Houston Astros

Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas.

Contents [hide]

1 Profile

2 Introduction

3 World Series Champion

3.1 2017 Against Los Angeles Dodgers (4-3)

3.2 2022 Against Philadelphia Phillies (4-2)

4 Rivalry

4.1 With Texas Rangers (Lone Stars Series)

4.2 With Los Angeles Dodgers

5 See Also

5.1 Sport Teams based in Texas

6 External Links

Profile

Affliations	American League
Ballpark	Minute Maid Park
World Series Title	2 (2017 & 2022)
AL Pennants	4
NL Pennants	1 (2005)

Introduction

The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL).They are also one of two current MLB franchises to switch leagues in the modern era (1900–present), the other being the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962 along with the New York Mets. The current name, reflecting Houston's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center, was adopted three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium and the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World." The Astros moved to a new stadium called Minute Maid Park in 2000. The Astros played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993, then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012, before being moved to the AL West as part of an MLB realignment in 2013.

The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time in 1980, and they won three division titles in the 1980s. Spearheaded by the Killer B's, a collection of prominent hitters that included the Astros' only Hall of Fame members Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the Astros began reaching major prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with four further division titles and two Wild Card appearances, culminating in their first World Series appearance in 2005 where they were swept by the AL’s Chicago White Sox. After a major slump throughout the next decade, the team was purchased by business owner Jim Crane in 2011 for $680 million. Under Crane's ownership, the Astros embraced sabermetrics and pioneered new analytical technologies in their transition to the American League, and by the mid-2010s has transformed from a poor franchise into one of MLB's most dominant and successful clubs. Since then, the Astros have won over 100 games in four seasons, appeared in a record six consecutive American League Championship Series, and won four of the last six American League pennants. During this time, the Astros won the 2017 World Series, their first championship, against the Los Angeles Dodgers; they made later appearances in 2019 against the Washington Nationals, 2021 against the Atlanta Braves, and 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies, winning their second title in the latter series. They are the only team to win a postseason series in six straight seasons. Their fifth pennant in 2022 made them the second team created in the expansion era to win five league pennants (after the Mets), and they are the fifth expansion team to have won two World championships.

From 1962 through the end of the 2022 season, the Astros' all-time record is 4,831-4,820 (.501). In addition to having the most postseason appearances by an expansion team, they are the only expansion era team with an all-time winning record.

World Series Champion

2017 Against Los Angeles Dodgers (4-3)

2022 Against Philadelphia Phillies (4-2)

This time they finish the Job, The Houston Astros World Champion

Rivalry

With Texas Rangers (Lone Stars Series)

The Lone Star Series (also, Silver Boot Series) is a Major League Baseball rivalry featuring Texas' two major league franchises, the Texas Rangers and Astros. It is an outgrowth of the "natural rivalry" established by MLB as part of interleague play as the Rangers are a member of the American League and the Astros were a member of the National League until 2012.

During interleague play, the winner of the 6-game series was awarded the Silver Boot. A 30-inch (760 mm) tall display of a size-15 cowboy boot cast in silver, complete with a custom, handmade spur. If the series was split (3–3), the winner was the club which scored the most runs over the course of the series.

In 2013, the Astros joined the American League West with the Rangers and changed their rivalry from an interleague to an intra-division rivalry, the Astros played their first game in the American League against the Rangers on Sunday Night Baseball that season. In 2015, both teams made the playoffs and were in a tight division race during most of the season.

With Los Angeles Dodgers

The series between the Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers had initially begun as a divisional matchup but following Houston's realignment to the American League, the rivalry regained intensity as the two teams played one another in the 2017 World Series in which the Astros controversially won the championship in 7 games. Animosity was quick to grow further after the Astros' widely publicized sign stealing scandal had drawn negative attention to the organization after it was revealed the team had utilized a complex system to steal pitch signs, particularly during the 2017 World Series. As a result of the scandal, hostility grew immensely between the two teams and their fans.[133] The Dodgers lead the all time series 400-334, both teams are tied in postseason wins 6-6.