Who are the Houston Astros?
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas that competes in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros are a member of the MLB's American League, having moved from the National League in 2013. The Astros are one of two MLB teams based out of Texas, the other being the Texas Rangers.
What is the history of the Astros?
The Astros are one of two MLB teams based out of Texas, the other being the Texas Rangers. The team began with the name of the Colt .45s in 1962 and changed their name to the Houston Astros in 1965 when they began playing in the Astrodome.
When did the Houston Astros move to the American League?
^ "Houston Astros To The American League: MLB Gives New Owner A $70 Million Discount, According To Reports". SB Nation. Retrieved February 24, 2012. ^ "Sale of Astros to Jim Crane, move to American League in 2013 approved | astros.com: News".
Who was the first manager of the Houston Astros?
Elston continued with the Astros until 1986. The Colt .45s started their inaugural season on April 10, 1962 against the Chicago Cubs. Harry Craft was named Houston's first manager. The Colt .45s finished eighth among the National League's ten teams.
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When did Astros franchise start?
1962Houston Astros / FoundedThe Astros play in the American League (AL) but were members of the National League (NL) for the first 51 seasons of the team's existence and won an NL pennant in 2005 in addition to the team's 2017, 2019, and 2021 AL pennants. The team was founded in 1962 and was initially known as the Houston Colt .
Why did Colt 45s change name to Astros?
Houston colt .45sHouston Astros / Former name
How much is the Astros franchise worth?
$1.98 billionThe valuations are composed of the monetary worth of the sport, market, stadium deals, and brand. These areas are supported by applying financial metrics such as debt and operating income to each one....Composition.TeamHouston AstrosValue$1.98 billionSport$0.538 billionMarket$0.808 billionStadium$0.408 billion29 more columns
Who owned the Astros before Crane?
Drayton McLane, Jr.OwnersNameYearsFord Motor Credit Company1978–1979John McMullen1979–1992Drayton McLane, Jr.1992–2011Jim Crane2011–Present4 more rows
What is the 60 patch on the Astros uniform?
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Major League Baseball in Houston, the Astros announced they will wear special commemorative 60th anniversary patches during the 2022 season. The team will wear the commemorative shield patch on both home and road on-field caps, along with on the sleeve of their jerseys.
What does .45 mean for Astros?
45 moved into their new domed stadium in 1965. The Judge called the new domed stadium the Astrodome. The name was in honor of Houston's importance to the country's space program and to match with the meaning of the name, the Colt . 45s were renamed the Astros.
Which MLB team is the most profitable?
Ranking MLB Teams With Highest Revenue Generated#No.TeamsAnnual Revenue1Los Angeles Dodgers$565 million2New York Yankees$482 million3Boston Red Sox$479 million4Atlanta Braves$443 million26 more rows•Jul 26, 2022
What is the smallest market MLB team?
The Milwaukee Brewers are the smallest market MLB team with a market size of 1,689,572 people. Despite their size, the Brewers boast a loyal fanbase and a competitive squad that has made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.
Who is the cheapest owner in baseball?
Lewis Wolff, John Fisher and the Athletics ownership group takes the title for cheapest owners in all of baseball.
What is Jim Crane's net worth?
1.4 billion USD (2022)Jim Crane / Net worth
What percent of the Astros does Jim Crane own?
40%“Jim Crane led an investment group that paid $615 million in 2011 for MLB's Houston Astros and a minority stake in a regional sports network. The value of the team has quadrupled since Crane's acquisition. Crane owns an estimated 40% stake.
Who are the minority owners of the Houston Astros?
Taylor was an investor in the group headed by Jim Crane that purchased the Houston Astros in 2011. Crane's group included four minority owners of color: Taylor and Milton Carroll, who are African-American, Raul Pedraza (Cuban-American) and Margaret Barradas (a Latina from South Texas).
When did the Astros change from the Colt 45s?
