| 1969 Houston Astros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | National League | |||
| Division | West | |||
| Ballpark | Astrodome | |||
| City | Houston,Texas | |||
| Record | 81–81 (.500) | |||
| Divisional place | 5th | |||
| Owners | Roy Hofheinz | |||
| General managers | Spec Richardson | |||
| Managers | Harry Walker | |||
| Television | KTRK-TV | |||
| Radio | KPRC (AM) (Gene Elston,Loel Passe,Harry Kalas) | |||
| ||||
The1969Houston Astros season was theeighth season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise located inHouston,Texas, their fifth as the Astros, eighth in theNational League (NL), first in the inaugural season of theNL West division, and fifth at TheAstrodome. The Astros entered the season with arecord of 72–90, in tenth place and 25games behind the NLpennant-winningSt. Louis Cardinals.
AtSan Diego Stadium on April 8,Don Wilson made his firstOpening Day start for the Astros, hosted by thePadres, one of four MLBexpansion teams. The Astros were defeated, 2–1. One day after the Astros wereno-hit byJim Maloney of theCincinnati Reds atCrosley Field, Wilson tossed the fourth no-hitter in franchise history on May 1, a 4–0 victory over the Reds. The second of two no-hitters he pitched for the Astros, Wilson became the first to pitch two no-hitters for the Astros.
In theMLB amateur draft, the Astros'first round selection was pitcherJ. R. Richard, at second overall. At the time, Richard became the highest-selected player in the amateur draft for Houston. ShortstopDenis Menke and pitcherLarry Dierker represented the Astros and played for the National League at theMLB All-Star Game. It was the first career selection for both players. Dierker became the first 20-gamewinner in franchise history.
The Astros concluded the season with an 81–81 record and in fifth place, 12 games behind the NL West-championAtlanta Braves. This represented the first time in franchise history that Houston finished with a record of .500 or higher.
With Wilson, Dierker, andTom Griffin all reaching the 200strikeout threshold, this Astros pitching staff became the second with three to reach the 200-strikeout threshold, following the1967 Minnesota Twins. Astros pitchers threw 1,221 strikeouts, a major league record that lasted until 1996. Griffin was also namedThe Sporting News NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year.[a] Right-handerFred Gladding notched 29saves to become the second Astros reliever to lead the NL.
| 22 | Jesús Alou | RF |
| 18 | Joe Morgan | 2B |
| 21 | Norm Miller | CF |
| 12 | Doug Rader | 3B |
| 13 | Curt Blefary | 1B |
| 27 | Bob Watson | LF |
| 11 | Denis Menke | SS |
| 7 | Johnny Edwards | C |
| 40 | Don Wilson | P |
| Venue: | San Diego Stadium • SDP 2, | HOU 1 |
On April 8, theexpansion teamPadres hosted the Houston Astros atSan Diego Stadium, who preceded the Padres in the then-most recentexpansion class of1962 to take part in the first-ever game in Padres history. The Astros rapidly kicked off the scoring in the top of the first inning whenDoug Rader singled inJoe Morgan off Padres starterDick Selma, to assume a 1–0 lead.Don Wilson, the Astros'Opening Day starting pitcher, kept the brand new franchise from realizing their first hit and run until the bottom of the fifth inning, whenEd Spezio cranked ahome run to tie the score, 1–1. However, the Astros neither scored for the rest of game, losing 2–1, nor for the rest of theseries, the victims ofshutout by the Padres on consecutive 2–0 decisions for the final two games. Hence, the Padres swept the Astros in their very first series,[8] in a mirror image of how the expansionHouston Colt .45s dispatched their very first opponent, theChicago Cubs, during their inaugural series.[9]
Having dropped their first five contests to start the season, on April 13, the Astros defeated theLos Angeles Dodgers, 5–2, to secure their first win of the 1969 campaign.[10] Don Wilson authored a masterpiece, going the distance with 10 strikeouts, agame score of 80, while surrendering two unearned runs to earn his first victory of the season.Denis Menke tookDon Drysdale deep in the bottom of the second, and in the next inning,Doug Rader belted a three-run home run off Drysdale before he exited two batters later.Jimmy Wynn added a home run in the fifth inning.[11] This began a three-gamewinning streak.[10]
Juan Marichal led a four-hitter against Houston on April 27 as theSan Francisco Giants won, 2–1. He struck out eight Astros.Willie Mays starred offensively, belting his 590th career home run, while also collecting a single in the fifth inning and later scoring.[12]
On April 30,Jim Maloney of theCincinnati Reds tossed ano-hitter to lead an outright embarrassment of Houston by a 10–0 score atCrosley Field. Maloney whiffed 13 Astros and walked five, the finalintentionally toJimmy Wynn with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth inning. Maloney then fannedDoug Rader to polish off the contest,[13] securing the no-hitter to punctuate alosing streak for Houston that slid to eight games, their lengthiest losing streak of the year. Moreover, the Astros had won just once in their previous 15 contests.
