Orlando Merced is born in Hato Rey, PR. The outfielder-first baseman had been a thorn in Houston’s side during several seasons with the Pirates. Merced spends three seasons in Houston (2001-2003) as a reserve, batting .262 with 15 home runs.

ByTom

1966 – Orlando Merced is born in Hato Rey, PR. The outfielder-first baseman had been a thorn in Houston’s side during several seasons with the Pirates. Merced spends three seasons in Houston (2001-2003) as a reserve, batting .262 with 15 home runs.

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1966 – 20-year-old Larry Dierker takes a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Mets but he loses it all, 1-0. A double by Eddie Bressoud and an infield hit by Ron Hunt break up the gem.

ByTom

1966 – 20-year-old Larry Dierker takes a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Mets but he loses it all, 1-0. A double by Eddie Bressoud and an infield hit by Ron Hunt break up the gem.

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1966 – 19-year-old Nolan Ryan of Alvin pitches for the New York Mets at the Dome. He strikes out the side in his one inning of work. He also surrenders two walks and four hits as the Astros plate four runs. Houston wins, 9-2. In the nightcap of the doubleheader, another Met rookie, Tug McGraw, is lit for four early runs as the Astros hold on to sweep it, 6-5.

ByTom

1966 – 19-year-old Nolan Ryan of Alvin pitches for the New York Mets at the Dome. He strikes out the side in his one inning of work. He also surrenders two walks and four hits as the Astros plate four runs. Houston wins, 9-2. In the nightcap of the doubleheader, another Met rookie, Tug McGraw, is lit for four early runs as the Astros hold on to sweep it, 6-5.

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1966 – Sonny Jackson goes 5-for-5 and Chuck Harrison belts a grand slam as the Astros break nemesis Chris Short and the Phillies, 6-4. Mike Cuellar tosses his sixth straight complete game.

ByTom

1966 – Sonny Jackson goes 5-for-5 and Chuck Harrison belts a grand slam as the Astros break nemesis Chris Short and the Phillies, 6-4. Mike Cuellar tosses his sixth straight complete game.

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Angry Cub Manager Leo Durocher rips the dugout phone off the wall and throws it onto the Astrodome field

ByTom

1966 – Angry Cub Manager Leo Durocher rips the dugout phone off the wall and throws it onto the Astrodome field. Bob Aspromonte deepens Leo’s misery with a grand slam home run that sparks a 7-4 comeback victory. Southwestern Bell replaces the phone the next day and the Astros hand Durocher the repair bill. 

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1966 – Little boys dream of a day like Dave Giusti has. Giusti slaps two bases-loaded doubles, as well as hurling a six-hit shutout, in blanking the Reds, 11-0. The pitcher’s six RBIs stand as a club record for 23 years. The win completes a four-game sweep of Cincinnati.

ByTom

1966 – Little boys dream of a day like Dave Giusti has. Giusti slaps two bases-loaded doubles, as well as hurling a six-hit shutout, in blanking the Reds, 11-0. The pitcher’s six RBIs stand as a club record for 23 years. The win completes a four-game sweep of Cincinnati.

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1966 – Dave Giusti allows a second-inning single to Cap Peterson and nothing more as he outduels San Francisco’s ace Juan Marichal, 3-0 . Giusti walks none and strikes out four while facing 28 batters. Ron Davis rips his first big league homer while Sonny Jackson swipes his 37th base, setting a new NL rookie mark. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1966 – Dave Giusti allows a second-inning single to Cap Peterson and nothing more as he outduels San Francisco’s ace Juan Marichal, 3-0 . Giusti walks none and strikes out four while facing 28 batters. Ron Davis rips his first big league homer while Sonny Jackson swipes his 37th base, setting a new NL rookie mark. 

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1966 – Lee Maye goes 5-for-5 and Bob Aspromonte belts a grand slam but it’s not enough to stop the Cubs, 9-8, in eleven. Darkness suspends the second game of the twinbill with Houston up, 8-5. Maye gets his sixth straight hit in the nightcap. The Cubs agree to finish the game during an upcoming trip to Houston.

ByTom

1966 – Lee Maye goes 5-for-5 and Bob Aspromonte belts a grand slam but it’s not enough to stop the Cubs, 9-8, in eleven. Darkness suspends the second game of the twinbill with Houston up, 8-5. Maye gets his sixth straight hit in the nightcap. The Cubs agree to finish the game during an upcoming trip to Houston.

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1966 – Mike Cuellar slams the door in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out to preserve a 6-5 triumph in St. Louis. Rusty Staub bashes two home runs and drives in four while Bob Lillis singles home the game-winner. It’s a sweltering 104 degrees as the Great Plains bake in a killer heatwave. Cuellar induces a double play grounder from infielder Jimy Williams to end the contest – one of the 14 big league games in Williams’ playing career. 

ByTom

1966 – Mike Cuellar slams the door in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out to preserve a 6-5 triumph in St. Louis. Rusty Staub bashes two home runs and drives in four while Bob Lillis singles home the game-winner. It’s a sweltering 104 degrees as the Great Plains bake in a killer heatwave. Cuellar induces a double play grounder from infielder Jimy Williams to end the contest – one of the 14 big league games in Williams’ playing career. 

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1966 – After playing half the season with an artificial turf infield and a spray-painted dead grass outfield, the Astros depart for twelve days while the grounds crew rips up the sod and replaces the outfield with Astroturf. The last chunk of green dirt is boxed and shipped to Chicago’s Leo Durocher, a vocal critic of the new surface.

ByTom

1966 – After playing half the season with an artificial turf infield and a spray-painted dead grass outfield, the Astros depart for twelve days while the grounds crew rips up the sod and replaces the outfield with Astroturf. The last chunk of green dirt is boxed and shipped to Chicago’s Leo Durocher, a vocal critic of the new surface.