The Astros were first called the Houston Colt . 45s for the first three years of the franchise's existence. It wasn't until Dec. 1964 that the team's owner at the time, Roy Hofheinz, decided to change the team name to the Houston Astros.
What was the name of the Astros before they were the Astros?
Houston colt .45sHouston Astros / Former name
Where did the Colt 45s move to?
the Houston Astros45s officially changed the name of the team to the Houston Astros, a move that signaled a step into the future for the franchise, the city of Houston and a fundamental change in how baseball would be played. The name change, after just three seasons, coincided with the team's move into the Astrodome the next spring.
Why did the Astros move to the American League?
The Astros joined the A.L. in 2013 to balance the leagues with three divisions of five teams each. Since 1998, when Arizona and Tampa Bay joined the league as expansion teams and the Milwaukee Brewers moved to the National League, there had been a four-team division in the A.L. and a six-team division in the N.L.
Where are the Houston Astros?
History of the Houston Astros. The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas that competes in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros are a member of the MLB's American League, having moved from the National League in 2013. The Astros are one of two MLB teams based out of Texas, ...
How many ballparks have the Houston Astros played in?
The team has played in three ballparks in Houston, Colt .45 Stadium (1962–1964), the Astrodome (1965–1999), and, currently, Minute Maid Park (2000–), a stadium with a retractable roof. The Astros hold one World Series title and three pennants (one in the National League and two in the American League ).
What were the trends in baseball in the 1960s?
The fashion trends of the 1960s had started taking root in baseball. Players were growing their hair longer 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. 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 only last for four seasons. The Astros would shock baseball and the fashion world four years later.
Why was the Colt 45 named Astrodome?
The name was in honor of Houston's importance to the country's space program and to match with the meaning of the name, the Colt .45s were renamed the Astros. The new park, coined as 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 .
How old was Wilson when he hit no hitter?
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 Astros tied a major league record by turning seven double plays. By May's end the Astros had put together a ten-game winning streak.
Why did the Continental League start?
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. However, plans eventually fell through for the Houston franchise after the Houston Buffaloes owner, Marty Marion, could not come to an agreement with the HSA to sell the team. To make matters worse, the Continental League as a whole folded in August 1960.
What was the name of the new Houston baseball team?
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.".
Retired Numbers
View all player numbers on the franchise uniform history page Hold mouse over number to view name.
All-Time Top 24 Players
Please note that players may not be in the uniform of the correct team in these images.
How many games did the Astros improve from 2013?
The Astros took a huge step forward on the field by going 70-92 in their second year in the American League, which was a 19-game improvement from 2013. While the starting rotation showed promise, the Astros improved across the board offensively thanks to big seasons from second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Chris Carter and the arrival of highly touted rookie George Springer.
What was the Astros' average in 1975?
1975 was a good year for future Astros management. Former General Manager Bob Watson leads the Astros with a .324 average, 157 hits and 85 RBIs, while former manager Larry Dierker leads the staff with 14 wins.
What was the Astros' record in 2004?
A season that started with so much promise turned into a mediocre effort that resulted in a .500 record at the All-Star break, leading to the dismissal of manager Jimy Williams. Three weeks after Phil Garner took over the managerial duties, the Astros began an unprecedented 36-10 run that leapfrogged them over five teams en route to the National League Wild Card. The Astros won their first postseason series in franchise history when they topped the Atlanta Braves, three games to two, in the Division Series. Despite being decimated by injuries that left them with only two proven starters -- Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens (who won his seventh Cy Young Award) -- the Astros received valiant efforts from a slew of players who helped lead the team to the seventh game of the National League Championship Series. The Astros' historic run ended with a 5-2 Game 7 loss to the Cardinals, one game shy of their first-ever World Series berth.
How many losses did the Astros have in 2011?
The team, which dealt away All-Star outfielders Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn at the Trade Deadline in exchange for prospects, finished with a club-record 106 losses but saw a whopping 20 rookies get playing time at some point. In the second half of the season, many of those youngsters were playing key roles.
