1965 Houston Astros season

Last updated

1965  Houston Astros
League National League
Ballpark Harris County Domed Stadium
City Houston, Texas
Record65–97 (.401)
League place9th
Owners Roy Hofheinz
General managers Paul Richards
Managers Lum Harris
Television KTRK-TV
Radio KPRC (AM)
(Gene Elston, Loel Passe, Harry Kalas)
  1964
1966  

The 1965 Houston Astros season was the fourth season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, a member of the National League (NL). Now rebranded as the Astros and having relocated to The Astrodome, the club were known for their first three season as the Colt .45s and were based at Colt Stadium. [Note 1] The Astros entered the 1965 season with a 66–96 record, having finished the previous year in ninth place and 27 games behind the NL pennant and World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals.

Contents

The 1965 season was the first and only full season for Lum Harris as manager, the second in franchise history, having replaced Harry Craft late during the previous year. On April 12, Bob Bruce made the Astros' Opening Day starter, who hosted the Philadelphia Phillies, but were defeated, 2–0.

In the first-ever MLB amateur draft, the Astros' first round selection was shortstop Alex Barrett at fourth overall. Rookie second baseman Joe Morgan established club records on July 8 with six hits—tying the major league record—and 13 total bases for a single game, during a 9–8 defeat to the Milwaukee Braves over 12 innings. Pitcher Turk Farrell represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game, his fifth career selection.

The Astros concluded the season with a record of 65–97, a third consecutive in ninth place and 32 games behind the NL pennant and eventual World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The 97 losses represented a franchise-worst record for Houston at the time, which was one more than the 96 losses the club had for each of their first three seasons of existence. It later matched by the 1975 and 1991 teams, and exceeded in 2011 with 106 losses.

Following the season, Morgan was chosen as The Sporting News NL Rookie Player of the Year [a] —the first Astro be so recognized—and for the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Hence, Morgan also became the first Astro to be recognized for a full-season award not specific to one position.

Offseason

On December 1, The Houston club changed its nickname from Colt .45s to Astros. The move resulted from objections by the Colt Firearms Company to the club's sales of novelties bearing the old nickname.[ citation needed ] Despite the trademark issues, the "Astros" nickname matched the futuristic ambiance of the revolutionary domed stadium. The nickname was also appropriate since Houston was, by then, the home of NASA's astronaut program. The scoreboard retained subliminal references to the old nickname, as it featured electronically animated cowboys firing pistols, with the "bullets" ricocheting around the scoreboard, when an Astros player would hit a home run. Early on, the groundskeepers also wore astronaut spacesuits to promote that futuristic image.

Astrodome

Reliant Astrodome in January 2014.jpg
Astrodome scoreboard 1969.jpg
Exterior view of the Astrodome (left) and scoreboard in 1969 (right).

The venue was designed as a defense against the oppressive heat and humidity of the Houston summer. Loosely based on the classic Roman Colosseum, the Astrodome was dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. As with many stadiums of that era, such as RFK Stadium and Shea Stadium, the Astrodome was a multi-purpose stadium, designed for both football as well as baseball.

Besides its roof, the Astrodome was revolutionary for a number of other reasons, accentuated by accoutrements not prior-featured or rarely seen at sports facilities. Every seat in the venue was theatre-style, the first stadium so configured. Additionally, it was one of the first stadiums allocated with luxury seats and club seating, at the time a relatively new concept in sports venues. It also had an "exploding scoreboard", which would show various animations after a home run or a win, as well as messages and advertising.

Inaugural exhibition game at the Astrodome

On April 9, the former Houston Colt .45s took the field and officially became the Houston Astros. They inaugurated indoor baseball in the Astrodome with a 2–1 exhibition win over the New York Yankees. President Lyndon B. Johnson, one of 47,876 total guests in attendance, became the seventh U.S. president to have attended the inaugural game for a stadium. Texas governor John Connally, flanked by National League president Warren Giles and Tamaulipas governor Praxedis Balboa, tossed the ceremonial first pitch. [1]

The Astros' Turk Farrell threw the game's official first pitch and baseball indoors was underway. [1] Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle recorded each of the stadium's first hit, home run, [2] and run scored. [3] During the third inning, catcher Ron Brand smoked a triple for the home team's first hit in their new stadium. [1] Player-coach Nellie Fox, another future Hall of Famer, furnished the first walk-off hit at the Astrodome to settle the contest outright in the bottom of the 12th inning. [3]

Notable transactions

Regular season

Summary

Joe Morgan with Houston, c. 1969, set a number of club records in 1965. Morgan Joe Houston.jpg
Joe Morgan with Houston, c.1969, set a number of club records in 1965.

