| 1999 Houston Astros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Central champions | ||||
 Final Astros regular season game in the Astrodome on October 3, 1999 | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | Central | |||
| Ballpark | Astrodome | |||
| City | Houston,Texas | |||
| Record | 97–65 (.599) | |||
| Divisional place | 1st | |||
| 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) | |||
| ||||
The1999Houston Astros season was the38th season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise located inHouston,Texas, their 35th as the Astros, 38th in theNational League (NL), sixth in theNL Central division, and 35th and final season at TheAstrodome. The Astros entered the season as two-time defending NL Centralchampions with a 102–60record, setting a then-club record for wins, as well their first-ever 100-win season. However, the Astros' season ended in a 3-games-to-1 defeat by theSan Diego Padres in theNational League Division Series (NLDS), also the NLpennant winners.
On April 6, pitcherShane Reynolds made his fourth consecutiveOpening Day start for the Astros, who hosted theChicago Cubs and won, 4–2. In theamateur draft, the Astros'first round selection was outfielder Mike Rosamond at 42nd overall.
Four Astros represented the club, playing for the National League at theMLB All-Star Game: first basemanJeff Bagwell,[a] and pitchersMike Hampton,José Lima, andBilly Wagner. This was the fourth All-Star appearance for Bagwell, and first for each of Hampton, Lima and Wagner. Former pitcherNolan Ryan wasinducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame. Ryan spent nine of his 27 MLB seasons with Houston, from1980 to1988.
The Astros won their third consecutive NL Central division title on October 3, the final day of playing regular season games in The Astrodome before a sellout crowd. Fans broke the franchise attendance record for a second consecutive season at over 2.7 million. For the first time in franchise history, Houston claimed three consecutive division titles while qualifying for theplayoffs in three straight seasons; the next time they accomplished this occurred exactly two decades later, in2017,2018, and2019. This was the Astros' sixth division title and sixth playoff appearance in franchise history.
However, the Astros' season ended in a 3-games-to-1 defeat by theAtlanta Braves in that year'sNLDS. It was their third consecutive NLDS loss, and the second in three seasons to Atlanta, who ended their season as the NL pennant winners. In fact, through the point, the Astros had never won playoff round.
Following the season, Hampton, the NL leader inwins (22) and third-place finisher inearned run average (ERA, 2.90), was recognized with the Players Choice Award for NLOutstanding Pitcher and asThe Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year,[b] Wagner won theRolaids Relief Man Award, and Bagwell and Hampton wonSilver Slugger Awards.
The Astros relocated the followingseason to Enron Field, later rebranded asMinute Maid Park, also indowntown Houston.[1]
In 1999, the Astros played their final season in theAstrodome as their new stadium was being prepared for play to begin in the 2000 season. The ballpark was first named asEnron Field on April 9, 1999, withnaming 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 ofone 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-basedMinute Maid, the fruit-juice subsidiary ofCoca-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 oldUnion 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, thenickname "The Juice Box" is colloquially used today.
| 7 | Craig Biggio | 2B |
| 14 | Derek Bell | RF |
| 5 | Jeff Bagwell | 1B |
| 11 | Ken Caminiti | 3B |
| 3 | Carl Everett | CF |
| 15 | Richard Hidalgo | LF |
| 20 | Tony Eusebio | C |
| 12 | Ricky Gutiérrez | SS |
| 37 | Shane Reynolds | P |
| Venue: | Astrodome • HOU 4, | CHI 2 |
On the 35th and final anniversary of the opening of the Astrodome, April 9,Tim Bogar singled homeRichard Hidalgo for the winning run to defeat theMilwaukee Brewers, 3–2. Starting pitcherSean Bergman homered but it wasScott Elarton who picked up the win relief. On April 11,Craig Biggio scored his 1,000th run along with two hits to lead a 5–2 win over the Brewers.Shane Reynolds was the winning pitcher.[8]
On April 21,Jeff Bagwell hit threehome runs in a 10–3 win against theChicago Cubs atWrigley Field, his second career three-home run game. The second home run surpassedJimmy Wynn as the Astros' all-time home run leader at 224, while his sixruns batted in (RBI) tied a career-high.[9] Bagwell joinedGlenn Davis as Astros with multiple three-home run games (September 10,1987, and June 1,1990).[c][10]
Houston staged an offensive onslaught on May 11, routing thePittsburgh Pirates 19–8 at the Astrodome. This matched a1995 explosion against theChicago Cubs for the club record for runs, which stood until the2015 season.[11] The Astros'batting order cranked 10extra-base hits—alldoubles. Leading the way, Bagwell reached base 5 times, including 2 hits for doubles and 3bases on balls, scored 4 runs and had 4 RBI.Carl Everett added 5 RBI, andKen Caminiti also had 4 RBI.Sean Bergman was the winning pitcher after having allowing 11 hits and 6 runs over 5 innings.[12] The doubles tally broke a club record, which stood until another banner offensive performance, when they collected 11 doubles en route to defeating theSeattle Mariners, 21–1, on September 8,2019.[13]
During a 10–5 win over theSan Francisco Giants on May 15, second basemanCraig Biggio powered a 4-for-4 performance, including a three-run home run. Bagwell also slugged a three-run home run in the effort.[14]
Bagwell connected for another three-home run game on June 9 against theChicago 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.[15] The two three-home run games made him the only player to accomplish this feat at two different stadiums inChicago in the same season.[16] Hence, Bagwell became the first Astro with three such games, breaking a tie withGlenn Davis.[d][10]
On June 13, managerLarry Dierker collapsed in thedugout mid-game versus theSan Diego Padres due to agrand mal seizure. He was hospitalized and required brain surgery, but recovered well to miss just 27 games. The game was suspended with Houston leading, 4–0.[17] In spite of losing Dierker, two other coaches to lengthy absences, and 14 players to thedisabled list (DL), the Astros kept the competitive momentum going throughout the season.[18]
Astros general managerGerry Hunsicker promoted benchcoachMatt Galante to serve as interim manager of the Astros in Dierker's stead. Galante, who had been in the organization since 1980 and was bench coach for one year, led the team to a performance result of 13–14 (.481). It was during this time that the team absorbed the absences of other coaching staff members on medical leave. First base coachJosé Cruz was on leave after anirregular heart beat. Hitting coachTommy McCraw underwent treatment forprostate cancer.[19]
Four Astros selected to fortify the National League roster at theMLB All-Star Game, hosted atFenway Park inBoston. It was the fourth selection for Bagwell, who became the first Astro to make the starting lineup as thedesignated hitter, and first for each of the pitchersMike Hampton,José Lima, andBilly Wagner.[21] Bagwell collected a single offDavid Cone in three at bats, while Lima (1 inning pitched), Hampton (2⁄3), and Wagner (2⁄3) each tossed a scoreless outing. However, theAmerican League (AL) triumphed, 4–1.[22]
On July 23, the Astros and Padres resumed the contest interrupted by Dierker's seizure.[19] RelieverBilly Wagner surrendered a pair of home runs[23] toPhil Nevin andRubén Rivera.[19] However, the Astro held on for a 4–3 win.[23]
