This Day In Astros History

[Diehardstro]

1985 - Shortstop Dickie Thon impresses as he comes back from the beaning that ended his 1984 season in the opening week. He swats a double off the wall in a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers and turns a thrilling double play behind Bob Knepper. Thon explains his injured eye socket seems healthy once again.

[KFDM COOP]

Man i enjoyed watching him play!

[Diehardstro]

1961 - Glenn Davis is born in Jacksonville, FL. As a troubled youth, he is taken in by the parents of major league pitcher George "Storm" Davis. Glenn would become Houston's best slugger since Jim Wynn, smashing 166 homers over seven seasons (1984-1990) while driving in 518 runs.

[Diehardstro]

2002 - Lance Berkman drills two home runs and Roy Oswalt scatters seven hits as Houston tops the Boston Red Sox, 5-1, in an exhibition at the newly-renamed Astros Field. Scrubbed are virtually all signs of Enron, whose naming-rights deal for the ballpark fell into bankruptcy court. The win is also a little sweeter for manager Jimy Williams who was fired by the Sox midway through the 2001 season.

[Diehardstro]

2000 - Enron Field officially opens with a 6-5 exhibition win over the A.L. Champion New York Yankees, paralleling the feat that occured when the Astrodome opened in 1965. Daryle Ward's two-run homer caps a four-run eighth-inning rally to open up the Astros' new home in style. Jeff Bagwell earns the first hit in the new digs with a single off Roger Clemens.

[Diehardstro]

1986 - Pitcher Mark Ross is traded for himself. Ross was dealt to St. Louis in December for a player to be named later. After no agreement could be reached, that player to be named became Mark Ross.

[Diehardstro]

1997 - Many considered Drayton McLane a fool for hiring broadcaster Larry Dierker as his manager, replacing Terry Collins. Dierker had never managed on any level. Dierker's debut comes on April Fool's Day, getting the last laugh on the Atlanta Braves, the defending league champs. Pat Listach drives in Brad Ausmus with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Shane Reynolds and Billy Wagner make it stand up for a 2-1 victory.

[Diehardstro]

1963 - Colt .45s trade outfielder Manny Mota to Pittsburgh for outfielder Howie Goss, who lasts one season. Mota torments Houston pitchers for the next twenty years.

[bleacher_bum]

April 2, 2007.  Lidge does it again... ;D ;D

[Diehardstro]

1970 - Doug Rader becomes the first to reach the Dome's gold (upper reserved) seats with a home run off Stan Bahnsen during a 9-5 exhibition win against the Yankees. The ball lands in section 738D, row 6, seat 1.

[Diehardstro]

1982 - J.R. Richard tosses one inning in an exhibition game against Toronto. It would be his last appearance as an Astro after suffering a stroke in 1980. Richard gives up no runs and no hits but walks the bases full in the 3-2 victory.

Man I loved to watch him pitch.

[bleacher_bum]

J. R. was INCREDIBLE.  Phenom....

[Diehardstro]

1965 - Houston's "Eighth Wonder Of The World" opens its doors for the first indoor baseball game, an exhibition against the New York Yankees. Dick Farrell tosses the first pitch . Ron Brand triples for Houston's first hit. The legendary Mickey Mantle homers to center field for the game's first run but the newly-named Astros prevail, 2-1 in twelve innings, on a single by player-coach Nellie Fox .

[Diehardstro]

1962 - Hal Woodeshick and Dick Farrell combine for Houston's first shutout, 2-0 over the Cubs. Hal Smith's first-inning single plated the game's only runs. This game also featured the franchise's first rain delay - one hour and seven minutes.

[Diehardstro]

1970 - The Astros blast five home runs to trounce Phil Niekro and the Braves, 8-3 . Jim Wynn has the most memorable shot, a rocket that doesn't come to rest until it finds the gold (upper reserved) seats in the third inning (section 738C, row 6, seat 3) . That bested his blast into the purple seats in the first. Tommy Davis, Joe Pepitone and Doug Rader go yard as well, making an easy night for starter Larry Dierker.

[Diehardstro]

1980 - In his first game as an Astro, Nolan Ryan hits the first home run of his career, a three-run shot off Don Sutton. But the lead doesn't hold and Los Angeles eventually wins in 17 innings, 6-5.

[Diehardstro]

1964 - Colt .45s win the league's season opener in Cincinnati, defeating the Reds, 6-3. It is the only time in their three-year history that the Colts have sole possession of first place. President Lyndon Johnson watches while Ken Johnson, still grieving over the death of roommate Jim Umbricht, hurls a two-hit shutout before tiring in the ninth. Jim Wynn, who grew up in Cincinnati, belts a two-run shot in the victory.

[Diehardstro]

1965 - Houston gets their first regulation win as the Astros, an eleven-inning 7-6 triumph over the Mets. Al Spangler stole home for the eventual winning run. Ron Brand has a two-run bunt single that refused to roll foul.

[Diehardstro]

1968 - The longest shutout in major league history is played at the Astrodome before a crowd that sits through over six hours of baseball before a run scores. Houston outlasts the Mets, 1-0, as Al Weis lets Bob Aspromonte's roller through his legs in the 24th inning allowing Norm Miller to cross home plate . Catchers Hal King and Jerry Grote play the entire contest.

[Diehardstro]

1991 - Ken Caminiti starts an around-the-horn triple play during a 10-4 loss to the Braves. In the second-inning, Mike Heath's grounder goes from Caminiti to Casey Candaele at second to Jeff Bagwell at first for the feat.

[Diehardstro]

1963 - Backup catcher Jim Campbell homers in the 13th for a 2-1 triumph over the Giants. The Colts' other run comes when Howie Goss, Carroll Hardy and Bob Aspromonte successfully execute a triple steal

[Diehardstro]

1966 - The first major league game on artificial turf is played in the Astrodome. Two future Hall-of-Famers face off. 21-year-old rookie Don Sutton stymies Robin Roberts and the Astros for a 6-3 Dodger win, the first of his career. The infield was carpeted with the Monsanto product Judge Roy Hofheinz dubbed "Astroturf". The outfield and foul grounds were still dirt but had the zippered sod installed after the homestand.

[Diehardstro]

1964 - Bob Bruce ties a major-league record by striking out the side on nine pitches in the eighth inning against the Cardinals. It happens in a 6-1 loss to Bob Gibson. Bruce fans Bill White, Charley Jones and Ken Boyer in perfect order. The next inning, after a leadoff single, Bruce KOs Tim McCarver, Julian Javier and Gibson for good measure.

[Diehardstro]

2005 - Back-to-back homers by Adam Everett and Craig Biggio in the first pace the Astros over Ben Sheets and the Brewers, 6-1. Biggio drives in himself for the 1,000th RBI of his career, the second Astro to achieve that many in a Houston uniform. Later, he swipes third for his 399th career steal. Roy Oswalt tosses a complete-game four-hitter while Everett enjoys a three-hit night.

1997 - Craig Biggio blasts two homers to topple Los Angeles, 3-1, at Dodger Stadium. His solo shot off Ismael Valdes stakes the Astros to an early lead but Raul Mondesi ties the game with a blast off Chris Holt. After Tim Bogar doubles, Biggio takes Tom Candiotti deep in the eighth for the game-winner.

1994 - A leadoff homer by Craig Biggio blossoms into a four-hit night as Houston trips the Cubs, 7-5. Jeff Bagwell drives in four runs. Tom Edens picks up the win in relief.

Think Biggio might hit a homer tonight?

[Critter]

I hope so, sure do like seeing him still playing chasing record and dreams.....Go Biggio  8)