1976 Houston Astros | ||
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League | National League | |
Division | West | |
Ballpark | Astrodome | |
City | Houston, Texas | |
Record | 80–82 (.494) | |
Divisional place | 3rd | |
Owners | Roy Hofheinz | |
General managers | Tal Smith | |
Managers | Bill Virdon | |
Television | KPRC-TV | |
Radio | KPRC (AM) (Gene Elston, Loel Passe, Bob Prince) | |
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The 1976 Houston Astros season was the 15th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 12th as the Astros, 15th in the National League (NL), eighth in the NL West division, and 12th at The Astrodome. They entered the season as having tied for the most losses in franchise history, at the time, with a 65–97 record, and the most games behind first place, 43+1⁄2 behind the division-champion and World Series-winning Cincinnati Reds.
On April 5, J. R. Richard made his first of five consecutive Opening Day starts for Houston, at Riverfront Stadium to face Cincinnati, but were defeated, 11–5. The Astros' first round selection in the amateur draft was pitcher Floyd Bannister at first overall. Bannister became the Astros' first-ever number one overall draft pick. On July 9, Larry Dierker tossed the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, a 6–0 win over the Montreal Expos.
Center fielder César Cedeño was selected to the MLB All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career. Pitcher Robin Roberts, who briefly played for Houston in 1965 and 1966, became the first former Astro to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
On August 9, Cedeño hit for the cycle at Busch Memorial Stadium, the second of two he hit for the Astros, highlighting a 13–4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Cedeño at the time had been the only Houston Astro to hit for the cycle.
The Astros concluded the regular season third in the NL West with a record of 80–82, 22 games behind Cincinnati, who repeated as World Series champions.
Cedeño also won his fourth career Gold Glove Award following the season.
The only home run hit by starter Joe Niekro during his 21-year major league career occurred on May 29, when he connected off his brother, Phil. The drive took place in the seventh inning off a knuckleball offering during an Astros' 4–3 win over the Atlanta Braves. [3] During the second game of a May 30 doubleheader, Houston set a club record with 25 hits for a 16–5 defeat of Atlanta. Twenty-three of the hits were singles, and Jerry DaVanon led the Astros with three hits and five runs batted in (RBI). [4]
With flooding in Greater Houston, the Astros were forced to cancel their game on June 15, 1976, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This became the first and remained the only rainout that ever occurred in the 35 seasons that the team played at the Astrodome. [5] To pick up their rain checks, some fans resorted to riding in canoes in 7 inches (18 cm) of rain to travel to the stadium. [6]
Larry Dierker tossed a no-hitter on July 9, a 6–0 win over the Montreal Expos. He struck out eight and walked four. [7]
On August 9, César Cedeño hit for the cycle at Busch Memorial Stadium, highlighting a 13–4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. His drew the first three hits—triple, home run, and then double—against starter and future Astro Bob Forsch, also brother of teammate Ken. The second of two cycles that Cedeño hit for the Astros, at the time he had been the only Astros player to have hit for the cycle. [8]
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati Reds | 102 | 60 | .630 | — | 49–32 | 53–28 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 92 | 70 | .568 | 10 | 49–32 | 43–38 |
Houston Astros | 80 | 82 | .494 | 22 | 46–36 | 34–46 |
San Francisco Giants | 74 | 88 | .457 | 28 | 40–41 | 34–47 |
San Diego Padres | 73 | 89 | .451 | 29 | 42–38 | 31–51 |
Atlanta Braves | 70 | 92 | .432 | 32 | 34–47 | 36–45 |
Sources: | |||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||||
