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The demand for a Major League Baseball franchise in Houston was the product of the efforts of Craig F. Cullinan Jr. The granting of the franchise came in 1960. This gave way to the birth of the Houston Colt .45s.
They started playing in 1962. During their first game, they defeated the Chicago Cubs. Like most new teams, they had a rough time in their early years. Although there were some highlights for the team, they continued to struggle.
In 1965, the team changed its name to the Houston Astros. This was his way of showing his support for the space program in Houston. However, the team’s name change did not affect its performance. His team’s position did not improve. This and other problems led to the bankruptcy of Roy Hotheinz, losing the Astros to their creditors, one of whom was Ford.
There are also some discouraging stories regarding their players. John Paciorek is one. He showed a lot of promise and played a great baseball game. His career was short due to injuries. Jim Umbricht was also a promising pitcher who lost his life to cancer. His was the first number, the Astros retired. Don Wilson also played for the Astros. He committed suicide in 1975. The Astros also retired his jersey.
John McMullen acquired the team in 1979. This also marked new great things for the team. They had their first pennant race in the same year. However, they lost the NL West title to the Cincinnati Reds.
Over the next year, the Astros added Nolan Ryan and Joe Morgan to the team. This time they won the National League West championship. They faced the Phillies for the National League Championship. Although they fought their hearts out, making a memorable fight, one of the greatest postseason games in baseball history, they lost it to the Phillies.
They battled for the division title the next season, but this time, the Dodgers defeated them. The team hit a slippery slope after that. However, this did not stop Nolan Ryan from shining. He became the all-time leader in strikeouts in 1983.
The year 1986 was a different story. There were major changes in the management of the Astros. They hired a new manager in the person of Hal Lanier. Under his leadership, the Astros’ game strategy changes. The change he brought led the team to win 15 of its first 19 games.
The star players shone during this year. Names like Jim Deshaies and Mike Scott came up. Scott even won a Cy Young Award for his outstanding work. They also set the record for the longest postseason championship games.
After the team’s highlights in 1986, the Houston Astros went through several changes. Management changed and Nolan left the team. There were some high and low points in the team.
Then there was Craig Biggio. He is a gem for the team, setting offensive records here and there. There were other big changes for the Astros in the years to come. One took place in 2005 when they finally won their first pennant.