Kirksey, Cullinan, GM Paul Richards
To celebrate the season that changed baseball in Houston forever, Astros Daily's Bob Hulsey takes us on a day-by-day replay of the 1965 season, the first for the newly-named Astros and their ballpark billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Bob thanks Gene Elston, the Astros' play-by-play voice back then, for his fact-checking and proofreading assistance.
February 8:
Players get to practice inside the Harris County Domed Stadium for the first time. Nicknamed the Astrodome by gregarious owner Judge Roy Hofheinz, the near-finished arena is the first indoor baseball park in the world. Built at a cost of $31 million dollars, the stadium is well-received this day by players and media alike.
Pitchers are relieved to know that curveballs curve and knucklers knuckle just as they do outdoors. The ball travels well off the bat although the fence distances, like Colt Stadium before it, favor the pitchers more than the hitters. While several Colt .45 players, now renamed the Astros by Judge Hofheinz, took their turns at the plate, only first baseman Rusty Staub could muscle the ball over the wall.
It's an overcast afternoon in Houston and players report little trouble following the flight of the ball against the latticed beams and glass panels of the dome's ceiling. Al Spangler comments that playing indoors will be like playing in any other ballpark on a clear day.
250 members of the press witness the proceedings and listen to Hofheinz talk about his plans for the futuristic palace. It's Grand Opening lies two months ahead.
February 9:
The Owners
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| Founding Fathers: (L-R) Smith,
Hofheinz, Kirksey, Cullinan, GM Paul Richards |
When the Houston Sports Association received the National League franchise in 1960, there were four principal members: R. E. "Bob" Smith, Judge Roy Hofheinz, Craig Cullinan and George Kirksey. By this point, Kirksey had sold back his shares and Cullinan was marginalized, leaving the other two as virtual co-owners of the Astros. Smith, an oilman and financier, is the money man. He sees the ballclub as both an investment and a gift to his fellow Houstonians.
Hofheinz, a former Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge, is the creative force with the political connections. He is listed as HSA President and the one in charge of day-to-day operations. He sees the ballclub and the new ballpark almost as his own legacy. He built an apartment in the rafters beyond the right field scoreboard inside the Astrodome which is a place for entertaining clients and to view the action below without needing a ticket. Hofheinz is a showman who wants everyone to know that he lives large and can do the unthinkable, such as building an indoor ballpark.
A rift has been building between Smith and Hofheinz which would reach a boiling point that summer.
February 10:
The General Manager
Paul Richards took the remnants of the woebegone St. Louis Browns, uprooted to Baltimore, and steered them to American League respectability as both manager and general manager. Richards' formula included a heavy dose of young players which was perfect for the fledgling Colt .45s who were long on youth and short on experience.
While the pitching staff has several grizzled vets, the everyday lineup has few regulars over 30. Richards' job is to horde young talent while putting a competitive product on the field. This put him at odds with Judge Hofheinz who wants big-name players to sell tickets for his glamorous new arena. Richards was hesitant to deal his young players when names like Frank Howard and Frank Robinson were dangled.
This relationship, too, will not last the year.
February 11:
The Manager
A former major league pitcher, Luman Harris was a coach with Baltimore under Paul Richards and was promoted to manager when Richards left during the 1961 campaign to go to Houston. Harris assumed the reigns of the Colt .45s late in the 1964 season after Harry Craft was fired.
This is his first full season at the helm but he has been in the organization all three seasons so he knows his team well. He is expected to get the Astros to the .500 mark and has stated this as his goal for the 1965 season.
Harris is itching to use some of his young charges like Jim Wynn and Joe Morgan on the basepaths since the Astros have little home run power in the lineup.
February 12:
The Personnel Man
Grady Hatton came back from World War II to begin a 15-year career in the majors as an infielder. The Beaumont native joined the Colts as Director of Player Personnel, in charge of coordinating and developing minor league talent. His role with the parent club will grow as the year progresses.
February 13:
The Coaches
Harris' staff includes Pitching Coach Howie Pollet, Bullpen Coach Clint Courtney and base coaches Jimmy Adair and Jim Busby. All have big league playing experience. Ironically, Courtney and Busby were once traded for each other.
