Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL).[6][7] They are one of two major league clubs based in Texas, alongside the Texas Rangers of the same division. The team’s name is derived from Houston's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center.
"Astros" redirects here. For other uses, see Astros (disambiguation).
Established as the Houston Colt .45s, the Astros entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962. The current name was adopted three years later when the team moved into the Astrodome, the first-ever domed sports stadium, often referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000.[8] The team played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993, then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012, before being moved to the AL West as part of an MLB realignment in 2013.
The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time in 1980, before winning a total of three division titles throughout the 1980s. Spearheaded by the Killer B's, a collection of prominent hitters that included the Astros' only Hall of Fame members Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the Astros began reaching major prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with four further division titles and two Wild Card appearances, culminating in their first World Series appearance in 2005 where they were swept by the AL's Chicago White Sox.
After a major slump throughout the next decade, the team was purchased by business owner Jim Crane in 2011 for $680 million. Under Crane's ownership, the Astros embraced sabermetrics and pioneered new analytical technologies in their transition to the American League, and by the mid-2010s transformed from a historically middling franchise into one of MLB's most dominant and successful clubs, as headlined by stars such as José Altuve. Since then, the Astros have won over 100 games in four seasons, and have appeared in a record seven consecutive American League Championship Series, winning four of the last seven American League pennants. During this era, the Astros won the 2017 World Series, their first championship, against the Los Angeles Dodgers; however, this win drew controversy after the Astros were implicated in a sign stealing scandal. They made later World Series appearances in 2019 against the Washington Nationals, 2021 against the Atlanta Braves, and 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies, winning their second title in the latter series. This sustained run of success has led commentators to declare the Astros, since 2015, as the top team in the American League and a dynasty.[9][10][11] They are the only team to win a postseason series in seven straight seasons. Their fifth pennant in 2022 made them the second team created in the expansion era to win five league pennants (after the Mets) and the fifth expansion team to have won two World Series championships.
Since their transition to the American League, the Astros have come to hold divisional rivalries with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers (known as the Lone Star Series).
From 1962 through the end of the 2023 season, the Astros' all-time record is 4,921–4,892–5 (.501). In addition to having the most postseason appearances by an expansion team, they are the only expansion era team with an all-time winning record.[12]
Uniforms
1962–1964: The Colt .45's
Houston's MLB franchise debuted as the Colt .45s in 1962, and the original home uniforms featured a navy pistol with orange smoke coming out of the barrel to form the "C" in "Colts". The road uniforms featured the city name written in navy block letters with orange trim, and the flag of Texas patch was placed on the left sleeve. Caps were all-navy featuring ".45s" in orange letters in front.[38]
1965–1974: Shooting stars
Renamed the Astros and moving to the Astrodome in 1965, they took to the field in home uniforms featuring the "shooting star" design. The uniforms initially featured "Astros" in navy with orange trim, and the cap now sported an orange star with "H" in block serif letters. The road uniforms remained the same save for the Astros logo replacing the Texas flag (the same logo was also applied on the home uniforms).[38]
In 1971 the Astros made some changes to their uniform: they kept the same style they had in previous seasons, but inverted the colors. What was navy was now orange and what was orange was now a lighter shade of blue. The players' last names were added to the back of the jerseys. In 1972, the uniform fabric was also changed to what was at the time revolutionizing the industry – polyester. Belts were replaced by elastic waistbands, and jerseys zipped up instead of having buttons. The uniforms became popular with fans, but would last only until 1975, when the Astros would shock baseball and the fashion world.[31]
Spring training
The Astros have held their spring training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida since 2017. They share the stadium with the Washington Nationals.[129]
From 1985 to 2016, the Astros held spring training at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.[130]