During their first month of divisional play, the Astros floundered, exiting April with a 4–20 (.167) record.[10]
The day after being no-hit, on May 1,Don Wilson returned the favor to the Reds at Crosley Field, achieving just the second instance in major league history that successive no-hitters transpired.[Note 1] Wilson's second career ho-hitter, he had yet to turn 25 years old, and became the first pitcher in club history to fire two no-hitters.[13][14] He punched out 13 as Houston triumphed, 4–0, to halt the Astros' already season-long losing streak at eight games.[15]
With the Astros down 1–0 on May 3 at the Astrodome, catcherDon Bryant hit a deep blast offBobby Bolin withJesús Alou on second to give Houston a 2–1 lead during the third inning. This was the first and only home run of Bryant's career.[16] The Astros did not relinquish the lead, and held on for a 4–3 win over theSan Francisco Giants.[17] On May 4, first basemanCurt Blefary participated in sevendouble plays, an MLB record for first basemen during a 9-inning game.[18]
Down 6–1 after seven innings on May 8, the Astros rallied for three runs in the eighth and continued the uprising with another three-run frame in the ninth to claims a 7–6 road victory over thePhiladelphia Phillies. CatcherJohnny Edwards drove in the game-winning run with a two-runsingle.[19]
The Astros ventured toJarry Park Stadium inCanada on May 13 for their first-ever international game to face theMontreal Expos, another expansion club playing out their inaugural season. InfielderDoug Rader knocked 3runs batted in (RBI) to lead a 10–3 victory for Houston.[20]
On May 27,Don Wilson had tossed a 13-strikeout gem keeping the score tied 2–2 with the Phillies going in the bottom of the ninth inning.Doug Rader proceeded to hit the game-winninggrand slam for a 6–2 Houston win.[21] The slam was also the first of Rader's career and 11th career home run overall.[22] The following game, an analogous scenario repeated for Rader, when he strode to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning with the score tied 6–6 on May 28 versus the Phillies. The bases were loaded, and Rader reprised his role by inducing the walk-off play, this time he drew abase on balls to thrust home the winning run to decide a 7–6 victory for Houston. Moreover, the win brought Houston to their first-ever 10-gamewinning streak.[23]
Starting June 4, and continuing until August 3,Jimmy Wynn scaled an on-base streak to 52 games to set the franchise record. Hebatted .322, with a .500on-base percentage (OBP) and .586slugging percentage (SLG), garnering 56hits and 63bases on balls (BB). Wynn's streak trailed the NL record by 6 games, held byDuke Snider, who reached base at least once each game from May 13–July 11,1954. Meanwhile, from June 25–August 18,1975,Greg Gross proceeded to reach base 52 consecutive games, which equaled Wynn for the franchise record.[24][25]
On June 5,Joe Morgan's 4-fort-4 day with a home run and four runs scored led a Houston win over theSt. Louis Cardinals, 11–6.[26] Astros starterLarry Dierker, on 24-hour leave from duty with theArmy on June 8, outdueled Cardinals aceSteve Carlton over 11innings. Dierker capped off the night by hitting the game-winningrun batted in (RBI) for a 2–1 win.[27]
Houston entered the All-Star break even with a 48–48 record on the heels of a 10–9, 11-inning defeat to the Reds. The Astros scored 5 in the top of the 4th to mount an 8–0 lead, capped byDenis Menke's two-run single. They added another in the top of the sixth courtesy of Menke's single to scoreSandy Valdespino to go up 9–0. However, Cincinnati answered with nine of their own, including rocking relieversJim Ray andSkip Guinn for six, capped by a two-run double byPete Rose and three-run home run byBobby Tolan. In the bottom of the tenth,Ted Savage singled offJack Billingham to scoreTony Pérez for the walk-off.[28]
The following day, theApollo 11 mission, launched byNASA, landed on theMoon.[29] By extension of the presence of the atJohnson Space Center in Houston, the Astros baseball club was named in honor of space exploration (theastronaut).
Houston swept a July 30doubleheader from theNew York Mets. In the opener,Denis Menke and Wynn both connected for grand slams in the same inning to cap a double-routing of the Mets, 16–3 and 11–5, atShea Stadium. The double slam by one team was the first to occur in the National League in 79 years.[Note 2][30][31] In the nightcap, Dierker tookNolan Ryan deep, and relieverFred Gladding, mired in a decade-long slump at the plate, laced a bloop single for the only hit in his major league career.[13]
The Astros season from August 26 to October 2 was featured inJim Bouton's book,Ball Four.[32] On September 19, Boutonstruck outTony Pérez of theCincinnati Reds and made baseball history. With that strikeout, the pitching staff of the 1969 edition of the Houston Astros broke the then-National League record for most strikeouts in a season with 1,123 strikeouts.[32] The team finished the year with 1,221 strikeouts, which stood as the National League record until 1996, when it was broken by theAtlanta Braves.[33][34] The Astros were the second team to have three pitchers with 200 strikeouts, with only the1967 Minnesota Twins having accomplished the feat. Since then, only the2013 Detroit Tigers have accomplished the feat.[35] The three hurlers who realized the 200-strikeout threshold for the Astros in 1969 included Wilson (235), Dierker (232), and rookieTom Griffin (200).[36]
Additionally, Dierker became Houston's first-ever 20-gamewinner to lead the club's first regular-season record as high as .500, hence, at the time a club-record 81 wins.[37] Dierker's 20 wins ranked fifth in the National League.[38] Dierker set other club records, including 20complete games[39] and305+1⁄3innings pitched.[40]
Wynn drew 148bases on balls to tieEddie Stanky of theBroolyn Dodgers in1945 for the National League record. At the time, the major league record of 170 was held byBabe Ruth of theNew York Yankees in1923 in theAmerican League (AL), and other hitters who were ahead of the NL record includedTed Williams (3 seasons),Eddie Yost,Eddie Joost and Ruth again (1923).[b][41]
Griffin was namedThe Sporting News NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year, the first Astros rookie pitcher to be recognized for the award[42] and was preceded by teammateJoe Morgan in1965 (position player) as the second Astros rookie overall to be so named.[a][43]
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 93 | 69 | .574 | — | 50–31 | 43–38 |
| San Francisco Giants | 90 | 72 | .556 | 3 | 52–29 | 38–43 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 89 | 73 | .549 | 4 | 50–31 | 39–42 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 85 | 77 | .525 | 8 | 50–31 | 35–46 |
| Houston Astros | 81 | 81 | .500 | 12 | 52–29 | 29–52 |
| San Diego Padres | 52 | 110 | .321 | 41 | 28–53 | 24–57 |
Sources:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||||
| Atlanta | — | 3–9 | 12–6 | 15–3 | 9–9 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 9–9 | 6–6 | |||||
| Chicago | 9–3 | — | 6–6–1 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 12–6 | 7–11 | 11–1 | 6–6 | 9–9 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 6–12 | 6–6–1 | — | 9–9 | 10–8 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 10–2 | 5–7 | 11–7 | 10–8 | 8–4 | |||||
| Houston | 3–15 | 4–8 | 9–9 | — | 6–12 | 11–1 | 10–2 | 8–4 | 3–9 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 7–5 | |||||
| Los Angeles | 9–9 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 12–6 | — | 10–2 | 4–8 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 12–6 | 5–13 | 3–9 | |||||
| Montreal | 4–8 | 8–10 | 4–8 | 1–11 | 2–10 | — | 5–13 | 11–7 | 5–13 | 4–8 | 1–11 | 7–11 | |||||
