Ella Kerlin

Professor Fountain

ENGL-1301-MHS4

04 September 2020

Astro-mania

The present-day Houston Astros have been through so much since being the Houston

Colt 45s. For example, the most recent cheating scandal that has been a very popular and

interesting topic in the baseball community. The most hated team in baseball has a decent

amount of history and facts that can make any person interested in the team. From crazy trades,

scandals, drafts, stadium history and much more, the Astros franchise has been through thick and

thin. As of right now the Astros have tons to look forward to in the coming years, but it is always

good to reflect and see what has been overcome in the past. 

Starting off in 1962, the Colt 45s were founded and only lasted three years before

becoming the well-known Houston Astros. The Astros decided to change their name because

their new stadium was called the “Astrodome”. The Astros arrived in the Astrodome in 1965, a

very interesting fact is that it was the first domed stadium, being called one of the eight world

wonders. The Astrodome was such a big hit in 1965, it was because it had air conditioning in

such a large domed stadium. Working air conditioning in a huge 18 story building was rare,

especially when it was the only domed stadium in the world. The next stadium the Astros played

at and currently at is Minute Maid Park. Before it was called Minute Maid it was known as

Enron Field for two years before the name being switched. The name switched because the

company Enron went bankrupt. The Astros have currently played at Minute Maid park for 21
years. Minute Maid ballpark has many unique features, for example, “a train that goes back and

forth after a run scores”, “tons of restaurants to eat at” and much more! One of the most iconic

things at Minute Maid is an “old fashion gas pump that tracks how many homeruns have been hit

at the park”. Minute Maid ballpark is one of the most unique baseball stadiums that’s around

today!

Throughout the 58 seasons of being a team, the Astros franchise have only been to the

playoffs 13 times. Most recently the Astros went to the World Series in 2019 but lost during the

7th game, as well as the infamous World Series title in 2017. The Astros franchise have not had

the most successful playoff runs in the past. Compared to the past 58 seasons the Yankees have

had 30 playoff appearances compared to the Actros 13 appearances. While the Houston Astros

are a “newer” team to the league, other teams are more used to going to the playoffs because of

how long they have been around. When the Astros joined the league alongside the New York

Mets, there was only 18 other teams in the league prior to when they joined. In total the Astros

have been to the World Series three times and only won one time in their 58-year history. The

Astros franchise has had plenty of times to go to the playoffs or World Series but instead

“choke” when they are in a good spot. A good example is the 2019 World Series when the

Astros could not win one game at home but instead won three games on the road.

Now the most controversial topic, the cheating scandal. In the Astros championship year

(2017) and believed part of 2018 the Houston Astros stole signs illegally. They did it by using a

camera in center field and relaying the signs to home plate by banging on a trashcan in the

dugout to signal the next pitch. The punishment for the Astros was a “$5 million fine, one-year

suspension for Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch and then forfeiting their first and second round draft

picks for the next two years”. Many people disagree with the punishment saying it was not harsh
enough or to take back the World Series ring. A good amount of Astro fans is upset about the

suspension of AJ Hinch because it led to the franchise firing him. Some people even believe the

Astros are still stealing signs to this day because MLB did not give out a severe enough

punishment for them to “learn their lesson”. Players that play for the Astros are mentally beat

from all the heat the league has been giving them for the cheating scandal. Now the Astros have

another chance to go to the World Series by making the 2020 playoff ballot.

Reflecting on how much the Astros have progressed we can always look forward to how

bright our future is. Even though the Astros are the most hated team, there is no denying that the

history of the franchise is very interesting to learn about. One thing that will always remain the

same is that the Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series champions. Many baseball fans do

not like hearing that phrase but nothing else can be done to change that. Throughout these

challenges, a large amount of people has remained loyal to the team even though the Astros have

made mistakes in the past. Following the Astros after the scandal is very unpopular after losing

so many fans because of it.

 Works Cited

Baseball Almanac, Inc. “HOUSTON COLT 45S.” Baseball Almanac, www.baseball-

almanac.com/teams/astr.shtml.

Forman, Sean. “Houston Astros Team History & Encyclopedia.” Baseball, www.baseball-

reference.com/teams/HOU/index.shtml.

“Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros Ballpark - Ballparks of Baseball.” Ballparks of Baseball -
Your Guide to Major League Baseball Stadiums,
www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/minute-maid-park/.