1965 Houston Astros

1965 Houston Astros / Franchise: Houston Astros / BR Team Page

Record: 65-97, Finished 9th in National League (1965 NL)

Managed by Lum Harris

Coaches: Jimmy Adair, Jim Busby, Clint Courtney, Nellie Fox and Howie Pollet

Ballpark: Astrodome

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1965 Houston Astros were the first team in Houston franchise history to use that nickname, as they moved into the Astrodome at the beginning of the season, becoming the first team to play indoors. Gone were the wild west imagery that had accompanied the Houston Colt .45s since their inception in the expansion of 1962, and in its place was a space-age theme that underlined Houston's role as the main command center for NASA's effort to put a man on the Moon.

The new name did not bring about any improvements in terms of on-field results, however, as the Astros finished in 9th place in the National League, only ahead of the New York Mets, and flirting with 100 losses. One bright spot was the performance of rookie second baseman Joe Morgan, who began a Hall of Fame with a very solid first season; however, he lost out to another second sacker, Joe Lefebvre of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the voting for the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Awards and Honors

• All-Star: Turk Farrell
• Topps All-Star Rookie Team: Joe Morgan (2B)