Houston Astros - The Beginning Years (1962-1969)
 
   
 
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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               Decade  
        1962 8 66 96   1965 9 65 97   1968 10 72 90               Click  
        1963 9 66 96   1966 8 72 90   1969 5 81 81               on Logo  
        1964 9 68 95   1967 9 69 93                      
                                                     
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Astros Players of the Sixties  
  None  
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Turk Farrell (16.71) -   37  
  Colt Stadium (1962-1964) Larry Dierker (17.19) -   30  
  Astrodome (1965-1969) Dave Giusti (6.29) -   28  
    Bob Bruce (11.07) -   28  
  Team Name: Miguel Cuellar (13.38) -   23  
  Colt .45's (1962-1964) Don Wilson (7.55) -   21  
  Astros (1965-1969) Hal Woodeshick (7.29) -   21  
    Ken Johnson (9.88) -   20  
  Owner:  Denny Lemaster (9.37) -   12  
  Roy Hofheinz Don Nottebart (4.04) -   12  
    Claude Raymond (5.46) -   10  
  General Managers: Don McMahon (4.4) -   7  
  Gabe Paul (1960-1961) Jim Umbricht (4.46) -   3  
  Paul Richards (1962-1965)    
  Grady Hatton (1965-1966) Catchers:  
  Spec Richardson (1967-1969) John Bateman (1.46) -   30  
       
  Managers: First Basemen:  
  Harry Craft (1962-1964) Walt Bond (1.11) -   8  
  Lum Harris (1964-1965)    
  Grady Hatton (1966-1968) Second Basemen:  
  Harry Walker (1968-1969) Joe Morgan (17.94) -   37  
       
  Hall of Famers: ShortStop:  
  Joe Morgan  Sonny Jackson (0.92) -   17  
    Denis Menke (5.05) -   12  
  Rookie of the Year:  Bob Lillis -   11  
  None  
    Third Base:  
e MVP Bob Aspromonte (4.54) -   18  
e None Doug Rader (4.6) -   13  
e      
e No Hitters: Outfield:  
e Don Nottebart (1963) Jimmy Wynn (28.93) -   73  
  Ken Johnson (1964) Rusty Staub (13.61) -   33  
  Don Wilson (1968) Al Spangler (2.3) -   16  
  Don Wilson (1969)    
    Notable Events:  
  Cy Young:    
  None 1964 - Astros play an all rookie lineup in September.   
     
  Notable Events: 1964 - Ken Johnson pitches a no hitter and loses  
       
  1960 -- Baseball was to expand four teams in 1962. However, after the 1965 - The Astrodome opens. The first domed stadium.  
  Senators bolted for Minnesota in 1961, the AL expanded a year early to  
  make sure there was a team in Washington. Gabe Paul was named as 1965 - The team name becomes the Astros  
  Houston's GM to get the team ready for the 1962 opening.    
    1966 - Roy Hofheinz, an impatient owner, fires GM Paul Richards  
  1960 - The team is named the Colt .45s in an act that sets the franchise back decades. Richards had amassed a  
    tremendous amount of talent, but it was extremely young and required time.   
  1961 - In a dispute with owner Roy Hofheinz, Paul quits a year before the After Richards was fired, the talent influx dried up and subsequent GM's  
  team is to start playing. Paul Richards is named as GM started trading away the talent that Richards had stockpiled  
     
  1961 - Richards, a brilliant baseball man, stocks the team with some 1966 - The Astrodome is forced to use Astroturf because you  
  exceptional young talent. couldn't grow grass there. Originally there were panels to allow   
  □  1961 - OF Rusty Staub, 17, amateur free agent, rookie in '63 sunlight, but the glare made fielding impossible. The turf brought  
  □  1961 - P Dave Giusti, 21, amateur free agent, rookie in '62 its own set of problems.   
  □  1961 - 2B Joe Morgan, 17, amateur free agent, rookie in '63  
  □  1962 - OF Jim Wynn, 20, expansion draft from Reds, rookie in '62 1967 - 1B Walt Bond, 27, dies of leukemia.   
  □  3B - Bob Aspromonte, 24, expansion draft from Dodgers He had been the Astros starting first baseman in '64 and '65  
  □  1962 - P Turk Farrell, 28, expansion draft from Dodgers  
  □  1962 - C Jerry Grote, 19, amateur free agent, rookie in '63 1967 - 1B John Mayberry, 18, is drafted in the first round  
  □  1963 - SS Sonny Jackson, 18, amateur free agent, rookie in '63 He will hit 255 career HRs, just not with the Astros.  
  □  1963 - OF No Neck Williams, 19, amateur free agent, rookie in '64     
  □  1963 - P Jim Ray, 18, rule 5 draft from Baltimore, rookie in '65 1967 - OF Cesar Cedeno, 16, is signed as an IFA  
  □  1964 - P Larry Dierker, 17, amateur free agent, rookie in 64 He will become a superstar in the early Seventies  
  □  1964 - P Don Wilson, 19, amateur free agent, rookie in '66    
  □  1965 - P Miguel Cuellar, 28, trade with Cards 1969 - Don Wilson pitches his second no hitter in two years  
  □  1965 - 1B Bob Watson, 19, amateur free agent, rookie in '66    
  □  1965 - 3B Doug Rader, 20, amateur free agent, rookie in '67 1969 - The Astros finish .500 for the first time at 81-81  
  □  1965 - 1B Nate Colbert, 19, rule 5 draft from Cardinals, rookie in '66     
     
  1964 - Pitcher Jim Umbricht, 33, dies of cancer