title the same year with a 7-1 victory over the Dodgers. In the next round, the National League Championship Series, the Astros faced the Phillies to five games. This series was considered one of the best postseason series in baseball history, and after many games going into extra innings, the Astros end up losing to the Phillies.

A tragedy also occurred on July 30, 1980. J.R. Richard, one of the best Astros pitchers, had a stroke before a game. At the time, he was 10-4 with a dominating 1.73 ERA. The stroke nearly killed him and although Richard survived, he never would pitch in the Major Leagues again.

Then, following the 1988 season, the Astros went on a “fire sale.” A term meaning a team trades many of its veteran players to other teams for less expensive players, usually for financial reasons. It was also the start for a “rebuilding mode.” But, more problems had occurred in 1991. A declining number of attendants at the game caused inability to obtain the Astrodome. That year, the 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.

In 2000, the Astros moved into their new stadium, originally called Enron Field. Enron Field was one of the first stadiums to have a retractable roof. Then, in 2005, the Astros won the pennant!

After a poor start to the season in 2005, Houston rebounded and finished the season strong. In July alone, the Astros went 22-7, setting the best single month record in Astros’ history. The Astros finished the 2005 regular season by winning a wild card berth on the final day of the regular season.

The Astros won the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves in four games. The fourth game set a record for a post-season game with the most innings (18), the most players used by a single team (tied for 23), the most grand slams (2), and the longest game time (5 hours and 50 minutes). The National League Championship Series would then be the St. Louis Cardinals against the Houston Astros. The Astros would go on to beat the Cards in 7 games, leading them to the World Series! The Astros' opponent in their first ever World Series was the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, the Astros did not bring there A-game as they were swept by the White Sox.

Some more facts on the Astros:

1. Team Motto: The Return of the Good Guys

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

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

4. World Series appearances(1): 2005

5. Spring Training Facility: Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee, FL

6. Rivals: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves

7. Retired Numbers: 5, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49