Opening Day

Inaugural game at the Astrodome [5] [6]
15 Bob Lillis SS
18 Joe Morgan 2B
24 Jimmy Wynn CF
23 Walt Bond 1B
14 Bob Aspromonte 3B
20 Jim Beauchamp LF
28 Joe Gaines RF
 7 John Bateman   C
30 Bob Bruce   P
PHI 2, HOU 0 • Win: Short • Loss: Bruce
Attendance: 48,546

During a pre-game ceremony on Opening Day and at the regular-season opening ceremony of the Astrodome, April 12, 1965, the Astros officially retired jersey number 32 in honor of former Colt .45s pitcher Jim Umbricht. Umbricht had died on April 8, 1964, following a battle with cancer and having returned to play for Houston the season earlier, in 1963. Aged 33 years old, his jersey number was the first to be retired by the team. [7]

The Astrodome hosted a standing-room-only attendance of 48,546. Distinguished guests included Commissioner Ford Frick, National League President Warren Giles (also at the first exhibition game), and a contingent of NASA personnel, who witnessed baseball's tribute to the Space Age through the Astrodome. There, the Houston Astros hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Twenty-two of the 24 NASA astronauts were in attendance, and, for the ceremonial first pitch, each simultaneously tossed to one of 22 members of the Astros. [8]

The Phillies etched themselves as the victors in the Astrodome's regular-season christening, 2–0, spearheaded by a fantastic shutout masterpiece by starter Chris Short. He limited baseball's Spacemen to four hits, while fanning 11 for a game score of 88. Philadelphia's Tony Taylor stroked a double leading off the contest for the first regular-season safety in the history of baseball indoors. Meanwhile, the Astros' Bob Bruce hurled seven innings with just two runs surrendered to take a tough loss. Dick Allen slugged a two-run home run to give Philadelphia their first tallies in the top of the third inning. Joe Morgan swatted a single leading off the bottom of the fourth for Houston's first regular-season base hit in their new environs. [9]

Rest of April

On April 15, Jimmy Wynn drilled the first home run for Houston known as the Astros, a two-run game-tying blast in the top of the ninth off Jack Fisher at Shea Stadium. [10] However, in the bottom of the tenth inning, Bobby Klaus cranked a Claude Raymond offering for a walk-off home run deep to left field and decide a 5–4 the New York Mets victory. [11]

Bob Aspromonte blasted the home team's first home run at the Astrodome on April 24 during the bottom of the sixth off Vern Law of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The next inning, Wynn also took Law deep. [10]

May

On May 8, Joe Morgan connected for his first major league home run, to deep right at Wrigley Field. The blast occurred in the top of the sixth inning off Lindy McDaniel of the Chicago Cubs, extending the Astros' lead to 8–5. [12]

For the first time, on May 22, ABC's broadcast of the Major League Baseball Game of the Week featured the Astrodome. Viewers were thrilled by a massive Willie Mays home run that propelled the San Francisco Giants over the Astros to win the contest, 10–1. [13] On May 23, the Giants, able to leverage a three-run, inside-the-park home run—a result of the ball getting caught in the roof of the Astrodome—won, 5–2, over Houston. This was the final game as a Houston Astro for starter Ken Johnson, who received news after the contest that had been traded to the Milwaukee Braves for outfielder Lee Maye. [14]

Due to pop flies routinely misjudged as induced by the glare through the roof of the Astrodone, clear glass panes costing about $20,000 were installed on May 24. Consequently, these conditions created inadequate lighting to sustain the grass, which led to the installation of AstroTurf the following season. [15]

Bpb Bruce struck out a then-club record 13 on May 26, tying Turk Farrell's effort on May 10, 1963. [b] [16] Bruce surrendered five hits and three runs in a complete game as the Astros triumphed over the Cincinnati Reds, 8–3. Jimmy Wynn homered and tripled, wound up just a double short of hitting for the cycle, and knocked in four runners. [17] This record remained until June 25, 1966, when Mike Cuellar fanned 15. [16]

June

With the scored tied 2–2 on June 4 going into the ninth inning, Houston Astros catcher Ron Brand connected for a three-run homer into the left field bleachers off Bob Gibson for the decisive runs in an Astros' 5–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. [18] After 140 relief appearances, on June 6, Claude Raymond made the first of seven starts over his major league career. He tossed a complete game against the Cardinals. holding them to just seven hits and one run as the Houston won, 10–1. [19]

