1999 Houston Astros season

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1999  Houston Astros
National League Central Champions
Astros clinch playoff berth!.jpg
Final Astros regular season game (in the Astrodome) on October 3, 1999
League National League
Division Central
Ballpark Astrodome
City Houston, Texas
Record97–65 (.599)
Divisional place1st
Owners Drayton McLane, Jr.
General managers Gerry Hunsicker
Managers Larry Dierker, Matt Galante
Television KNWS-TV
Fox Sports Southwest
(Bill Brown, Jim Deshaies)
Radio KTRH
(Milo Hamilton, Alan Ashby)
KXYZ
(Francisco Ernesto Ruiz, Alex Treviño)
  1998 Seasons 2000  

The 1999 Houston Astros season was the 38th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas. The Astros won their third consecutive National League Central title on the final day of playing regular season games in the Astrodome on October 3. This was the first time they had made the postseason in three straight seasons; they would not do so again until 2019. It was the 35th and final season playing in the Astrodome as their home ballpark. [1]

Contents

Offseason

Regular season

New stadium

Exterior of Minute Maid Park MinuteMaidParkExteriorHouston.JPG
Exterior of Minute Maid Park

In 1999, the Astros played their final season in the Astrodome as their new stadium was being prepared for play to begin in the 2000 season. The ballpark was first named as Enron Field on April 9, 1999, with naming rights sold to the Houston energy and financial trading company in a 30-year, $100 million deal. Astros management faced a public relations nightmare when the energy corporation went bankrupt in the midst of one of the biggest corporate scandals in American history in 2001, and they bought back the remainder of Enron's thirty years of naming rights for $2.1 million, renaming the ballpark as Astros Field on February 7, 2002. The field was unofficially known as "The Field Formerly Known As Enron" by fans and critics alike, in the wake of the Enron scandal. On June 5, 2002, Houston-based Minute Maid, the fruit-juice subsidiary of Coca-Cola, acquired the naming rights to the stadium for 28 years at a price exceeding $100 million.

Based on its downtown location next to the old Union Station buildings, one of the suggested names (and nicknames) is the Ballpark at Union Station, or the BUS. During its days as Enron Field, it was also dubbed "Ten-Run" or "Home Run" Field due to its cozy left-field dimensions. In keeping with this theme while paying homage to its current sponsor, the nickname "The Juice Box" is colloquially used today.

Overview

On April 21, Jeff Bagwell hit three home runs in a 10–3 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, his second career three-home run game. The second home run allowed him to surpass Jimmy Wynn as the Astros' all-time home run leader at 224 and he tied a career-high in one game with six runs batted in (RBI). [5] He produced another three-home run game on June 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He was also a grand slam short of hitting for the "home run cycle," with a solo home run, a three-run home run, and a two-run home run, respectively. [6] The two three-home run games made him the only player to accomplish this feat at two different stadiums in Chicago in the same season. [7]

On August 20, Bagwell walked a major-league record six times in a 16-inning game against the Florida Marlins. [8] [9]

Season standings

NL Central
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Houston Astros 9765.59950324733
Cincinnati Reds 9667.58945375130
Pittsburgh Pirates 7883.48418½45363347
St. Louis Cardinals 7586.46621½38423744
Milwaukee Brewers 7487.46022½32484239
Chicago Cubs 6795.4143034473348

