50 Fun Facts About Houston Astros

What was the Houston franchise called when it entered the National League in 1962?

The name came from a fan contest won by William Irving Neder; the Colt .45 was 'the gun that won the West'.

Which other expansion team joined the National League alongside Houston in 1962?

The two clubs took turns picking unprotected players in an expansion draft after the 1961 season.

What did the team's new name, adopted for 1965, reflect?

The change was announced on December 1, 1964, as the domed stadium was rising nearby.

What was the Astrodome nicknamed when it opened in 1965?

Officially it opened as the Harris County Domed Stadium; attendance boomed because people came just to see the building.

Why was AstroTurf invented for the Astrodome in 1966?

The panels were painted to cut glare that had fielders losing routine pop flies, and the grass died.

Which legendary pitcher threw the Astrodome's first test pitches to see how breaking balls behaved indoors?

He was 58 at the time; the stadium's official opening day came two months later, April 9, 1965.

How many innings did the Astros' famous 1968 marathon against the Mets last?

After six hours, Bob Aspromonte's grounder got past Al Weis and Norm Miller scored the only run.

Which Astros pitcher threw the Astrodome's first no-hitter in 1967 and another in 1969?

He died in 1975 at just 29; his number 40 was retired that April.

Which Hall of Fame second baseman did the Astros send to Cincinnati in the lopsided 1971 'Big Trade'?

Houston also sent Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, César Gerónimo and Ed Armbrister, getting Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart back.

What did the Astros' famous 1975 'rainbow' uniforms feature from the chest down?

The stripes were meant to look like a rocket's fiery trail; the team wore them home and away until 1980.

Which Alvin, Texas native did the Astros sign to baseball's first seven-figure annual contract?

He threw his fifth career no-hitter as an Astro in 1981 and finished that season with a 1.69 ERA.

Which Astros pitcher clinched the 1986 NL West with a no-hitter?

It remains the only time any division has been clinched that way; Scott won the Cy Young that year.

Which opponent did the Astros face in the dramatic 1986 NLCS?

Houston lost the series in six, missing the chance to send Scott out for a Game 7.

Which two Hall of Famers led the 'Killer B's' of the 1990s and 2000s?

Derek Bell and Sean Berry rounded out the original quartet; Lance Berkman later joined the club.

Which team originally drafted Jeff Bagwell before trading him to Houston in 1990?

He went for reliever Larry Andersen, then won Rookie of the Year in 1991 and MVP in 1994.

In which year did Jeff Bagwell win the National League MVP award?

That season was cut short by a strike, and Bagwell himself missed the end of it with a broken hand.

Craig Biggio is the only player to be an All-Star and win a Silver Slugger at which two positions?

He was the everyday catcher by 1990 before moving to second and later the outfield.

How many hits did Craig Biggio collect on the night he reached 3,000?

He needed three and got five, becoming the 27th player to reach the mark — all with one team.

Biggio's career total of 285 in which category trails only Hughie Jennings in MLB history?

He led the NL in getting plunked five times.

What was the Astros' downtown ballpark called when it opened in 2000?

After the energy company's collapse the name went to Minute Maid in 2002, and it was renamed Daikin Park in 2025.

What was the quirky feature named for Tal Smith that was removed from the ballpark after 2016?

Removing it let the team move the center-field wall in to 409 feet.

Which pitcher won a record seventh Cy Young Award with the Astros in 2004?

He was 42 that year; a year later he posted a league-low 1.87 ERA.

Who swept the Astros in their first World Series appearance in 2005?

Roy Oswalt had been NLCS MVP; a dispute over whether the ballpark roof should be open marked the series.

Which businessman bought the Astros in 2011?

Agreeing to move the club to the American League was a condition of the sale, and MLB gave him a $70 million concession for it.

In which season did the Astros begin play in the American League West?

They had played in the NL West from 1969 and the NL Central from 1994.

What is the name of the Astros' lime-green, antennae-wearing mascot?

He served from 1990 to 1999, was replaced by a character named Junction Jack, and returned in 2012 for the AL move.

What kind of animal was Junction Jack, the mascot introduced for the 2000 move downtown?

He had two unofficial relatives, Junction Julie and Junction Jesse.

In which country was Jose Altuve born?

He signed as an amateur free agent in 2007 and debuted in 2011.

In which year was Altuve named American League MVP?

He led the majors with a .346 average and reached 200 hits for the fourth straight season.

How did Altuve end the 2019 ALCS against the Yankees?

It sent Houston to its third World Series, which it lost to Washington in seven games.

Which Cy Young winner, acquired by the Astros at the 2017 waiver deadline, won all five regular-season starts?

He was named 2017 ALCS MVP a few weeks later.

Whom did the Astros beat to win their first World Series in 2017?

The title came weeks after Hurricane Harvey, and the team adopted the mantra 'Houston Strong'.

What did the Astros bang to signal pitches during the sign-stealing scheme?

Manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a year and then fired by Jim Crane within the hour.

What was the maximum fine MLB imposed on the Astros for the sign-stealing scandal?

They also lost their top two draft picks in both 2020 and 2021.

Whom did the Astros hire in January 2020 to replace A.J. Hinch as manager?

He finally won his first World Series as a manager with Houston in 2022, at age 73.

What did the Astros do in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series that had never been done in postseason history?

Cristian Javier started; it was only the second World Series no-hitter after Don Larsen's 1956 perfect game.

Which rookie shortstop was named 2022 World Series MVP?

He was the first rookie position player ever to win the award.

How many consecutive ALCS did the Astros reach from 2017 to 2023?

They are also the only team to win a postseason series in seven straight seasons.

Which distinction do the Astros hold as the only MLB team to achieve?

Their only National League pennant came in 2005; the 2017 flag was the first of four in the American League.

What is the Astros' rivalry with the Texas Rangers known as?

The two Texas clubs share the AL West.

Which Astros manager made history in 2024 by earning his first career managerial win with a no-hitter?

He was named the franchise's 25th manager in November 2023.

Which number have the Astros not reissued since 2002 in memory of pitcher Darryl Kile?

Kile died as an active player with the Cardinals; the team's community-service award is named for him.

Which player scored the very first run in franchise history in April 1962?

He came home on an Al Spangler triple in the first inning as the Colt .45s swept the Cubs to open the season.

Which NFL team shared the Astrodome with the Astros from 1968 to 1996?

Owner Bud Adams moved them to Tennessee, where they became the Titans.

The Astros' downtown ballpark was built on the grounds of which former railway landmark?

A replica 4-4-0 locomotive rolls along the outfield and whistles after home runs in tribute to that heritage.

Which Texas businessman bought the Astros in 1993 and committed to keeping them in Houston?

His arrival coincided with the rise of Bagwell and Biggio, and the team dropped its rainbow look for a more serious image.

Which Astros pitcher set an MLB record in 2015 by going 15-0 at home?

He led the American League with 20 victories that season as the club returned to the postseason.

Where did the franchise play its home games in 1962-64 while the dome was being built?

It was a temporary venue built just north of the construction site, and the summer heat and mosquitoes there were notorious.

Houston's would-be owners first tried to land a team by helping form which rival circuit?

The threat pushed the National and American Leagues to expand from eight teams to ten, which is how Houston got its franchise.

The team's first retired number, 32, honored which relief pitcher who died of cancer in 1964?

He was the only Colt .45s pitcher with a winning record in the club's first two seasons and died just before Opening Day at 33.