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Houston Astros All-Time Team
The Houston Astros began in 1962 as the Colt 45s, winning their first game 11-2 against the Cubs. Unfortunately they were consistently bad for their three years playing with that name (winning only 64-66 games per season). A move from Colt Stadium to indoor play at the Astrodome in 1965 didn't improve things immediately, but eventually the team posted a .500 season in 1969. However, they didn't win their first division title until 1980, behind the strong pitching of Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard. They won another in 1986, this time backed by a career year by Mike Scott. In the late 1990s they developed a more balanced club, coming in second in the Central Division from 1994 to 1996, and then winning the division from 1997-99 and again in 2001. And most recently the Astros made it to the NLCS in 2004 and then made it to the World Series for the first time in 2005.
The Astros All-Time team roster has many strong points, with a few weaker positions too. They've had many talented players in the nearly 40 years of their existence, and compare fairly well with the other teams who sprang up during the expansion periods of the 1960s.
1st Base:
Obviously Jeff Bagwell (.297, 1517 R, 488 D, 449 HR, 1529 RBI, .540 SLG, 1 GG, 4 AS) is the starter here. He is the career leader in HRs and RBIs for Houston, and amongst the club's leaders in other categories. He has had some simply phenomenal seasons, playing his entire 15-year career for the Astros, including eight in which he managed 30/100/100 HR/RBI/R. He's also had seven seasons with 100+ walks, leading to a career .408 OBP. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and the MVP in the strike-shortened 1994 season (the only Astro to ever take home the prize).
Before Bagwell, there was Glenn Davis (.262, 166 HR, 2 AS), a power hitter who six times provided 20+ HR, and enjoyed his finest year in 1986 helping the Astros take the Western Division title. Bob Watson played more of his games at 1B than in the OF, but there is more room for him on this team in the OF, so he'll be reconsidered there. Lee May (.274, 2 AS) had three 20+ HR seasons at 1B for the Astros from 1972-74, but that isn't enough to make this team.
2nd Base:
Another of the famed "Killers Bees", Craig Biggio (.285, 160 HR, 1063 RBI, 1697 R, 604 D, 407 SB, 4 GG, 7 AS), was the best second baseman of the 1990s in the NL, so obviously he'll be the starter here. I considered having him as the catcher for this team, as he did play 427 games there early in his career. But with 1746 games at 2B, and given others available at the two positions, it is most reasonably to have Biggio appear at his longest-running position. He has also played 363 games in the outfield, though not because his defense at 2B was lacking (he won four gold gloves there) and returned there for 2005 and beyond. Biggio long provided a great combination of power and speed, especially for a middle-infielder: he managed seven 20+ homer seasons and his 407 stolen bases compare nicely with only 119 times caught stealing. He score 146 runs in 1997, then had perhaps his best season statistically in 1998 with 210 hits, 123 runs, 51 doubles, 20 homeruns, 88 RBI, 50 SB and only 8 CS, a .325 BA and a .403 OBP.
While his best seasons were with the Reds, Joe Morgan (.260, 219 SB, 2 AS) did have some good early years in Houston, scoring 100+ runs twice and stealing 40+ bases three times. He returned to Houston for one year, 1980, and helped them win the Western Division.
This means that Bill Doran (.267, 191 SB) is left off the all-time roster. While not spectacular, he did play more games at 2B for the Astros than Morgan did (1138 to 987). And his 42 steals in 1986 and 31 in 1987 deserve mention.
3rd Base:
Not a particularly strong position, defensive standout Doug Rader (.251, 5 GG) is the starter. The Red Rooster hit 20 or more home runs three times, so he provides this mythical roster with some pop. The backup is a close call between Enos Cabell (.281, 191 SB) and Ken Caminiti (.264, 1 AS). I'll go with Cabell, since be brings a little speed to the position and some versatility in that he played some 1B too. Caminiti's superstar seasons came later with the Padres -- most of his seasons for Houston were of the .265, 30 D, 15 HR, 75 RBI variety.
Shortstop:
Even weaker than 3B, shortstop has almost always been a good-glove, no-hit position in Houston. Although Roger Metzer (.230, 1 GG) played a few more games at SS, Craig Reynolds (.252, 1 AS) played in more total games for the Astros, so he'll get the start. Reynolds's hitting repertoire isn't quite as bad as Metzer's either. Obviously, this position is slotted for eighth in the batting order. Oh, if only Dickie Thon hadn't been injured!
Catcher:
Like the left-side infielders, Houston backstops haven't been top-notch either. The two catchers will be Brad Ausmus (.253, 2 GG) and Alan Ashby (.252). Ausmus never had more than ten homers in a season, though he did have above average speed for a catcher (twice he had double-digit SBs). He was a good defender, winning two gold gloves. Ashby played more seasons for the Astros, but fewer games per season (he never had over 400 ABs in a year), often splitting time with Luis Pujols, Mark Bailey, and others. He had a bit more pop in his bat than Ausmus, but I'll give the starting spot to Brad (who caught a few more games than Alan, 942 to 901). Johnny Edwards (.237), from the early 1970s, was good defensively and comes in third in this relatively weak field of candidates.
Outfield:
The starting three outfielders are quite solid: Cesar Cedeno (.289, 890 R, 778 RBI, 163 HR, 487 SB, 5 GG, 4 AS), Jose Cruz (.292, 871 R, 942 RBI, 138 HR, 288 SB, 2 AS), and Jim Wynn (.255, 829 R, 719 RBI, 223 HR, 180 SB, 1 AS). All three provide various combinations of speed and power. Cedeno was the leading thief, stealing 50+ bases in 6 consecutive seasons. In three of thoses seasons he also managed 20 or more home runs, and he also took home five gold gloves patrolling CF in the Astrodome. "The Toy Cannon" Jimmy Wynn provided the most power, with seven seasons of 20+ homers and 37 being his best effort in 1967. He managed 20+ steals three times, with 43 in his first full season in 1965. Jose Cruz had the least impressive peak statistics, but he consistently provided a .300 average, 10-15 HR, 90 RBI, and 30 SB. These three fellows also happen to be the top three in games played in the OF for the Astros, so unless you demand one per OF position, they seem like clear-cut choices.
After Cedeno, Cruz, and Wynn there is definitely a dropoff. Terry Puhl (.281, 217 SB, 1 AS) played in 1299 OF games, nearly as many as Cedeno and Wynn, but his production was far less. Nearly a lifetime Astro (he played 15 games for Kansas City in his last season in 1991), the Canadian-born player was not flashy, but he was a consistent hitter with some speed (6 seasons with 20+ steals). Bob Watson (.297, 2 AS) played more games at 1B (790) than OF (568), but makes the team here to allow Glenn Davis a spot on the roster. His best years were in 1976 and 1977, when he managed 102 and 110 RBIs respectively.
Some of the best hitting seasons by an Astros outfielder have come quite recently, from ESPN favorite Lance Berkman (.302, .416 OBP, 180 HR, 3 AS). He has had six straight seasons of 20+ homers from 2000-2005. In 2001 he smashed 55 doubles, 34 HRs, 126 RBI, while hitting .331. He followed that up with 42 HR and 128 RBI in 2002. You could argue that he rates as the fourth best Astros outfielder already. One or two more good seasons and their couldn't be debate, and he might crack this team's starting lineup soon after that.
Until the rise of Berkman, it would have been a close call between Kevin Bass (.278, 1 AS) and Derek Bell (.284). They both provided a combination of speed and power. Bell had two standout seasons with 100+ in each, while Bass made the all-star team in 1986.
I did consider a few others. Rusty Staub (.273, 2 AS) played his first six seasons in Houston, but his best years came later. Similarly, Luis Gonzalez played parts of his first six seasons with the Astros in the early 1990s, but had his power surge in Arizona several years later. And Richard Hidalgo had a few good campaigns, including an outstanding 2000 season of 44 HR, 122 RBI, and a .314 average.
In the world of what-if's, this OF would look a bit different had the Astros not traded Kenny Lofton in 1991 for catcher Eddie Taubensee; and even more so had they kept Bobby Abreu after his unimpressive first two seasons.
Starting Pitching:
Starting pitching is another strong point for this All-Time team. Though they have only had nine 20-win seasons and two Cy Young awards since their birth in 1962, they have several excellent candidates for this roster. The first two spots will go to the guys who have started more games than any others in Astors history: Larry Dierker (137-117, 3.28, 2 AS) and Joe Niekro (144-116, 3.22, 1 AS). Dierker's best year was easily 1969 when he went 20-13 with a 2.33 ERA and 232 K in 305.1 IP. Well, his best as a pitcher: he was also the club's manager from 1997-2001, leading them to the division crown four of those five seasons. The knuckleballing Niekro attained the 20-win plateau twice, going 21-11 in 1979 and 20-12 in 1980.
The next three spots go to strikeout artists. Here we can begin with the name synonymous with "K", Nolan Ryan (106-94, 3.13, 1866 K in 1855 IP, 2 AS). Although his best seasons were with other clubs (he never won more than 16 games with the Astros), he did manage 200 or more Ks in five seasons with Houston. And he was having an excellent year in 1981 (11-5, 1.69) when the strike cut it short.
Mike Scott (110-81, 3.30, 1318 K in 1704 IP, 3 AS) comes next, being the only Astro to take home the Cy Young award until Roger Clemens did in 2004. Scott took the trophy during his career year of 1986, when he carried Houston to the division title with a 18-10 record, 2.22 ERA and 306 K. He also hurled a no-hitter against the Giants in September of that year.
Perhaps the most impressive stuff in this rotation belonged to J.R. Richard (107-71, 3.15, 1493 K in 1606 IP, 2 AS) whose brief but brilliant career was cut short by a stroke during his prime. He whiffed 616 opponents from 1979-80.
The final two spots for starting pitchers could certainly be debated. I'll give the sixth locker to Don Wilson (104-92, 3.15, 1 AS), another strikeout pitcher who three times won 15+ games for Houston, and posted no-hit games in 1967 and 1969. The last spot will go to Shane Reynolds (103-86, 3.95, 1309 K in 1622 IP, 1 AS).
A past Astro who was also considered was Bob Knepper (93-100, 3.66, 2 AS). He made the all-star team twice, but had a losing lifetime record for the club. Further down the list is the late Darryl Kile (71-65, 3.79, 2 AS), who manage a no-hitter against the Mets in 1993, and then Mike Hampton (69-40, 3.40, 1 AS) who went 22-4 in 1999. Ken Forsch (78-81, 3.18, 50 SV, 1 AS) logged quality time as both a starter (e.g., he no-hit Atlanta in 1979) and reliever for the Astros, but not enough of either to make this team.
One could certainly argue that current Astros ace Roy Oswalt (83-39, 3.07, 1 AS) should be on this roster. He went 14-3 and 19-9 in his first two seasons, before held him to a 10-5 record in 2003. But he came back strong to post 20-10 and 20-12 seasons. He has twice posted 200+ strikouts, and with just one more strong season he'll take Reynold's spot away. Indeed, if stays with the club long enough he could eventually be the ace of this staff.
Relief Pitching:
The bullpen begins with longtime Astros closer Dave Smith (2.52, 199 SV, 2 AS). Generally overshadowed by his contemporaries, Smith consistently had an ERA well below 3.00 and managed 20 or more saves for six consecutive seasons. Complementing Smith perfectly is flamethrowing lefthander Billy Wagner (2.73, 107 SV, 1 AS). His K/IP ratio was an eye-popping 694/504, or 12.4 per 9 innings of work. His 1999 season was one of the most dominating ever recorded: 39 SVs, 1.57 ERA, and 124 K in only 74.2 IP. The 2000 season was lost to injury, but he came back strong to post consecutive seasons of 39, 35, and 44 saves (with that last one accompanied by a 1.78 ERA). But alas, he now frightens opposing hitters for the benefit of the Phillies.
The third and final bullpen spot will be given to Joe Sambito (2.42, 72 SV, 1 AS). Although he only managed 20 or more saves once, his ERA was almost always well below 3.00. One could make a case for Fred Gladding (76 SV, 3.68), who managed 29 saves in 1969, when relief specialists were just beginning to assert themselves. But Gladding's much higher ERA leads me to choose Sambito instead. If you like Gladding, you could go with him in the pen instead of Reynolds as the seventh starter.
Extra Spot:
This roster spot is intended for a player who was omitted due to extreme competition at his respective position -- someone who really deserves to make the team, but just couldn't quite beat out his colleagues. In my view, no one really fits this criteria, though amongst former players the closest would be Bill Doran (2B), Ken Caminiti (3B), Derek Bell (OF), Bob Knepper (SP, and Fred Gladding (RP). But as I write this Roy Oswalt is still pitching well for Houston, so it seems clear he'll make the club soon. When he does, then Shane Reynolds will be demoted to this "extra spot".
Team Captain:
This honorary choice really comes down to two guys: Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell. Some of Bagwell's seasons provided Houston fans impressive numbers. But I'll go with Biggio in part because at age 40 he is still going strong, while Bagwell is all but retired due to chronic injuries during and after the 2005 campaign. Biggio has also displayed rare position versatility (2B, OF, C) in his career, so this can be my way of saluting that.
Starting Lineup
Craig Biggio 2B
Jose Cruz OF
Cesar Cedeno OF
Jeff Bagwell 1B
Jim Wynn OF
Doug Rader 3B
Brad Ausmus C
Craig Reynolds SS
Larry Dierker SP
The first five are very nice, but the rest of the lineup is lacking in offense. If this team were to compete on a mythical ballfield somewhere, I think Jimmy Wynn, who drew 148 walks in 1969, wouldn't get a lot of good pitches to hit.
Prospects for Current Players:
What are the prospects of current Astros players making this all-time team? Well, Berkman is already on the club as a reserve outfielder, and Oswalt is there as the "extra" and will climb up after one or two more solid seasons. Third-baseman Morgan Ensberg broke out in 2005 with 36 HR, 101 RBI, an a .283 average, and it won't take a lot to replace Cabell on this roster. But Morgan has already celebrated his 30th birthday, so this isn't at all a given. The only other current player I see on the horizon here is closer Brad Lidge who posted 29 SV and a 1.90 ERA in 2004 and 42 SV and a 2.29 ERA in 2005. Another few seasons like that, and he'll surpass Sambito/Gladding. We'll see...
Other Lists
Astros Retired Numbers
Jimmy Wynn (24), Jose Cruz (25), Jim Umbricht (Who? A reliever who cameback after a cancer operation in March of 1963 to post a 4-3 record and a 2.61 ERA, but then died of cancer in April the next year... the team retired his number in 1965), Mike Scott (33), Nolan Ryan (34), Don Wilson (40), Larry Dierker (49)
2003 Rob Neyer's Big
Book of Baseball Lineups
Neyer's choices don't differ much from mine. He has Ashby and Edwards as the catchers, no doubt because Ausmus hadn't yet logged enough time through 2002. He chose Thon over Metzger as the SS backup, noting the Torrez beaning in 1984 that cost him a year-and-a-half. He preferred Caminiti as the backup 3B, but I'd still argue for Cabell. Because he split his OF by position, he starts Cruz in LF, Cedeno in CF, and Puhl in RF. Then his backups are reasonable too: Watson in LF, Wynn in CF, and Bass in RF.
The one selection I understand the least is Neyer's choice of Mike Hampton as the first starting pitcher. It might have something to do with the apparent typo in his writeup on Hampton, which states Mike had a 82-62 record for Houston; he actually was only 69-40. That is a fine ratio, and again his 22-4 season in 1999 was impressive, but I don't think he did enough to even make this roster at all, let alone take the top spot.
He then rates Ryan, Richard, and Wilson as the next three starters, followed by Scott, Niekro, Dierker, and Forsch. I would have them in a different order because I think he shortchanges Niekro and Dierker in this ranking, but that is small potatoes. His two relief choices of Smith and Wagner are obvious ones.
1985 The
All-Time All-Star Baseball Book by Bart Acocella,
Nick Acocella, and Donald Dewey
As it was written in 1985, many of my choices couldn't have been
considered. They start by noting the following truths: "Pitching has always been the name of the game in Houston, and the catcher has usually been named John Doe." The actual catcher they chose, Alan Ashby, is reasonable of course. They've got Bob Watson at 1B, which is where he played more, so that is smart too. Morgan, Radar, and Metzger finish the infield, and the outield is the same as mine. They chose J.R. as the SP, noting "ALthough Larry Dierker and Don Wilson turned in some impressive seasons, no pitcher in an Astros uniform ever came so close to dominating the league as Richard did for a few years."
1995 Baseball
Ratings by Charles S. Faber
The Faber system as applied in 1995 creates a
reasonable all-time team. Watson beats out Davis at 1B, and in 1995 I would have agreed. Doran is chosen over Morgan at 2B, and Metzger over Reynolds at SS, neither of which I agree with both they are close calls. I agree with Radar, Ashby, Cedeno, Wynn, and Cruz. No pitchers were chosen.
TheBaseballPage.com (link)
This website (as of May 2006) selects Bagwell and Watson at 1B, which is fine, except it means Glenn Davis gets only honorable mention while a lesser player is on the team in the OF. As he only played two full seasons for the Astros, I don't like seeing Thon as the starting SS. Caminiti is listed over Radar at 3B, with Cabell given only honorable mention. The OF is split up, with Cruz and Puhl in LF, Cedeno and Wynn in CF, and Berkman and Bass in RF.
The first four pitchers on the staff I can understand: Richard, Niekro, Oswalt, and Scott. But Joaquin Andujar as the fifth? He was 44-53 for the Astros. To make matters worse, Nolan Ryan is not listed at all, not even honorable mention -- what do they have against the strikeout master? Then I get confused further as they list Don Wilson and Larry Dierker as relief pitchers on their all-time roster. The rest of their pen is fine: Smith, Wagner, Lidge, and Sambito.
AstrosDaily.com (link)
This website lists the selection of an all-time team through the 2002 season, as chosen by a 10-person staff of Astros experts. The really nice thing about this is that they include anecdotes and reasons for their choices and the site summarizes the results into an overall roster.
Catcher and 2B choices are the same as mine, while Watson and Davis tie as backup 1B. Radar and Caminiti tie at 3B, while the experts give Thon the nod at SS with Metzger at the backup. The starting OF is the same as mine, and they have Berkman as the first backup. They chose Moises Alou as the next backup, favoring his three superb seasons over the longevity of others (some experts chose Terry Puhl, Steve Finley, Luis Gonzalez, Kevin Bass, and Billy Hatcher).
Their starting staff is fine with me: Richard, Ryan, Scott, Dierker, and Niekro. The others mentioned are also reasonable: Wilson, Hampton, Oswalt, and Knepper. The first three relievers are clear (Smith, Wagner, Sambito), and they toss in Octavio Dotel and Danny Darwin as extras.
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