The1968Houston Astros season was theseventh season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise located inHouston,Texas, their fourth as the Astros, seventh in theNational League (NL), and fourth at TheAstrodome. The Astros entered the season with arecord of 68–93, in ninth place and32+1⁄2games behind the NLpennant andWorld Series-winningSt. Louis Cardinals.

On April 10, pitcherLarry Dierker made his first careerOpening Day start for the Astros, who hosted thePitsburgh Pirates and won, 5–4. During theamateur draft, Houston'sfirst round selection was catcher Martin Cott, at third overall, and in the 18th round, pitcherKen Forsch.

For the first time, the Astros hosted theMLB All-Star Game at The Astrodome, with the NL defeating theAmerican League (AL), 1–0.^{[Note 1]} First basemanRusty Staub represented the Astros and played for the National League at the All-Star Game, his second career selection.

The Astros concluded their season with a record of 72–90, an improvement of three wins, in tenth place of 10 teams and 25 games behind the repeat NL-pennant winningCardinals. It was the first time the Astros finished a season in last place. ShortstopHéctor Torres was selected to theTopps All-Star Rookie Team.

Along with MLB'sexpansion featuring the introduction of four new franchises^{[Note 2]} and an extraplayoff round^{[Note 3]}, this was also the final season prior to MLB's divisional era. Hence, all teams were realigned into four newly-commissioned divisions beginning the followingseason, with the Astros to compete in the NLWest.

• October 17, 1967:Bob Lillis was released by the Astros.^[1]
• October 25, 1967:César Cedeño was signed as an amateur free agent by the Astros.^[2]
• November 28, 1967:Doc Edwards was drafted from the Astros by thePhiladelphia Phillies in the 1967 minor league draft.^[3]

Opening Day starting lineup^[4][5]

The Astros andNew York Mets took their April 15 contest to 24innings at the Astrodome, with Houston prevailing 1–0.^[6] This was the longestshutout in major league history, lasting more than 6 hours before anyone scored. During the final inning,Bob Aspromonte's ground ball rolled through the legs ofAl Weis, allowingNorm Miller to charge home and score for the walk-off win. CatchersHal King andJerry Grote played through the entire contest.^[7]

Concurrent with a pitching duel on June 1 between theChicago Cubs and the Astros at the Astrodome, JudgeHofheinz hosted the opening ofAstroworld. Houston's newestamusement park, Astroworld was situated across the I-610 from the Astrodome.^[8]

Though games around Major League Baseball were postponed on June 10 in connection to theassassination of Robert F. Kennedy, two Houston Astros were fined for not playing in their game.^[9]

On July 9, the Astrodome hosted theMLB All-Star Game for the first time, the 39th edition, with the NL playing theAmerican League (AL).San Francisco Giants outfielderWillie Mays, who scored the game's only run as the National League prevailed, 1–0, was named theAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award winner.^[10] In a season hallmarked by some of the most dominant pitching of the modern era, the game depicted a microcosm of the times. In the bottom of the first inning, Mays scored the game's only run via afielder's choice off a sharpWillie McCovey ground ball which the AL converted into adouble play. The American League managed three hits while the NL collected five. This was the first-ever 1–0 score to result in the Midsummer Classic.^[11]

The loudest cheers from the hometown crowd erupted for first basemanRusty Staub—representing the Astros as a reserve—and forMickey Mantle. In the sixth inning, Staub popoed out to third base as apinch hitter forDenny McLain. In the eighth inning, Mantle pinch hit in what would be his final All-Star Game appearance and struck out againstTom Seaver.^[11]

Right-handerDon Wilson fanned 18Cincinnati Reds on July 14 to establish the Houston Astros club record for one game,^[6] during the second game of adoubleheader atCrosley Field. Houston won, 6-1.^[12][13] The 18 strikeouts represented Wilson's permanent career high.^[14]

Jimmy Wynn blasted his 100th career home run on July 26, deep to center field at the Astrodome, offFrank Linzy of San Francisco.^[15] Wynn connected in the bottom of the eighth inning for threeruns batted in (RBI) to augment the Astros' lead to 4–0.Denny Lemaster came within one out of earning acomplete game victory, surrendering his only run in the ninth inning, and yielding on 7 hits to San Francisco.^[16]

Just two months after showcasing his career-high 18 punchouts, on September 10, Don Wilson reprised that feat with 16,^[14] striking again against Cincinnati during the first game of a doubleheader at Crosley Field.^[a] CatcherJohn Bateman started the scoring in the top of the second with asacrifice fly for Houston. In the bottom of the inning, Cincinnati's catcherJohnny Bench took Wilson deep. At the plate, Wilson went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Cincinnati pitching issued threeintentional bases on balls with two going toLeon McFadden. Right fielderJosé Herrera stroked a bases-loaded double in the top of the fifth to score McFadden and Wilson, which proved the game's pivotal play. Awild pitch from Wilson in the bottom of the fifth platedTony Pérez, but that was the limit of the scoring as Houston prevailed, 3–2, Bend andPete Rose with 3 strikeouts each, were Wilson's frequent strikeout victimes. Wilson, who went the distance with agame score of 81, upped his record to 13–14.^[17] The 16 strikeouts represented the second-highest of Wilson's career.^[14]

The Astros concluded their season with a record of 72–90, in tenth place of 10 teams and 25 games behind the repeat NL-pennant winningSt. Louis Cardinals.^[18] In spite of an improvement of three wins, it was the first time the Astros finished a season in last place. At the time, the 72 wins represented the most in a season in franchise history, tying the1966 squad. The following year, Houston improved by 9 wins to attain their first-ever .500 season at 81–81. This would break a streak of each of the first 7 consecutive seasons in franchise history ending with 90 losses or more. The1969 campaign also represented the first year of divisional play, situating the Astros into the newly-commissionedNational League West division.^[19]

Houston'sstarting rotation featured four hurlers who each tallied double-figures inwins that year: Wilson (13),Larry Dierker (12)Dave Giusti (11) andDenny Lemaster (10).^[6]

With the advent of divisional play for 1969, Major League Baseball held anexpansion round to introduce fourexpansion teams: theMontreal Expos in theNational League East division,^[20] theSan Diego Padres in the NL West,^[21] and both theKansas City Royals^[22] andSeattle Pilots in theAmerican League West.^[23]

• May 4, 1968:Aaron Pointer was traded by the Astros to theChicago Cubs forByron Browne.^[24]
• June 8, 1968:Larry Yount was drafted by the Astros in the 5th round of the1968 Major League Baseball draft.^[25]

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

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

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

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

Awards

• Houston AstrosMost Valuable Player (MVP):^[27]Denis Menke
• All-Star Game—Reserve infielder:^[11]Rusty Staub
• Topps All-Star Rookie Team—Shortstop:Héctor Torres

• List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game venues
• List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning baseball game

Footnotes

Sources

• 1968 Houston Astros season at Baseball Reference

• Houston Astros seasons
• 1968 Major League Baseball season
• 1968 in sports in Texas
• 1960s in Houston

• Use mdy dates from November 2013
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards