The 1969 Houston Astros season was the eighth season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their fifth as the Astros, eighth in the National League (NL), first in the inaugural season of the NL West division, and fifth at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season with a record of 72–90, in tenth place and 25 games behind the NL pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals.
With the third wave of expansion in Major League Baseball in 1969, each of the National and American Leagues increased their number of teams from 10 to 12, were bracketed into East and West divisions, and a League Championship Series (LCS) round was inserted prior to the World Series. At San Diego Stadium on April 8, the Padres—one of the four expansion teams—hosted the Astros, who had Don Wilson making his first Opening Day start. However, San Diego prevailed over Houston, 2–1. On May 1, one day after having been no-hit by Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field, Wilson tossed the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, 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 the MLB amateur draft, the Astros' first round selection was pitcher J. R. Richard, at second overall. At the time, Richard became the highest-selected player in the amateur draft for Houston. Shortstop Denis Menke and pitcher Larry Dierker represented the Astros and played for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game. It was the first career selection for both players. On July 30, Menke and Jimmy Wynn connected for two grand slams in a single inning, a feat not achieved in National League play since 1890. The Astros concluded the season with an 81–81 record and in fifth place, 12 games behind the NL West-champion Atlanta Braves. This represented the first time in franchise history that Houston finished with a record of .500 or higher.
With Wilson, Dierker, and Tom Griffin all reaching the 200 strikeout threshold, this Astros pitching staff became the second with three to reach the 200-strikeout threshold, following the 1967 Minnesota Twins. Astros pitchers threw 1,221 strikeouts, a major league record that lasted until 1996. Griffin was also named The Sporting News NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Right-hander Fred Gladding notched 29 saves to become the second Astros reliever to lead the NL.
Offseason Summary The Astros concluded the 1968 epoch with a record of , in tenth place of 10 teams and 25 games behind the repeat NL-pennant winning St. Louis Cardinals. At the time, the 72 wins represented the most in a season in franchise history, tying the 1966 squad. An improvement of three wins from 1967, for the first time, in 1968, the Astros concluded in last place, and was the seventh of their first seven seasons with 90 or more losses. On July 9, 1968, Houston presented the All-Star Game at the Astrodome for the first time. Five days later, on July 14, Don Wilson tied a then-major league record by striking out 18 batters in a nine-inning game.
In 1969, Major League Baseball's third wave of expansion augmented the number of teams in each of the National and American Leagues from 10 to 12, while modifying the leagues' playoff structure. The National League received the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres, while the American League added the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots. The leagues were split into East and West divisions containing six teams each, which aligned the Astros into the National League West division. Finally, an additional playoff round was introduced prior to the World Series. Each of the division winners would compete in the League Championship Series (LCS) to determine the league pennant winners and qualifiers for the World Series.
Transactions October 14, 1968: Nate Colbert was drafted from the Astros by the San Diego Padres as the 18th pick in the 1968 MLB expansion draft. December 2, 1968: Bo Belinsky was drafted from the Astros by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1968 rule 5 draft. December 4, 1968: Mike Cuellar, Enzo Hernández, and Elijah Johnson were traded by the Astros to the Baltimore Orioles for Curt Blefary and John Mason. January 22, 1969: Rusty Staub was traded by the Astros to the Montreal Expos for Jesús Alou and Donn Clendenon. Clendenon refused to report to the Astros. The Expos sent Jack Billingham, Skip Guinn, and $100,000 to the Astros on April 8, 1969, as compensation. February 12, 1969: Byron Browne was purchased from the Astros by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Regular season Summary April + Opening Day starting lineup Player Position 22 Jesús Alou Right fielder 18 Joe Morgan Second baseman 21 Norm Miller Center fielder 12 Doug Rader Third baseman 13 Curt Blefary First baseman 27 Bob Watson Left fielder 11 Denis Menke Shortstop 7 Johnny Edwards Catcher 40 Don Wilson Pitcher Venue: San Diego Stadium • San Diego 2, Houston 1 Sources:
On April 8, the expansion team Padres and co-occupants within the National League West division, hosted the Houston Astros at San Diego Stadium for the first-ever regular-season contest in Padres history. The Astros kicked off the scoring in the top of the first inning when Doug Rader singled in Joe Morgan off Padres starter Dick Selma. 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, when Ed Spezio cranked a home 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 the series, the victims of shutout by the Padres on consecutive 2–0 decisions for the final two games. Hence, the Padres swept the Astros in their very first series, in a mirror image of how the expansion Houston Colt .45s dispatched their very first opponent, the Chicago Cubs, during their inaugural series.