Nellie Fox is listed as player-coach with the primary job of grooming Joe Morgan to take over his spot at second base.
February 14:
Player Profile: #13 Turk Farrell P (B:R, T:R)
Richard "Turk" Farrell is considered the ace of the Houston staff. The tall righthander from Boston has won 10, 14 and 11 games in the club's first three seasons and has been the team's lone All-Star representative in three of the four classics that have involved Houston. He'll turn 31 just before the season starts and is expected to have another solid year in 1965.
February 15:
The first group of Astro hopefuls arrive at Cocoa Beach, Florida to open training camp. It's the second year for the Astros near Cape Kennedy after spending their first two season in Apache Junction, AZ. Veterans are expected to begin arriving a week later.
February 16:
Player Profile: #14 Bob Aspromonte 3B (B:R, T:R)
The subject of off-season trade rumors, "Aspro the Astro" returns for his fourth season in Houston. Chosen in the 1961 expansion draft from Los Angeles, 27-year-old Aspromonte has the most secure job of any regular. Having played through back pain in 1963, he bounced back to bat .280 with career highs in homers (12) and RBIs (69) in 1964. He's hoping to build on those numbers for the coming season.
February 17:
Player Profile: #11 Eddie Kasko SS (B:R, T:R)
Named team captain, the bespectacled veteran shortstop is ready for his second season in Houston. The 33-year-old former All-Star comes off a .243-hitting season. He is expected to share time with Bob Lillis at short but will also see challenges from youngsters rising up from the minors.
February 18:
Player Profile: #30 Bob Bruce P (B:R, T:R)
The winningest pitcher on the staff a year ago, 31-year-old Bruce is eager to show that his 15-win season is no fluke. The sturdy righthander authored four shutouts in 1964 and looks forward to pitching in the climate-controlled domed stadium.
February 19:
Player Profile: #10 Rusty Staub OF/1B (B:L, T:R)
The symbolic leader of the Astros' youth movement, the former bonus baby from New Orleans had a rough sophomore season in 1964 and looks to cement his role with the parent club in '65. Just 21 years old, the flashy redhead already has 239 games under his belt as a big leaguer but knows he will need to raise his batting average (.221) if he hopes to stay in Houston after suffering a mid-season demotion to Oklahoma City.
February 20:
Player Profile: #23 Walt Bond 1B (B:L, T:R)
The 6-6 giant is coming off the best season of his life, swatting 20 homers and driving in 85 in 1964. Not satisfied, Bond tells reporters he wants 25 homers and 100 RBIs for 1965 and thinks the Astrodome will help him after hitting in the wide open spaces of Colt Stadium. At age 27, he is optimistic his career is ready to take off.
February 21:
Player Profile: #46 Hal Woodeshick P (B:R, T:L)
Coming off a career-high 23 saves, the 32-year-old lefthander is expected to hold down the closer role out of the bullpen again. Houston's Most Valuable Player in 1963, "Woody" is proving to be a consistent arm that Harris can count on in tight situations.
February 22:
Veterans arrive for the first time in Cocoa. The best news for the Astros is that closer Hal Woodeshick has arrived at a slender 201 lbs. That's 17 pounds less than what he weighed at the end of the 1964 season. Woodeshick wins an off-season bet with Manager Luman Harris over his weigh-in. The bet? Five dollars. Fellow pitcher Don Nottebart checked in 23 pounds more svelte than the season before.
For the second year in a row, all players on the 40-man roster are signed so Harris expects a full camp when the final day to report comes on March 3rd.
February 23:
The most open roster battle in camp is at the starting catcher position. Youngsters John Bateman and Jerry Grote are vying for the job as well as Ron Brand, who was plucked from the Pittsburgh organization during the winter draft. Bateman and Grote both spent time with the Colts last season but neither hit above .200 with the parent club. All three are eager to impress Harris with their skills and field leadership.
Reliever Jim Owens arrives a day later than planned after missing his flight to Florida. The versatile righthander is coming off an 8-7 season in Houston where he either started or finished 34 of the 48 games he appeared in.