Joe Morgan's six-hit game

On July 8, rookie second baseman Joe Morgan established clubs records with six hits and 13 total bases, including two home runs, and also collected three RBI and four runs scored at Milwaukee County Stadium. The six hits tied the major league record for one game. His feats carried through Astros through an eventual 12-inning, 9–8 loss to the Milwaukee Braves. [Note 2] [Note 3] [20] This was the first multi-home run game of Morgan's career, with both drives courtesty of Tony Cloninger offerings. [12]

Early July

Morgan scored his second career multi-home run game just two days after his record performance. On July 10, took Galen Cisco deep in the top of the fourth inning at Shea Stadium, and in the top of the ninth, Tug McGraw. His performance was instrumental in a 9–1 clobbering of the New York Mets. [12]

MLB All-Star Game

Turk Farrell made the MLB All-Star Game, hosted at Metropolitan Stadium. His fourth selection as an Astro, this extended his own club record. Outfielder César Cedeño was chosen to four All-Star Game to match Farrell for the club record in the 1976 edition. [c] This stood as club record until Craig Biggio would receive his fifth selection in the 1996 All-Star Game [21]

Later July—August

During a span of eight outings initiated July 26, right-hander Dave Giusti retired 27 consecutive batters faced until August 14 to establish a club record. It remained as the club record 44 years until 2019 when surpassed by starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who accumulated 32. In 2022, Ryan Pressly also reached 32, which usurped Giusti for the club record for relief pitchers. [22]

September

Hosting the Giants on September 13 at the Astrodome, Willie Mays crushed his 500th home run, and 47th of the season. Mays golfed a Don Nottebart offering deep to centerfield leading off the top of the fourth inning, depicted by Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle as a “monstrous, 440-foot blast into the centerfield bleachers.” At the time, the only hitters Mays had trailed were Babe Ruth (714), Jimmie Foxx (534), Ted Williams (521), and Mel Ott (511). The Giants scored three more times in the fourth, and behind a complete game effort from Juan Marichal, cruised, 5–1. Houston's only tally arrived via Jimmy Wynn's 21st home run in the bottom of the first inning. [23]

Performance overview

The Astros concluded the 1965 epoch with a 65–97 (.401) record, in ninth place of ten National League clubs, and 32 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. [24] In their first year at the Astrodome, Houston smashed attendance records with 2,151,470, nearly tripling the showing of fans from the year prior, and the first time they had claimed both of either the one-million and two-million threshold of attendees. It would not be until 1980 that they reached the 2-million mark again. [25]

However, the 97 defeats transformed into the franchise-worst record for Houston at the time, which surmounted the 96 losses the club had tallied in each of their first three seasons of existence. The 1975 and 1991 squads later equaled this record and, in 2011, the team overran the record with 106 losses. [25]

Houston totaled 25 home runs at the Astrodome during their first year in their new stadium, compared with 72 on the road. [10]

Morgan set club marks for at-bats (601), runs (100), hits (163) and triples (12) over a season. [26] [27] His 14 home runs established the club rookie record. [d] [28] Morgan also became the first Houston Astro to be selected as the NL Rookie Player of the Year by The Sporting News (TSN). [a] [29]

Meanwhile, Jim Wynn became Houston's first 40-stolen base bandit with 43, retaining the club record until Sonny Jackson pilfered 49 the following year. [e] [30]

Season standings

National League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Los Angeles Dodgers 9765.59950314734
San Francisco Giants 9567.586251304437
Pittsburgh Pirates 9072.556749324140
Cincinnati Reds 8973.549849324041
Milwaukee Braves 8676.5311144374239
Philadelphia Phillies 8576.52811½45354041
St. Louis Cardinals 8081.49716½42393842
Chicago Cubs 7290.4442540413249
Houston Astros 6597.4013236452952
New York Mets 50112.3094729522160

Record vs. opponents


Sources:
TeamCHCCINHOULADMILNYMPHIPITSFSTL
Chicago 7–118–108–109–911–7–18–105–136–1210–8–1
Cincinnati 11–712–66–1212–611–713–58–106–1210–8
Houston 10–86–125–134–1414–46–128–103–159–9
Los Angeles 10–812–613–510–812–69–99–910–812–6
Milwaukee 9–96–1214–48–1013–56–129–910–811–7
New York 7–11–17–114–146–125–137–11–14–145–135–13
Philadelphia 10–85–1312–69–912–611–7–18–108–1010–7
Pittsburgh 13–510–810–89–99–914–410–811–7–14–14
San Francisco 12–612–615–38–108–1013–510–87–11–110–8
St. Louis 8–10–18–109–96–127–1113–57–1014–48–10

