Answer: Jose Cruz
Jose was purchased from the Cardinals for what amounted to a bag of bats, and later went on to become the team MVP 4 times along with making 2 All-Star teams, and garnering 2 Roberto Clemente awards.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: Colt .45s
They were the Houston Colt .45s for their first three seasons before taking on the Astros name in 1965. Harry Craft lasted for three seasons before manager Lum Harris took over. Almost like the dismal New York Mets, the .45s/Astros lost 90+ games in each of their first seven seasons. The Mets lost 100+ in five of their first six seasons.
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: 2004
The Astros defeated Atlanta 3-2 after losing to them in 1997, 1999 and 2001. The series clincher came at Turner Field, lifting Houston to its first NLCS since 1986. Houston eliminated the Braves again in 2005.
From Quiz: Turn it Up Astros!
Answer: 1965
After three seasons as the Houston Colt 45s and playing home games at Colt Stadium, the team changed their name to the Astros and began the 1965 season in the newly built Astrodome.
From Quiz: Baseball in the Astrodome
Answer: Red Sox
The Astros traded Bressoud for the middle infielder nearly a month after selecting him from the Giants in the expansion draft.
From Quiz: Out of This World Deals
Answer: Milo Hamilton
Milo has been the voice of the Astros for many years. He is best-known however, for calling Hank Aaron's 715th round-tripper. "There's a new home run champion of all-time, and his name is Henry Aaron!"
From Quiz: Go Astros!
Answer: Bobby Shantz
Shantz was the 1952 American League MVP, going 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA for the fifth place Philadelphia Athletics
From Quiz: Houston Astros History 1962-1980
Answer: Craig Biggio
Cabell is the single-season leader with 660.
From Quiz: Houston Astros
Answer: Cesar Cedeno
He was the first Astro voted into the All-Star game where he hit third in the lineup between Joe Morgan and Hank Aaron in 1973. He came up as 19-year old in 1970, and went on to win 5 Gold Gloves.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: 1998
Under manager Larry Dierker, the Astros went 102-60 to win their division in 1998, but lost the NLDS to the Padres, who went on to the World Series and lost to the Yankees.
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: Roy Oswalt
Oswalt won the NLCS MVP in 2005. He was in control for much of Game 3 of the World Series, before allowed four runs in an inning. Chicago won the game in extra innings.
From Quiz: Turn it Up Astros!
Answer: Philadelphia Phillies
After playing five exhibition games in the Astrodome against the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, the Astros opened their regular season schedule at the Astrodome on April 12, 1965. The Phillies spoiled the home opener, defeating the Astros 2-0.
From Quiz: Baseball in the Astrodome
Answer: Nellie Fox
The White Sox sent Fox to Houston for the duo after 14 years in Chicago. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
From Quiz: Out of This World Deals
Answer: Larry Andersen
That trade is often listed among the most infamous in baseball history. It took place in 1990.
From Quiz: Go Astros!
Answer: Roman Mejias
Mejias hit 24 home runs for the 1962 Colts, he hit only 30 home runs total in eight other big league seasons. At the conclusion of the 1962 season he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for American League batting champion Pete Runnels.
From Quiz: Houston Astros History 1962-1980
Answer: Bob Watson
Bob Watson pulled off this feat in May of 1975. Nevertheless, the Astros lost the game.
From Quiz: Houston Astros
Answer: Art Howe
He managed Oakland to 100 wins twice. While only a platoon player with the Astros in 1981, he hit .296 with 36 RBIs and finished 18th in league MVP voting.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: 2005
In 2005, Phil Garner, managing his first full season with the Astros, won the NLDS against Braves, NLCS against the Cardinals, then lost to the White Sox four games to none in the promised land.
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: Richie Allen
In the Astros home opener in 1965, Richie Allen hit a two-run homer in the third inning off Bob Bruce for the only scoring in the game.
From Quiz: Baseball in the Astrodome
Answer: Eddie Mathews
The Braves sent Mathews, Arnold Umbach, and Sandy Alomar Sr. to Houston in the trade. Mathews was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978.
From Quiz: Out of This World Deals
Answer: The Killer B's
Former Astro Derek Bell and All-Star Lance Berkman sometimes get grouped with the pair, but Bagwell and Biggio have formed the franchise's cornerstone for many years. The two joined up in 1991, and were still together with the Astros in '03.
