02/01 1995 Astros sign outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Cangelosi_John.html target=_top>John Cangelosi</a> as a free agent. He would hit .287 and steal 38 bases in two years as a reserve. He also works one hitless inning as a relief pitcher.
02/01 1990 Houston avoids arbitration with reliever <a class=player href=/players/Andersen_Larry.html target=_top>Larry Andersen</a> when they agree on a two-year deal. The real benefit comes later in the season when Andersen is traded to Boston for a young minor-league third baseman.
02/01 1944 <a class=player href=/players/King_Hal.html target=_top>Hal King</a> is born in Oviedo, FL. He hits .192 in two seasons (1967,1968) as a reserve catcher for the Astros before finding similar work with the Braves, Rangers and Reds.
02/02 2015 Dave Bergman passes away from cancer at age 61 in Detroit, MI. The popular reserve had a key triple in Game 2 of the 1980 NLCS against Philadelphia.
02/02 1996 Speculation that Houston would become a member of the Canadian Football League ends when the Baltimore Stallions announce they will relocate to Montreal. Astros owner Drayton McLane toyed with the idea of bringing a CFL team to the Astrodome as a replacement for the departing NFL Houston Oilers.
02/02 1977 Jeffery <a class=player href=/players/Everett_Adam.html target=_top>Adam Everett</a> is born in Austell, GA. The slick-fielding shortstop has hit .248 with 35 homers over his seven seasons in Houston (2001-2007) with a .208 average in postseason play.
02/02 1972 <a class=player href=/players/Fernandez_Jared.html target=_top>Jared Fernandez</a> is born in Salt Lake City, UT. The knuckleballing righthander has compiled a 3-3 record and a 5.37 ERA in spot duty during 2003 and 2004.
02/02 1960 <a class=player href=/players/Biancalana_Buddy.html target=_top>Roland Americo "Buddy" Biancalana</a> is born in Greenbrae, CA. A career .205 hitter who bats .042 during his 18 games as an Astro in 1987, Buddy gains notoriety as the butt of David Letterman jokes. 
02/03 1999 <a class=player href=/players/Wagner_Billy.html target=_top>Billy Wagner</a> signs a three-year $10-million dollar deal, avoiding arbitration. Wagner is coming off a season where he fans 14.55 batters per nine innings, setting a major league mark for pitchers tossing 50 or more innings.
02/03 1997 Astros avoid arbitration with pitcher <a class=player href=/players/Hampton_Mike.html target=_top>Mike Hampton</a>, agreeing to a $1.3 million dollar contract, halfway between what both sides wanted. Hampton responds with a 15-10 record and becomes a critical member of three division-winning Houston teams.
02/03 1992 Two years after it was first disclosed that Dr. John McMullen is looking to sell the Astros, he is no closer to finding a buyer. Complicating matters are a $100 million dollar bid from a Japanese group for the Seattle Mariners and McMullen's minority stake in a horse racing track to be built outside of Houston. Another group is offering to buy the team and move it to Washington, DC. McMullen, who had earlier nixed an $86 million dollar offer for the club, says the record price for the Mariners is not too high. He cites the Denver and Miami expansion clubs, to begin play in 1993, paid $95 million dollars apiece to join.
02/04 2020 James Click is hired as the new general manager ending a three-week search to replace Jeff Luhnow who had been fired after the Manfred Report was released regarding electronic spying. While having no past experience as a GM, Click has spent the past 14 years with the Tampa Bay Rays, working his way up to Vice President of Baseball Operations. 
02/04 2013 Houston sends shortstop Jed Lowrie and reliever Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland for slugger Chris Carter, pitcher Brad Peacock and catcher Max Stassi. Carter bangs 90 homers over three seasons (2013-2015) while driving in 234 but is offset by a .218 batting average and 545 strikeouts. 
02/04 1994 Astros unveil new uniforms that do away with orange as a team color, rainbow stripes on the jersies, and the "H" on the cap. The new look will feature midnight blue and metallic gold with a flying star on the caps and jersies.
02/04 1973 Chris Coste is born in Fargo, ND. The catcher/first baseman was claimed in 2009 and hit .204 in 43 games before getting released.