To cap anextra inning marathon on August 20,Ken Caminiti crushed his second homer of the game, tipping the final score to Houston, 6–4, in the 16th over theFlorida Marlins. The contest featured an NL-record 16bases on balls coaxed by the Astros hitters, while they also whiffed 21 times.[8] Meanwhile, Bagwell drew a major-league-record six free passes, including twiceintentionally.[24][25]
During the August 31 contest, Caminiti launched the finalgrand slam hit at the Astrodome,[26] with Houston hosting theNew York Mets. The big knock proved crucial, as all the scoring transpired after the sixth inning. Caminiti's two outerror in the top of the eighth injected new life into the Mets, andJohn Olerud leveraged the opportunity by homering to tie the game, 2–2. In the bottom of the eighth,Turk Wendell (3–2) issued the intentional walk to Bagwell to face Caminiti instead, who launched the grand slam to put the Astros ahead, 6–2. Meanwhile, Lima (18–7) tossed eight smooth innings, with just two unearned runs allowed, while Wagner closed out the contest with a clean ninth.[27]
During a Friday night contest on September 24 atMilwaukee County Stadium,Bill Spiers, stationed in right field, endured an ambush by afan who had crawled down the adjacent wall. On a dare from his peers, the assailant, a 23-year-old Berley Visgar tackled Spiers from behind, toppling him, and delivered a bloody nose, awelt under the left eye and inducedwhiplash. Astros starting pitcherMike Hampton immediately saw what was unfolding and sprinted to his right fielder's aid—arriving before anyone else—and pummeled Visgar with several kicks before being separated by teammates andMilwaukee Brewers players.[e][28][29]
On October 2, Lima and Wagner combined to hurl the finalshutout pitched at the Astrodome.[26]
The Astros won their final regular-season contest at the Astrodome on October 3, 9–4 over theLos Angeles Dodgers, while also clinching a third consecutive National League Central division title in record-setting fashion and with style. Hampton became the first 22-game winner in club history, while Biggio extended his club-record 56th double.Daryle Ward also doubled, driving in runs with thebases loaded in the first inning to begin the scoring. Afterwards, members of the1965 club appeared and were honored along with an All-Time Astros Team before a jubilant crowd.[8]Tony Eusebio secured the final regular-seasonputout at the Astrodome.[26] The first time in franchise history the Astros had won three consecutive division titles,[30] they made history before yet another sellout crowd. In a season where standing-room only access became more commonplace than ever, Astrosfans turned in yet another record-setting year of attendance, with 2.7 million, shattering the previous record set just the year prior, at 2.45 million.[18]
Incorporating the 102-win campaign of the year prior, these Astros editions matched the1979 (89 wins) and1980 (93) outfits as the second period in franchise annals in which Houston won 89 or more contests successively.[31]
Having won a third division title—all consecutively—Dierker became the first manager to guide his rosters to these feats for the Astros, surpassingBill Virdon (1980 and1981 second-half division winner). The franchise record of three successive division titles was matched when the2017,2018, and2019 squads each claimed anAmerican League (AL) West title, and remained as the franchise record until Houston captured four successive AL West titles from2021 to2024.[f][31][32]
The accomplishments of the club two decades later and beyond notwithstanding, Dierker maintained a share of the club record as manager to lead his club to division titles—he was equaled byA. J. Hinch, who guided the 2017–2019 clubs, andDusty Baker, leader of the 2021–2023 editions. In 2024,Joe Espada took over for Baker.[31]
Having slugged 42 home runs and swiped 30 bases, Bagwell repeated as an entrant into the 30 home runs—30 stolen bases club,[g] (first in1997), and as the lone Astro thus far to have any such achievement.[33]
Bagwell also drew 149bases on balls to eclipse the franchise record of 148 sustained byJimmy Wynn in1969.[34] The 149 free passes led the major leagues, as well as Bagwell's 331times on base, 143runs scored andpower–speed number of 35.0.[35]