From Quiz: Go Astros!
Answer: Larry Dierker
Mike Hampton has the most single-season wins with 22 in 1998, but Dierker did it first with 20 in 1969.
From Quiz: Houston Astros
Answer: Frank La Corte
Frank's best ERA was in 1980 at 2.82 to help the Astros win the West.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: Don Nottebart
Other than Ryan, the others never pitched for Houston, but Nolan didn't begin his career until 1966 and didn't pitch for Houston until 1980. On May 17, 1963, Nottebart and Houston no-hit the Phillies 4-1 for the club's first. Other Houston pitchers to throw no-hitters were Ken Johnson (1964), Don Wilson (1967 and 1969), Larry Dierker (1976), Ken Forsch (1979), Nolan Ryan (1981), Mike Scott (1986), and Darryl Kile (1993).
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: Cesar Cedeno
Cedeno played his final five seasons with the Reds, Cardinals, and Dodgers. He retired in 1986.
From Quiz: Turn it Up Astros!
Answer: Lindsey Nelson
Nelson, along with producer Joel Nixon, were in the gondola on April 28, 1965, when the Astros defeated the New York Mets 12-9. The game lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes.
From Quiz: Baseball in the Astrodome
Answer: Mike Cuellar
The Astros sent Cuellar, Enzo Hernandez, and Elijah Johnson, to Baltimore in the deal. Cuellar would go on to win 22 games in 1974 for Baltimore.
From Quiz: Out of This World Deals
Answer: Larry Dierker
Dierker experienced a lot of success in Houston. He was the club's first pitcher to win 20 games, and the Astros more than doubled their franchise postseason appearances during his tenure.
From Quiz: Go Astros!
Answer: Ken Johnson
Johnson accomplished this dubious feat on April 23, 1964 against the Cincinnati Reds. Two errors in the ninth inning, one by Hall-of-Famer Nellie Fox, allowed Pete Rose to score the game's only run.
From Quiz: Houston Astros History 1962-1980
Answer: J.R. Richard
While Ryan may hold the MLB record for career strikeouts, the most he ever threw in a season as an Astro was 270. Rcihard threw 313 in 1979. Also beating Ryan were Mike Scott with 306 in 1986 and Richard again with 303 in 1978. Richard, Scott, and Richard again won 18 games in their 300-K years, but Ryan only had 8.
From Quiz: Houston Astros
Answer: Dave Smith
Dave retired second in teams saves at the time only to Billy Wagner, 225 to 199.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: Colt Stadium
Their first three seasons were at Colt Stadium until after the 1964 season when they moved into the Astrodome. The Astros played in the Astrodome until 1999, then moved into Enron Field in 2000.
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: A Jeff Kent home run
Brandon Backe held the mighty Redbirds scoreless for eight innings, and Brad Lidge continued the shutout through the top of the ninth, before Kent launched a three-run home run over the left field wall.
From Quiz: Turn it Up Astros!
Answer: Willie Mays
Mays hit a solo home run in the fourth inning on September 13, 1965, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Astros 5-1.
From Quiz: Baseball in the Astrodome
Answer: Mike Scott
Scott won 18 games with his overpowering split-finger fastball, and many people believed that had Houston beaten the Mets in Game Six of the NLCS that year, Scott would have pitched them into their first World Series.
From Quiz: Go Astros!
Answer: Don Nottebart
It happened in the Astrodome on September 13, 1965 in a 5-1 win by the Giants over the Astros.
From Quiz: Houston Astros History 1962-1980
Answer: Colt 45's
The franchise began in 1962.
From Quiz: Houston Astros
Answer: Joe Niekro
In 20 postseason innings pitched, he never gave up a run. His brother Phil won 300 games to Joe's 221 wins.
From Quiz: Houston Astros: 1980
Answer: Larry Dierker
The others never won 20 games in a season for Houston. Dierker went 20-13 very quietly while the New York 'Amazing' Mets were the scream of the season. Mike Scott was also a 20-game winner for Houston in 1989, and Jose Lima won 21 in 1999. In 2004 and 2005, Roy Oswalt won 20 games for the Astros also.
From Quiz: The Houston Astros!
Answer: 102
Houston had the league's second-best record, yet fell to the Padres in the NLDS, 3-1. They won 96 games in 1986.
From Quiz: Turn it Up Astros!