02/04 1961 Houston Sports Association announces an agreement with Apache Junction, AZ for spring training facilities beginning the following season. Geronimo Park, in the shadow of Superstition Mountain, serves as the spring home of the Colt .45s in their first two seasons and is remembered best for its desolation and rumored curses.
02/05 1988 Shortstop <a class=player href=/players/Thon_Dickie.html target=_top>Dickie Thon</a>, who retired during the 1987 season because of vision problems, is removed from Houston's "unable to perform" list and granted free agency. He later signs with San Diego and resumes his big league career.
02/05 1946 <a class=player href=/players/Miller_Norm.html target=_top>Norm Miller</a> is born in Los Angeles, CA. The outfielder bats .240 over nine seasons as an Astro (1965-1973). His career year comes in 1969 when he hits .264 in 119 games.
02/06 2024 Astros and Jose Altuve agree to a five-year, $125 million contract extension which will last through the end of the decade. Altuve, who has been an Astro since 2011, hopes to be considered an "Astro for life".
02/06 2021 Astros avoid arbitration with star shortstop Carlos Correa in his final year before free agency, agreeing on an $11.7 million one-year contract. Both sides are hoping a contract extension can be worked out that will keep the 26-year-old infielder in Houston for much longer. 
02/06 1958 <a class=player href=/players/Dawley_Bill.html target=_top>Bill Dawley</a> is born in Norwich, CT. A surprise 1983 All-Star in his rookie year, Dawley compiles a 22-13 record with 21 saves and a 2.71 ERA during his three seasons as an Astro. His last four years are spent kicking around with the Cubs, Cardinals, Phillies and Athletics.
02/07 1995 <a class=player href=/players/Upshaw_Cecil.html target=_top>Cecil Upshaw</a> dies of a heart attack in Lawrenceville, GA at age 53. The submarine reliever had a 2-3 record with one save as an Astro in 1973. The righthander had been a closer for Atlanta earlier in his career before tearing a finger on his pitching hand when he accidentally struck a sign while walking down the street.
02/07 1994 Public batting practice by retired NBA star Michael Jordan draws hundreds of reporters. Jordan looks to sign a deal with the Chicago White Sox as an outfielder but some Astros are quick to point out it won't be easy for him. At his home, Houston pitcher <a class=player href=/players/Jones_Todd.html target=_top>Todd Jones</a> is so incensed with radio callers predicting baseball stardom that he calls the station himself to challenge the basketball champion.
02/07 1990 The Astros Silver Anniversary Team (1965-1989) is announced at a Houston banquet. <a class=player href=/players/Morgan_Joe.html target=_top>Joe Morgan</a> is honored as the first genuine Astro to make it to the Hall of Fame. <a class=player href=/players/Scott_Mike.html target=_top>Mike Scott</a> also receives the 1989 Astros Most Valuable Player award. Not surprisingly, both are on the 25th Anniversary squad.
02/07 1977 <a class=player href=/players/Borkowski_Dave.html target=_top>Dave Borkowski</a> is born in Detroit, MI. The righthanded reliever won eight and lost seven with a 5.44 ERA during three seasons as an Astro (2006-2008).
02/08 2010 Lance Berkman is inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, joining former teammates Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Roger Clemens among others. Former Astros pitching coach Burt Hooton is also honored.
02/08 2001 Craig Cullinan, the last surviving member of the four men who brought Major League Baseball to Houston, is honored at the annual Houston Baseball Dinner. <a class=player href=/players/Bagwell_Jeff.html target=_top>Jeff Bagwell</a> is also there to pick up his 2000 Astros Most Valuable Player Award.
02/08 1993 A trio of arbitration cases are avoided when three starters are inked to similar three-year deals. Infielders <a class=player href=/players/Biggio_Craig.html target=_top>Craig Biggio</a> and <a class=player href=/players/Caminiti_Ken.html target=_top>Ken Caminiti</a>, along with outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Finley_Steve.html target=_top>Steve Finley</a> now represent a $32 million dollar investment to go with the $36 million spent on deals for pitchers <a class=player href=/players/Drabek_Doug.html target=_top>Doug Drabek</a> and <a class=player href=/players/Swindell_Greg.html target=_top>Greg Swindell</a> - a pay-out unlikely to have happened before the recent change in ownership.