February 24:
Player Profile: #24 Jim Wynn OF (B:R, T:R)
The Astros see Wynn as a five-tool product who can be their first home-grown star. After two partial seasons in Houston where he bats .235 and belts 9 homers, Harris pencils in the 23-year-old Wynn as his everyday centerfielder, hoping for more consistency at the plate. At just 5-9 and 160 pounds, the Cincinnati Kid packs tremendous power in his quick bat.
February 25:
Player Profile: #43 Don Nottebart P (B:R, T:R)
The author of Houston's first no-hitter, "Notty" had a tough year in 1964 (6-11, 3.90 ERA) and is hoping to bounce back in 1965. The 29-year-old righthander hopes to hold down a spot in the Astros' rotation although he's capable of contributing from the bullpen as well.
February 26:
Player Profile: #18 Joe Morgan 2B (B:L, T:R)
Even smaller than Jim Wynn, big things are expected from Morgan in 1965. He had an outstanding season at AA San Antonio with a .323 average and 90 RBIs. After a September call-up to the big club, 21-year-old Morgan, all 5-7 and 150 pounds of him, is getting a crash course from one of the best in the business, former A.L. Most Valuable Player Nellie Fox. It's hoped that the star pupil can stick with the Astros and provide speed at the top of the batting order.
February 27:
Player Profile: #31 Don Larsen P (B:R, T:R)
The first thing any baseball fan remembers about Larsen is his perfect game performance in the 1956 World Series. Now 35, the tall righthander is the spot starter and long man out of the bullpen. Acquired from the Giants during the 1964 season, Larsen is coming off a campaign where he sported a nifty 2.45 ERA but his record was just 4-9 to show for it.
February 28:
In their first intrasquad game, Coach Jimmy Adair's team bests Coach Jim Busby's squad, 8-5, bashing 24 hits. Catchers Jerry Grote and Ron Brand are the offensive stars, each blasting a home run and a single. Grote drives in three. Outfielder Joe Gaines has three hits while Norm Miller, a young second baseman picked up from the Angels' organization in the off-season, chips in two doubles.
John Hoffman, a longshot to win a catching spot, also impresses with a home run that sails over 400 feet.
March 1:
Player Profile: #21 Al Spangler OF (B:L, T:L)
Acquired from Milwaukee in the 1961 expansion draft, veteran Spangler is not a deep threat but provides a steady bat in the Houston lineup. After a pair of seasons hitting above .280, Spangler slumped to .245 and hopes to bounce back in 1965. At 31 years old, the lefthanded-hitting flycatcher is already hearing talk he may be moved as the organization looks for younger talent.
March 2:
Player Profile: #16 Mike White OF (B:R, T:R)
26-year-old White got his chance to shine with Houston in 1964, batting .271 in 89 games with the Colt .45s. Another smallish outfielder (5-8, 160 lbs.) who lacks home run power, White is considered the fallback option should either Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn or Al Spangler falter.
March 3:
19-year-old infielder Norm Miller spends the night in the pediatrics ward of a local Florida hospital after being hit in the head by a pitch from Danny Coombs during an intrasquad game. Told there were no rooms available at the hospital, the woozy player was prepared to go back to the dorms but a spare bed was found amongst the children. Miller was released the next day.
March 4:
Player Profile: #7 John Bateman C (B:R, T:R)
1963 was a magical year for the big Texan catcher. As a rookie, Bateman led the Colts in home runs (10) and RBIs (59). But he failed to produce much in 1964 and sees this as a make or break season. Still just 22, the receiver is well-regarded for his defensive skills and strong arm but he will need to hit more often in order to earn his place in the lineup.
March 5:
Fans remember John "Pepper" Martin, star of the 1930s "Gashouse Gang" St. Louis Cardinals who dies unexpectedly at the age of 61 in McAlester, OK. Martin had spent the 1927 and 1929 seasons in Houston while in the minor leagues. He had been coaching and working broadcasts in Tulsa the previous season. The news creates sadness throughout the Southwest, still considered home territory for the Cardinals after decades of being the most southwestern team in the majors.
