Last updated: January 6, 2024

Houston's baseball club is, by MLB standards, a very young one. Yet over the years, the franchise has lost a number of players, including the tragic deaths of Jim Umbricht in 1964 of cancer, and Don Wilson in 1975 of carbon monoxide poisoning. Both were active players at the time of their deaths, and their numbers were later retired by the club.

This page is dedicated to the memory of all former Colt .45s and Astros players who have since passed on. For obituaries on former Astros managers, visit the All-Time Managers page.

You can view the player details in the chronological order of their passing, or select alphabetically from the following:

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Umbricht Full name: James Umbricht (pronounced Um-brite) Nickname: "Big Jim" Born: 9/17/1930, Chicago, IL Died: 4/8/1964, Houston, TX; cancer Career: PIT (1959-61), HOU (1962-63) Jersey retired: #32, 4/12/65 Notes: First jersey number to be retired by Houston His ashes were spread over the Astrodome construction site by his brother Ed from a private airplane as his parents and teammates looked on. Only Houston pitcher with winning record (8-3) during club's first two seasons (1962-63)

(c) Houston Astros

Jay Dahl Full name: Jay Steven Dahl Born: 12/6/1945, San Bernadino, CA Died: 6/21/1965, Salisbury, NC; auto accident Career: HOU (1963) Notes: Starting pitcher for Colt .45s "All-Rookie Team" against the Mets, 9/27/63.

(c) Topps Baseball

Walt Bond Full name: Walter Franklin Bond Born: 10/19/1937, Denmark, TN Died: 9/14/1967, Houston, TX; leukemia Career: CLE (1960-62), HOU (1964-65), MIN (1967) Notes: One of the last alums of the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs. His 85 RBIs in 1964 were most of any Colt .45 in one season.

(c) Houston Astros

Johnny Weekly Full name: Johnny Weekly Born: 6/14/1937, Waterproof, LA Died: 11/24/1974, Walnut Creek, CA; auto accident Career: HOU (1962-64)

(c) Topps Baseball

Don Wilson Full name: Donald Edward Wilson Born: 2/12/1945, Monroe, LA Died: 1/5/1975, Houston, TX; carbon monoxide poisoning Career: HOU (1966-74) All-Star: 1971 Jersey retired: #40, 4/13/75 Notes: On 6/18/67, pitched a 2-0 no-hitter over the Braves in Houston. On 5/1/69, pitched a 4-0 no-hitter over the Reds in Cincinnati.

(c) Houston Astros

Nellie Fox Full name: Jacob Nelson Fox Nickname: "Mighty Mite", "Little Nel" Born: 12/25/1927, St. Thomas, PA Died: 12/1/1975, Baltimore, MD; skin cancer Career: PHI-A (1947-49), CWS (1950-63), HOU (1964-65) All-Star: 1951-61, 1963 Hall of Fame: Inducted 1997, Veterans Committee Notes: Brought to Houston to mentor second-baseman Joe Morgan. Stayed on as a coach, 1965-67. Got the game-winning hit in the first game at the Astrodome, 4/9/65. 1959 World Series MVP for "Go-Go" Chicago White Sox.

(c) Topps Baseball

Dick Farrell Full name: Richard Joseph Farrell Nickname: "Turk" Born: 4/8/1934, Boston, MA Died: 6/10/1977, Great Yarmouth, England; auto accident Career: PHI (1956-61), LAD (1961), HOU (1962-67), PHI (1967-69) All-Star: 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965 Notes: Houston's first All Star. Famous for his practical jokes. Once sneaked a baby alligator into the whirlpool in the Colt .45s' clubhouse.

(c) Topps Baseball

Ron Willis Full name: Ronald Earl Willis Born: 7/12/1943, Willisville, TN Died: 11/21/1977, Memphis, TN; brain tumor Career: STL (1966-69), HOU (1969), SD (1970)

(c) Houston Astros

Al Cicotte Full name: Alva Warren Cicotte Nicknames: "Bozo", because of the brand of ice cream he favored. "Count Dracula", because he favored black suits, often with a cape. Born: 12/23/1929, Melvindale, MI Died: 11/29/1982, Westland, MI; cause not reported Career: NYY (1957), WAS (1958), DET (1958), CLE (1959), STL (1961), HOU (1962) Notes: Great-nephew of Eddie Cicotte, who was banned from baseball in the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal.

(c) Topps Baseball

Billy Goodman Full name: William Dale Goodman Born: 3/22/1926, Concord, NC Died: 10/1/1984, Sarasota, FL; cancer Career: BOS (1947-57), BAL (1957), CWS (1958-61), HOU (1962) All-Star: 1949, 1953 Notes: 1950 AL batting champion Played five games in the World Series for the 1959 Chicago White Sox against the Los Angeles Dodgers

(c) Topps Baseball

Howie Reed Full name: Howard Dean Reed Nickname: "Diz" Born: 12/21/1936, Dallas, TX Died: 12/7/1984, Mathis, TX; heart failure Career: KC (1958-60), LA (1964-66), CAL (1966), HOU (1967), MON (1969-71) Notes: Member of 1965 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

(c) Houston Astros

Dick Drott Full name: Richard Fred Drott Nickname: "Hummer" Born: 7/1/1936, Cincinnati, OH Died: 8/16/1985, Glendale Heights, IL; stomach cancer Career: CHC (1957-61), HOU (1962-63) Notes: Lost a 1-0 no-hitter to Juan Marichal on June 15, 1963 despite tossing a three-hitter himself.

(c) Houston Astros

Don McMahon Full name: Donald John McMahon Born: 1/4/1930, Brooklyn, NY Died: 7/22/1987, Los Angeles, CA; heart attack Career: MIL-N (1957-62), HOU (1962-63), CLE (1964-66), BOS (1966-67), CWS (1967-68), DET (1968-69), SF (1969-74) All-Star: 1958

(c) Houston Astros

Aurelio Monteagudo Full name: Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo Cintra Nickname: "Monty" Born: 11/19/1943, Caribarien, Cuba Died: 11/10/1990, Saltillo, Mexico; auto accident Career: KCA (1963-66), HOU (1966), CWS (1967), KCR (1970), CAL (1973) Notes: Son of major-leaguer Rene Monteagudo.

(c) Houston Astros

Pete Runnels Full name: James Edward Runnels (b. James Edward Runnells) Born: 1/28/1928, Lufkin, TX Died: 5/20/1991, Pasadena, TX; stroke Career: WAS (1951-57), BOS (1958-62), HOU (1963-64) All-Star: 1959, 1960, 1962 Notes: Elected to Texas Sports Hall of Fame, 1982. Two-time AL Batting Champion: 1960 (.320), and 1962 (.326)

(c) Houston Astros

George Brunet Full name: George Stuart Brunet Nickname: "Lefty" Born: 6/8/1935, Houghton, MI Died: 10/25/1991, Poza Rica, Mexico; heart attack Career: KCA (1956-60), MIL-N (1960-61), HOU (1962-63), BAL (1963), CAL (1965-69), SEA (1969), WAS (1970), PIT (1970), STL (1971) Notes: Played minor league ball in the Mexican League into his fifties.

(c) Topps Baseball

Ron Davis Full name: Ronald Everette Davis Born: 10/21/1941, Roanoke Rapids, NC Died: 9/5/1992, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: HOU (1962, 1966-68), STL (1968), PIT (1969) Notes: Appeared in two games for Cardinals in 1968 World Series.

(c) Houston Astros

Aurelio Lopez Full name: Aurelio Alejandro Lopez Rios Nickname: Señor Smoke Born: 9/21/1948, Tecamachalco, Mexico Died: 9/22/1992, Matehuala, Mexico; auto accident Career: KCR (1974), STL (1978), DET (1979-85), HOU (1986-87) All-Star: 1974, 1983 Notes: Member of 1986 NL West Division champs Member of 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers Posthumously inducted into Salon de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de Mexico (Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame), 1993 At the time of his death, was mayor of his hometown of Tecamachalco, Mexico

(c) Houston Astros

Johnny Temple Full name: John Ellis Temple Born: 8/8/1927, Lexington, NC Died: 1/9/1994, Anderson, SC; pancreatitis Career: CIN (1952-59), CLE (1960-61), BAL (1962), HOU (1962-63), CIN (1964) All-Star: 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961 Notes: Part of baseball's first inter-league trade (in 1960 from Cincinnati to Cleveland for Billy Martin and Cal McLish). Sports anchor for KHOU-TV in Houston after his retirement.

(c) Houston Astros

Gordon Jones Full name: Gordon Bassett Jones Born: 4/2/1930, Portland, OR Died: 4/25/1994, Lodi, CA; cause not reported Career: STL (1954-56), NYG/SF (1957-59), BAL (1960-61), KC (1962), HOU (1964-65) Notes: Astros pitching coach, 1966-67.

(c) Houston Astros

Cecil Upshaw Full name: Cecil Lee Upshaw Born: 10/22/1942, Spearnsville, LA Died: 2/7/1995, Lawrenceville, GA; heart attack Career: ATL (1966-73), HOU (1973), CLE (1974), NYY (1974), CWS (1975) Notes: Pitched three games in 1969 NLCS.

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Pendleton Full name: James Edward Pendleton Nickname: "The Guv'nor" Born: 1/7/1924, St. Charles, MO Died: 3/20/1996, Houston, TX; heart attack Career: MIL-N (1953-56); PIT (1957-58); CIN (1959); HOU (1962) Notes: Starting left fielder in Houston franchise's first game, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.

(c) Houston Astros

Gary Geiger Full name: Gary Merle Geiger Born: 4/4/1937, Sand Ridge, IL Died: 4/24/1996, Murphysboro, IL; liver failure Career: CLE (1958), BOS (1959-65), ATL (1966-67), HOU (1969-70)

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Busby Full name: James Franklin Busby Born: 1/8/1927, Kennedy, TX Died: 7/8/1996, Augusta, GA; heart attack Career: CWS (1950-52), WAS (1952-55), CWS (1955), CLE (1956-57), BAL (1957-58), BOS (1959-60), BAL (1960-61), HOU (1962) All-Star: 1951 Notes: Astros coach, 1962-67. Was player/coach in franchise's first season.

(c) Houston Astros

Howie Goss Full name: Howard Wayne Goss Born: 11/1/1934, Wewoka, OK Died: 7/31/1996, Reno, NV; cause not reported Career: PIT (1962), HOU (1963) Notes: Struck out 128 times in just 442 plate appearances during his only season with the Colts .45s. First Houston player reported to be a health food enthusiast.