How many home runs did Hunter Pence hit for Houston?
Lee, in his first year with the Astros, drove in a career-high 119 runs after signing a six-year contract with the club. Rookie outfielder Hunter Pence hit 17 home runs for Houston, the third highest rookie total in club history.
When did the Astros win the National League Central?
After winning their first ever National League Central crown in 1997, the Astros prepare to take the field against the Braves for their first postseason game in 11 years.
Who was the first 20 game winner for Houston?
Cincinnati's Jim Maloney no-hits the Astros on April 30 and the next night, May 1, Don Wilson returns the favor by no-hitting the Reds 4-0...Larry Dierker becomes Houston's first 20-game winner...the club records its first .500 season (81-81).
Who is the second baseman for Houston Atros?
For Houston Atros’ second baseman Jose Altuve, it seems that every season of his career has been the most important season of his career.
What does 120 mean in baseball?
Playoff wins count twice as much as regular season wins. A score of 120 means that the team achieved 20% moreompared with the league average during the 2020 season.
Is the Houston Astros going to return to Yankee Stadium?
The Houston Astros are returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time since Major League Baseball announced punishments in the sign-stealing scandal.
Overview
Major League Baseball comes to Texas
From 1888 until 1961, Houston's professional baseball club was the minor league Houston Buffaloes, but city residents chafed at the idea of Houston as just a minor league city. One of those men was George Kirksey, a public relations man who became well known in the city in the amid 1940s for his work in public relations. With the help of businessman Bill Kirkland, they helped call a meeting between anyone interested in bring baseball to Houston. This meeting wa…
1962–1964: The Colt .45s era
The Colt .45s started their inaugural season on April 10, 1962 against the Chicago Cubs. Harry Craft was named Houston's first manager while Paul Richards served as general manager after being hired in September of 1961 (he had previously served as manager of the Baltimore Orioles). The Colt .45s finished eighth among the National League's ten teams. Richard "Turk" Farrell was the highlight pitcher of the first year. A starter for the Colt .45s, he was primarily a relief pitcher …
1965–1970: The Great Indoors: The move into the Astrodome
The opening of the Astrodome ended up being one of the final straws in the end of the partnership of Smith and Hofheinz as owners, with Smith and his wife not being invited to the executive suite to celebrate the stadium's opening night, which saw President Lyndon B. Johnson attend. The two had feuded due to Hofheinz making decisions unilaterally without consulting Smith. Heated arguments led to Smith arguing with Hofheinz over the idea that one of them had to buy out the …
1971–1974: The Boys in Orange
The fashion trends of the 1960s had started taking root in baseball. Players were growing their hair longer 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 je…
1975–1979: The rainbow era
With the $38 million debit of the Astrodomain, control was passed from Judge Roy Hofheinz to GE Credit and Ford Motor Credit. This included the Astros. 1975 proved to be a bad year for the Astros. The creditors were just interested in preserving asset value of the team so any money spent management had to find or save somewhere else. Tal Smith returned to the Astros from the New York Yankees to a team that needed a lot of work and did not have a lot of money. However…
1980: Here come the Astros
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's Astrodomain started to crumble, had been stopped and the Astros were now able to compete in the free agent marketed. McMullen showed the city of Houston that he too wanted a winning team by signing nearby Alvin native Nolan Ryan to the first million dollar …
The 1980 NLCS: A hard-fought battle
The Astros had a coast-to-coast flight lasting six hours the night before game one of the NLCS and had to face Steve Carlton who had beaten the Astros six straight times. With that said the experts gave the Phillies the edge in beating the Astros in game one of the NLCS. The Phillies would win game one, but the Astros did not make it easy. The Astros went up 1–0 in the third and Astros pitcher Ken Borsch, who gave up four hits in the first three innings, settled down retiring t…