March 6:
Player Profile: #11 Bob Lillis IF (B:R, T:R)
Lillis is a versatile infielder who can fill in all over the diamond. The 34-year-old veteran produced a .268 average last year but his strong suit is his ability to substitute at several positions. He is expected to split time at shortstop with Eddie Kasko and hold down second base if Joe Morgan doesn't seem ready for the majors.
March 7:
Player Profile: #36 Claude Raymond P (B:R, T:R)
The French Canadian reliever had his first campaign in Houston in 1964, carving out a 5-5 record and 2.81 ERA. The 27-year-old righthander hopes to duplicate last year's results and pick up saves should anything happen to Hal Woodeshick.
March 8:
Player Profile: #9 Ron Brand C (B:R, T:R)
An off-season draftee from the Pirates farm system, 25-year-old Brand is small for a catcher (5-8, 170 lbs.) but has good speed and is looking forward to the opportunity to stick at the major league level. He hopes to impress his new team and beat out either John Bateman or Jerry Grote for a spot on the roster.
March 9:
Player Profile: #49 Larry Dierker P (B:R, T:R)
Just 18 years old, Dierker possesses a fastball you can't teach and maturity beyond his years. The tall Californian is just looking for a spot with the big club after receiving a brief call up in 1964. While he is slated, at best, for a bullpen role, the righthander has some coaches thinking he can be starting material.
March 10:
Player Profile: #2 Nellie Fox IF (B:R, T:R)
A 12-time All-Star, the 37-year-old Fox knows his playing career is nearing an end but he's still good for an occasional pinch-hitting assignment or spot infield duty. As he makes the transition to coaching, Fox knows he may be called upon if injuries or inexperience on the part of other players presses him back into service.
March 11:
Second baseman Ernie Fazio returns from his six-month stint of military service. The one-time bonus baby's chance for the big leagues is dwindling as players like Joe Morgan overtake him. The exhibition season starts tomorrow so Fazio is already starting out behind the others.
March 12:
Astros lose the exhibition opener to the Minnesota Twins, 11-2, at Cocoa, FL. 34-year-old Bob Turley, a former star with the New York Yankees, is trying to make a comeback with Houston but he allows six runs in the second inning and the rout is on. The Astros struck for two runs in the first, keyed by an RBI double from Jim Wynn. Eddie Kasko is sidelined after suffering a spike in the shin.
March 13:
The contest with the Kansas City Athletics at Cocoa, FL. is rained out. Outfielder John Paciorek, who has a perfect 1.000 big league average due to one game in 1963, is declared out for the season as he continues to recover from back surgery. Meanwhile, he is taking classes at the University of Houston during his layoff.
March 14:
The contest with the Athletics at Bradenton, FL is rained out. The Astros announce that they are unable to reach contract terms with infielder Glenn Vaughan who is returning from a military stint. Vaughan quits baseball to pursue other interests. He appeared in nine games with Houston at the end of the 1963 season.
March 15:
Spring jitters are evident as the Astros allow four unearned runs and lose to the Dodgers, 4-1, at Cocoa, FL. Throwing errors by Hal Woodeshick and Jim Beauchamp set up the scoring tallies. Ron Brand brings home the only Houston run with a double in the eighth off Mike Kekich.
March 16:
After seven scoreless innings, the Astros break through with four runs in the eighth against the Tigers at Lakeland, FL. But Claude Raymond gives up five runs as Detroit comes away 5-4 winners. Gates Brown's two-run pinch-hit double plates the tying and winning runs. Bob Lillis leads the Astros with three hits. Bob Bruce and Turk Farrell combine for six innings of four-hit ball.
March 17:
Jim Beauchamp and Bob Aspromonte smack two-run homers during a 10-4 pounding of the Washington Senators at Cocoa, FL. It's the first win in Astros history. Beauchamp has three hits and drives in three. Aspromonte, Jim Wynn and Mike White each contribute two hits. Wynn leads the team with a .385 spring batting average. 40-year-old Hal "Skinny" Brown, trying to win a job, tosses three shutout innings and adds an RBI single.