02/08 1965 A few Astros take the field for the first practice inside the new Astrodome. <a class=player href=/players/Staub_Rusty.html target=_top>Rusty Staub</a> is the only player to swat a ball over the fence as 250 members of the press look on. Pitchers are relieved to discover that breaking pitches still break indoors. Singer Anita Bryant is on hand to deliver a ceremonial first pitch.
02/09 2005 Sometimes they seem like Siamese twins even though <a class=player href=/players/Bagwell_Jeff.html target=_top>Jeff Bagwell</a> and Craig Biggio are not. The two infielders receive induction into the Hall of Fame - the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, that is. Soon to be Astro teammates for 15 years straight, the pair are closing careers they hope will land them in a bigger hall - the one in Cooperstown, NY.
02/09 1999 Astros agree to a contract with shortstop <a class=player href=/players/Gutierrez_Ricky.html target=_top>Ricky Gutierrez</a>. It's the second year in a row that none of Houston's arbitration-eligible players actually reach a hearing. Gutierrez fights injury problems to hit .261 in his final year in Houston.
02/09 1942 <a class=player href=/players/Gilson_Hal.html target=_top>Hal Gilson</a> is born in Los Angeles, CA. The lefty has just one year in the big leagues and he misses out on a World Series share when he is sent from the first-place Cardinals to last-place Houston in 1968. Gilson appears in just two games and earns no record while an Astro.
02/10 2005 Houston avoids arbitration for the eighth straight year by coming to terms with pitcher <a class=player href=/players/Oswalt_Roy.html target=_top>Roy Oswalt</a> on a two-year deal worth $16.9 million. A 20-game winner in both 2004 and 2005, he will receive $11 million in 2006.
02/10 1986 Astros extend a spring training invitation to reliever <a class=player href=/players/Lopez_Aurelio.html target=_top>Aurelio Lopez</a>. The righthander rewards them with three wins and seven saves during their division-title season.
02/10 1976 <a class=player href=/players/Berkman_Lance.html target=_top>Lance Berkman</a> is born in Waco, TX. The Rice grad was a major power source with the Astros, leading the league in RBIs in 2002. In 12 seasons (1999-2010), he batted .296 while powering 326 home runs and driving in 1090 runs. He hit .321 with six homers in postseason play.
02/10 1967 Astros sell pitcher <a class=player href=/players/Taylor_Ron.html target=_top>Ron Taylor</a> to the New York Mets. A washout over two seasons in Houston, Taylor emerges as the saves leader for the Mets when they win it all in 1969.
02/11 2009 Miguel Tejada pleads guilty in Washington D.C. to lying to congressional investigators about performance enhancing drugs. He claims he also purchased but did not use human growth hormone which he bought from former Oakland teammate Adam Piatt. He is later sentenced to one year probation, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine.
02/11 1984 Justin Richard Towles is born in Crosby, TX. After a fast start, Towles bats .187 with 11 homers in his first four seasons as an Astro (2007-2010).
02/11 1981 Catcher <a class=player href=/players/Bochy_Bruce.html target=_top>Bruce Bochy</a> is dealt to the Mets for two minor leaguers. Bochy spent parts of three seasons with the Astros and is best remembered for the forearm he took from Pete Rose in Game 4 of the 1980 N.L.C.S. Later he becomes the manager for the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants. 
02/11 1945 <a class=player href=/players/Paciorek_John.html target=_top>John Paciorek</a> is born in Detroit, MI. His younger brother Tom has an 18-year major league career. John has one day, but it was quite a day.
02/11 1944 <a class=player href=/players/Brown_Ollie.html target=_top>Ollie Brown</a> is born in Tuscaloosa, AL. The outfielder plays just 27 games as an Astro in 1974 and bats .217. Hailed as "the next Willie Mays" when he came up with the Giants, Brown has a good 13 seasons in the bigs but could never live up to the lofty promotion, something with which teammate <a class=player href=/players/Cedeno_Cesar.html target=_top>Cesar Cedeno</a> could sympathize.