For the third contest of the season, April 10, right-hander Tom Griffin made his Major League debut. He started versus the Padres and took the loss. Griffin issued a base on balls to the first batter, Rafael Robles, but Robles was neutralized on a caught stealing by catcher Johnny Edwards. Griffin then whiffed Roberto Peña and Ollie Brown for his first and second strikeouts and retire the side. Brown later homered off Griffin, who hurled seven innings, and relinquished three hits, five walks, and both San Diego tallies, while attaining eight strikeouts and a game score of 66.
Having dropped their first five contests to start the season, on April 13, the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5–2, to secure their first win of the 1969 campaign. Don Wilson authored a masterpiece, going the distance with 10 strikeouts, a game score of 80, while surrendering two unearned runs to earn his first victory of the season. Denis Menke took Don 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. This began a three-game winning streak.
Tom Griffin earned his first major league victory on April 12, going innings pitched with 12 strikeouts against the Atlanta Braves. Griffin surrendered four hits and three walks as Houston won, 4–2.
On April 16, César Gerónimo made his major league debut, going hitless in one at bat versus the Atlanta Braves.
Juan Marichal led a four-hitter against Houston on April 26 as the San Francisco Giants won, 2–1, at Candlestick Park. 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.
During Game One of a doubleheader on April 27 at Candlestick Park, Héctor Torres hit his first grand slam in the major leagues, off Ray Sadecki during the top of the second inning to break a scoreless tie. Joe Morgan (2) also homered, but the Giants rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth inning, and scored four times in the bottom of the seventh. Willie McCovey (7) and Jack Hiatt (4) each homered and drove in three runs for San Francisco to win, 8–5.
On April 30, Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds tossed a no-hitter to lead an outright embarrassment of Houston by a 10–0 score at Crosley Field. Maloney whiffed 13 Astros and walked five, the final intentionally to Jimmy Wynn with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth inning. Maloney then fanned Doug Rader to polish off the contest, securing the no-hitter to punctuate a losing 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 record.
Don Wilson's no-hitter 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. 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. He punched out 13 as Houston triumphed, 4–0, to halt the Astros' already season-long losing streak at eight games. Wilson struck out 11 different Reds batters, with none more than twice, and attained a game score of 94. Doug Rader led off the top of the fourth inning with a home run to left to break the scoreless tie. In the next inning, Dennis Menke doubled in Jimmy Winn and Joe Morgan to augment Houston's lead to 3–0. Wilson also hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth that drove home Curt Blefary. Durign the bottom of the ninth, Wilson retired Tommy Helms on a foul popup as the final batter to complete the masterpiece.
Wilson's no-hit effort made him the 21st major league pitcher to toss multiple no-hit outings during his career. The hurler who had preceded Wilson in this execution was none other than Maloney, by one day. Maloney had thrown his first no-hit game in 1965.
Rest of May
With the Astros down 1–0 on May 3 at the Astrodome, catcher Don Bryant hit a deep blast off Bobby Bolin with Jesús 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. The Astros did not relinquish the lead, and held on for a 4–3 win over the San Francisco Giants.
On May 4, first baseman Curt Blefary participated in seven double plays, an MLB record for first basemen during a 9-inning game. Concurrently, the Astros established a Major League record by inducing seven double plays grounded into, with San Francisco as the collateral damage.
Larry Dierker struck out career-high 14 on May 7 in a five-hit complete game. Dieker (4–3) led a 6–1 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies, including hitting a single and scoring a run. During the top of the fifth inning, Jimmy Wynn (5) swatted a three-run home run off Phillies starter Jerry Johnson (4–3). Norm Miller collected three hits. doubled (5), and Doug Rader also had three hits and an RBI.
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 the Philadelphia Phillies. Catcher Johnny Edwards drove in the game-winning run with a two-run single.
The Astros ventured to Jarry Park Stadium in Canada on May 13 for their first-ever international game to face the Montreal Expos, another expansion club playing out their inaugural season. Infielder Doug Rader knocked 3 runs batted in (RBI) to lead a 10–3 victory for Houston.