March 18:
Astros score four times in the ninth to upend the Mets, 7-4, at St. Petersburg, FL. Bob Aspromonte is the hero with four hits, including the game-winning single. Al Spangler adds three hits and a stolen base. Mike White homers and drives in two. Bob Turley works three innings for the victory.
March 19:
Don Larsen, Larry Yellen and Darrell "Bucky" Brandon combine on a four-hit shutout, clipping Kansas City, 2-0, at Cocoa, FL. A triple by Norm Miller drives in the first run. Walt Bond brings home Al Spangler for the other tally. Miller has two of the five Astro hits.
March 20:
The afternoon game against the Athletics at Daytona Beach is rained out. It's the third time in four scheduled contests that a Houston-Kansas City contest has been washed out.
March 21:
The Astros square off against their own AAA Oklahoma City roster and win, 4-2, at Cocoa, FL. Walt Bond, Rusty Staub, Norm Miller and John Bateman chip in two hits apiece while Sonny Jackson paces the 89ers with three singles and an RBI.
March 22:
Ron Brand tags a two-run homer to pace a 7-4 triumph over the New York Yankees at Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Houston tallies in four consecutive innings as outfielders Rusty Staub, Al Spangler and Jim Wynn lead the charge with two hits apiece. Don Nottebart works five solid innings but the defending A.L. champs are resting many of their starters.
March 23:
It's "Home Run Derby" at Pampano Beach, FL as the Astros bomb the Senators, 7-5. Six homers, four by the Astros, set the tone with Walt Bond, Rusty Staub, John Bateman and Jim Beauchamp going deep. Pitchers Bob Bruce and Danny Coombs join the hit parade. Larry Dierker works the final two innings, allowing three hits including a two-run blast by Don Lock.
March 24:
The homers continue to fly but the Pirates come away with more in a 5-3 decision at Ft. Myers, FL. Willie Stargell leads the way for the Bucs with three hits, including a double and a home run. Manny Mota and Bob Bailey also go deep. Two of Houston's runs are on solo shots from Walt Bond and Bob Aspromonte. Al Spangler adds two doubles.
March 25:
Defending champion St. Louis tallies three times in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-7 stunner at St. Petersburg, FL. Tim McCarver's two-run pinch double off Dave Giusti is the game-winner. Bob Aspromonte leads the Astros with three hits while Nellie Fox adds two hits and scores three times. Rusty Staub drives in two. Turk Farrell is rocked for five runs to put the visitors in an early hole. Houston also suffers their first major injury when SS Eddie Kasko breaks a toe. He will miss the beginning of the season.
March 26:
A four-run seventh decides a 6-3 loss to the Reds at Tampa, FL as the Astros' gulf coast tour continues. Joe Nuxhall works seven innings for the win. Art Shamsky swats a two-run pinch homer off Larry Yellen in the decisive frame. Jim Beauchamp paces the Astros with three hits. Shortstop Leon McFadden, slated for AA, joins the parent club and belts a triple and single off Nuxhall in his first two tries.
March 27:
Houston pushes two runs across in the fifth versus Philadelphia ace Jim Bunning and make it stand up for a 2-0 whitewash at Clearwater, FL. Singles by Eddie Kasko and Leon McFadden preceed an RBI double by John Bateman, who produces three hits on the day. The second run scores on an error by Dick Stuart, also known as "Dr. Strangeglove". Don Nottebart and Claude Raymond scatter eight hits. A sparse crowd attends and the Phillies' experiment of playing night exhibition games appears to be failing.
March 28:
The bus driver responsible for taking the Philadelphia Phillies to Cocoa takes a wrong turn and ends up in Daytona, 70 miles away. Just as the team arrives, so does the rain to wash out the day's exhibition game with the Astros. One player cracks that the driver must have been the guy leading them to the pennant the previous fall, a season where the Phils made a noted September u-turn.
March 29:
Veterans on the mound and youngsters at the plate lead the Astros to a 5-1 conquest of the Mets at Cocoa, FL. Don Larsen goes the first five with Jim Owens and Hal Woodeshick combining for four no-hit innings of relief. Jim Wynn and Leon McFadden pace the offense with two hits apiece. Wynn homers and doubles in the contest.