02/12 1991 Astros owner John McMullen announces he has cleared the way for Houston to host the 1992 Republican National Convention at the Astrodome. The GOP has already selected Houston but there are details to resolve. National League President Bill Giles and Players Union chief Donald Fehr both voice their disapproval of the proposed 30-day road trip that the Astros will take in order to free up the Dome for the convention. 
02/12 1978 <a class=player href=/players/Redding_Tim.html target=_top>Tim Redding</a> is born in Rochester, NY. In four seasons as an Astro (2001-2004), Redding built a career record of 21-28 with an ERA of 4.75 before being traded to San Diego.
02/12 1945 <a class=player href=/players/Wilson_Don.html target=_top>Don Wilson</a> is born in Monroe, LA. He wins 104 games and tosses two no-hitters in eight memorable seasons as an Astro. He was the third baseman on his Little League team in Compton, CA and only began pitching when his cousin got hurt.
02/13 2018 Harris County commissioners agree to spend $105 million to begin renovations for the long-dormant Astrodome. The plan is to elevate the floor to ground level which will be used for parking spaces then convert the remaining structure to be used for festivals and celebrations.
02/13 2008 Former Astro pitcher Roger Clemens has his day before Congress, denying again in testimony that he had used steroids or other performance enhancing drugs while his accuser, former trainer Brian McNamee, sat at the other end of the table facing accusations of his own. Clearly both can't be telling the truth but the only bombshells to come out were an admission from Clemens' teammate Andy Pettitte that he tried human growth hormones during the 2004 season when he injured his elbow and that Clemens' wife admitted to using human growth hormones while preparing for a swimsuit layout in Sports Illustrated. The prospect of federal charges still loom ahead.   
02/13 1997 Houston wins and loses their arbitration case with <a class=player href=/players/Kile_Darryl.html target=_top>Darryl Kile</a>. The inconsistent pitcher asks for a salary $1.27 million dollars more than what the Astros offer. The club prevails but, under the instruction of new Astro manager <a class=player href=/players/Dierker_Larry.html target=_top>Larry Dierker</a> and pitching coach <a class=player href=/players/Ruhle_Vern.html target=_top>Vern Ruhle</a>, Kile goes on to have an outstanding year only to shun Houston and leave as a free agent after the season.
02/13 1968 <a class=player href=/players/Mieske_Matt.html target=_top>Matt Mieske</a> is born in Midland, MI. A valuable reserve outfielder during the 1999 season, Mieske slumps as much as the rest of the guys in 2000, batting .173 before being released.
02/14 2017 Pitchers and catchers report to their still-unfinished new spring home in West Palm Beach, FL, dubbed "The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches". The facility is shared with the Washington Nationals as part of the new wave of paired spring training camps.
02/14 1984 Houston signs infielder <a class=player href=/players/Cabell_Enos.html target=_top>Enos Cabell</a>, back from Detroit, as a free agent. A popular Astro during his six seasons (1975-1980) which he spent mostly as a third baseman, Cabell becomes the regular first baseman and bats .310 with eight homers. He is dealt to the Dodgers early in the 1985 season.
02/14 1951 <a class=player href=/players/Milbourne_Larry.html target=_top>Larry Milbourne</a> is born in Port Norris, NJ. The reserve infielder hits .245 during three seasons in Houston (1974-1976) and manages to last another nine years in the majors. It's interesting to note that someone nicknamed "The Devil" was born on St. Valentine's Day.
02/15 2007 Morris "Buddy" Hancken passes away at the age of 92. Hancken was an Astros coach for five seasons (1968-1972) then stayed with the organization through 1992 in various capacities. He had been a minor league player, coach and manager before joining the Astros.
02/15 2006 Reaction continues to simmer over a memoir published by Astros broadcaster Milo Hamilton, who is in his 22nd year with Houston. While he has some critical comments for local folks, the national media focuses on Hamilton's portrayal of deceased Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray as "a miserable human being". Caray's widow, Duchie, responds that Hamilton hasn't "shown any class at all". In the Chicago restaurant that bears Caray's name, a new drink called the "Milo" is christened made of "cheap shots and sour grapes".