(c) Topps Baseball

Joe Hoerner Full name: Joseph Walter Hoerner Born: 11/12/1936, Dubuque, IA Died: 10/4/1996, Hermann, MO; farming accident Career: HOU (1963-64), STL (1966-69), PHI (1970-72), ATL (1972-73), KC (1973-74), PHI (1975), TEX (1976), CIN (1977) All-Star: 1970 Notes: Member of 1967 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

(c) Topps Baseball

John Bateman Full name: John Alvin Bateman Born: 7/21/1940, Fort Sill, OK Died: 12/3/1996, Sand Springs, OK; kidney failure/heart disease Career: HOU (1963-68), MON (1969-72), PHI (1972) Notes: As a rookie, led Colt .45s in home runs (10) and RBIs (59), 1963. Caught Don Nottebart's no-hitter, 5/17/63. First catcher in Montreal Expos history

(c) Houston Astros

Pidge Browne Full name: Prentice Almont Browne Nickname: "Pidge" Born: 3/21/1929, Peekskill, NY Died: 6/3/1997, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: HOU (1962) Notes: 1955 Texas League MVP for Shreveport Sports. Member of Houston Buffaloes' back-to-back Dixie Series Champions, 1956-57. First player to play for both the Houston Buffs and Colt .45s.

(c) Topps Baseball

John Anderson Full name: John Charles Anderson Born: 11/23/1929, St. Paul, MN Died: 12/20/1998, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: PHI (1958), BAL (1960), STL (1962), HOU (1962)

(c) Houston Astros

Arnold Earley Full name: Arnold Carl Earley Born: 6/4/1933, Lincoln Park, MI Died: 9/29/1999, Flint, MI; cause not reported Career: BOS (1960-65), CHC (1966), HOU (1967)

(c) Houston Astros

Bobby Tiefenauer Full name: Bobby Gene Tiefenauer Born: 10/10/1929, Desloge, MO Died: 6/13/2000, Desloge, MO; cause not reported Career: STL-N (1952, 55), CLE (1960), STL-N (1961), HOU (1962), MIL-N (1963-65), NYM (1965), CLE (1965, 67), CHC (1968) Notes: Knuckleball pitcher. As a Colt .45, his catcher once used the hurler's glove to make a tag at home plate on a throw from the outfield.

(c) Houston Astros

Andújar Cedeño Full name: Andújar Cedeño Donastorg Born: 8/21/1969, La Romana, D.R. Died: 10/28/2000, Santo Domingo, D.R.; auto accident Career: HOU (1990-94), SD (1995-96), DET (1996), HOU (1996) Notes: Hit for the cycle against the Cardinals, 8/25/92. Brother of Domingo Cedeño.

(c) Houston Astros

Tommie Agee Full name: Tommie Lee Agee Born: 8/9/1942, Magnolia, AL Died: 1/22/2001, New York, NY; heart attack Career: CLE (1962-65), CWS (1965-67), NYM (1968-72), HOU (1973), STL (1973) All-Star: 1966, 1967 Honors: 1966 AL Rookie of the Year Notes: Hero of the 1969 "Miracle Mets" for his homer in Game 3 of the World Series off Jim Palmer, and two great catches in the outfield.

(c) Houston Astros

Curt Blefary Full name: Curtis LeRoy Blefary Nickname: "Clank", because of his poor fielding. Born: 7/5/1943, Brooklyn, NY Died: 1/28/2001, Pompano Beach, FL; pancreatitis Career: BAL (1965-68), HOU (1969), NYY (1970-71), OAK (1971-72), SD (1972) Honors: 1965 AL Rookie of the Year Notes: Member of 1966 World Champion Baltimore Orioles. Caught Tom Phoebus' 4/27/68 no-hitter for Orioles. Set record getting put out in seven double plays, 5/4/69. Traded to Houston for Mike Cuellar in one of Houston's All-Time Worst Trades

(c) Houston Astros

Eddie Mathews Full name: Edwin Lee Mathews, Jr. Born: 10/13/1931, Texarkana, TX Died: 2/18/2001, La Jolla, CA; pneumonia Career: BOS-N (1952), MIL-N (1953-65), ATL (1966), HOU (1967), DET (1967-68) All-Star: 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 Hall of Fame: Inducted 1978 Notes: Only player to play for Braves in all three cities: Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. Hit 500th career homer while a member of the Astros, 7/14/67. Member of World Champion 1957 Milwaukee Braves and 1968 Detroit Tigers.

(c) Houston Astros

Bo Belinsky Full name: Robert Belinsky Nickname: "Bo" Born: 12/7/1936, New York, NY Died: 11/23/2001, Las Vegas, NV; heart attack Career: LAA (1962-65), PHI (1965-66), HOU (1967), PIT (1969), CIN (1970) Notes: Tossed a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels against Baltimore, the first no-hitter on the West Coast in MLB history, 5/5/62. Married and divorced Playboy Playmate of the Year Jo Collins then married paper heiress Jane Weyerhauser. Astros paired him with Mormon catcher Ron Brand on road trips to try to curtail his nightlife.

(c) Houston Astros

John Hoffman Full name: John Edward Hoffman Nickname: "Pork Chop" Born: 10/31/1943, Aberdeen, SD Died: 12/27/2001, Seattle, WA; cause not reported Career: HOU (1964-65) Notes: Backup catcher appeared in eight games with Houston, going 3-for-21 for his career.

(c) Houston Astros

Darryl Kile Full name: Darryl Andrew Kile Nickname: "DK" Born: 12/2/1968, Garden Grove, CA Died: 6/22/2002, Chicago, IL; coronary artery blockage due to athereosclerosis Career:  HOU (1991-97), COL (1998-99), STL (2000-02) All-Star: 1993, 1997, 2000 Notes: Pitched no-hitter against Mets, 9/8/93. Went 19-7 with 2.57 ERA for 1997 Astros. Died four days after death of Cardinals' announcer Jack Buck.

(c) Houston Astros

Lee Maye Full name: Arthur Lee Maye Born: 12/11/1934, Tuscaloosa, AL Died: 7/17/2002, Riverside, CA; complications from liver cancer Career: MIL-N (1959-65), HOU (1965-66), CLE (1967-69), WAS (1969-70), CWS (1970-71) Notes: Died on the 43rd anniversary of his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Braves (7/17/1959). AstrosDaily interview, 7/16/2001. Had a successful R&B recording/singing career, leading "Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns" and used to sing at the "Dome Shadows" nightclub across the street from the Astrodome.

(c) Houston Astros

Chris Zachary Full name: William Christopher Zachary Born: 2/19/1944, Knoxville, TN Died: 4/19/2003, Knoxville, TN; bone marrow cancer Career: HOU (1963-67), KC (1969), STL (1971), DET (1972), PIT (1973) Notes: Once described himself as "a pretty decent 10th-man on a 10-man staff." Inducted into Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

(c) Houston Astros

Willie Crawford Full name: Willie Murphy Crawford Born: 9/7/1946, Los Angeles, CA Died: 8/27/2004, Knoxville, TN; kidney disease Career: LAD (1964-75), STL (1976), HOU (1977), OAK (1977) Notes: Made his major league debut nine days after his 18th birthday, 9/16/64. Member of 1965 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

(c) Houston Astros

Ken Caminiti Full name: Kenneth Gene Caminiti Born: 4/21/1963, Hanford, CA Died: 10/10/2004, Bronx, NY; heart attack Career: HOU (1987-94), SD (1995-98), HOU (1999-2000), TEX (2001), ATL (2001) All-Star: 1994, 1996, 1997 Honors: 1996 National League MVP Notes: Slugged three homers in 1999 NLDS Hit the last regular-season home run in the Astrodome, 10/3/1999 Struggled with alcohol and drug addiction; admitted to using steroids during his MVP season with the Padres

(c) Houston Astros

Glenn Vaughan Full name: Glenn Edward Vaughan Nickname: "Sparky" Born: 2/16/1944, Compton, CA Died: 12/18/2004, Houston, TX; natural causes Career: HOU (1963) Notes: Starting third baseman in the All-Rookie Game, 9/27/63. Nephew of Hall-of-Famer Arky Vaughan. Ran a successful insurance business in Houston following his retirement from baseball.

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Ray Full name: James Francis Ray Nicknames: "Stinger", "Sting", "Ray Gun" Born: 12/1/1944, Rock Hill, SC Died: 5/26/2005, Margate, FL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1965-66, 1968-73), DET (1974) Notes: "His passing went unreported in baseball circles until 2013" baseball-reference

(c) Topps Baseball

Carroll Sembera Full name: Carroll William Sembera Nicknames: "Pencil", "The Hat" Born: 7/26/1941, Shiner, TX Died: 6/15/2005, Shiner, TX; cause not reported Career: HOU (1965-67), MON (1969-70) Notes: Served as a scout for the Seattle Mariners. Pitched exactly 100 innings as an Astro, with a 3-9 record.

(c) Houston Astros

Al Heist Full name: Alfred Michael Heist Born: 10/5/1927, Brooklyn, NY Died: 10/2/2006, Tahlequah, OK; cause not reported Career: CHC (1960-61) HOU (1962) Notes: Acquired by Houston in the National League expansion draft after the 1961 season. Appeared in 27 games for the Colt .45s, batting .222 as an outfielder. Coached in the Astros organization in 1966 and 1967. Later coached in the Padres organization.

(c) Houston Astros

Ivan Murrell Full name: Ivan Augustus Murrell Peters Nicknames: "Banana Man", "El Toro", "Bull", "Ivan the Terrible" Born: 4/24/1943, Bocas del Toro, Panama Died: 10/8/2006, Stuart, FL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1963-64, 1967-68), SD (1969-73), ATL (1974) Notes: Played in Mexican League until 1984. In 1989, played for the St. Lucie Legends of the Senior Professional Baseball Association, hitting .272 with 5 HR over 47 games. Astros Daily interview, 2002.

