Astro Legends: Moments, Players, and Personalities

by Greg Lucas

Overview

Astro Legends is designed with the fan in mind, giving them an inside look into their favorite sports team franchise. The book focuses on the team and history, breaking down the barrier between the field and the stands to let fans in on the moments, players, and personalities that make up the team mythology, for better or worse.
Some of the story themes include key player profiles and memorable moments; curses, folklore, and superstitions; stadiums, scandals, and politics; fan stories; oddities; play-off and World Series appearances; major trades; influential draft day picks; management milestones; and many more!
Astro Legends tells the tale of the momentous trade for Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio’s famous 3000th hit, the 8th wonder of the world, and much more. Think you know everything there is to know about the Houston Astros? Think again! With 256 pages packed with Astro stories, facts, and trivia, there’s bound to be something to surprise even the most dedicated Astro fan. Greg Lucas, dedicated Houston baseball announcer, has compiled together all of the most pivotal and influential moments, players, and personalities to hit Houston and placed them in this indispensable book. Nobody can claim to be an Astro fan without having first read Astro Legends!
 
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681571348
Publisher:	Cardinal Publishers Group
Publication date:	04/01/2019
Series:	Team Legends
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,067,776
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

For over 45 years Greg Lucas has been a sportscaster and play by play announcer heavily involved in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association with the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers. He has called over 4000 sporting events including major college football, basketball, baseball plus his work with the pros and a total of 25 different sports.
His first book, "Baseball-Its More Than Just a Game" was based on materials he had collected and used in broadcasts and telecasts and as part of pre-game and other special programs over his long active career.
A native Midwesterner from Kokomo, Indiana, Greg got his career started while getting his undergraduate degree from Butler University in Indianapolis.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Houston Wins Its First World Series in Seventh Game 3