02/15 1991 Potential buyers of the Astros, Ben Love and six others, approach <a class=player href=/players/Ryan_Nolan.html target=_top>Nolan Ryan</a> of the Texas Rangers to own a share of the team. The group includes Drayton McLane. Ryan declines, citing that an active player cannot also be a team owner.
02/15 1969 <a class=player href=/players/Williams_Brian.html target=_top>Brian Williams</a> is born in Lancaster, SC. He posts a 19-17 record in two stints (1991-1994, 1999) with Houston along with three saves.
02/15 1965 A squad of young Astro hopefuls open camp in Cocoa Beach, FL as the first to begin spring training workouts. Veterans will arrive between February 22nd and March 3rd.
02/16 2009 Routine physicals at the beginning of spring training sometimes reveal the unexpected. Returning pitcher Mike Hampton is told he has an irregular heartbeat and is sent back to Houston for tests and a minor procedure. Doctors then determine no procedure was necessary and fly him back to Florida the next day.
02/16 1989 Astros sign righthander <a class=player href=/players/Mason_Roger.html target=_top>Roger Mason</a> as a free agent. He appears in just two games with Houston but resurfaces with the Pirates in 1991 to resume a ten-year career in the majors.
02/16 1962 The first Houston training camp begins in Apache Junction, AZ. The fledgling Colt .45s would finish with a 14-7 spring record, best in the majors - a testament to what 40 guys can accomplish when none of them are assured of employment.
02/17 1990 Shortstop <a class=player href=/players/Cedeno_Andujar.html target=_top>Andujar Cedeno</a> is signed to a minor-league deal and placed on the Astros' 40-man roster, causing various national sportswires to misidentify him both as <a class=player href=/players/Cedeno_Cesar.html target=_top>Cesar Cedeno</a> and <a class=player href=/players/Andujar_Joaquin.html target=_top>Joaquin Andujar</a>. The 20-year-old fellow Dominican is not related to either former Astro.
02/17 1964 Colts trade outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Warwick_Carl.html target=_top>Carl Warwick</a> to St. Louis for outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Beauchamp_Jim.html target=_top>Jim Beauchamp</a> and pitcher Chuck Taylor. Beauchamp would hit .164 and .189 as an Houston reserve. The 21-year-old Taylor was sent back to St. Louis where he saw his first big league action in 1969 and became a quality reliever. 
02/18 2001 <a class=player href=/players/Mathews_Eddie.html target=_top>Eddie Mathews</a> dies in La Jolla, CA at age 69. The Hall-of-Fame infielder plays just a few months with the Astros but treats them to one of the greatest milestones of his career. 
02/18 1974 Houston trades pitcher Pat Darcy and cash to Cincinnati for infielder <a class=player href=/players/Menke_Denis.html target=_top>Denis Menke</a>. For former All-Star Menke, he closes his career hitting .103 in a bench role. For the Ohio-born Darcy, it's great timing as two of his three big-league seasons are on World Championship teams. 
02/18 1958 <a class=player href=/players/Ramirez_Rafael.html target=_top>Rafael Ramirez</a> is born in San Pedro de Macoris, DR. A steady glove at shortstop, Ramirez bats .257 in five years with the Astros (1988-1992), although his production dwindles with each season.
02/18 1949 <a class=player href=/players/Mayberry_John.html target=_top>John Mayberry</a> is born in Detroit, MI. A hot prospect drafted by the Astros, he bats .191 in parts of four seasons in Houston (1968-1971) before being traded away to the American League where he stars for the next eleven years.
02/19 2008 The first full day of spring training is a rough one for a trio of Astros. Outfielder Hunter Pence arrives with cuts all over his hands and knees after crashing through a sliding glass door while leaving the hot tub of his rental home. Shortstop Miguel Tejada is grilled by the press about his legal troubles stemming from the Mitchell Report and infielder Mark Loretta learns he has lost his arbitration case, receiving $2.75 million in salary instead of the $4.9 million he sought.
02/19 1999 Astros General Manager Gerry Hunsicker announces that outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Alou_Moises.html target=_top>Moises Alou</a> has suffered a knee injury while working out in the Dominican Republic. While initial reports are optimistic, Alou is lost for the entire season. Alou claims he hurt the knee while running on a treadmill but management expresses some skepticism.
