The 1966 Houston Astros season was the fifth season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their second as the Astros, fifth in the National League (NL), and second at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season with a 65–97 record, in ninth place and 32 games behind the NL pennant and World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 1965 season was the first for Grady Hatton as manager, the third in franchise history, having replaced Lum Harris. On April 12 at Dodger Stadium, Robin Roberts made the Opening Day start for Houston, who were defeated by Los Angeles, 3–2.
Though this was the second season for the Astrodome in operation, it was the first with the playing surface of AstroTurf installed. The infield portion was installed in March, and the outfield was ready for play on July 19. The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Wayne Twitchell, at third overall.
Second baseman Joe Morgan and pitcher Claude Raymond represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game, the first career selection for both. Morgan was the first player in franchise history to be named starter to the mid-season event; however, he missed the game due to injury.
The Astros concluded the season with a record of , in eighth place and 23 games behind the Dodgers, who repeated as NL pennant-winners. At the time, the 72 wins represented more than Houston had won in any of their first four seasons of play.
Offseason Summary The Houston Astros concluded the 1965 campaign with a record, ranking ninth in the National League (NL), 32 games behind the NL pennant and World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. The 97 defeats represented a club record, one more than the 96 losses during each of the team's first three years of play. This remained the club record until 2011. On April 12, 1965, the Astros hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for the first regular-season game at the Astrodome, but were shut out, 2–0. On July 8, rookie second baseman Joe Morgan became the first player in team history to collect six hits in a single game.
Transactions November 29, 1965: 1965 rule 5 draft Nate Colbert was drafted by the Astros from the St. Louis Cardinals. Bob Saverine was drafted from the Astros by the Washington Senators. January 6, 1966: Johnny Weekly and cash were traded by the Astros to the New York Mets for Gary Kroll.
Regular season Summary April—May + Opening Day starting lineup Player Position 20 Lee Maye Left fielder 16 Sonny Jackson Shortstop 24 Jimmy Wynn Center fielder 21 Dave Nicholson Right fielder 18 Joe Morgan Second baseman 14 Bob Aspromonte Third baseman 17 Chuck Harrison First baseman 7 John Bateman Catcher 38 Robin Roberts Pitcher Venue: Dodger Stadium • Los Angeles 3, Houston 2 Sources:
At Dodger Stadium for Opening Day, the Astros dropped a 3–2 decision to Los Angeles. Lee Maye hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the third off Claude Osteen, and Chuck Harrison added a run batted in (RBI)-single in top of the ninth; however, Osteen went the distance to secure the victory. Ron Fairly factored in all three runs for Los Angeles, slashing a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly. Houston starter Robin Roberts surrendered two runs—one earned—over seven innings to take the loss.
Courtesy of Jimmy Wynn's single on May 5, Joe Morgan scored the walk-off run to allow the Astros to obtain their 13th win in 13 innings. Hence, the Astros prevailed, 4–3, over the Chicacgo Cubs. Though both game's starting pitchers, Turk Farrell and Bill Faul, bore uniform number 13, neither stayed in long enough to receive a decision for the win.
June On June 2, the Astros recorded the first-ever 20-hit game in franchise history, as Houston entered the 12th inning tied 3–3 with the Cincinnati Reds, and rallied to forge nine hits to defeat the Reds, 11–4. Rusty Staub collected two hits in the inning, starting with a single and finished off with a double. Joe Morgan coaxed five base on balls to score a run, Sonny Jackson collected four hits while scoring twice, and Dave Nicholson collected four RBI. This was the third four-RBI bout of Nicholson/s career, Morgan's only five-walk game, and Jackson's first-career four-hit game.
Pitcher Dave Giusti turned in an all-around contribution for the Astros on June 12, tossing a complete game over the Cubs to lead an 8–4 win. At the plate, he doubled and went 3-for-3. John Bateman, Rusty Staub and Dave Nicholson all homered for Houston. It was Giusti's second three-hit game at the plate on the season.
With the Astros hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, a record-setting 55.988 fans witnessed Sandy Koufax take on the Houston Astros. Though Koufax led the Dodgers to a 5–2 win, Astros outfielder Jimmy Wynn provided the audience with some thrills as he went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles. This attendance record stood for 22 years.
Mike Cuellar's 15-strikeout game
During pregame batting practice drills on June 25 before playing the St. Louis Cardinals, Lee Maye's line drive struck Astros infielder Joe Morgan on the knee, fracturing it. He would miss the next 40 games including his first All-Star Game. Batting .319 prior to the injury, Morgan became the first player in franchise history to be named starter at the All-Star Game on June 28. During Morgan's absence, the Astros performed to a record of .
However, the Astros' on-field performance—including that of starter Mike Cuellar—temporarily averted the impact of losing of their star second baseman. Cuellar became the first Astros pitcher to register 15 strikeouts in an outing. Cuellar started his outing off with a whiff of Lou Brock. Phil Gagliano drew a base on balls, but Cuellar picked him off first, and retired the Redbirds in order in the first.
Sonny Jackson hit a leadoff inside-the-park home run for Houston, his second inside-the-parker in five days. In the bottom of the fourth, Rusty Staub scored when Bob Aspromonte's grounder was misplayed for a 2–0 Astros' lead.
