Houston Astros: All-Time Great Top 25 Roster
By Ron Juckett
As they celebrate their 55th season, the Houston Astros have developed an eclectic history. Here is their all-time roster.
Born as the Colt 45’s in 1962, The Houston Astros are celebrating their 55th season in Major League Baseball. The only team to switch from the National to American League, the Astros are the first team to represent both leagues in postseason play.
When they entered the NL with the New York Mets, Houston played their home games in the mosquito-infested swampy Colt Stadium. Built as a temporary home, muggy nights and bug spraying during games became the norm. When the team moved across the parking lot to the Harris County Domed Stadium, the team changed their name to the Astros and gained an identity.
Billed as the eighth wonder of the world, the Astrodome originally had a grass field with translucent panels allowing the sunshine to flood in. One small problem, outfielders lost the ball in the roof. The solution of painting the roof led to another problem, dead grass. By 1966 an artificial surface, or Astroturf, was installed, changing the game forever.
With a spacious park, Houston gained a reputation for being a pitching-friendly team that had the offensive firepower of a cap gun. As the 1970s rolled into the 80s, the Astros developed a strong core of players and finally made the playoffs.
In some of the best playoff baseball ever, the Astros fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 NL Championship Series and the New York Mets in the 1986 NLCS. As their new stadium grew in downtown Houston, the Astros enjoyed nearly a decade of postseason baseball culminating in the state of Texas’ first World Series appearance in 2005. Although they lost to the Chicago White Sox, the Astros entertained millions at Minute Maid park.
In horrible shape when they shifted to the AL prior to the 2013 season, Houston surprised everyone in 2015 by beating the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card and returning to the AL Divisional Series.
As they celebrate over a half-century of success, here is their all-time roster. With 25 players, we select eight starting fielders, five starting pitchers, seven bench players and five out of the bullpen.
Next: A Catcher From Toronto