02/19 1944 <a class=player href=/players/Zachary_Chris.html target=_top>Chris Zachary</a> is born in Knoxville, TN. Expected to be one of the top young arms for the expansion Houston franchise, Zachary struggles through five seasons (1963-1967), compiling a 6-16 record. He dies on April 19, 2003 of cancer in the town of his birth.
02/20 1964 Colts trade in cacti for grapefruits as they begin their first spring training in Cocoa, FL. The new facility is hailed as "state-of-the-art" but soon becomes disparaged because of poor drainage, snakes, and a spartan dormitory where the players are housed. Prankster <a class=player href=/players/Farrell_Dick.html target=_top>Turk Farrell</a> livens things up by purchasing a young alligator and slipping him into the clubhouse whirlpool.
02/20 1959 <a class=player href=/players/Gullickson_Bill.html target=_top>Bill Gullickson</a> is born in Marshall, MN. The righthander goes 10-14 as a Houston starter in 1990, part of his 14 big league seasons but he is gone to Detroit the next year as the Astros tighten their belts.
02/21 2006 Gene Elston is named as the 30th Ford C. Frick Award winner, honoring the top baseball announcers in history. The award is presented at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Elston's career with Houston spanned from 1961 to 1986. He joins Harry Kalas (1965-1970), Bob Prince (1976) and Milo Hamilton (1985-2012) as Astro play-by-play men to receive the honor.
02/21 1985 Pitchers and catchers report to the first official workouts at the Astros' new spring training facility in Kissimmee, FL. It is considered by all an upgrade over the team's old facilities in Cocoa, FL that had been in use for the previous 21 years.
02/21 1943 <a class=player href=/players/Billingham_Jack.html target=_top>Jack Billingham</a> is born in Orlando, FL. While he compiles a respectable 29-32 record in three years as an Astro (1969-1971), Billingham is best remembered as the player involved in two of the most reviled trades the club ever made, coming and going.
02/21 1931 Buffs Stadium in Houston is home to the first night game between two major league teams as the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants meet in an exhibition. 23 hits are achieved under the lights in the ten-inning affair.
02/22 2020 People came from all over to harass Astro players in their first spring contest after the sign-stealing scandal emerged during the winter. In an ironic twist, fans had their homemade signs stolen by stadium personnel enforcing a "no signs or banners" policy at the stadium. Some banged on metal seats while others just used lung power to voice their displeasure. The whole event did not last long as the exhibition game was rained out after two innings.
02/22 1998 Tornadoes pound the Kissimmee, FL area where the Astros spring training camp is based. The fields themselves suffer minor damage. A light tower is blown down, an astroturf field is ripped up and a batting cage is blown across the street and crumpled into a heap. Power is out and several nearby homes where the Astros were staying are damaged. Eight people die at a nearby RV park. The Astros donate money to the relief efforts.
02/22 1973 <a class=player href=/players/Johnson_Russ.html target=_top>William Russell Johnson</a> is born in Baton Rouge, LA. A .266 hitter in four seasons as an Astro reserve (1997-2000), Johnson never gets the chance to be an everyday third baseman in Houston.
02/22 1965 <a class=player href=/players/Yelding_Eric.html target=_top>Eric Yelding</a> is born in Montrose, AL. Tried in both the infield and outfield, Yelding's best season comes in 1990 when he bats .254 and steals 64 bases.
02/22 1948 <a class=player href=/players/Griffin_Tom.html target=_top>Tom Griffin</a> is born in Los Angeles, CA. Great things are expected after his rookie 1969 campaign when he goes 11-10, with 200 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA but arm injuries ruin most of his remaining six years an Astro. His best season is 1974, when he delivers a 14-10 record.
02/23 2000 <a class=player href=/players/Bagwell_Jeff.html target=_top>Jeff Bagwell</a> arrives at spring training a changed man. Not only is the slugger sporting a new drooping red beard but he is playing his first baseball since off-season laser eye surgery.
02/23 1999 Architects for the new downtown ballpark propose to Astros owner Drayton McLane a train engine to be placed upon the left field wall. Builders announce the new field is almost halfway complete.