In the top of the second, Cuellar fanned Orlando Cepeda and Mike Shannon. The following inning, he whiffed Ray Washburn and Brock again. In the third, Cuellar K'd Curt Flood. In the fifth, Cuellar got Dal Maxvill and Pat Corrales via the punchout.
In the top of the sixth, Flood singled home Gagliano for St. Louis' first run. However, each out was obtained by Cuellar striking out the side. In the seventh, Cuellar again struck out the side, this time retiring all three batters in order. Cuellar's final strikeout was of Tim McCarver looking to the polish off the contest.
Morgan's replacement, Bob Lillis scored an insurance run on Jackson's misplayed grounder to second base. The Cardinals added another run, but Cuellar escaped any further Cardinals tallies.
The pivotal defensive play of the contest transpired with out in the top of the eighth. Mike Shannon flied out into a double play to center fielder Dave Nicholson, who rifled an assist to nab Julián Javier at home plate. Jimmy Wynn also recorded an outfield assist, of Lou Brock at third base. The Astros record stood at .
A career-high in strikeouts for Cuellar, his outing broke the club record of 13 strikeouts, achieved twice, by Turk Farrell on May 10, 1963, and by Bob Bruce, on May 26, 1965. This remained the franchise record until Don Wilson tallied 18 punchouts on July 14, 1968. Cuellar retained the club record for left-handers until Randy Johnson struck out 16 on August 28, 1998.
July In the sweltering Great Plains on July 10, Cuellar shut down the Cardinals' bases-loaded rally with none out in the eighth, then finished off the contest by inducing a double play ground ball from Jimy Williams to preserve Houston's 6–5 victory. Rusty Staub homered twice and drove home four. Though Orlando Cepeda and Dal Maxvill had four hits apiece to spearhead St. Louis' 16 hits total, the team stranded 15 runners on base.
Houston concluded the first half of the 1966 season with a record, occupying fifth place of 10 National League clubs, and 8 games behind the league-leading San Francisco Giants. Hence, the Astros entered the All-Star break with a winning record for the first time in club history, after having absorbed 96 or more losses in each of their first four seasons.
Continuing in St. Louis, on July 12, Joe Morgan and Claude Raymond were invited to the MLB All-Star Game, hosted at Busch Memorial Stadium for the first time. Each of the National League's moundsmen who participated (Koufax, Bunning, Marichal, Perry) went to the Baseball Hall of Fame among 19 future Hall of Famers. Neither Astros player participated. The National League won, 3–1.
August Jim Wynn's season ended abruptly on August 1 when he collided into the outfield wall at Connie Mack Stadium in the bottom of the tenth inning, fracturing his left arm. Wynn was chasing a fly ball that Dick Allen had hit; instead, it resulted in a game-winning, inside-the-park home run for Allen and the Philadelphia Phillies.
On August 11, outfielder Lee Maye achieved his first five-hit game as a member of the Astros, during the first contest of a doubleheader. Bob Aspromonte walloped a grand slam, during the second inning off former teammate Robin Roberts. Chuck Harrison doubled and tripled. However, Randy Hundley hit for the cycle with three runs batted in for the Chicago Cubs to lead a defeat of Houston, 9–8.
Dave Giusti spun a career-best one-hit, no-walk shutout masterpiece on August 13, whiffed four, and earned a game score of 89. Giusti (12–9) outdueled Juan Marichal (17–5) to lead a 3–0 triumph over the Giants. The lone blemish on Giusti's effort was a Cap Peterson single in the second inning. During the top of the fourth, Bob Aspromonte singled in Joe Morgan to open the scoring. Ron Davis hit his first home run, and Lee Maye added an RBI single. Meanwhile, Sonny Jackson filched his 37th base to establish a new National League report.
Sonny Jackson golfed his third inside-the-park home run of the season on August 19 versus Cincinnati, establishing a club record. The speedster Jackson became the first Astro to hit three inside-the-park demolitions in one season. He also amassed his fourth four-hit contest of the season, Jackson and Rusty Staub each had two RBI, and Staub drove Jackson in for the walk-off victory. Starter Larry Dierker tossed his first career double-digit strikeout performance with 11.
On August 21, Giusti tallied career-highs of both six RBI and two doubles at the plate, while, on the mound (13–10), fired his second shutout in under 10 days to lead an 11–0 drubbing of Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Aspromonte tripled, and a trio of Astros position players each secured doubles (Dave Nicholson, Chuck Harrison, and Joe Morgan).
On August 26, Bob Aspromonte hit the second walk-off grand slam in franchise history, after having hit the first on June 11, 1963. Aspromonte's blast exacerbated the misery of an infuriated Cubs manager Leo Durocher, who had earlier ripped out the dugout phone from off the wall and heaved it onto the Astrodome field. The Cubs took a 4–1 lead over the Astros into bottom of the ninth. The Astros rallied for six runs, capped by Aspromonte's grand slam off Cal Koonce, vaulting Houston to a dramatic 7–4 triumph. Earlier in the inning, John Bateman (16) had also homered. Turk Farrell (6–8) earned the victory by settling two final, perfect innings. Aspromonte's sixth career grand slam—all with Houston—it was the first-ever walloped at the Astrodome. His third career walk-off home run overall, this was Aspromonte's second via the grand slam, and all three blasts had come at the expense of the Cubs. Southwestern Bell restored the dugout apparatus the following day and the Astros apportioned Durocher the bill.