In addition to entrenching the club record with 56 doubles, Biggio also led the major leagues, at the time, the third Astro to headline the National League, and his club-record third time doing so. Previously, Biggio had led the league in1994 and1998. The seventh occasion by an Astros hitter, those preceding Biggio includedRusty Staub (1967),César Cedeño (twice,1971 and1972), and Bagwell (1996).[36]
Also for the first time in franchise history, with Hampton (22wins) and Lima (21), the Astros sported a 20 game-winner duo,[18] the sixth and seventh pitchers in franchise history to win 20 in a season.[37] The third in a succession of Astros hurlers who led the league the in wins over decennial intervals, Hampton joined Niekro in 1979 and Scott in1989 (20).[38] Dierker, who became the Astros' first-ever 20-game winning pitcher in1969,[18] ranked fifth in the league that season.[39]
Hampton was recognized withThe Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year Award, the third Astro to receive this honor, followingJoe Niekro in1979 andMike Scott in1986.[b][40]
Bagwell was awarded his third careerSilver Slugger Award, extending his club record for first baseman. Meanwhile Hampton, who also claimed a Silver Slugger, became the first in club history to win among pitchers. It was the third successive campaign that Houston had boasted at least two Silver Sluggers, and fourth overall (1983).[41]
CloserBilly Wagner was recognized with the NLRolaids Relief Man Award,[42] the first Astro be named with an annual reliever award since1992, whenDoug Jones was namedThe Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year:[43]
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 50–32 | 47–33 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 96 | 67 | .589 | 1½ | 45–37 | 51–30 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 78 | 83 | .484 | 18½ | 45–36 | 33–47 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 75 | 86 | .466 | 21½ | 38–42 | 37–44 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 74 | 87 | .460 | 22½ | 32–48 | 42–39 |
| Chicago Cubs | 67 | 95 | .414 | 30 | 34–47 | 33–48 |
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | — | 4–5 | 7–2 | 1–8 | 6–7 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 7–6 | 5–4 | 6–3 | 7–2 | 8–1 | 5–2 | 11–2 | 9–3 | 4–4 | 7–8 |
| Atlanta | 5–4 | — | 2–5 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 9–4 | 6–1 | 5–4 | 5–2 | 9–4 | 9–3 | 8–5 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 8–1 | 9–9 |
| Chicago | 2–7 | 5–2 | — | 5–8 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–9 | 2–7 | 6–6 | 2–5 | 3–6 | 2–7 | 7–6 | 6–3 | 1–7 | 7–5 | 6–9 |
| Cincinnati | 8–1 | 1–8 | 8–5 | — | 7–2 | 6–1 | 9–4 | 4–3 | 6–6 | 4–3 | 5–5 | 6–3 | 7–6 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 8–4 | 7–8 |
| Colorado | 7–6 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | — | 5–4 | 2–6 | 8–5 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | 4–9 | 4–9 | 4–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida | 1–8 | 4–9 | 3–6 | 1–6 | 4–5 | — | 2–7 | 7–2 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–10 | 2–11 | 3–4 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 11–7 |
| Houston | 4–5 | 1–6 | 9–3 | 4–9 | 6–2 | 7–2 | — | 6–3 | 8–5 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 6–1 | 5–7 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 5–7 | 12–3 |
| Los Angeles | 6–7 | 4–5 | 7–2 | 3–4 | 5–8 | 2–7 | 3–6 | — | 7–2 | 5–4 | 4–4 | 6–3 | 3–6 | 3–9 | 8–5 | 3–6 | 8–7 |
| Milwaukee | 4–5 | 2–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 5–8 | 2–7 | — | 5–4 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–5 | 4–5 | 7–6 | 8–6 |
| Montreal | 3–6 | 4–9 | 5–2 | 3–4 | 3–6 | 4–8 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 4–5 | — | 5–8 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 5–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 8–10 |
| New York | 2–7 | 3–9 | 6–3 | 5–5 | 5–4 | 10–3 | 5–4 | 4–4 | 5–2 | 8–5 | — | 6–6 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 5–2 | 12–6 |