2 Marwin Gonzalez' Clutch Home Run in 2017 Series Game Two 6

3 Yuli Gurriel Hits 3r Home Run to Tie 2017 Series Game Five 9

4 Chris Burke's 18th Inning Home Run to Win 2005 NLDS 12

5 Winning the First Pennant In 2005 15

6 Trading For Jeff Bagwell 19

7 Niekro and Howe Led Astros To First Postseason 22

8 José Altuve Discovered In Venezuela 24

9 Carlos Correa Drafted First In First Round 2012 27

10 Craig Biggio's 3000th Hit 30

11 Springer Is 2017 World Series Most Valuable Player 32

12 World Series Game Five in 2017 Upstaged Game Two 34

13 World Series Game Two 2017 37

14 1986 Astros Win a Division as Mike Scott Throws a No-Hitter 40

15 J. R. Richard Has a Stroke 42

16 Jeff Bagwell's 1994 Season: Astros Best Ever! 46

17 The Houston Astrodome-Eighth Wonder of the World 48

18 Roy Hofheinz and the Other Three Founding Fathers 51

19 Dr. John McMullen Buys the Astros 54

20 1986 National League Championship Series 58

21 Astros Win First Postseason Game but Not Series In 1980 61

22 Gerrit Cole Fans Sixteen Diamondbacks and Allows Only One Hit 64

23 Craig Biggio Back from Knee Surgery with Five Hits! 66

24 Bringing Nolan Ryan Home 68

25 Ryan Exhibition Start for Texas Sells Out The Dome 73

26 Dickie Thon's Tragic Beaning 75

27 Oswalt Near Electrocution May Have Saved Career 77

28 Drafting Lance Berkman 79

29 Berkman Grand Slam and Àusmus Solo Set Up Burke 82

30 McLane's Ownership Run Superb until the End 85

31 Altuve Hits Three Home Runs Vs Red Sox in 2017 ALDS 89

32 Carlos Beltran Eight Postseason Home Runs 2004 91

33 Kent Sends Fans to the Streets with Walk-Off Home Run In 2004 93

34 Justin Verlander Traded To Astros at Last Minute 96

35 Randy Johnson Trade Made 1998 Astros the Team to Beat 99

36 Ken Johnson Tosses No-Hitter but Loses Game 102

37 Nolan Ryan Throws Record Fifth No-Hitter 104

38 Alex Bregman Wins All Star Game MVP 2018 107

39 Jeff Bagwell Hits Milestone with 400th Home Run 110

40 Biggio And Berkman Go Back To Back-Twice! 112

41 Eddie Mathews Hits 500th Home Run as an Astro 113

42 Larry Dierker Named Houston Astro Manager 115

43 Don Wilson Houston's No-Hitter Man 118

44 Death of Don Wilson 121

45 J. R. Towles Drives in Eight Runs In One Game 124

46 For One Season Mitch Meluskey: Best Hitting Catcher 126

47 Cesar Cedeno Had All the Tools 129

48 Houston's First Major League Game Was a Win! 133

49 The Astros Sign Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens 136

50 Bob Watson Breaks a Barrier as Astro Gm 139

51 Don Nottebart Pitches First Houston No-Hitter 140

52 Moises Alou Falls Off A Treadmill 143

53 Astros Spin Six Pitcher No-Hitter at Yanks In 2003 145

54 Aspromonte Keeps A Promise Three Times! 147

55 Jeff Bagwell Fulfilled a Dying Youngster's Wish 148

56 George Springer Becomes First Six for Six Astro 150

57 Astros Trail, 11-0, But Come Back To Win 152

58 Astros Trailed By Six In Eighth but Rallied To Win In 2017 154

59 J. R. Richard Fans 15 In First Start 156

60 Jimmy Wynn's Homecoming Tape Measure Blast 159

61 Rader and Wynn First to Hit to the Dome's Upperdeck In 1970 162

62 Nolan Ryan Reaches 4000 Strikeouts 163

63 Bob Bruce Tying a Record Never To Be Broken 165

64 Greatest Pitching Feat against Astros and All-Time 166

65 Longest Shutout in MLB History at the Dome In '68 167

66 Berkman's Acrobatic Catch on Tal's Hill 169

67 Colt .45s Started Nine Rookies in One Game 172

68 First Dark Days of Houston Baseball 176

69 The Second "Dark Ages" Were Part of a Plan 180

70 Altuve Wins First Houston Batting Title and Adds More! 185

71 John Paciorek: Most Perfect Ever 187

72 Larry Yount Has No Stats, but Was In One Game 189

73 Jim Deshaies Fans First Eight Dodgers 191

74 Homer Happy 2000 Featured Record Seven Home Run Game 193

75 Jeff Bagwell Passes Jimmy Wynn with Exclamation Point! 196

76 Astros Triple Play Beat Dodgers In 1978 198

77 Jim Bouton Book Goes Inside Astros 200

78 George Springer Drafted By Astros In 2011 202

79 Larry Dierker-Mr. Astro 204

80 Tal, Gerry and Jeff-Houston's Budding Winners GMs 206

81 Jimmy Wynn Loses a Ball in the Astrodome Ceiling 209

82 Longest Scheduled Road Trip in MLB History 211

83 Long Hitting Streak Took a Long Time for Eusebio 214

84 Astros Very "Hitterish" In 1976-25 Times! 215

85 Scoring 12 Runs in an Inning Is Astro Record 217

86 First Test of Astroturf-April 18, 1966 218

87 Mets Announcer Lindsay Nelson Works from Ceiling 220

88 Promotional Ideas That Didn't Work Out 222

89 Best Promotions Ever! World Series Replica Rings 224

90 No Longer the Record But Ricky Gutierrez Took Bartolo Colon Twenty Pitches Deep 225

91 Tuffy Rhodes Was Astro Footnote but Big Star in Japan 227

92 Oops! Astros Bat Out Of Order 229

93 300 Home Run Milestones for Three Astros In 2009 231

94 Astrodome Rain-In 233

95 Brian Bogusevic's Ultimate Walk-Off Grand Slam 235

96 Astro Records Most Unlikely To Be Broken 238

97 Astrodome Opened With Three Teams In 1965 240

98 Enron Field Opening Had One Similarity to Astrodome 242

99 Billy Wagner Takes Line Drive Off His Head 244

100 Retired Number 32-Jim Umbricht Cancer Took Him Early 246

101 Ignomious Record-Setting Last Game for Jerry Goff 249

102 José Lima Only Latest Of "Unique" Players 251

103 More Astro Legends for Reasons beyond the Game 254

Bibliography 264

About The Author Greg Lucas 265