(c) Topps Baseball

Joe Niekro Full name: Joseph Franklin Niekro Nickname: "Knucksie" Born: 11/7/1944, Martins Ferry, OH Died: 10/27/2006, Tampa, FL; brain aneurysm Career: CHC (1967-69), SD (1969), DET (1970-72), ATL (1973-74), HOU (1975-85), NYY (1985-87), MIN (1987-88) All-Star: 1979 Notes: Houston's first back-to-back 20-game winner (1979-80). Winning pitcher of one-game playoff against the Dodgers to give Astros first division title, 10/06/80. Younger brother of Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro. Father of major leaguer Lance Niekro. Hit his only career homer off his brother Phil on May 29, 1976

(c) Houston Astros

Jose Uribe Full name: Jose Altagracia Gonzalez Uribe Born: 1/21/1959, San Cristobal, DR Died: 12/8/2006, Juan Baron, DR; auto accident Career: STL (1984), SF (1985-92), HOU (1993) All-Star: 1987, 1989 Notes: Fans would chant "OOH-ree-bay" when he would make a good play. Second cousin of Juan Uribe.

(c) Houston Astros

Larry Sherry Full name: Lawrence Sherry Born: 7/25/1935, Los Angeles, CA Died: 12/17/2006, Mission Viejo, CA; cancer Career: LAD (1958-63), DET (1964-67), HOU (1967), CAL (1968) All-Star: 1959 Notes: MVP of 1959 World Series as member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Led Astros in saves in 1967 despite a mid-season trade. Brother of catcher Norm Sherry who was his Dodger teammate, 1959-62.

(c) Topps Baseball

Vern Ruhle Full name: Vernon Gerald Ruhle Born: 1/25/1951, Coleman, MI Died: 1/20/2007, Houston, TX; complications from stem cell transplant Career: DET (1974-77), HOU (1978-84), CLE (1985), CAL (1986) Notes: Took the place of J.R. Richard in Astros' rotation after Richard's stroke and went 7-2, helping them to the 1980 NL West Division title. Astros pitching coach, 1997-2000.

(c) Topps Baseball

Marty Martinez Full name: Orlando Martinez Oliva Nickname: "Marty" Born: 8/23/1941, Havana, Cuba Died: 3/8/2007, Santo Domingo, D.R.; cause not reported Career: MIN (1962), ATL (1967-68), HOU (1969-71), STL (1972), OAK (1972), TEX (1972) Notes: Versatile reserve who played seven different positions while with Houston, including pitcher and catcher.

(c) Houston Astros

Norm Larker Full name: Norman Howard John Larker Nickname: "Dumbo", due to his large ears. Born: 12/27/1930, Beaver Meadows, PA Died: 3/12/2007, Long Beach, CA; cancer Career: LAD (1958-61), HOU (1962), MIL-N (1963), SF (1963) All-Star: 1960 Notes: Starting first baseman in Houston franchise's first game, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. Member of 1959 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Batted .323 in 1960, second-best in NL.

(c) Houston Astros

Don Nottebart Full name: Donald Edward Nottebart Nickname: "Notty" Born: 1/23/1936, West Newton, MA Died: 10/4/2007, Cypress, TX; complications from a stroke Career: MIL-N (1960-62), HOU (1963-65), CIN (1966-67), NYY (1969), CHC (1969) Notes: Pitched Houston's first major league no-hitter, a 4-1 win over the Phillies, 5/17/63. Recommended to Houston General Manager Paul Richards by former Milwaukee teammate, Don McMahon.

(c) Houston Astros

Jack Lamabe Full name: John Alexander Lamabe Born: 10/3/1936, Farmingdale, NY Died: 12/21/2007, Baton Rouge, LA; cause not reported Career: PIT (1962), BOS (1963-1965) HOU (1965), CWS (1966-67), NYM (1967), STL (1967), CHC (1968) Notes: Dealt to Houston from the Red Sox 9/65 and traded to the White Sox 12/65. Appeared in three games for the 1965 Astros, losing two of them.

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Beauchamp Full name: James Edward Beauchamp Born: 8/21/1939, Vinita, OK Died: 12/25/2007, Atlanta, GA; acute myelogenous leukemia Career: STL (1963), HOU (1964-65), MIL-N (1965), ATL (1967), CIN (1968-69), HOU (1970), STL (1970-71), NYM (1972-73) Notes: Starting left fielder in first National League game at the Astrodome, 4/12/65. Only player to wear an Atlanta uniform at Ponce de Leon Ballpark (as an Atlanta Cracker), Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and Turner Field. Astros Daily interview, 9/7/01.

(c) Houston Astros

John Buzhardt Full name: John William Buzhardt Born: 8/17/1936, Prosperity, SC Died: 6/15/2008, Prosperity, SC; complications from a stroke Career: CHC (1958-59), PHI (1960-61), CWS (1962-67), BAL (1967), HOU (1967-68) Notes: Earned 4-4 record with 5 saves with Astros in 1968.

(c) Topps Baseball

Julio Gotay Full name: Julio Enrique Gotay Sanchez Born: 6/9/1939, Fajardo, PR Died: 7/4/2008, Ponce, PR; respiratory failure Career: STL (1960-62), PIT (1963-64), CAL (1965), HOU (1966-69) Notes: Hit .264 with three homers as utility infielder for Astros. Accused by teammates of practising voodoo. Roommate of Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente on road trips until Clemente pleaded with the Pirates to switch. Once broke up a double play when a sandwich he kept in his back pocket fell out as he was sliding, causing the opposing shortstop to slip on it.

(c) Houston Astros

Rafael Batista Full name: Rafael Batista Sanchez Nickname: "El Gallo" Born: 11/25/1945, San Pedro de Macoris, DR Died: 10/25/2008, Santo Domingo, DR; thrombosis Career: HOU (1973, 1975) Notes: As a reserve first baseman, hit .280 in two short stints with Houston. Also played for Lotte Orions (Japan) and Cafetoros de Cordoba (Mexico).

(c) Houston Astros

Dave Smith Full name: David Stanley Smith Nickname: "Smitty" Born: 1/21/1955, Richmond, CA Died: 12/17/2008, Carmel Valley, CA; heart attack Career: HOU (1980-90), CHC (1991-92) All-Star: 1986, 1990 Notes: Held franchise record for saves (199) until broken by Billy Wagner in 2003. Member of 1980 and 1986 NL West Division Champions. Allowed walk-off homer in Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS.

(c) Houston Astros

Dave A. Roberts Full name: David Arthur Roberts Born: 9/11/1944, Gallipolis, OH Died: 1/9/2009, Morgantown, WV; lung cancer Career: SD (1969-71), HOU (1972-75), DET (1976-77), CHC (1977-78), SF (1979), PIT (1979-80), SEA (1980), NYM (1981) Notes: Finished second in NL in ERA in 1971 (2.10). Tossed 11 shutouts in his four years with the Astros. Hurled one-hitter over the Phillies in the fastest game in franchise history (1 hr. 26 mins), 8/24/74.

(c) Houston Astros

George Williams Full name: George Williams Born: 10/23/1939, Detroit, MI Died: 5/14/2009, lung cancer Career: PHI (1961), HOU (1962), KCA (1964) Notes: As a reserve second baseman, appeared in five games for expansion Colt .45s. Was acquired in the 1961 expansion draft from Philadelphia.

(c) Houston Astros

Hal Woodeshick Full name: Harold Joseph Woodeshick Nickname: "Woody" Born: 8/24/1932, Wilkes-Barre, PA Died: 6/14/2009, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: DET (1956), CLE (1958), WSH (1959-61), DET (1961), HOU (1962-65), STL (1965-67) All-Star: 1963 Notes: Member of the 1961 expansion Washington Senators and the 1962 expansion Houston Colt .45s. Led National League in saves in 1964 with 23. Pitched one inning of 1967 World Series as member of the St. Louis Cardinals. AstrosDaily.com article: The colorful Hal Woodeshick

(c) Houston Astros

Brian Powell Full name: Brian Powell Born: 10/10/1973, Bainbridge, GA Died: 10/5/2009, Tallahassee, FL; suicide Career: DET (1998), HOU (2000-01), DET (2002), SF (2003), PHI (2004) Notes: Member of 2001 National League Central Champion Houston Astros. Sported 7-18 career record but 2-2 while with Houston. Was quarterback of his high school football team.

(c) Houston Astros

José Herrera Full name: José Concepción Herrera Ontiveros Nickname: "Loco" Born: 4/8/1942, San Lorenzo, Venezuela Died: 10/16/2009, Lagunillas, Venezuela; cause not reported Career: HOU (1967-68), MON (1969-70) Notes: Although he died in 2009, that fact was not known to baseball researchers until 2015.

(c) Houston Astros

Mike Cuellar Full name: Miguel Angel Cuéllar Santana Nickname: "Crazy Horse" Born: 5/8/1937, Las Villas, Cuba Died: 4/2/2010, Orlando, FL; stomach cancer Career: CIN (1959), STL (1964), HOU (1965-68), BAL (1969-76), CAL (1977) All-Star: 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974 Honors: 1969 American League Cy Young Award (tied with Denny McLain) Notes: Sported 37-36 record and 2.74 ERA with Houston Set Astros record for most season wins by a lefty at 16 in 1967, a mark that stood until 1973 Dealt to Baltimore for Curt Blefary in one of Houston's All-Time Worst Trades Pitched in 1969, 1970, and 1971 World Series for Orioles Had four consecutive 20+ win seasons in Baltimore

(c) Houston Astros

Robin Roberts Full name: Robin Evan Roberts Born: 9/30/1926, Springfield, IL Died: 5/6/2010, Temple Terrace, FL; natural causes Career: PHI (1948-61), BAL (1962-65), HOU (1965-66), CHC (1966) All-Star: 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956 Hall of Fame: Inducted 1976 Notes: Career record of 286-245 over 19 seasons; 8-7 as an Astro Topped 20 wins for six straight years with Phillies Pitched a remarkable 305 complete games (38th all time) Lost a 2-1 10-inning heartbreaker to the Yankees in his one World Series appearance, 1950 Won two Pitcher of the Year awards (1952, 1955) before the Cy Young Award was created

(c) Houston Astros

Jay Schlueter Full name: Jay D Schlueter Born: 7/31/1949, Phoenix, AZ Died: 5/13/2010, Phoenix, AZ; complications from ataxia Career: HOU (1971) Notes: Appeared in seven games for 1971 Astros, batting .333 at age 21 Was a second round choice of the Astros in the 1967 summer draft Was an outfielder in the Astros and Cardinals farm systems