| Philadelphia | 1–8 | 5–8 | 7–2 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 11–2 | 1–6 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | — | 3–4 | 6–3 | 2–6 | 4–5 | 11–7 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–5 | 3–6 | 6–7 | 6–7 | 7–2 | 4–3 | 7–5 | 6–3 | 4–8 | 6–3 | 2–7 | 4–3 | — | 3–6 | 4–5 | 7–5 | 7–8 |
| San Diego | 2–11 | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–6 | 9–4 | 6–3 | 1–8 | 9–3 | 5–3 | 3–5 | 2–7 | 3–6 | 6–3 | — | 5–7 | 2–7 | 11–4 |
| San Francisco | 3–9 | 5–4 | 7–1 | 5–4 | 9–4 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–8 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 2–7 | 6–2 | 5–4 | 7–5 | — | 6–3 | 7–8 |
| St. Louis | 4–4 | 1–8 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–4 | 4–3 | 7–5 | 6–3 | 6–7 | 4–5 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 5–7 | 7–2 | 3–6 | — | 7–8 |
| 1999 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders | Outfielders | Manager Coaches
| ||||||
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 | Tony Eusebio | 103 | 323 | 88 | .272 | 4 | 33 |
| 1B | Jeff Bagwell | 162 | 562 | 171 | .304 | 42 | 126 |
| 2B | Craig Biggio | 160 | 639 | 188 | .294 | 16 | 73 |
| SS | Tim Bogar | 106 | 309 | 74 | .239 | 4 | 31 |
| 3B | Ken Caminiti | 78 | 273 | 78 | .286 | 13 | 56 |
| LF | Richard Hidalgo | 108 | 383 | 87 | .227 | 15 | 56 |
| CF | Carl Everett | 123 | 464 | 151 | .325 | 25 | 108 |
| RF | Derek Bell | 128 | 509 | 120 | .236 | 12 | 66 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Spiers | 127 | 393 | 113 | .288 | 4 | 39 |
| Ricky Gutiérrez | 85 | 268 | 70 | .261 | 1 | 25 |
| Paul Bako | 73 | 215 | 55 | .256 | 2 | 17 |
| Russ Johnson | 83 | 156 | 44 | .282 | 5 | 23 |
| Daryle Ward | 64 | 150 | 41 | .273 | 8 | 30 |
| Matt Mieske | 54 | 109 | 31 | .284 | 5 | 22 |
| Lance Berkman | 34 | 93 | 22 | .237 | 4 | 15 |
| Glen Barker | 81 | 73 | 21 | .288 | 1 | 11 |
| Stan Javier | 20 | 64 | 21 | .328 | 0 | 4 |
| Alex Diaz | 30 | 50 | 11 | .220 | 1 | 7 |
| Jack Howell | 37 | 33 | 7 | .212 | 1 | 1 |
| Mitch Meluskey | 10 | 33 | 7 | .212 | 1 | 3 |
| Randy Knorr | 13 | 30 | 5 | .167 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Thompson | 12 | 20 | 4 | .200 | 1 | 5 |
| Carlos Hernández | 16 | 14 | 2 | .143 | 0 | 1 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Hampton | 35 | 246.1 | 22 | 4 | 3.58 | 177 |
| José Lima | 34 | 239.0 | 21 | 10 | 2.90 | 187 |
| Shane Reynolds | 34 | 231.2 | 16 | 14 | 3.85 | 197 |
| Chris Holt | 32 | 164.0 | 5 | 13 | 4.66 | 115 |
| Sean Bergman | 19 | 99.0 | 4 | 6 | 5.36 | 38 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Elarton | 42 | 124.0 | 9 | 5 | 3.48 | 121 |
| Wade Miller | 5 | 10.1 | 0 | 1 | 9.58 | 8 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Wagner | 66 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 1.57 | 124 |
| Jay Powell | 67 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.32 | 77 |
| Brian Williams | 50 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.41 | 53 |
| Trever Miller | 47 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5.07 | 37 |
| Doug Henry | 35 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4.65 | 36 |
| José Cabrera | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2.15 | 28 |
| Jeff McCurry | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15.75 | 3 |
| Joe Slusarski | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 |
Atlanta wins series, 3-1
| Game | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston 6, Atlanta 1 | October 5 |
| 2 | Atlanta 5, Houston 1 | October 6 |
| 3 | Atlanta 5, Houston 3 (12 innings) | October 8 |
| 4 | Atlanta 7, Houston 5 | October 9 |
| Player | Pos. | Colt .45s / Astros career | Induction | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Yr. | Gm. | St. | Fin. | ||||
| Nolan Ryan | SP | 34 | 9 | 282 | 1980 | 1988 | 1999 | Plaque |
| Uniform number retired during1996 season. | ||||||||
| See also:Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame •Source:[45] | ||||||||
| Player | AVG | HR | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | .304 | 42 | 30 |
|
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LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Martinsville