02/23 1976 <a class=player href=/players/Elarton_Scott.html target=_top>Scott Elarton</a> is born in Lamar, CO. The tall righthander is a key member of the 1999 staff, and is the one bright note of the 2000 campaign with a 17-7 record, but arm woes cause a 4-8 record the next year and Elarton is dealt to the Colorado Rockies in mid-season.
02/23 1958 <a class=player href=/players/Agosto_Juan.html target=_top>Juan Agosto</a> is born in Rio Piedras, PR. The rubber-armed lefty lasts 13 seasons in the bigs, including five as an Astro. Agosto's career year is 1988 when he compiles a 10-2 record with four saves and a 2.26 ERA.
02/23 1946 <a class=player href=/players/Boswell_Ken.html target=_top>Ken Boswell</a> is born in Austin, TX. In his three seasons as an Astro reserve (1975-1977), Boswell bats .242 and comes through 40 times as a pinch-hitter
02/24 2024 Joe Espada's managerial debut is a 7-4 exhibition victory over the Washington Nationals at West Palm Beach, FL. Mauricio Dubon is the hitting star with three hits and two RBIs.
02/24 2006 It's normally not news when a player shows up for spring training but that's not true this time for Jeff Bagwell. The first baseman arrives with a $15.6 million dollar insurance tag on his head if he can't play. Bagwell insists he'll play despite an arthritic right shoulder that required surgery the previous year. He fields grounders and hits in light drills the first day and talks briefly with owner Drayton McLane.
02/24 2004 <a class=player href=/players/Ryan_Nolan.html target=_top>Nolan Ryan</a> returns to the Astros organization under a five-year personal services contract. Ryan and his sons own one team in the Astros farm system and plan to add another one in 2005 when the AAA affiliate moves to Round Rock, TX and the AA squad moves to Corpus Christi. 
02/24 1984 Houston swaps backup catchers with Montreal. <a class=player href=/players/Bjorkman_George.html target=_top>George Bjorkman</a> heads to Quebec in exchange for <a class=player href=/players/Wieghaus_Tom.html target=_top>Tom Wieghaus</a>. Bjorkman batted .227 in his one season as an Astro. Wieghaus sees action in just six games and goes hitless.
02/24 1967 Astros send pitcher <a class=player href=/players/Ray_Jim.html target=_top>Jim Ray</a> to the Mets on a 30-day conditional deal. The Mets send him back a month later. It's a lucky break as Ray goes 42-25 with 23 saves over the next six years in Houston, used as both a reliever and a spot starter. 
02/25 2009 Third base prospect Chris Johnson mashes a home run estimated at up to 600 feet in the 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals that opens the spring schedule. Reclamation projects Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz get off to good starts, each tossing a pair of shutout innings. It will be three weeks before they win another Grapefruit League game.
02/25 1994 Former Houston manager <a class=player href=/players/Durocher_Leo.html target=_top>Leo Durocher</a> is selected by the Veterans Committee into the Baseball Hall of Fame along with Yankee legend Phil Rizzuto. The fiery Durocher had died in 1991, claiming he no longer cared whether he would get inducted. His nearly 50-year career in baseball included 15 seasons as a player and 23 as a manager. His last was with the Astros in 1973.
02/25 1988 Unwanted in Houston, 40-year-old <a class=player href=/players/Cruz_Jose.html target=_top>Jose Cruz</a> signs with the New York Yankees, ending an impressive 13-year run as an Astro. Houston will receive a compensation draft pick for the free agent signing.
02/25 1951 <a class=player href=/players/Cedeno_Cesar.html target=_top>Cesar Cedeno</a> is born in Santo Domingo, DR. Considered the franchise's first superstar, Cedeno has twelve fascinating and sometimes frustrating seasons in Houston (1970-1981) and is a member of the 35th Anniversary All-Astros team.
02/25 1939 <a class=player href=/players/Lemaster_Denny.html target=_top>Denver Lemaster</a> is born in Corona, CA. The lefthander compiles a 30-46 record with six saves and a 3.40 ERA in four years under the Dome (1968-1971).