Record vs. opponents


Source: NL Standings Head-to-Head
TeamAZATLCHCCINCOLFLAHOULAMILMTLNYMPHIPITSDSFSTLAL
Arizona 4–57–21–86–78–15–47–65–46–37–28–15–211–29–34–47–8
Atlanta 5–42–58–15–49–46–15–45–29–49–38–56–35–44–58–19–9
Chicago 2–75–25–84–56–33–92–76–62–53–62–77–66–31–77–56–9
Cincinnati 8–11–88–57–26–19–44–36–64–35–56–37–66–34–58–47-8
Colorado 7–64–55–42–75–42–68–56–36–34–55–42–74–94–94–54–8
Florida 1–84–93–61–64–52–77–25–48–43–102–113–43–64–53–411–7
Houston 4–51–69–34–96–27-26–38–57–24–56–15–78–15–45–712–3
Los Angeles 6–74–57–23–45–82–73–67–25–44–46–33–63–98–53–68–7
Milwaukee 4–52–56–66–63–64–55–82–75–42–55–48–43–54–57–68–6
Montreal 3–64–95–23–43–64–82–74–54–55–86–63–65–34–55–48–10
New York 2–73–96–35–55–410–35–44–45–28–56–67–27–27–25–212–6
Philadelphia 1-85–87–23–64–511–21–63–64–56–66–63–46–32–64–511–7
Pittsburgh 2–53–66–76–77–24–37–56–34–86–32–74–33–64–57–57–8
San Diego 2–114–53–63–69–46–31–89–35–33–52–73–66–35–72–711–4
San Francisco 3–95–47–15–49–45–44–55–85–45–42–76–25–47–56–37–8
St. Louis 4–41–85–74–85–44–37–56–36–74–52–55–45–77–23–67–8

Notable transactions

Roster

1999 Houston Astros
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

OutfieldersManager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C Tony Eusebio 10332388.272433
1B Jeff Bagwell 162562171.30442126
2B Craig Biggio 160639188.2941673
SS Tim Bogar 10630974.239431
3B Ken Caminiti 7827378.2861356
LF Richard Hidalgo 10838387.2271556
CF Carl Everett 123464151.32525108
RF Derek Bell 128509120.2361266

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Bill Spiers 127393113.288439
Ricky Gutiérrez 8526870.261125
Paul Bako 7321555.256217
Russ Johnson 8315644.282523
Daryle Ward 6415041.273830
Matt Mieske 5410931.284522
Lance Berkman 349322.237415
Glen Barker 817321.288111
Stan Javier 206421.32804
Alex Diaz 305011.22017
Jack Howell 37337.21211
Mitch Meluskey 10337.21213
Randy Knorr 13305.16700
Ryan Thompson 12204.20015
Carlos Hernández 16142.14301

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Mike Hampton 35246.12243.58177
José Lima 34239.021102.90187
Shane Reynolds 34231.216143.85197
Chris Holt 32164.05134.66115
Sean Bergman 1999.0465.3638

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Scott Elarton 42124.0953.48121
Wade Miller 510.1019.588

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGWLSVERASO
Billy Wagner 6641391.57124
Jay Powell 675444.3277
Brian Williams 502104.4153
Trever Miller 473215.0737
Doug Henry 352324.6536
José Cabrera 264002.1528
Jeff McCurry 501015.753
Joe Slusarski 30000.003

National League Divisional Playoffs

Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros

Atlanta wins series, 3-1

GameScoreDate
1Houston 6, Atlanta 1October 5
2Atlanta 5, Houston 1October 6
3Atlanta 5, Houston 3 (12 innings)October 8
4Atlanta 7, Houston 5October 9

Farm system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA New Orleans Zephyrs Pacific Coast League Tony Peña
AA Jackson Generals Texas League Jim Pankovits
A Kissimmee Cobras Florida State League Manny Acta
A Michigan Battle Cats Midwest League Al Pedrique
A-Short Season Auburn Doubledays New York–Penn League Lyle Yates
Rookie Martinsville Astros Appalachian League Brad Wellman

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Martinsville

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References

  1. "October 3, 1999: Astros clinch third consecutive NL Central title in Astrodome's last regular-season game – Society for American Baseball Research".
  2. Ken Caminiti at Baseball-Reference
  3. Ryan Thompson at Baseball-Reference
  4. 1 2 Alex Diaz at Baseball-Reference
  5. "Bagwell is at his best with three homers". Los Angeles Times . Associated Press. April 22, 1999. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  6. "Baseball time in Arlington: The penultimate killing of the year". Bbtia.com. September 28, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  7. Kamka, Chris (April 12, 2015). "Thomas, Bagwell share 2005 World Series connection". Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  8. de Jesús Ortíz, José (November 26, 2002). "Bagwell turns to weight room to regain shoulder strength". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  9. "Jeff Bagwell 1999 batting game log". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  10. George Williams at Baseball-Reference