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HOUSTON ASTROS

The National League added the Houston Colt .45s in 1962 as one of two expansion teams (the Mets were the other). The team was named after a “Name the Team” contest came up with “Colt .45s” which paid homage to the gun that won the West. The franchise changed its name three years later to reflect Houston’s Johnson Space Center and the city’s importance in space exploration.

Houston was the first MLB team to play in an indoor stadium – the Astrodome. The Astros had their first winning season in 1972 and made the postseason for the first time in 1980. It took until 2005 for the franchise to reach a World Series.

The Astros are featured on a number of national broadcasts each season on ESPN, FOX Sports, and the MLB Network. Fans in the Houston area can watch the complete Astros schedule on AT&T Sportsnet Southwest. Games can also be viewed via live stream on the FOX Sports GO app or on MLB.TV.

HOME OF THE ASTROS

Houston originally played at the old Colt Stadium before moving into the Astrodome in 1965. Prior to the 2000 season, the Astros moved into their current home, Minute Maid Park, located in downtown Houston. The ballpark has been through a few name changes over the years including Enron Field and Astros Field. Since 2017, Minute Maid Park has a seating capacity of 41,168.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

The Astros first two division titles – 1980 and 1986 – were won when the team was in the NL West. The team later moved to the NL Central where Houston captured four more division crowns in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Houston was moved to the American League in 2013 and has since won three AL West Division titles (2017, 2018, and 2019).

The Astros won the NL pennant in 2005 and have won MLB league championship series in the AL in 2017 and 2019. The 2017 Astros won the franchise’s first-ever World Series title.

THE ASTROS BEST

Acquired via one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history, Jeff Bagwell won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1991 then won the league MVP in 1994. He was a four-time All-Star who played his entire 15-year MLB career in Houston. Bagwell is the only MLB player ever to have six consecutive seasons in which he had at least 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Bagwell hit 449 career home runs.

One of Bagwell’s teammates was Craig Biggio, who is also a Hall of Famer. Biggio was an All-Star seven times during his 20-year career in Houston. He won four Gold Gloves (1994-97) and was a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Biggio still holds numerous Astros franchise records.

Nine of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan’s 27 seasons in the majors was played in Houston. His No. 34 was retired by the franchise and he is in the Houston Astros Hall of Fame. Ryan became the first million dollar MLB player when he signed a four-year, $4.5 million contract with Houston in late 1979. Ryan recorded his 3,000th strikeout while playing for the Astros in 1974.