02/26 1992 Outfielder <a class=player href=/players/Gonzalez_Luis.html target=_top>Luis Gonzalez</a> breaks two bones in his nose when he is struck by a pitching machine during indoor drills. The machine had one pitch left when Gonzo began picking up balls around the batting cage.
02/26 1987 The owner of a Houston sports bar begins a campaign to raise $70,000 for Astros slugger <a class=player href=/players/Davis_Glenn.html target=_top>Glenn Davis</a>. That's what separates the Astros and Davis on a one-year contract, according to his agent Gerry Hunsicker. The two sides would eventually agree to meet roughly halfway. Davis is humbled by the public's show of support but declines taking their money.
02/27 2006 Roger Clemens sends a brushback message to his own 19-year-old son after Koby slams a home run off his dad in the minor league Astros camp where Koby is training. Roger is preparing to pitch in the first World Baseball Classic but is not officially with the Astros. Denied salary arbitration, the pitching legend is fielding contract offers from other clubs while mulling retirement. The Astros cannot negotiate with him until May 1st. Officially, that is.
02/27 2002 Astros announce they have purchased back the naming rights of their ballpark from Enron for $2.1 million dollars. The 30-year deal signed in 1999 winds up in bankruptcy court after Enron collapses in scandal during the fall of 2001. Tentatively, the park is named Astros Field while a new sponsor is sought. 
02/27 1962 Catcher <a class=player href=/players/Bateman_John.html target=_top>John Bateman</a> is inked to a free agent contract. The hulking catcher leads the team in home runs and RBIs in 1963 but his career year comes in 1966 when Bateman puts up a .279 average with 17 homers, 24 doubles and 70 RBIs - all career highs. He hits .228 over six seasons in Houston (1963-1968). Bateman dies in Sand Spring, TX at age 56 on December 3, 1996.
02/27 1937 <a class=player href=/players/Warwick_Carl.html target=_top>Carl Warwick</a> is born in Dallas, TX. One of the best Colt .45 hitters, Warwick bats .257 with 23 homers and 107 RBIs during the franchise's first two seasons.
02/28 2017 The Astros are the visiting team in their first game held at their new spring training home in West Palm Beach, FL. That's because the opponent was the facility's other tenant, the Washington Nationals. The Nats won it, 4-3, on a walk-off home run by Michael Taylor in the ninth. 
02/28 1997 <a class=player href=/players/Dierker_Larry.html target=_top>Larry Dierker</a>'s managerial debut with the Astros is an 8-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians. <a class=player href=/players/Reynolds_Shane.html target=_top>Shane Reynolds</a> delivers two shutout innings but the Tribe get to <a class=player href=/players/Hampton_Mike.html target=_top>Mike Hampton</a>, <a class=player href=/players/Lima_Jose.html target=_top>Jose Lima</a> and <a class=player href=/players/Garcia_Ramon.html target=_top>Ramon Garcia</a> for the decisive runs.
02/28 1991 Former major leaguers, Bob and Ken Aspromonte, now local beer distributors, announce they are seeking to buy the Astros from Dr. John McMullen but still need additional partners. <a class=player href=/players/Aspromonte_Bob.html target=_top>Bob Aspromonte</a> played for the team from 1962 to 1968.
02/28 1986 Former Astros <a class=player href=/players/Andujar_Joaquin.html target=_top>Joaquin Andujar</a>, <a class=player href=/players/Cabell_Enos.html target=_top>Enos Cabell</a> and <a class=player href=/players/Leonard_Jeff.html target=_top>Jeff Leonard</a> are among eleven players suspended by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth in the aftermath of the drug-dealing trial of Curtis Strong in Pittsburgh. Future Astro <a class=player href=/players/Berra_Dale.html target=_top>Dale Berra</a> is also suspended. All the players agree to a stiff fine, community service and random drug tests in exchange for lifting the suspensions. 
02/28 1975 <a class=player href=/players/Stone_Ricky.html target=_top>Ricky Stone</a> is born in Hamilton, OH. The righthander plays a valuable set-up role in the bullpen, with a 10-8 record and two saves over four seasons (2001-04) before being released and claimed by San Diego.