March 30:
A five-run fifth inning off Dave Giusti is the difference as the Baltimore Orioles drop the Astros, 5-1, at Cocoa, FL. Houston had the early lead as Chuck Harrison plated Joe Gaines but Steve Barber and Dick Hall combine to blank Houston the rest of the way. The Astros whiff a dozen times on the afternoon, with Leon McFadden and Jim Wynn fanning three times each.
March 31:
Ken Johnson and Larry Dierker team up to three-hit the White Sox, 4-1, at Sarasota, FL. Rusty Staub belts a two-run homer off Joel Horlen for the decisive runs. Bob Lillis, Walt Bond and Leon McFadden chip in two hits each.
Veteran righthanders Bob Turley and Hal Brown are both losing their bids to make the final squad. Turley agrees to stay on as a minor league coach while Brown retires to his home in North Carolina.
April 1:
Turk Farrell no-hits the Washington Senators while the bats detonate for seven long balls in a 22-0 demolition at Cocoa, FL. Farrell jacks two of the blasts himself and later tells Loel Passe that he threw nothing but vaseline balls the entire game. April Fools! It was actually an off-day but you can bet team prankster Farrell was up to something funny.
April 2:
After a two-run shot by Harmon Killebrew, Bob Bruce settles down to silence the Twins, 10-2, at Orlando, FL. Danny Coombs closes with the final 2-1/3rd innings of no-hit ball. The bats, meanwhile, explode for 14 hits with Al Spangler delivering three of them. Bob Aspromonte drives in three to take the team lead (12), coupled with a .353 spring average. Leon McFadden plates two.
April 3:
Bob Aspromonte's sacrifice fly in the eighth plates the only run as Houston blanks the Braves, 1-0, at West Palm Beach, FL. Don Larsen and Denny Lemaster toss goose eggs for the first seven frames. Bob Lillis starts the eighth with a single, is balked to second, bunted over to third by Ron Brand and chased home on Aspromonte's pinch-hit fly to center. Larry Dierker shuts the door with two innings of relief.
April 4:
Lee Maye smacks a single, double and triple to pace a 3-1 Milwaukee victory at Cocoa, FL. Maye scores twice on singles by Eddie Mathews then Felipe Alou blasts a solo shot off Turk Farrell for insurance. Tony Cloninger tosses a complete game for the Braves. Farrell is plated by Rusty Staub in the third for the only Houston run. Al Spangler takes over the team batting lead with two hits to raise his spring average to .359.
In the minor league camp, outfielder Johnny Weekly swats three home runs and drives in seven during a 21-12 slugfest between the AAA Oklahoma City squad and the AA Amarillo team. So depleted is the pitching that Assistant Farm Director Pat Gillick tosses the final two innings. He's the only hurler able to retire Weekly on the day.
April 5:
Chuck Harrison's two-run double in the eighth, followed by a Bob Lillis single, allows the Astros to nip the Tigers, 4-3, at Cocoa, FL. Leon McFadden continues his impressive spring with a solo homer. Ken Johnson works a yoeman seven innings while Carroll Sembera takes the victory with two innings of relief.
April 6:
Chuck Harrison comes through again with a pinch-hit solo shot for a 2-1 victory over the Twins at Cocoa, FL to end the Florida phase of their spring camp. The other Houston run is due to a solo blast from Jim Wynn, his fourth of the spring. Don Mincher goes deep for Minnesota off Don Nottebart. Ken MacKenzie picks up the win in relief.
April 7:
It's a travel day as the Astros fly to Houston, many to get their first look at the completed Astrodome. The Astros bring 30 players with them for the final five-game exhibition series including infielder Sonny Jackson and catcher John Hoffman, who are slated to be reassigned, and outfielder Gene Ratliff who is being kept rather than being offered back as a winter draftee. Outfielder Joe Gaines gets even better news. He is moved onto the major league roster after impressing Manager Luman Harris during spring training.
The Astros play an intrasquad game at the domed stadium and work on adjusting to the new ballpark. During the contest, Joe Morgan swats a home run off Danny Coombs, staking his claim to being the first Astro to clear the fence in an Astrodome game. The scoreboard spectacular goes off without a hitch.
