The Houston Astros are a professional baseball team based in Houston. They won multiple World Series baseball titles in 2017 and 2022. Read more about the history of the favorite team of Texans, a high-profile scandal and curious facts on i-houston.
Baseball overview
Baseball is a game that requires a bat and ball and is held between two teams of 9-10 players. It is played on a large field with four bases arranged in the form of a diamond. There are contours that indicate the course the runner must take to score the ball.
It was once believed that baseball was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown (New York). However, later there was another version according to which this sport developed from an 18th-century English game called rounders, modified by Alexander Cartwright. In North America, this game appeared thanks to immigrants.
Creation of the team and stadium opening
The Houston Astros were created in 1962. Originally the team was called the Houston Colt .45s after the popular handgun in the American West. In its early days, the team was one of three finalists of the National League (NL) during its first 7 seasons.
The most remarkable event of that period was the opening of the team’s home stadium, the Astrodome. It is the world’s first multi-purpose sports stadium featuring a dome. The arena received such a name to duly appreciate Houston’s role as the center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The new stadium hit national media headlines. That is why the baseball team changed its name to the Houston Astros to be associated with the famous arena.
Major achievements
The team’s first superstar was outfielder (an individual playing on one of the three defensive positions) Cesar Cedeño, who became the All-Star champion four times. Outfielder Jose Cruz also rose to fame in 1975. But the Astros fell on hard times throughout the 1970s.
In 1980, the Astros signed pitcher Nolan Ryan. The pitcher is a player who throws the ball from the pitcher’s mound to the catcher, who, in return, tries to return a ball. Ryan helped the team to win first place in the playoffs the following fall. In 1981 the Houston Astros got into the playoffs but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher Mike Scott joined the team in 1983. Along with N. Ryan, they became one of the strongest pairs of starting pitchers. Since 1993, the team has won 7 seasons in a row and played three times in the postseason.
In 2000, Houston baseball players changed the Astrodome for Enron Field (later Minute Maid Park). The building with a retractable roof, can accommodate more than 41,000 spectators.
The team had a bit of luck in the 2005 playoff when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a rematch at the National League Championship Series (NLCS). Thus they earned the first World Series berth in franchise history but lost to the Chicago White Sox.
In November 2012, the Astros unveiled their new image, preparing to join the American League. The team decided to go back to the uniform colors they had in the 1960s, navy blue and orange. A new version of the classic dark blue cap with a white “H” letter over an orange star was presented.
In 2013 the Astros franchise was transferred from the National League Central to the American League West Division. Two years later, the Houston Astros shocked the baseball world by winning 16 games and making the playoffs.
In the 2017 season, the Astros gained a victory 101 times and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a dramatic seven-game World Series. Therefore, they became the first champions in franchise history.
The team won a record-breaking 103 games in 2018 and 5 more the following year. The team took another American League title in the next postseason and advanced to the third game in the World Series. The Astros then lost to the Washington Nationals in a seven-game series.
High-profile scandal
For over a century, baseball players have tried to decipher the hidden clues exchanged by the opposing pitchers and catchers regarding their next steps. This practice is known as sign stealing.
During the 2019 offseason, the championship of the Houston Astros was clouded by the news that its players stole signs during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. This is one of the biggest fraud scandals in the baseball world.
The Astros installed a video camera on the seats placed at the center of their home stadium. It was intended to identify the opposing catcher’s signals. An individual watched the livestream from the camera and signaled the team’s players using audio signals, usually by loudly banging the dumpster. A certain number of strokes corresponded to a specific type of upcoming pitch.
When this practice was exposed, the baseball world was dumbfounded. The team’s coach and general manager were suspended for the 2020 season and eventually fired. The Astros were also fined $5 million and were deprived of option priority at the 2020 and 2021 MLB drafts. However, the team kept its 2017 title, although many fans considered this championship illegitimate.
Despite the huge scandal, the team remained one of the best in baseball for the following seasons. The Astros reached the ALCS in 2020 and the World Series in 2021 but lost in both. In 2022, the team finished the regular season with the best score (106–56) in the American League and entered the WS, beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
A few facts
The team’s official colors are navy and orange. It is the first baseball team in the United States to choose orange as its primary color. These two colors are featured on t-shirts, logos and overall branding, showcasing the spirit and identity of the franchise.
The mascot of the team is Orbit, an alien with an olive-green complexion who loves baseball. He was introduced in 1990 and became a fan favorite for his antics and shenanigans. The character is known for his playful and mischievous nature, making every home game full of fun and excitement.
The team’s fan community calls itself Stros Nation. The Houston Astros have some of the most passionate fans in Major League Baseball. Devoted fans fill the stadium and support the athletes in victories and challenges.
In 2013, two teams in the MLB switched leagues for the first time in a century. The Astros moved from the National to the American League, while the Milwaukee Brewers from Wisconsin to the NL. This was done to make an equal number of teams in each league to 15.
Overall the Houston Astros are a professional sports team with a rich history. Starting small and reaching their signature achievements, they won the hearts of fans across the world. Thanks to numerous games in the WS and talented players, the team has earned a reputation as one of the most successful in the United States. Even a high-profile scandal could not damage it.