I live in Jackson, MS. From 1975 to 1990 our local AA Texas League was the New York Mets affiliate. So I was a Mets fan in 1986. When the Mets left the Astros moved into Jackson in 1991 and I became an Astros fan. Saw Bagwell rehab, Abreu, Wagner, Hildalgo, Berkman – lots of good players from 1997-2001 playoff runs. When the Astros moved to Round Rock following the 1999 season I thought we would never have affiliated baseball again so I stuck with the Astros and have been with them ever since (we now have Braves AA affiliate). Been lots of fun.
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I was born and raised in Katy, and baseball was my favorite sport. My parents took me to games at the Dome when I was a kid, and I was instantly hooked. I remember being so excited in 1998 when the Astros traded for Randy Johnson at the 11th hour, and my dad took me out of school early so we could go to game 1 of the Padres series. From there, my fandom just continued to grow.
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I was born and raised in Commerce (NE Texas) My Dad was a Cardinals fan and he and my Mom let me pretend to go to the dentist (Missing school) two different afternoons for game 1 and 2 of the '68 World Series (Detroit-St Louis) By Spring of 1969 I was listening to Astros weekend spring training games on KRLD Dallas and I was hooked on the Astros. That was such a special year for me. They started out 4 and 20, but began a remarkable turnaround on May 1st with Don Wilson’s no hitter. (The night after Cincinnati’s Jim Maloney’s no hitter) The Astros were only a couple of games out of first place (Everyone but the Padres was in a jumble at the top) in mid September before running into a buzz saw in Atlanta. I have lived and died with this team ever since. Jim Sheridan, I first went to spring training in Cocoa while I was in college in 1980 so our paths likely crossed. I loved that old place. Anyway, some of my favorite in person memories were Larry Dierker getting the winning hit in the 11th inning against the Cardinals on June 8th of 1969 with a complete game. The sweep of the Mets in July 86 that started the march to the playoffs. The final day of the 1999 season and the Dome’s goodbye. And of course every year since.
I have been in North Carolina the past ten years and love seeing our minor league teams here.
My influence eventually made my late father an Astros fan. So many incredible times of watching games together. I lost both my parents in the same year of 2010. But, they live on in my great memories of them, especially those wonderful trips as a family going to the Dome every year.
I don’t post much, but love reading everyone’s takes! Great topic!
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My family also moved to Houston in ‘73 (from Florida, so no home team), when I was nine. My first memories of the Astros were of J.R. Richard on TV during the years when he was still bouncing back and forth from the minors. I loved that his slider was faster than a lot of other pitchers’ fastballs, and that his 100mph fastball and reputation for wildness made hitters just a little jittery. Then a friend’s dad took us to the Astrodome, probably when I was in 4th or 5th grade, to see a game and I thought the snorting bull and shower cartoons on the scoreboard were the funniest things ever. I still remember where I was when we heard that J. R. had collapsed and still hope that there is a multiverse where he didn’t stroke and the 'Stros beat the Phillies in 1980.
I was a casual fan until I spent some time in AL cities (Red Sox and Orioles) where I learned more about the game and got a look at a different level of fandom (both good and bad). Houston remained my hometown and the Astros my home team during those educational and post graduate training tours of duty in the NE, though. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon the previous incarnation of OWA, but it was soon after I had moved back to Houston in 1999. I have so appreciated the opportunity to lurk here and learn more about the game, and to share in the memories, joys, and frustrations of Astros fandom.
We moved to the SF Bay Area for about fifteen years ago, but my wife and kids are all native Houstonians. So, even if we are here for good, the Astros is still my team.