(c) Houston Astros

Jose Lima Full name: Jose Desiderio Rodriguez Lima Nickname: "Lima Time" Born: 9/30/1972, Santiago, DR Died: 5/23/2010, Los Angeles, CA; heart attack Career: DET (1994-96), HOU (1997-2001), DET (2001-02), KC (2003), LAD (2004), KC (2005), NYM (2006) All-Star: 1999 Notes: Member of three division champs with Houston (1997-99) Fifth 20-game winner in Astros' history Appeared in three post-seasons with a 2.16 ERA Colorful teammate known for emotional displays on and off the field Recorded salsa music CD at height of his career

(c) Houston Astros

Jeriome Robertson Full name: Jeriome Paul Robertson Born: 3/30/1977, San Jose, CA Died: 5/29/2010, Exeter, CA; motorcycle accident Career: HOU (2002-03), CLE (2004) Notes: Won 15 games with Astros in 2003 Finished seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting that season Won only one other game in his big league career (2004)

(c) Houston Astros

Keith Drumright Full name: Keith Alan Drumright Born: 10/21/1954, Springfield, MO Died: 8/7/2010, Springfield, MO; suicide Career: HOU (1979), OAK (1981) Notes: Hit .164 in 17 games for 1979 Astros Batted .291 for Oakland in only other MLB season Was a .301 minor league hitter

(c) Houston Astros

Don Buddin Full name: Donald Thomas Buddin Born: 5/5/1934, Turbeville, SC Died: 6/30/2011, Greenville, SC; cancer Career: BOS (1956-61), HOU (1962), DET (1962) Notes: Opening Day shortstop in inaugural Colt .45 season Hit first grand slam in franchise history Led AL in errors committed by shortstops, 1958 and 1959

(c) Houston Astros

Merritt Ranew Full name: Merritt Thomas Ranew Born: 5/10/1938, Albany, GA Died: 10/18/2011, Valdosta, GA; cause not reported Career: HOU (1962), CHC (1963-64), MIL-N (1964), CAL (1965), SEA (1969) Notes: Backup catcher in inaugural Colt .45 season Led Colts in triples (8) that first year Nearly died in 1966 when hit with a bat during a brawl

(c) Houston Astros

Bob Forsch Full name: Robert Herbert Forsch Born: 1/13/1950, Sacramento, CA Died: 11/3/2011, Tampa, FL; aneurysm Career: STL (1974-88), HOU (1988-89) Notes: Younger brother of Astros pitcher Ken Forsch Authored two no-hitters while with St. Louis Carried a .213 career batting average with 12 homers Traded 8/31/88 to Houston for Denny Walling Died the week after throwing the 'first pitch' of Game 7 of the 2011 World Series

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Obradovich Full name: James Thomas Obradovich Born: 9/13/1949, Fort Campbell, KY Died: 3/3/2012, Stanford, KY; cause not reported Career: HOU (1978) Notes: Batted .176 in 10 games for Houston.

(c) Houston Astros

Bruce Von Hoff Full name: Bruce Frederick Von Hoff Born: 11/17/1943, Oakland, CA Died: 9/11/2012, Gulfport, FL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1965, '67) Notes: Appeared in 13 games for Astros with 0-3 record Pitched no-hitter for Durham Bulls (Carolina) on 8/10/66 Drafted by Astros from Giants on 11/30/64

(c) Topps Baseball

Jimmy Stewart Full name: James Franklin Stewart Born: 6/11/1939, Opelika, AL Died: 11/24/2012, Odessa, FL; cause not reported Career: CHC (1961-67), CWS (1967), CIN (1969-71), HOU (1972-73) Notes: Switch-hitting utility player batted .207 with Houston in 129 games Sent to Astros as part of infamous Joe Morgan trade, 11/19/71 Member of Austin Peay University Hall of Fame

(c) Topps Baseball

George Witt Full name: George Adrian Witt Nickname: "Red" Born: 11/9/1931, Long Beach, CA Died: 1/30/2013, Laguna Beach, CA; cancer Career: PIT (1957-61), LAA (1962), HOU (1962) Notes: Appeared in 8 games for Colt .45s with 0-2 record Was 9-1 with 1.61 ERA in rookie year with Pirates in 1958 Served with the Marines during the Korean War

(c) Baltimore Sun

Gus Triandos Full name: Gus Triandos Born: 7/30/1930, San Francisco, CA Died: 3/28/2013, San Jose, CA; congestive heart failure Career: NYY (1953-54), BAL (1955-62), DET (1963), PHI (1964-65), HOU (1965) All-Star: 1957, 1958, 1959 (two games) Notes: Hit .181 with two homers for 1965 Astros Caught no-hitters of Hoyt Wilhelm and Jim Bunning. Hit 167 homers in 13-year career

(c) Houston Astros

Jose Sosa Full name: Jose Ynocencio Sosa Born: 12/28/1952, Santo Domingo, DR Died: 6/8/2013, Santo Domingo, DR; cause not reported Career: HOU (1975-76) Notes: Posted 1-3 record and 4.60 ERA in 34 games for Houston Homered in first big league at bat, 7/30/75 Cousin to Felipe, Jesus, Matty and Moises Alou

(c) Houston Astros

Gene Freese Full name: Eugene Lewis Freese Nickname: Augie Born: 1/8/1934, Wheeling, WV Died: 6/19/2013, New Orleans, LA; natural causes Career: PIT (1955-58, 64-65), STL-N (1958), PHI (1959), CWS (1960, 65-66), CIN (1960-63), HOU (1966) Notes: Hit .254 with 115 homers in 12-year career Member of 1961 NL Champion Cincinnati Reds Batted .091 in 21 games for 1966 Astros

(c) Houston Astros

Dan Osinski Full name: Daniel Osinski Nickname: The Silencer Born: 11/17/1933, Chicago, IL Died: 9/13/2013, Sun City, AZ; cause not reported Career: KCA (1962), LAA (1962-64), MIL-N (1965), BOS (1966-67), CWS (1969), HOU (1970) Notes: Member of 1967 AL Champion Boston Red Sox. Among first to be used as a "closer" as the role would be called. Posted 0-1 record and 9.82 ERA for Astros in three games.

(c) Houston Astros

Mark Small Full name: Mark Allan Small Nickname: Scoobs Born: 11/12/1967, Portland, OR Died: 10/22/2013, Edmonds, WA; cause not reported Career: HOU (1996) Notes: Posted 0-1 record with 5.92 ERA in 16 games for Astros Drafted in 17th round by Astros in 1989 Younger brother of Jeff Small, former Cubs top draft pick

(c) Topps Baseball

Ed Herrmann Full name: Edward Martin Herrmann Nickname: Hoggy Born: 8/27/1946, San Diego, CA Died: 12/22/2013, San Diego, CA; prostate cancer Career: CWS (1967-74), NYY (1975), CAL (1976), HOU (1976-78), MON (1978) All-Star: 1974 Notes: Hit .227 with four homers while with Astros Caught Larry Dierker's no-hitter, July 9, 1976 Active as baseball coach, motorcycle enthusiast and Christian minister after retirement

(c) Topps Baseball

Bill Henry Full name: William Rodman Henry Nickname: "Gabby", for his terseness Born: 10/15/1927, Alice, TX Died: 4/11/2014, Round Rock, TX; heart attack Career: BOS (1952-55), CHC (1958-59), CIN (1960-65), SF (1965-68), PIT (1968), HOU (1969) All-Star: 1960 Notes: Pitched in two games in the 1961 World Series for the Reds. Had a 0.00 ERA in three relief appearances for Houston in 1969. Reported dead by the media in 2007 until someone called his "widow" in Texas and discovered that he was alive. The dead man in Florida was an imposter that had been using Henry's identity for decades.

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Pittman Full name: Joseph Wayne Pittman Nickname: "Shoes" Born: 1/1/1953, Houston, TX Died: 6/13/2014, Lake Jackson, TX; cause not reported Career: HOU (1981-82), SD (1982), SF (1984) Notes: Houston native, graduated from Kashmere HS Fifth-round draft choice by Astros in 1975 Hit .276 in 67 games over two seasons in Houston Served as a scout for the Astros 1988-2003, and as a minor league instructor in 1996 Pleaded unsuccessfully with Astros to sign Frank Thomas as undrafted HS player

(c) Houston Astros

Russ Kemmerer Full name: Russell Paul Kemmerer Nickname: "Rusty", "Dutch" or "Kimmersak" Born: 11/1/1930, Pittsburgh, PA Died: 12/8/2014, Indianapolis, IN; cause not reported Career: BOS (1954-57), WSH-A (1957-60), CWS (1960-62), HOU (1962-63) Notes: Posted 5-3 record with 4.64 ERA and 4 saves in 53 games with Colt .45s Obtained from the White Sox for pitcher Dean Stone in 1962 Ordained minister who presided over funeral for teammate Jim Umbricht in 1964

(c) Houston Astros

Don Bryant Full name: Donald Ray Bryant Nickname: "Bear" Born: 7/13/1941, Jasper, FL Died: 1/22/2015, Gainesville, FL; cause not reported Career: CHC (1966), HOU (1969-70) Notes: Caught Don Wilson's second no-hitter May 1, 1969 Bullpen coach for Red Sox, 1974-76

(c) Houston Astros

Dave Bergman Full name: David Bruce Bergman Nickname: "Bergie" Born: 6/6/1953, Evanston, IL Died: 2/2/2015, Detroit, MI; bile duct cancer Career: NYY (1975, '77), HOU (1978-81), SF (1981-83), DET (1984-92) Notes: Hit a key triple for Houston to win 1980 NLCS Game 2 over Phillies Member of 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers Was a board member of the Joe Niekro Foundation Was a master of the hidden ball trick AstrosDaily interview, 10/16/01.

(c) Houston Astros

Gary Woods Full name: Gary Lee Woods Born: 7/20/1954, Santa Barbara, CA Died: 2/19/2015, Solvang, CA; heart attack Career: OAK (1976), TOR (1977-78), HOU (1980-81), CHC (1982-85) Notes: Member of Astros' 1980 and 1981 playoff teams. Failed to tag up at third in key Game 4 loss of 1980 NLCS. Career .243 hitter in parts of nine big league seasons.

(c) Gambo Photopack

Steve Shea Full name: Steven Francis Shea Born: 12/5/1942, Worcester, MA Died: 3/4/2015, North Hampton, NH; cause not reported Career: HOU (1968), MON (1969) Notes: Compiled 4-4 record with 6 saves for 1968 Astros. Sold to expansion Montreal Expos in off-season. Sported career 3.22 ERA in brief career.