Atlanta | — | 6–6 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 8–10 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 3–9 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 4–8 | |||||
Chicago | 6–6 | — | 3–9 | 5–7 | 3–9 | 11–7 | 5–13 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 12–6 | |||||
Cincinnati | 12–6 | 9–3 | — | 12–6 | 13–5 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 9–9 | 6–6 | |||||
Houston | 11–7 | 7–5 | 6–12 | — | 5–13 | 10–2 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 2–10 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 9–3 | |||||
Los Angeles | 10–8 | 9–3 | 5–13 | 13–5 | — | 10–2 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 9–3 | 6–12 | 8–10 | 10–2 | |||||
Montreal | 4–8 | 7–11 | 3–9 | 2–10 | 2–10 | — | 8–10 | 3–15 | 8–10 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 7–11 | |||||
New York | 8–4 | 13–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 10–8 | — | 5–13 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 9–9 | |||||
Philadelphia | 7-5 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 15–3 | 13–5 | — | 8–10 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 12–6 | |||||
Pittsburgh | 9–3 | 10–8 | 4–8 | 10–2 | 3–9 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 10–8 | — | 7–5 | 9–3 | 12–6 | |||||
San Diego | 8–10 | 6–6 | 5–13 | 8–10 | 12–6 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–7 | — | 8–10 | 4–8 | |||||
San Francisco | 9–9 | 4–8 | 9–9 | 8–10 | 10–8 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 3–9 | 10–8 | — | 5–7 | |||||
St. Louis | 8–4 | 6–12 | 6–6 | 3–9 | 2–10 | 11–7 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 6–12 | 8–4 | 7–5 | — |
1976 Houston Astros | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders
| Outfielders
| Manager Coaches
|
= Indicates team leader |
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Ed Herrmann | 79 | 265 | 54 | .204 | 3 | 25 |
1B | Bob Watson | 157 | 585 | 183 | .313 | 16 | 102 |
2B | Rob Andrews | 109 | 410 | 105 | .256 | 0 | 23 |
SS | Roger Metzger | 152 | 481 | 101 | .210 | 0 | 29 |
3B | Enos Cabell | 144 | 586 | 160 | .273 | 2 | 43 |
LF | José Cruz | 133 | 439 | 133 | .303 | 4 | 61 |
CF | César Cedeño | 150 | 575 | 171 | .297 | 18 | 83 |
RF | Greg Gross | 128 | 426 | 122 | .286 | 0 | 27 |
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cliff Johnson | 108 | 318 | 72 | .226 | 10 | 49 |
Leon Roberts | 87 | 235 | 68 | .289 | 7 | 33 |
Wilbur Howard | 94 | 191 | 42 | .220 | 1 | 18 |
Larry Milbourne | 59 | 145 | 36 | .248 | 0 | 7 |
Ken Boswell | 91 | 126 | 33 | .262 | 0 | 18 |
Jerry DaVanon | 61 | 107 | 31 | .290 | 1 | 20 |
Skip Jutze | 42 | 92 | 14 | .152 | 0 | 6 |
Alex Taveras | 14 | 46 | 10 | .217 | 0 | 2 |
Art Howe | 21 | 29 | 4 | .138 | 0 | 0 |
Al Javier | 8 | 24 | 5 | .208 | 0 | 0 |
Rich Chiles | 5 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 0 | 0 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J.R. Richard | 39 | 291.0 | 20 | 15 | 2.75 | 214 |
Larry Dierker | 28 | 187.1 | 13 | 14 | 3.69 | 112 |
Joaquín Andújar | 28 | 172.1 | 9 | 10 | 3.60 | 59 |
Dan Larson | 13 | 92.1 | 5 | 8 | 3.02 | 42 |
Mike Cosgrove | 22 | 89.2 | 3 | 4 | 5.52 | 34 |
Mark Lemongello | 4 | 29.0 | 3 | 1 | 2.79 | 9 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joe Niekro | 36 | 118.0 | 4 | 8 | 3.36 | 77 |
Bo McLaughlin | 17 | 79.0 | 4 | 5 | 2.85 | 32 |
Gilberto Rondón | 19 | 53.2 | 2 | 2 | 5.70 | 21 |
Joe Sambito | 20 | 53.1 | 3 | 2 | 3.54 | 26 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Forsch | 52 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 2.15 | 49 |
Gene Pentz | 40 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2.97 | 36 |
Tom Griffin | 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6.05 | 33 |
Paul Siebert | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.16 | 10 |
Mike Barlow | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4.50 | 11 |
Larry Hardy | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7.06 | 10 |
José Sosa | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.94 | 5 |