Notable transactions

Roster

1965 Houston Astros
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases
Positional abbreviations: C = Catcher; 1B = First base; 2B = Second base; 3B = Third base; SS = Shortstop; LF = Left field; CF = Center field; RF = Right field

PosPlayerGABRH2B3BAvg.HRRBISB
C Ron Brand 117391279263.23523710
1B Walt Bond 11740746107172.2637472
2B Joe Morgan 1576011001632212.271144020
3B Bob Aspromonte 15257853152152.2635522
SS Bob Lillis 1244083490121.2211382
LF Lee Maye 10841538104177.2513361
CF Jim Wynn 15756490155307.275227343
RF Rusty Staub 13141043105201.25614633

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

PlayerGABRH2B3BAvg.HRRBISB
Joe Gaines 100229215281.2276314
Jim Gentile 812272255111.2427310
Eddie Kasko 68215185371.2471101
John Bateman 45142152831.1977144
Al Spangler 38112182411.214171
Gus Triandos 247251320.181270
Frank Thomas 235871020.172390
Jim Beauchamp 245351010.189040
Chuck Harrison 15452940.200190
Nellie Fox 214131120.268010
Dave Adlesh 15342510.147030
Sonny Jackson 10231300.130001
Norm Miller 11152301.200010
Mike White 890000.000000
John Hoffman 261200.333010
Jim Mahoney 550100.200000
Gene Ratliff 440000.000000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

PlayerGGSIPWLERARERBBK
Bob Bruce 3534229.29183.721079538145
Turk Farrell 3329208.111113.50948135122
Don Nottebart 2925158.04154.6799825577
Larry Dierker 2619146.2783.50695737109
Robin Roberts 101076.0521.8922161034
Ken Johnson 8851.2324.1825241128
Don Arlich 116.0003.002210
Don Larsen 115.1005.063331

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

PlayerGGSIPWLSVERARERBBK
Dave Giusti 3813131.18734.3267634692
Claude Raymond 33796.17452.9035311679
Jack Lamabe 3212.20204.269636
Chris Zachary 4210.20204.226564
Jim Ray 327.202010.579967
Carroll Sembera 217.10103.683334

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLSVERARERBBK
Jim Owens 5071.16583.2828262953
Ron Taylor 3257.21546.4042411637
Mike Cuellar 2556.01423.5424222146
Danny Coombs 2647.00204.7926252335
Ken MacKenzie 2137.00303.892216626
Hal Woodeshick 2732.13433.0613111822
Don Lee 78.00003.383333
Bruce Von Hoff 33.00009.003321
Gordon Jones 11.00000.000000

Awards and honors

Career honors
AstrosRet 32.PNG
Jim
Umbricht

P
 
Retired April 12, 1965
Annual awards
NL batting leaders

Minor league system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA Oklahoma City 89ers Pacific Coast League Grady Hatton
AA Amarillo Sonics Texas League Lou Fitzgerald
A Durham Bulls Carolina League Dave Philley
A Cocoa Astros Florida State League Billy Goodman
A Salisbury Astros Western Carolinas League Chuck Churn
Rookie FRL Astros Florida Rookie League Joe Frazier

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Oklahoma City, FRL Astros

Awards

See also

Notes

  1. The team remained at The Astrodome through the 1999 season.
  2. On May 7, 2018, George Springer tied the club record with six hits one game.
  3. Three other players had since connected for 13 total bases in one game: Lee May in 1974, Jeff Bagwell on June 24, 1994, and Morgan Ensberg in 2005.
  1. 1 2 3 From 1961–2003, The Sporting News declared one rookie position player and pitcher from each league, the NL and the American League (AL), for this award. Starting in 2004, this system was modified to selecting one rookie from each league for the award, regardless of position.
  2. For single games, from 1962 to 1966, playing for HOU, in the regular season, sorted by descending strikeouts.
  3. As Major League Baseball held two All-Star Games each year from 1959 to 1962, Cedeño distinguished himself as the first Astro to make the All-Star team in four different seasons.
  4. Eclipsed by Glenn Davis in 1985.
  5. For single seasons, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring stolen bases ≥ 40, sorted by ascending season.

References

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