(c) Houston Astros

Ollie Brown Full name: Ollie Lee Brown Nickname: "Downtown" Born: 2/11/1944, Tuscaloosa, AL Died: 4/16/2015, Buena Park, CA; complications from mesothelioma Career: SF (1965-68), SD (1969-72), OAK (1972), MIL-A (1972-73), HOU (1974), PHI (1974-77) Notes: Career .265 hitter with 102 homers during 13 big league seasons First player drafted in San Diego Padres history Batted .217 in 27 games for Houston in 1974

(c) Houston Astros

Fred Gladding Full name: Fred Earl Gladding Born: 6/28/1936, Flat Rock, MI Died: 5/21/2015, Columbia, SC; cause not reported Career: DET (1961-67), HOU (1968-73) Notes: Career 48-34 record with a 3.13 ERA over 13 seasons 22-23 with a 3.68 ERA and 76 saves for his six seasons in Houston Led National League in saves with 29 in 1969 Only career hit, a bloop RBI single, came off the Mets' Ron Taylor 7.30.1969 Coached 22 years for Tigers, Astros, and Indians

(c) Houston Astros

Joaquín Andújar Full name: Joaquín Andújar Born: 12/21/1952, San Pedro de Macoris, DR Died: 9/8/2015, San Pedro de Macoris, DR; complications from diabetes Career: HOU (1976-81, 1988), STL (1981-85), OAK (1986-87) All-Star: 1977, 1978, 1984, 1985 Notes: Career 127-118 record with a 3.58 ERA over 13 seasons 44-53 with a 3.67 ERA and 7 saves for his seven seasons in Houston Won Gold Glove in 1984 Won 20 games in 1984, 21 in 1985 Played in two World Series: 1982 (won Games 3 and 7) and 1985 (lost Game 3) Switch-hitter who batted left- or right-handed as he pleased regardless of the opposing pitcher Described himself as "one tough Dominican" "There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"

(c) Houston Astros

Ken Johnson Full name: Kenneth Travis Johnson Sr. Born: 6/16/1933, West Palm Beach, FL Died: 11/21/2015, Pineville, LA; kidney infection Career: KC-A (1958-61), CIN (1961), HOU (1962-65), MIL-N/ATL (1965-69), NYY (1969), CHC (1969), MON (1970) Notes: Career 91-106 with a 3.46 ERA over 13 seasons 32-51 with a 3.41 ERA and 3 saves for his four seasons in Houston Only MLB pitcher to hurl a nine-inning no-hitter and lose After his retirement, he worked as a community service coordinator at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida, then as a baseball coach ar Louisiana College in Pineville

(c) Houston Astros

Ramón de los Santos Full name: Ramón de los Santos Genero Nickname: "Pintacora" Born: 1/19/1949, Santo Domingo, DR Died: 11/29/2015, Santo Domingo, DR; cause not reported Career: HOU (1974) Notes: Career 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA over 12 games, all with Houston 28-19 with 35 saves over 18 seasons in Dominican League where he played with the Leones del Escogido, Estrellas Orientales and Tigres del Licey Led Dominican team to a 7-4 triumph over Cuba in the Central American and Caribbean Games, 1970 Inducted into Dominican Sports Hall of Fame, 2001

(c) Houston Astros

Hal Brown Full name: Hector Harold (Hal) Brown Nickname: "Skinny" Born: 12/11/1924, Greensboro, NC Died: 12/17/2015, Greensboro, NC; cause unreported Career: CWS (1951-52), BOS (1953-55), BAL (1955-62), NYY (1962), HOU (1963-64) Notes: Earned 8-26 record in two seasons with the Colt .45s Compiled 85-92 record over 14 big league seasons Winner of the first Sunday night game in NL history, 6/9/63 Flew bomber missions during WWII

(c) Houston Astros

Walt Williams Full name: Walter Allen Williams Nickname: "No Neck" Born: 12/19/1943, Brownwood, TX Died: 1/23/2016, Abilene, TX; heart attack Career: HOU (1964), CWS (1967-72), CLE (1973), NYY (1974-75) Notes: Played ten games for the 1964 Colt .45s Career .270 hitter with Colt .45s, White Sox, Indians, and Yankees Career year was 1969 with the White Sox when he batted .304 Got his nickname No Neck from his physical appearance. A typhus injection he received in his neck when he was very young, following a flood in Brownwood, caused his neck to shrink. After MLB career, played two seaons for Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, and two seasons in the Mexican League Was a first base coach for White Sox in 1988, then a minor league manager 1992-94

(c) Houston Astros

Dave Adlesh Full name: David George Adlesh Born: 7/15/1943, Long Beach, CA Died: 2/15/2016, Long Beach, CA; cancer Career: HOU (1963-68) Notes: Caught Don Wilson's first no-hitter, 6/18/1967

(c) Houston Astros

Ken Ramos Full name: Kenneth Cecil Ramos Born: 6/6/1967, Sidney, NE Died: 5/15/2016, Pueblo, CO; suicide Career: HOU (1997) Notes: Picked up by Astros off waivers from the White Sox in 1994 Played in 14 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter, for the 1997 Astros. It was his only MLB experience. Coached high school baseball in Pueblo, 2000-03 Inducted into Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame, 2008 Shot his wife Lisa and then himself in their Pueblo, CO home in an apparent murder-suicide

(c) Houston Astros

Bob Bruce Full name: Robert James Bruce Born: 5/16/1933, Detroit, MI Died: 3/14/2017, Plano(?), TX; cause not reported Career: DET (1959-61), HOU (1962-66), ATL (1967) Notes: Houston's first 15-game winner, 1964 22-inning scoreless streak, 1964 Houston's starting pitcher for the last game in Colt Stadium (9/27/1964, a complete-game 1-0 12-inning win over the Dodgers), and the first official game in the Astrodome (4/12/1965, a 2-0 loss to the Phillies) Career with Houston: 5 seasons, 42-48, 3.78, 138 starts, 24 complete games Owned and operated a successful real estate agency in Plano for many years AstrosDaily.com interview, 8/28/2001

(c) Houston Astros

Bob Cerv Full name: Robert Henry Cerv Born: 5/5/1925, Weston, NE Died: 4/6/2017, Blair, NE; cause not reported Career: NYY (1951-56, 1960, 1961-62), KCA (1957-60), LAA (1960), HOU (1962) Notes: Batted .226 with 2 homers in 19 games for Houston before release American League All-Star for Kansas City in 1958, belting 38 homers that season Appeared in three World Series with the Yankees, batting .258 with one homer

(c) Houston Astros

Anthony Young Full name: Anthony Wayne Young Born: 1/19/1966, Houston, TX Died: 6/27/2017; brain tumor Career: NYM (1991-93), CHC (1994-95), HOU (1996) Notes: While with the Mets, from 5/6/92 to 7/24/93, set the major league record for consecutive lost decisions at 27. Had a six-year career record of 15-48 with a 3.89 ERA.

(c) Houston Astros

Lee May Full name: Lee Andrew May Nickname: "The Big Bopper from Birmingham" Born: 3/23/1943, Birmingham, AL Died: 7/29/2017, Cincinnati, OH; cause not reported Career: CIN (1965-71), HOU (1972-74), BAL (1975-80), KC (1981-82) All-Star: 1969, 1971, 1972 Notes: AL RBI leader, 1976 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Part of the worst trade in Astros history, 1971 Hit three homers in a game, 1973 Hit two homers in the same inning, 1974 In his three seasons in Houston, he hit .274 with 81 HR and 288 RBI For his 18-year MLB career, he hit .267 with 354 HR and 1,244 RBI

(c) Houston Astros

Danny Walton Full name: Daniel James Walton Nickname: "Mickey" Born: 7/14/1947, Los Angeles, CA Died: 8/9/2017, Morgan, UT; cause not reported Career: HOU (1968), SEP (1969), MIL (1970-71), NYY (1971), MIN (1973, '75), LAD (1976), HOU (1977), TEX (1980) Notes: Hit .174 with 1 RBI in 23 AB for the 1968 and 1977 Astros For his 9-year MLB career, he hit .223 with 28 HR and 107 RBI

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Landis Full name: James Henry Landis Born: 3/9/1934, Fresno, CA Died: 10/7/2017, Napa, CA; cause not reported Career: CHW (1957-64), KCA (1965), CLE (1966), HOU (1967), DET (1967), BOS (1967) All-Star: 1962 Notes: Awarded five Gold Gloves, 1960-64 Member of 1959 AL Champion Chicago White Sox. Slashed .272/.370/.379 with 26 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 60 RBI and 20 steals while finishing seventh in MVP voting. Hit a career .247 with 93 home runs, 467 RBI and 139 stolen bases in 1,346 games. Hit .252 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 50 games for Houston in 1967 In 2000, was named to the Chicago White Sox All-Century Team

(c) Houston Astros

Ross Powell Full name: Ross John Powell Born: 1/24/1968, Grand Rapids, MI Died: 10/25/2017, Lucas, TX; carbon monoxide poisoning Career: CIN (1993), HOU (1994-95), PIT (1995) Notes: Posted 6.61 ERA in 16.1 IP for Houston Combined 0-5 record with a 5.40 ERA for his three big-league seasons

(c) Houston Astros

Dick Gernert Full name: Richard Edward Gernert Born: 9/28/1928, Reading, PA Died: 11/30/2017, Reading, PA; cause not reported Career: BOS-A (1952-59), CHC (1960), DET (1960-61), CIN (1961), HOU (1962) Notes: Hit .254 with 103 HR and 402 RBI during his 11-year major league career Hit .208 with 1 RBI in 24 AB during his 10-game tenure in Houston Became a minor league manager and major league coach and scout

(c) Houston Astros

Ernie Fazio Full name: Ernest Joseph Fazio Nickname: "The Faz" Born: 1/25/1942, Oakland, CA Died: 12/1/2017, Danville, CA; dementia and Parkinson's disease Career: HOU (1962-63), KCA (1966) Notes: One of the first "Bonus Babies" signed by the .45s in 1962 Hit .182 with 2 HR and 8 RBI during his 3-year major league career Batted .179 with 2 HR and 6 RBI for the 1962-63 Colt .45s

