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Astros Series Preview

 

2009 vs. Astros: 8-4; 69 runs scored, 42 runs allowed.

 

Astros Probable Starters (in order):

  • Felipe Paulino (2009 vs. Brewers: 2 GS, 0-2, 6.00 ERA, 11 SO, 2 BB, 3 HR allowed)
  • Roy Oswalt (2009 vs. Brewers: 2 GS, 0-0, 5.84 ERA, 12 SO, 2 BB, 3 HR allowed)
  • Brett Myers (2010: 9 GS, 3-3, 3.25 ERA, 46 SO, 20 BB, 6 HR allowed)

Brewers Probable Starters (in order):

  • Randy Wolf (2009 vs. Astros: 2 GS, 0-1, 4.85  ERA, 12 SO, 2 BB, 2 HR allowed)
  • Chris Narveson (2010: 5 GS, 4-1, 5.17 ERA, 34 SO, 17 BB, 4 HR allowed)
  • Dave Bush (2009 vs. Astros: 1 GS, 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 2 SO, 1 BB, 1 HR allowed)

Follow the jump for some random Wikipedia facts about the Houston Astros:

The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s in 1962 and changed to their current name three years later when they moved to the Astrodome.

The Astros are the oldest MLB franchise to have never won the World Series while remaining in the same city over their history.

Their only World Series appearance came in 2005 where they lost to the White Sox.

Four men, George Kirkse, Craig Cullinan, Bob Smith and Roy Hofheinz, wanted to expand baseball to Houston but the MLB was against expansion. They, along with would-be owners from LA, New York and Washington DC created the Continental League in 1959, which basically forced MLB's hand. MLB agreed to expand to Houston (and gave us the Mets, Angels and Senators) and the CBL folded before it ever began. 

Grass would not grow in the AstroDome, since the roof panels had been painted to reduce the glare that was causing players on both the Astros and the visiting team to miss routine pop flies. A new artificial turf was created called "AstroTurf" and once again Houston would be involved in yet another change in the way the game was played.

Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination delayed the start to the 1968 season. WhenRobert F. Kennedy was killed two months later, Major League Baseball let teams decide if they would postpone games or not. Astros management decided to not postpone games, and Rusty Staud and Bob Aspromonte sat out in protest. Both were traded at season's end.

In 1970, Doug Rader clobbered a shot into the upper reserve (gold) seats in left field during an exhibition game on April 3. Nine days later Jimmy Wynn knocked one into the purple seats (just below the gold) proving that the unreachable area of the dome was reachable. The seats were repainted marking this feat. No other Astro ever hit home run into that part of the Astrodome.

The players' last names were added to the back of the jerseys in 1971.

Cesar Cedeno made his first All-Star game in 1972 and became the first Astros' player in team history to hit for the cycle in August versus the Reds.

The 1975 season was the introduction of the Astros new-look uniforms - the so-called Tequila Sunrise unis. The uniforms had multishade stripes of orange, red and yellow in front and in back behind a large dark blue star over the midsection. The same stripes run down the paint legs. Players numbers not only appeared on the back of the jersey, but also on the pant leg. he uniform was so different from what other teams wore that the Astros wore it both at home and on the road until 1980. 

The 1979 season started with pitcher Ken Forsch no-hitting the Braves in the second game of the season.

With the $38 million deficit of the Astrodome, control was passed from Hofheinz to GE Credit and Ford Motor Credit in 1975. This lasted til the team was purchased in 1979 by Dr. John McMullen. 

McMullen showed the city of Houston that he too wanted a winning team by signing near by signing Nolan Ryan to the first million dollar a year deal. Ryan had four no-hitters and struck out 383 in one season.

The Astros went on to clinch the division for the first time in team history after a one-game playoff with the Dodgers in 1980. 

The early 1990s were marked by the Astros' growing discontent with their home, the Astrodome. After the Astrodome was renovated for the primary benefit of the Houston Oilers, the Astros began to grow increasingly disenchanted with the facility. Faced with declining attendance at the Astrodome and the inability of management to obtain a new stadium, in the 1991 off-season Astros management announced its intention to sell the team and move the franchise to the Washington, D.C. area. However, the move was not approved by other National League owners, thus compelling the Astros to remain in Houston. Shortly thereafter, McMullen (who also owned the NHL's New Jersey Devils) sold the team to Texas businessman Drayton McLane in 1993, who committed to keeping the team in Houston.

After years at the outdated Astrodome, the Astros moved into their new stadium in 2000. Originally called Enron Field, it's now known as Minute Maid Park. The ballpark features a train theme, since the ball park was built on the grounds of the old Union Station. The ballpark also contains quirks such as "Tal's Hill", which is a hill in deep center field on which a flagpole stands, all in fair territory. 

Game 3 of the 2005 World Series was the first Fall Classic game to be played in the state of Texas, and was the longest game in World Series history,