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Hmm… Finally figured out how to access my account again. Wasn’t a priority. just enjoyed to read. I am an original Yankees fan. Wonderful history and know so much of it growing up. So little as a kid Mantle was at the end of his career. Loved him. Mantle was my man. The team was always competitive, but never won. Astros frustration to a tee! When around 13 or so, 13 1/2 behind in the division and my uncle, a Phillies fan and they were in first, joked with me about look at your team. I said watch, they will come back. Sure enough God and the baseball God’s were on my side. They did and I saw my team play in there first world series, I think two years in a row with the manager that steibrenner hired and fired. Watching the picture of nettles on tv verticle to the ground make a catch was absolutely awesome at 3rd. Still love the team, but not the team of today or in the many recent years past. In fact way before I was born, Dad drove up in front of whitey Ford’s limo. Security came out of car. He said he only wanted an autograph for his son. (oldest son) Whitey stepped out and told the security guards to stand down and gave my dad the autograph. Dads like Dementia joe now and as a great man is way worse, but similar. Called home earlier and older brother said he was at home watching dad. Our wood shop has an original signed paul waner bat if I got the name right signed. Not sure who he is, a lot of baseball history at home. Most nice things my parents have are off the walls and boxed up. Dementia sucks. But God is good. On…So we move from the Netherlands to Houston. (I thought tumbleweeds and desert) 1980. Dad loving baseball took us to me and my brother to our first game at the Dome. (a rat hole now, needs to be torn down, worked at city hall contract during Katrina) That year sparked my interest in the players that wore those god awful uniforms! At least in the 70’s. Being a baseball fan, I started watching guys started to love. Never hated the team, just thought looked like clowns. Then as I progressed through college in Nac. Followed minors to see where we might go. I was lost forever to be an Astros fan. (didn’t matter much about the Yankees, they had destroyed themselves in my eyes under Steinbrener. You play the game, you don’t buy the game. Been on many boards as a top Astros poster a long time in the past. We all get older, but not that old. Watched trades of anderson for bagwell. what a steal! heard of bad trades in my time and before. Staub morgan that were disastors. But when the seasons and team are low, you follow the minors. Because there is always hope. And as I said, you can’t buy a team, and if it is with too much money making it uncompetitive, makes it kind of suck. This is my team and watch my old team, who I still love, just not any of the current teams in the last twenty years. Its a history love. I know how to hurt as a kid. On a side note. Dad took Mom to womacks restaurant, took us, my brother and I later, where when he took my mom, he said this is one of Nolan Ryans favorite restaurants. He was there and got his autograph. Was in NJ at the beach house when Enron opened, Flew to Houston stayed with a high school buddy. Because of a board. One girl said I have seasoning opening tickets, got to ski, offered to me. My friend I stayed with english originally had no idea, like watching rugby. LOL. Saw the first and third game at Enron. Kick em all you want, there is nothing dumber than a successful biusiness man expanding into crap they don’t know. Look across from galleria, never filled. Any whoo, long story short. I am an Astros fan and I am here to stay through thick and thin. I am also very damn proud of the pain and suffering i have gone through to get here. What the hell is a 7th inning game and a man on second shit?
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Your name & post are a sight for sore eyes, Bruce. Now that you’re here, keep posting.
Sorry about your Dad having dementia. Can’t imagine! Praying for you guys.
PS: Revisited one of your old posts…
Agree w/ Waldo: great to see you posting!
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I’ve always been an AL fan, so when I moved to Texas in the 80’s, it was either root for the Rangers (yuck) or remain a Twins fan. Which was OK until the disintegration of that team after the '91 World Series win.
Until the Astros switched leagues, I had a considerable baseball drought. Glad to be out of it!
Though it would be nice to have a team with a real manager. Not a fan of Crusty Dusty Baker at all!
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Wait, this is an Astros fan site? I was here for the latest on Palace.
First…welcome. Secondly, as much as I hated that Twins team, the 91 World Series was a fantastic series. One of the best ever. Not 2017, of course, but damn good.
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Thanks! That was back when they had day games in the WS. I burned vacation days to go home and watch.
That game 7 with Jack Morris and John Smoltz has to be the greatest ever.
Tom Kelly wanted to take Jack out after the ninth, but Jack wasn’t having it. Probably a good thing Larkin drove in the winning run in the B10 or there would’ve probably been a fistfight in the dugout!
As long as someone would have punched Kent Hrbek in the dick, it would have all been good.
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Hrbek was simply living by the adage; “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying hard enough.” As an Astros fan, you oughta be able to relate to that.
The only guy on that '91 Twins team I didn’t like was AJ AlphabetSoup. He was an asshole then and he still is.
Might not have been the best thing to say here. I’m just sayin’.
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The choice here is yours, Jim. You can either embrace the suck and learn to shrug it off or you will find that the rest if eternity isn’t much fun.
Those other teams fans who are booing the Stros are only pissed off because their guys didn’t think of it first.