(c) Houston Astros

Rusty Staub Full name: Daniel Joseph Staub Nicknames: "Rusty", "Le Grand Orange" Born: 4/1/1944, New Orleans, LA Died: 3/29/2018, West Palm Beach, FL; multiple organ failures Career: HOU (1963-68), MON (1969-71), NYM (1972-75), DET (1976-79), MON (1979), TEX (1980), NYM (1981-85) All-Star: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976 Notes: Signed with the Houston Colt .45s 9/11/1961 as a free agent in New Orleans while Hurricane Carla ravaged Houston Made his MLB debut for the Colts 4/9/1963 at the age of 19 Only player with 500 hits for four teams (Astros, Expos, Mets, Tigers) Joins Ty Cobb, Alex Rodriguez, and Gary Sheffield as only players to homer in the majors before age 20 and after age 40 Inducted into Mets Hall of Fame, 1986 Inducted into Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, 2006 Inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, 2012 For his 23-year career, hit .279 with 292 HR and 1,466 RBI

(c) Houston Astros

Dean Stone Full name: Darragh Dean Stone Born: 9/1/1930, Moline, IL Died: 8/21/2018, Moline, IL; cause not reported Career: WSH (1953-57), BOS (1957), STL (1959), HOU (1962), CHW (1962), BAL (1963) All-Star: 1954 Notes: Pitched Houston's first complete-game shutout, 4/12/1962 Best remembered for being the winning pitcher of the 1954 All-Star Game without having officially faced a batter For his eight-year career, posted a 29-39 record with a 4.47 ERA

(c) Houston Astros

José Castillo Full name: José Rondon Castillo Born: 3/19/1981, Las Mercedes, Venezuela Died: 12/6/2018, Yaracuy, Venezuela; auto accident/robbery Career: PIT (2004-08), SFG (2008), HOU (2008) Notes: Hit .281 in 15 games for the 2008 Astros Hit .254 with 39 HR and 218 RBI in his five-year MLB career Died in the same auto accident as Luis Valbuena (see below).

(c) Houston Astros

Luis Valbuena Full name: Luis Adan Valbuena Born: 11/30/1985, Caja Seca, Venezuela Died: 12/6/2018, Yaracuy, Venezuela; auto accident/robbery Career: SEA (2008), CLE (2009-11), CHC (2012-14), HOU (2015-16), LAA (2017-18) Notes: Fondly remembered for his bat flips, even after walks Key member of the Astros' 2015 Wild Card squad Hit .238 with 38 HR and 96 RBI for the 2014-15 Astros Hit .226 with 114 HR and 367 RBI in his eleven-year MLB career Died in the same auto accident as José Castillo (see above). The two had played a winter ball game and, with former major leaguer Carlos Rivero, were being driven to another town by Rivero's chauffer. Robbers had placed a large stone in the road to stop or cause their victims to have an accident. Attempting to avoid the stone, the chauffer lost control and the vehicle overturned, ejecting Valbuena and Castillo. Rivero and the chauffer survived. Police arrested four suspects who were found in possession of some of Valbuena's and Castillo's belongings.

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Gibbon Full name: Joseph Charles Gibbon Born: 4/10/1935, Hickory, MS Died: 2/20/2019, Newton, MS; cause not reported Career: PIT (1960-65), SFG (1966-69), PIT (1969-70), CIN (1971-72), HOU (1972) Notes: Was a standout at both baseball and basketball at Ole Miss Finished second in the nation in collegiate basketball scoring in 1957 with 30.2 points per game, ahead of both Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain Was drafted by the Boston Celtics, though he had made his intention to play baseball known Member of 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates as a rookie Finished his MLB career with nine games for Houston in 1972, posting a 9.82 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched For his 13-year MLB career, he went 61-65 with a 3.52 ERA and 743 strikeouts

(c) Houston Astros

Hal King Full name: Harold King Born: 2/1/1944, Oviedo, FL Died: 3/23/2019, Oviedo, FL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1967-68), ATL (1970-71), TEX (1972), CIN (1973-74) Notes: Caught every inning of the 1968 24-inning marathon against the Mets

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Bouton Full name: James Alan Bouton Born: 3/8/1939, Newark, NJ Died: 7/10/2019, Great Barrington, MA; cerebral amyloid angiopathy Career: NYY (1962-68), SEP (1969), HOU (1969-70), ATL (1978) All-Star: 1963 Notes: Was a flame-throwing fastballer for the Yankees, but hurt his arm in 1965 and became a knuckleballer Appeared in 1963 and '64 World Series, both for the Yankees, going 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA in the Fall Classic Purchased for $20,000 by the expansion Seattle Pilots from the Yankees in June 1968 Traded to Houston by Seattle in August 1969 for Dooley Womack Wrote the tell-all book Ball Four about his 1969 season with the Pilots and Astros. Made a brief comeback with the Atlanta Braves in 1978 at the age of 39 For his two partial seasons with Houston, he went 4-8 with a 5.02 ERA For his ten MLB seasons, he went 62-63 with a 4.97 ERA Created Big League Chew with a former teammate

(c) Houston Astros

Don Larsen Full name: Don James Larsen Born: 8/7/1929, Michigan City, IN Died: 1/1/2020, Hayden Lake, ID; esophageal cancer Career: SLB (1953), BAL (1954), NYY (1955-59), KCA (1960-61), CHW (1961), SFG (1964), HOU (1964-65), BAL (1965), CHC (1967) Notes: Threw the only perfect game in World Series history, 10/8/1956 Posted a 4-8 record with a 2.40 ERA for his time in Houston For his MLB career, posted an 81-91 record with a 3.78 ERA

(c) Houston Astros

Hal Smith Full name: Harold Wayne Smith Born: 12/7/1930, West Frankfort, IL Died: 1/9/2020, Columbus, TX; cause not reported Career: BAL (1955-56), KCA (1956-59), PIT (1960-61), HOU (1962-63), CIN (1964) Notes: Starting catcher for the Houston Colt .45s' inaugural game, 4/10/1962 A hero of the 1961 World Series for the Pirates Hit .236 with 12 HR for his two seasons in Houston Hit .267 with 58 HR for his ten-year MLB career

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Wynn Full name: James Sherman Wynn Nickname: "The Toy Cannon" Born: 3/12/1942, Cincinnati, OH Died: 3/26/2020, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: HOU (1963-73), LAD (1974-75), ATL (1976), NYY (1977), MIL (1977) All-Star: 1967, 1974, 1975 Notes: Had he not played half his games in the cavernous Astrodome, he would likely be in the Hall of Fame Hit .255 with 223 homers, 180 steals, and 847 walks in 11 seasons with Houston The 37 homers he hit for Houston in 1967 was a club record that stood for 27 years, until Jeff Bagwell surpassed him with 39 in 1994 His Astros career total of 223 homers was a club mark that stood until 1999, also eclipsed by Jeff Bagwell Twice lead the National League in walks 1974 World Series Champion with the Dodgers Houston retired his #24 jersey, 6.25.2005 Named to the inaugural class of the Astros Hall of Fame, 2019

(c) Houston Astros

Matt Keough Full name: Matthew Lon Keough Born: 7/3/1955, Pomona, CA Died: 5/2/2020, cause not reported Career: OAK (1977-83), NYY (1983), STL (1985), CHC (1986), HOU (1986) Notes: All-Star, 1978, for Oakland Posted a 3-2 record with a 3.09 ERA in ten games for the 1986 Astros Posted a 58-84 record with a 4.17 ERA for his nine-season MLB career Appeared in the Bravo series "Real Housewives of Orange County" with his then-wife Jeana

(c) Houston Astros

Bob Watson Full name: Robert Jose Watson Nickname: "Bull" Born: 4/10/1946, Los Angeles, CA Died: 5/14/2020, Houston, TX; kidney disease Career: HOU (1966-79), BOS (1979), NYY (1980-82), ATL (1982-84) All-Star: 1973, 1975 Notes: 1B/OF for Houston 1966-79, GM 1993-95 Scored MLB's millionth run, 5/4/1975 Hit for the cycle, 6/24/1977. First player to hit for the cycle in both leagues MLB's second black GM (following Bill Lucas) MLB's first black GM to win a World Series (NYY, 1996) Later worked as an MLB VP in charge of discipline and of rules and on-field operations The Astros dedicated their Bob Watson Education Center at the Astros Urban Youth Academy in Acres Homes in his honor in March 2020 Cameo appearance in the movie The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), along with César Cedeño, Enos Cabell, Ken Forsch, J.R. Richard, and manager Bill Virdon Bob Watson tribute page

(c) Houston Astros

Eddie Kasko Full name: Edward Michael Kasko Born: 6/27/1931, Elizabeth, NJ Died: 6/24/2020, Richmond, VA; cause not disclosed Career: STL (1957-58), CIN (1959-63), HOU (1964-65), BOS (1966) All-Star: 1961 Notes: SS for Houston 1964-65 Hit .244 with 1 HR and 32 RBI in two seasons for Houston For his 10-year MLB career, hit .264 with 22 HR and 261 RBI Played in 1961 World Series for Cincinnati, going 7-for-22 with an RBI Managed Red Sox, 1970-73, going 345-295 Inducted into Red Sox Hall of Fame, 2010

(c) Houston Astros

Carroll Hardy Full name: Carroll William Hardy Born: 5/18/1933, Sturgis, SD Died: 8/9/2020, Highlands Ranch, CO; complications from dementia Career: CLE (1958-60), BOS (1960-62), HOU (1963-64), MIN (1967) Notes: Hit .194 with 2 HRs in 61 games for Houston Outfielder batted .225 with 17 HRs in big league career Best known as the only person to pinch-hit for Ted Williams, 9/20/1960 Three-sport letterman at University of Colorado, drafted by the NFL San Francisco 49ers before opting for baseball Spent retirement years as scout, coach, and executive with the NFL Denver Broncos

(c) Houston Astros

Keith Lampard Full name: Christopher Keith Lampard Born: 12/20/1945, Warrington, UK Died: 8/30/2020, Lincoln City, OR; cause not reported Career: HOU (1969-70) Notes: Born in the UK, moved to the US with his parents at the age of four in 1949 to Portland, OR First Houston player born in the UK Drafted by the Houston Astros in the second round of the 1965 Amateur Draft Hit .238 with 1 HR and 7 RBI over two partial seasons with Houston (1969-70, 84 AB) Sold to the St. Louis Cardinals in August 1972 After retirement, coached baseball and raised llamas with his wife Sandi

