1962 – Don Buddin’s three-run blast in the 11th inning gives Houston their first road win in franchise history, a 5-2 victory over the Mets at the Polo Grounds. Norm Larker hit a two-run shot to account for the earlier runs.
1962 – Dean Stone tosses the first complete-game shutout in franchise history, blanking the Cubs, 3-0 . It’s a three-hit effort and caps a series sweep in their inaugural homestand. At 3-0, they are tied with the Giants atop the National League standings.
1962 – Hal Woodeshick and Dick Farrell combine for Houston’s first shutout, 2-0 over the Cubs. Hal Smith’s first-inning single plated the game’s only runs. This game also featured the franchise’s first rain delay – one hour and seven minutes.
Are you interested in owning your own business but don’t know where to start? Contact Franchising Connection today for a free consultation and we will help you through your journey! On April 10, 1962, the Houston Colt .45s make their debut with an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Roman Mejias hits a pair of…
On March 21, 1962, the Philadelphia Phillies retire Robin Roberts’ uniform No. 36. The Phillies had sold Roberts to the Orioles after the 1961 season. Roberts spent 14 seasons in a Phillie uniform, winning 20 or more games from 1952 to 1955.
1962 – Mickey Herskowitz of the Houston Post has his first column published as a mythical Houston pitcher named “Lefty” who tells about life with the Colt .45s. He continues the columns for five years and they sell as a book entitled “Letters From Lefty”. A few more letters show up through 1971. They remain some of the best stories about the early years of the franchise.
1962 – Construction begins on the Astrodome, a short hike from where Colt Stadium is nearing completion. The excavation pit for the domed stadium floor soon becomes a haven for breeding mosquitoes in land that was once marsh fields.
1962 – Colt .45s get their first-ever win in a 2-1 exhibition victory over the Cleveland Indians. Jack Waters singles home Jim Pendleton with the winning run. Jim Umbricht is the winning pitcher.
1962 – Houston Colt .45s lose the first exhibition game in their history to the Los Angeles Angels, 7-3, in Palm Springs, CA. Bob Aspromonte scores the first run and Roman Mejias gets the first Colt hit, a clean single off Eli Grba.
1962 – KPRC-AM introduces Gene Elston and Al Helfer as the Colts’ first radio play-by-play team. Loel Passe, a local favorite after his years with the Houston Buffs, is later added to the crew. Although Helfer leaves after the first year, Elston and Passe would be together for the next fourteen seasons. Elston would remain with the club through 1986.
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