But whatever you choose doesn’t affect my right to say any damn thing I want. Don’t hurt yourself crawling down off that high horse you rode in on.
What the fuck, dude? Who the hell are you?
Actually NYY apparently thought of it first. Beltran brought the system from there to Houston with an intervening stop in Texas.
You come to this Astros site and call the team “cheaters?” Clearly you do not understand this site where you are, and how could if you just joined yesterday. Keep it up, and you won’t be very popular here. Maybe you don’t care.
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BINGO!
Then you will not be here long.
Astros have always faced trouble. Following the stros has been very difficult at times.When we were down, the only thing to do was follow the minors, with a hope and a prayer. We are in the golden age at the moment. When tthe hurricane hit, my black girl and I were in the george r brown. With here her son and grandkids. They gave free tickets to the game. I said lets go, she said she doesn’t like baseball. We went, and I said we will go for 5 innings. When we left, she said she had a great time. That is all you can ask.
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Yes, being a Houston fan has taken those of us who follow the team through some down times, but those times do not cause a true fan to abandon the team, and those down times make the good times, like those we have experienced the last few years, even sweeter. A true fan shows up daily through good times and bad and is loyal to the team despite the opinions of others or despite slings and arrows cast by MLB. A true fan may be exasperated, frustrated, or even angry at players, managers, plays, or games, but a true fan never leaves the team.
I hope I have been a true fan of the Astros, but I know for certain my longtime friend BudGirl is one. We all should aspire to be Astros fans as faithful as BG is.
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I had three pre-Astros encounters with mlb growing up. Short version is that Steve Garvey giving me a hat, watching Reggie Jackson strike out, and Nolan Ryan putting a guy in a headlock failed to interest me in professional baseball.
In 93 I am living in Mexico City and many of my friends and students are baseball fans. Mostly they favor the Blue Jays–chinga los gringos, viva NAFTA. I end up watching what turned out to be the last game of the 93 Series in a bar with some buddies. The drama of the last at bat between Mitch Williams and Joe Carter captivated me. I had never seen Williams pitch or had any idea who he was, but when Williams ran out to the mound he seemed shrouded in an aura of doom. And Carter seemed ready to play executioner to poor Willams’ sacrifical goat as he raised his bat to strike. Ball into the stands, blood in the sand then fireworks.
In 94 I am living in Houston for the first time and I go to an Astros game with my Dad and soon to be father-in-law. Though Canadian, my fathe-in-law is a baseball (but not Astros) fan and talks about Ted Williams and how beautiful his swing was and how no one could hit like him and the Dome was ridiculous but appropriate for a hard luck expansion team called the ASSSStros. We drank beer continuously. Eventually it happened–the Wild Thing came out to pitch in relief for the Astros. I was fascinated to see if he could get back on the horse after such an excrucitating finish to the 93 series. I don’t think Williams got an out before being pulled for another pitcher.
I work with a guy who had been a fan of the Astros since their first year as the .45’s and we talked a lot of Astros baseball. We never go to a game together–he sits alone in the Dome with binoculars and a scorecard and usually has money on the game. He had seen a couple of Ryan’s no-hitters in person and talked about the many pitching greats and excellent teams that had gotten close to the Series but didn’t make it. Told me about the swarms of mosqitos at the first park, Mike Scott’s no-hitter, Mantle’s home run in the Dome, and the shock and sadness of J.R. Richards’ stroke.Told me I was lucky to become a fan now because the Astros had never sent so many players to an All-Star game.Bagwell, Biggio, and Caminiti are the best infield the team has ever had and they are all young…
The broken hand, and the strike and Caminiti leaving for the Padres, my inability to give a shit about any sports team who are not the Astros.
94 was a great year to fall in love with a franchise. So much promise and so much heartache.
Eventually I found the big freight train of a fan site and grew in love in love for the Astros, dislike of the Grocer, and in disgust for Bud Selig.and Richard Justice.
And in the background of everything that has happened in my life has been a love of the Astros. Going to the juicebox on game of thones night with my daugther and the last home national league game with my boys. All the times I was a desginated driver for my beloved father in law and my first game in the juicebox after he died. I flipped a coffee table at the end of game seven in 17 and im still thrilled about that magical season. Grateful that the Astros have a chance to beat the Dodgers again while both teams are good and goddamn I’m glad to be around to enjoy it. Fuck the Cubs.
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