| New York | 8–4 | 10–8 | 6–6 | 2–10 | 8–4 | 13–5 | — | 12–6 | 10–8 | 11–1 | 8–4 | 12–6 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 6-6 | 6–12 | 2–10 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 7–11 | 6–12 | — | 10–8 | 8–4 | 3–9 | 7–11 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | 4–8 | 11–7 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 4–8 | 13–5 | 8–10 | 8–10 | — | 10–2 | 5–7 | 9–9 | |||||
| San Diego | 5–13 | 1–11 | 7–11 | 8–10 | 6–12 | 8–4 | 1–11 | 4–8 | 2–10 | — | 6–12 | 4–8 | |||||
| San Francisco | 9–9 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 13–5 | 11–1 | 4–8 | 9–3 | 7–5 | 12–6 | — | 3–9 | |||||
| St. Louis | 6–6 | 9–9 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 9–3 | 11–7 | 6–12 | 11–7 | 9–9 | 8–4 | 9–3 | — | |||||
| 1969 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders | Outfielders
Other batters | 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 | Johnny Edwards | 151 | 496 | 115 | .232 | 6 | 50 |
| 1B | Curt Blefary | 155 | 542 | 137 | .253 | 12 | 67 |
| 2B | Joe Morgan | 147 | 535 | 126 | .236 | 15 | 43 |
| SS | Denis Menke | 154 | 553 | 149 | .269 | 10 | 90 |
| 3B | Doug Rader | 155 | 569 | 140 | .246 | 11 | 83 |
| LF | Jesús Alou | 115 | 452 | 112 | .248 | 5 | 34 |
| CF | Jim Wynn | 149 | 495 | 133 | .269 | 33 | 87 |
| RF | Norm Miller | 119 | 409 | 108 | .264 | 4 | 50 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marty Martínez | 78 | 198 | 61 | .308 | 0 | 15 |
| Gary Geiger | 93 | 125 | 28 | .224 | 0 | 16 |
| Sandy Valdespino | 41 | 119 | 29 | .244 | 0 | 12 |
| Julio Gotay | 46 | 81 | 21 | .259 | 0 | 9 |
| Tommy Davis | 24 | 79 | 19 | .241 | 1 | 9 |
| Leon McFadden | 44 | 74 | 13 | .176 | 0 | 3 |
| Héctor Torres | 34 | 69 | 11 | .159 | 1 | 8 |
| Don Bryant | 31 | 59 | 11 | .186 | 1 | 6 |
| Bob Watson | 20 | 40 | 11 | .275 | 0 | 3 |
| Keith Lampard | 9 | 12 | 3 | .250 | 1 | 2 |
| César Gerónimo | 28 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
| John Mayberry | 5 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| = Indicates league leader |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Dierker | 39 | 305.1 | 20 | 13 | 2.33 | 232 |
| Denny Lemaster | 38 | 244.2 | 13 | 17 | 3.16 | 173 |
| Don Wilson | 34 | 225.0 | 16 | 12 | 4.00 | 235 |
| Tom Griffin | 31 | 188.1 | 11 | 10 | 3.54 | 200 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Ray | 40 | 115.0 | 8 | 2 | 3.91 | 115 |
| Wade Blasingame | 26 | 52.0 | 0 | 5 | 5.37 | 33 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Gladding | 57 | 4 | 8 | 29 | 4.21 | 40 |
| Jack Billingham | 52 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 4.25 | 71 |
| Dooley Womack | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3.51 | 32 |
| Skip Guinn | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6.67 | 33 |
| Jim Bouton | 16 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4.11 | 32 |
| Danny Coombs | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.75 | 3 |
| Dan Schneider | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.50 | 3 |
| Bob Watkins | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.17 | 11 |
| Bill Henry | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 |
| Ron Willis | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 |
| Scipio Spinks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 |
| Marty Martínez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 0 |
| No. | Date | Astros batter | Venue | Inning | Pitcher | Opposing team | Box |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 27 | Héctor Torres | Candlestick Park | 2 | Ray Sadecki | San Francisco Giants | [47] |
| 2 | May 27 | Doug Rader | Astrodome | 9† | Luis Peraza | Philadelphia Phillies | [48] |
| 3 | July 30 | Jimmy Wynn | Shea Stadium | 9₤ | Ron Taylor | New York Mets | [49] |
| 4 | Denis Menke | Cal Koonce | |||||
| ₤—first occurrence since August 16,1890,CHI vsPIT[30] •†—Walk-off |