April 8:
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| Inside the Astrodome as the scoreboard erupts |
A second day of practice and an intrasquad game are held at the new ballpark. This is the first time genuine concern surfaces about the glare from sunlight through the roof's panels as fungo practice looks more like an air raid drill. Debate stirs as to whether to call off the afternoon games slated during the exhibition series that weekend. Judge Hofheinz decides that if the games become a farce because of the glare, he would allow ticket-holders to receive refunds.
April 9:
With President Lyndon Johnson and other luminaries in attendance, the Astrodome opens for the first time. Mickey Mantle of the Yankees doesn't disappoint, blasting a homer to center field off Turk Farrell but that's all Farrell and Hal Woodeshick would allow over 12 innings as the Astros win a squeaker, 2-1. Player-Coach Nellie Fox comes off the bench to single home Jim Wynn with the game-winner before an official crowd of 47,876 for what seems as much a social event as it is a baseball game.
Gov. John Connally throws out the first pitch. Houston Mayor Louie Welch is on hand as is National League President Warren Giles. One conspicuous absence from Judge Hofheinz' owner's box is majority owner Bob Smith who was not invited to meet the President and his entourage.
The most common comment about the plush air-conditioned arena is that it resembles a spaceship - a fitting residence for a team named after astronauts, several of whom are on hand to take part in pre-game ceremonies.
April 10:
The Astros stage a day-night doubleheader, opening against the Baltimore Orioles. Jim Beauchamp is the hero with three hits, a homer and five RBIs in an 11-8 slugfest over the Birds. Jim Wynn adds four hits and two steals. Mike White spanks three doubles while Nellie Fox contributes three hits. Baltimore's Boog Powell is the first glare victim, losing two catchable flies in left field. He mentions later that he didn't see Beauchamp's homer that flew over his head into the left field seats.
In the nightcap, another extra-inning thriller takes place between the Astros and Yankees with Clete Boyer serving as the Yankee hero. He belts a homer in the 14th off Darrell Brandon to give the Bronx Bombers a 4-3 decision. Roger Maris also homers for New York. Joe Morgan scores twice and Al Spangler has an RBI double to stake Houston to an early advantage that holds until the seventh inning.
April 11:
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| Yankee legend Mickey Mantle signs autographs inside the Dome |
Another day-night twinbill is scheduled with the Yankees and Orioles. The Yankees make it three extra-inning games in a row under glass yet the crowd leaves happy when Nellie Fox again singles home the winning run. This time, it's a 3-2 Houston triumph after Fox plates Ron Brand in the tenth. Leon McFadden homers and sets off the giant scoreboard spectacular. Jim Wynn produces the other run among his three hits.
In the finale, Baltimore's pitching shuts down the Astros, 5-0, in the weekend's only snoozer. Al Spanger has three of Houston's five hits as Robin Roberts and three relievers handcuff the home team. Almost 200,000 attend the five-game series.
The Astros finish the spring campaign with a 15-10 record (five rainouts) for a .600 winning percentage - tied for fourth among National League clubs. Optimism is high as the new season approaches in the league's newest playpen.
April 12:
Philadelphia (0-0) at Houston (0-0)
The Astrodome
Opening Day is here at last and the Astros make their official National League debut. 22 astronauts from NASA launch "first pitches" simultaneously from the stands to the Houston players as Commissioner Ford Frick and a throng of over 48,000 look on.
Having the Phillies in town wasn't a good choice to get the season off on the right foot. They had beaten Houston 40 of 54 games the previous three seasons and they would spoil the Astros' premiere with a 2-0 whitewash.
Tony Taylor gets the first official hit with a leadoff double against Bob Bruce but a two-run blast by Richie Allen in the third does the real damage. Chris Short handcuffs Houston with a four-hitter, fanning eleven.
April 13:
The team flies to New York to begin an eight-game road trip. Back in Houston, Judge Hofheinz pronounces the Dome's debut a success and vows to fix the problem with the glare before the team gets back from its trip. The most likely solution is to put a translucent layer of paint over the nearly 4,600 panels atop the roof which will reduce the amount of light but not block it entirely.