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Owens Full name: James Philip Owens Nickname: "The Bear" Born: 1/16/1934, Gifford, PA Died: 9/8/2020, Houston, TX; cause not reported Career: PHI (1955-56, 1958-62), CIN (1963), HOU (1964-67) Notes: Drafted by Houston from Cincinnati in the 1963 Rule 5 Draft Compiled an 18-20 record with 16 saves in four seasons of relief in Houston (1964-67) For his full career, he went 42-67 with a 4.31 ERA with 21 saves over twelve seasons Did not play in 1957 and most of 1958 due to service in the U.S. Army During 1965 Spring Training, he and Turk Farrell bought a boa constrictor and two baby alligators and unleashed them in the Astros clubhouse Released by the Astros in July 1967, then served as Houston's pitching coach through 1972

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Morgan Full name: Joe Leonard Morgan Nickname: "Little Joe" Born: 9/19/1943, Bonham, TX Died: 10/11/2020, Danville, CA; unspecified causes related to polyneuropathy Career: HOU (1963-71), CIN (1972-79), HOU (1980), SFG (1981-82), PHI (1983), OAK (1984) All-Star: 1966, 1970, 1972-79 League MVP: 1975, 1976 Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1990 Notes: Hit .261 with 72 HRs and 219 SB over ten seasons with Houston Debuted with the Houston Colt .45s at the age of 19 in 1963; started at 2B in the All-Rookie Game, 9/27/1963 Traded to Cincinnati by the Astros as the centerpiece of the worst trade in Houston franchise history, 1971 Returned home to Houston in 1980 as a free agent to help lead the club to its first division crown and playoff appearance For his 22-year MLB career, hit .271 with 268 HR and 689 SBs Won five straight Gold Gloves for his play at second base (1973-77) Launched a highly successful career in broadcasting following his retirement for ABC, NBC, and ESPN Cited by Bill James as the greatest second baseman of all time

(c) Houston Astros

Denis Menke Full name: Denis John Menke Nickname: "Tomato Face" Born: 7/21/1940, Bancroft, IA Died: 12/1/2020, Tarpon Springs, FL; cause not reported Career: MIL-N (1962-65), ATL (1966-67), HOU (1968-71), CIN (1972-73), HOU (1974) All-Star: 1969, 1970 Notes: Batted .266 with 30 homers in five seasons with Houston Hit .250 with 101 homers overall, driving in 606 Traded to Houston with pitcher Denny Lemaster from Atlanta for SS Sonny Jackson and 1B Chuck Harrison Averaged 91 RBIs during 1969-70 seasons, leading the club both years On July 30, 1969, Menke and Jim Wynn belted grand slams in the same inning against the Mets Dealt to Cincinnati in the same trade that sent Joe Morgan to the Reds in return for infielders Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart Retired during the 1974 season, joining Gene Elston in the broadcast booth for Astros games that year Major league coach, 1980-2000, including Houston (1983-88)

(c) Houston Astros

Don Sutton Full name: Donald Howard Sutton Nickname: "The Mechanic" or "Black & Decker" Born: 4/2/1945, Clio, AL Died: 1/18/2021, Rancho Mirage, CA; cancer Career: LAD (1966-80), HOU (1981-82), MIL (1982-84), OAK (1985), CAL (1985-87), LAD (1988) All-Star: 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1998 Notes: First winning pitcher on artificial turf, 4/18/1966, against future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts Signed as a free agent by Houston for the 1981 season Traded to Milwaukee in 1982 for Kevin Bass, Frank Dipino, and Mike Madden Won 324 games with a 3.26 ERA during his 23-year MLB career

(c) Houston Astros

Juan Pizarro Full name: Juan Ramon Pizarro Cordova Nickname: "Terin" or "Ter" Born: 2/7/1937, Santurce, PR Died: 2/18/2021, Santurce, PR; prostate cancer Career: MIL-N (1957-60), CHI-A (1961-66), PIT (1967-68, 74), BOS-A (1968-69), CLE (1969), OAK (1969), CHI-N (1970-73) HOU (1973) All-Star: 1963, 1964 Notes: Pitched for World Champion Milwaukee Braves in 1957 Series Won 61 games in four-year span with White Sox 1961-64 Purchased by Houston on July 8, 1973 from the Cubs; was released the following spring. He was 2-2 with a 6.56 ERA in 15 appearances as an Astro Had a big league career record of 131-105 with a 3.43 ERA over 18 seasons. He also starred in the winter and Mexican leagues Is hailed as the best Puerto Rican pitcher of all time

(c) Topps Baseball

Mike Marshall Full name: Michael Grant Marshall Nickname: "Iron Mike" Born: 1/15/1943, Adrian, MI Died: 5/31/2021, Zephyrhills, FL; complications from Alzheimer's Disease Career: DET (1967), SEA (1969), HOU (1970), MON (1970-73), LA-N (1974-76), ATL (1976-77), TEX (1977), MIN (1978-80), NY-N (1981) All-Star: 1974, 1975 Notes: NL Cy Young Award winner (1974), first reliever to earn honor Set major league record with 106 appearances in 1974 Compiled 97-112 big league record over 14 seasons, with 3.14 ERA and 188 saves. Appeared in only four games while an Astro Selected in the 1969 expansion draft from Detroit by Seattle, sold to Houston that winter then traded in June to Montreal Earned a doctorate in kinesiology from Michigan State University. He encouraged teammate Tommy John to undergo the experimental ligament replacement surgery that now bears John's name

(c) Houston Astros

Tim Tolman Full name: Timothy Lee Tolman Born: 4/20/1956, Santa Monica, CA Died: 6/3/2021, Tucson, AZ; complications from Parkinson's Disease Career: HOU (1981-85), DET (1986-87) Notes: A 12th Round selection of the Astros in the 1978 June draft Won an NCAA title while with Univ. of Southern California Played on 2 national teams in international competition As a reserve OF/1B, played five seasons with the Astros, batting .173 with five homers in 107 games After retirement, coached, scouted and was a minor league manager for the Astros and Cleveland Indians

(c) Houston Astros

J.R. Richard Full name: James Rodney Richard Born: 3/7/1950, Vienna, LA Died: 8/4/2021, Houston, TX; complications from COVID-19 Career: HOU (1971-80) All-Star: 1980 Notes: 2nd overall pick of the 1969 amateur draft (1st pick was Jeff Burroughs by the Washington Senators) Tied big league record with 15 strikeouts in his major league debut (9/5/71) Compiled a 107-71 record in 10 seasons, all with Houston Struck out over 300 batters in a season twice (1978, 79). He was a 20-game winner (1976) and an ERA champ (1979) Cut down in the 1980 season when he suffered a stroke which nearly took his life. He did not make another big league appearance

(c) Houston Astros

Julio Lugo Full name: Julio Cesar Lugo Born: 11/16/1975, Barahona, Dominican Republic Died: 11/15/2021, heart attack, location unknown Career: HOU (2000-03), TB (2004-06), LAD (2006), BOS (2007-09), STL (2009), BAL (2010), ATL (2011) Notes: Drafted by Astros in 1994 Summer Draft Hit .268 with 24 HR, 114 RBI, and 45 SB for the 2000-03 Astros Released by the Astros 5/9/2003 after his arrest on charges of misdemeanor assault on his wife. He was later acquitted. Member of World Champion 2007 Boston Red Sox Played 12 seasons in MLB, hitting .269 with 34 HR, 475 RBI, and 198 SB

(c) Houston Astros

Doug Jones Full name: Douglas Reid Jones Born: 6/24/1957, Covina, CA Died: 11/22/2021, Arizona; complications from COVID-19 Nicknames: "Jonesy", "Mild Thing" Career: MIL-A (1982), CLE (1986-91), HOU (1992-93), PHI (1994), BAL (1995), CHI-N (1996), MIL-A (1996-98), CLE (1998), OAK (1999-2000) All-Star: 1988, 1989, 1990,1992, 1994 Notes: Posted 15-18 record with a 3.02 ERA and 62 saves for Astros In 16-year career, was 69-79 with a 3.30 ERA and 303 saves Known for his change-up which came to the plate so slowly that many batters looked inept trying to hit it Appeared in only three playoff games, late in his career

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Corsi Full name: James Bernard Corsi Born: 9/9/1961, Newton, MA Died: 1/4/2022, Bellingham, MA; liver and colon cancer Career: OAK (1988-89), HOU-N (1991), OAK (1992), FLA-N (1993), OAK (1995-96) BOS-A (1997-99), BAL (1999) Notes: Pitched for World Champion Oakland A's in 1989 Posted 22-24 record with a 3.25 ERA over 10 seasons During brief tenure with Astros (1991), he was 0-5 with a 3.71 ERA over 77.2 innings Was analyst for NESN after playing career

(c) Houston Astros

Tommy Davis Full name: Herman Thomas Davis Born: 3/21/1939, Brooklyn, NY Died: 4/3/2022, Phoenix, AZ; cause not reported Career: LA-N (1959-66), NY-N (1967), CHI-A (1968), SEA (1969), HOU (1969-70), OAK (1970, 1971), CHI-N (1970, 1972), BAL (1972-75), CAL (1976), KC (1976) All-Star: 1962, 1963 Notes: Batted .348 on World Champion Dodger teams of 1963, 1965 Won NL batting titles in 1962, 1963 Won NL RBI title in 1962 Traded to Astros late in 1969 from Seattle. Sold to Oakland the following June. Hit .271 while with Houston. Recruited by Jackie Robinson to play for hometown Brooklyn Dodgers but the team had moved to LA by the time of his debut

(c) Houston Astros

Lee Thomas Full name: James Leroy Thomas Born: 2/5/1936, Peoria, IL Died: 8/31/2022, St. Louis, MO; cancer Nicknames: "Mad Dog", "White Fang" Career: NY-A (1961), LA-A (1961-64), BOS (1964-65), ATL (1966), CHI-N (1966-67), HOU (1968) All-Star: 1962 (both games) Notes: Hit .194 with one homer in 90 games for Houston Outfielder batted .255 with 106 HRs in big league career Phillies General Manager, 1988-97 Sporting News Executive of the Year, 1993

(c) Houston Astros

Chuck Carr Full name: Charles Lee Glenn Carr Born: 8/10/1967, San Bernadino, CA Died: 11/13/2022, undisclosed Nicknames: "Chuck, Chuckie" Career: NY-N (1990-91), STL (1992), FLA (1993-95), MIL-N (1996-97), HOU-N (1997) Notes: Hit .276 with Astros in 63 games in 1997 Outfielder batted .254 with 13 homers over 8 seasons Original Florida Marlin, he led NL in stolen bases (58), 1993 Homered off John Smoltz in Game 3 of the 1997 NLDS, the final game of his big league career

(c) Houston Astros

Buddy Harris Full name: Walter Francis Harris, Jr. Nickname: "Buddy" Born: 12/5/1948, Philadelphia, PA Died: 11/5/2022, Roxborough, PA; sepsis Career: HOU (1970-71) Notes: Appeared in 22 games for the 1970-71 Astros with a 1-1 record and a 6.32 ERA His only victory came in relief on 7/19/71 against his hometown Phillies Two-sport all-star in basketball and baseball as a teen Honored by President Richard Nixon in 1972 for his work in an anti-drug campaign

(c) Houston Astros

Wilbur Howard Full name: Wilbur Leon Howard Born: 1/8/1949, Lowell, NC Died: 12/17/2022, Humble, TX; cause not reported Career: MIL-A (1973), HOU (1974-78) Notes: Selected by the Seattle Pilots in 1969 June draft Batted .252 with 6 HRs in five seasons with Houston Was warming up with J.R. Richard in 1980 when Richard suffered a stroke which ended his career Played catcher and second base as well as all three outfield positions

(c) Houston Astros

Nate Colbert Full name: Nathan Colbert Nickname: "Nate" Born: 4/9/1946, St. Louis, MO Died: 1/5/2023, location and cause unreported Career: HOU (1966, 1968), SD (1969-74), DET (1975), MON (1975-76), OAK (1976) All-Star: 1971, 1972, 1973 Notes: Batted .133 in 39 games with Houston Drafted by San Diego in the 1968 MLB Expansion Draft Franchise home run leader for Padres (163) at time of his passing Three-time All-Star (1971-73) Hit five home runs and drove in 13 during double-header, 8/1/72. Both tied NL records

(c) Houston Astros

Frank Thomas Full name: Frank Joseph Thomas Born: 6/11/1929, Pittsburgh, PA Died: 1/16/2023, Pittsburgh, PA; no cause reported Nicknames: "Big Donkey", "The Original" Career: PIT (1951-58), CIN (1959), CHI-N (1960-61), MIL-N (1961), NY-N (1962-64), PHI-N (1964-65), HOU (1965), MIL-N (1965), CHI-N (1966) All-Star: 1954, 1955, 1958 Notes: Hit .172 with three homers in 23 games for Houston Original New York Met Batted .266 with 286 homers over 16 NL seasons Had run-ins with both players and front office, once dubbed the "Phighting Phillie" after an altercation with Dick Allen

(c) Houston Astros

Bert Pena Full name: Adalberto Pena Born: 7/11/1959, Santurce, PR Died: 1/19/2023, Caguas, PR; esophegal cancer Nicknames: "Berto" Career: HOU (1981-87) Notes: Reserve infielder hit .203 with one homer in 88 career games for Astros .231 batter with 53 homers in minor league play Managed for three years for the Pennsyvania Road Warriers of the independent Atlantic League, (2002-04), compiling a record of 87-289.

(c) Houston Astros

Roman Mejias Full name: Roman Mejias (Gomez) Born: 8/9/1925, Abreus, Cuba (his birth year is disputed) Died: 2/22/2023, Menifee, CA, cause unreported Career: PIT (1955, 1957-61), HOU-N (1962), BOS-A (1963-64) Notes: Batting star of inaugural Colt .45s (.286, 24 HRs, 76 RBIs) Homered twice and drove in six on franchise's first Opening Day Traded in November 1962 for Pete Runnels Hit .254 with 54 homers in nine big league seasons, mostly as a backup

(c) Topps Baseball

Dave Nicholson Full name: David Lawrence Nicholson Born: 8/29/1939, St. Louis, MO Died: 2/25/2023, Carmi, IL cause unreported Career: BAL (1960,62), CHI-A (1963-65), HOU-N (1966), ATL (1967) Notes: Power-hitting outfielder who struck out often Hit .246 with 10 homers for 1966 Astros Sent to Atlanta, 12/31/66 as part of trade to acquire future Hall-of-Famer Eddie Mathews Batted .212 with 61 homers during seven-year career

(c) Atlanta Braves

Sandy Valdespino Full name: Hilario Valdespino Born: 1/24/1939, San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba Died: 2/26/2023, Moultrie, GA, cause unreported Nicknames: "Sandy" Career: MIN (1965-67), ATL (1968), HOU-N (1969), SEA (1969), MIL-A (1970), KC (1970) Notes: Had his career year as a rookie in 1965 for the American League Champion Twins (.261 average in 108 games) Batted .244 in 41 games as an Astro Traded to the Seattle Pilots 8/30/69 with Danny Walton for Tommy Davis Career .230 hitter over 7 MLB seasons

(c) Houston Astros

Jesús Alou Full name: Jesús Maria Rojas Alou Born: 3/24/1942, Bajos de Haina, DR Died: 3/10/2023, location and cause unreported Nicknames: "Jay" Career: SF (1963-68), HOU-N (1969-73, 1978-79), OAK (1973-74) NY-N (1975) Notes: Younger brother of Alou brothers Felipe and Matty, all played in the Giants outfield, 9/15/63 Dealt to Houston from Montreal as part of the infamous Rusty Staub trade Batted .282 over seven seasons as an Astro, including two that came after a three-year gap in big league service Career .280 hitter over 15 MLB seasons Member of World Champion Oakland A's (1973-74)

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Pepitone Full name: Joseph Anthony Pepitone Nickname: "Peppy" Born: 10/9/1940, Brooklyn, NY Died: 3/13/2023, Kansas City, MO, cause not reported Career: NY-A (1962-1969), HOU-N (1970), CHI-N (1970-73), ATL (1973) All-Star: 1963, 1964, 1965 Notes: Hit .258 with 219 homers in 12-year career Dealt to Houston from the New York Yankees for first baseman Curt Blefary in December, 1969 Batted .251 with 14 homers in 75 games as an Astro "Retired" in 1970 before he was traded to the Cubs Colorful fan favorite with the Yankees known for bringing a hair dryer into the locker room

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Gaines Full name: Arnesta Joe Gaines Born: 11/22/1936, Bryan, TX Died: 5/30/2023, Oakland, CA; cause not reported Career: CIN (1960-62), BAL (1963-64), HOU (1964-66) Notes: Hit ,239 with 13 homers during three seasons in Houston Traded by the Orioles to Houston for outfielder Johnny Weekly during the 1964 season Was the Opening Day left fielder when the Astrodome opened in 1965 Over his seven big league seasons, he batted .241 with 21 homers

(c) Houston Astros

Larry Yellen Full name: Lawrence Alan Yellen Born: 1/4/1943, Brooklyn, NY Died: 7/18/2023, Union City, GA; cause not reported Career: HOU (1963-64) Notes: Appeared in 14 games for the 1963-64 Colt .45s with no record and a 6.23 ERA His big league debut came in late September in 1963 at age 20 vs the Pirates, allowing two runs in five innings Refused offer to pitch in the All-Rookie game because it fell on the Jewish Sabbath.

(c) Houston Astros

Mike Ivie Full name: Michael Wilson Ivie Born: 8/8/1952, Atlanta, GA Died: 7/21/2023, North Augusta, SC; cause not reported Career: SD (1971, 1974-77), SF (1978-81), HOU (1981-82), DET (1982-83) Notes: First overall selection of the June 1970 draft by San Diego, played six games as a 19-year-old with the Padres before he was sent to the minors Overall, hit .269 with 81 homers during an 11-year career Suffered mental issues, including with throwing the ball back to the pitcher from behind the plate Acquired by Houston from the Giants for Dave Bergman and Jeffrey Leonard Released one year later after batting .250 in 26 games with the Astros

(c) Houston Astros

Larry Ray Full name: Larry Dale Ray Born: 3/11/1958, Madison, IN Died: 7/22/2023, Double Springs, AL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1982) Notes: A 4th round selection of Houston in the 1979 draft Played in only five games as a big leaguer, going 1-for-7 with an RBI Came up as a late season roster addition at the end of the 1982 season

(c) Topps Baseball

Pete Ladd Full name: Peter Linwood Ladd Nickname: "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" due to size 15 shoes Born: 7/17/1956, Portland, ME Died: 10/20/2023, Portland, ME; cancer Career: HOU (1979), MIL-A (1982-85), SEA (1986) Notes: Made big league debut with Astros in 1979, appearing in 10 games with a 2.92 ERA Resurfaced with Brewers in 1982 and became their closer the next year Overall, built a 17-23 record with a 4.14 ERA and 39 saves in 205 games Did not allow a run in four postseason appearances, including the 1982 World Series

(c) Houston Astros

Ken MacKenzie Full name: Kenneth Purvis MacKenzie Born: 3/10/1934, Gore Bay, ON Died: 12/14/2023, Guilford, CT; cause not reported Career: MIL-N (1960-61), NY-N (1962-63), STL-N (1963), SF (1964), HOU (1965) Notes: Attended Yale University Purchased by the Mets from Milwaukee along with pitcher Johnny Antonelli prior to Mets inaugural season (1962) Was one of three Canadian pitchers in the Houston bullpen in 1965, along with Claude Raymond and Ron Taylor Crafted an 8-10 career mark with a 4.80 ERA. He was 0-3 in Houston with a 3.89 ERA

(c) Houston Astros

Chuck Harrison Full name: Charles William Harrison Born: 4/25/1941, Abilene, TX Died: 12/30/2023, Abilene, TX, cause not reported Career: HOU (1965-67), KC (1969,71) Notes: Starred at Texas Tech University Hit .248 with 12 homers in parts of three seasons as an Astro Traded with shortstop Sonny Jackson to Atlanta for pitcher Denny Lemaster and infielder Denis Menke after the 1967 season Played with the expansion Kansas City Royals for parts of two seasons Played first base in the first game in Kansas City Royals history (Apr 8, 1969)

Sources:

• Total Baseball, 7th Edition, by Thorn, Palmer, et al.
• The Baseball Autograph Collector's Handbook, 11th Edition, by Jack Smalling.
• A Six-Gun Salute: An Illustrated History of the Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964, by Robert Reed.
• www.TheDeadBallEra.com.
• The Houston Chronicle, and other newspapers listed in the respective players' obits.
• www.astros.com
• The Baseball Reference.
• Historic Baseball.
• Special thanks to Holly Sommer for her contributions.