The Astros purchase P Joe Niekro from the Braves.
The Astros purchase P Joe Niekro from the Braves.
Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.
1975 – Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning after falling asleep in his car. His young son, asleep in a bedroom above the garage, also dies in the tragedy. His number 40 is retired by the Astros the following spring, the second Houston player to be so honored.
Don Wilson is taken out after eight innings of no-hit ball
1974 – Don Wilson is taken out after eight innings of no-hit ball. He is behind, 2-1. Two walks and an error have put Cincinnati ahead. Ironies abound. Wilson is approaching a rare third career no-hitter. The man who hit into the error is Pete Rose, who hit into the run-scoring error that made Ken Johnson a no-hit loser in 1964. The Houston manager is Preston Gomez who similarly yanked Clay Kirby during a no-hit bid while with San Diego. Kirby is watching from the Reds’ dugout. Mike Cosgrove gives up a meaningless single in the ninth that breaks up the bid. Houston loses. Gomez hears the boos.
Dave Roberts one-hits the Phillies, 1-0, in the quickest game in club history
1974 – Dave Roberts one-hits the Phillies, 1-0, in the quickest game in club history . Bob Boone’s leadoff single in the sixth is all that separates Roberts from perfection in a game that takes only one hour and 26 minutes to complete. Roberts needs just 86 pitches. Roger Metzger singles off Steve Carlton, plating Larry Milbourne in the eighth for the only tally.
1974 – Don Wilson collects his 100th victory as an Astro, toppling the Reds, 8-4 . The righthander fans nine in eight innings of work. Lee May drives in three while Cesar Cedeno and Cliff Johnson support with solo homers.
1974 – Don Wilson collects his 100th victory as an Astro, toppling the Reds, 8-4 . The righthander fans nine in eight innings of work. Lee May drives in three while Cesar Cedeno and Cliff Johnson support with solo homers.
Cesar Cedeno socks two home runs
1974 – Larry Milbourne scores in the 11th on a fielder’s choice to give Houston an 8-7 triumph over Los Angeles. Roger Metzger has three hits and raps into the game-winner when the throw home by Davey Lopes is late. Cesar Cedeno socks two home runs and drives in four. His 79 RBIs lead the league while his 21 home runs are just one shy of ex-teammate Jim Wynn for the top spot in that category.
Bob Gallagher drives in Milt May in the bottom of the 12th for a 7-6 win over the Cubs during indoor rain storm
1974 – Bob Gallagher drives in Milt May in the bottom of the 12th for a 7-6 win over the Cubs. It rains indoors! Workers forget to replace some tiles in the Astrodome roof and an evening downpour creates puddles in right and center fields while showering a few lucky outfield ticket-holders who are handed plastic trash bags for shelter.
He thinks he’s in a sales convention dealing with a bunch of short-order cooks – Doug Rader and Ray Kroc
“He thinks he’s in a sales convention dealing with a bunch of short-order cooks. That’s not the way to go about getting a winner. Somebody ought to sit him down and straighten him out.” – DOUG RADER, Astros third baseman’s comments concerning Ray Kroc’s ownership style of the Padres. Padres president Buzzie Bavasi, inspired by disparaging postgame remarks about Ray Kroc, the team’s owner and board chairman of McDonald’s, made previously by Astro third baseman Doug Rader, stages a Short-Order Cooks’ Night promotion, which gives any fan wearing a chef’s hat free admission to the game. The Houston captain, who compared Kroc’s management of the Friars to a sales convention of short-order cooks, joins in on the fun by wearing a chef’s hat and an apron and carrying a skillet and spatula when he brings the lineup card to home plate.
Mike Schmidt hits what may be the longest single in major league history at Astrodome
On June 10, 1974, Mike Schmidt hits what may be the longest single in major league history. The Philadelphia Phillies’ third baseman slams a ball off Astros hurler Claude Osteentoward center field, with enough distance to clear the fence at the Houston Astrodome. The ball suddenly hits a caroms of the public address speaker that…
Lee May hits the first “foamer” in team history
1974 – Lee May hits the first “foamer” in team history, a promotion where Dome patrons get free beer for the rest of the night if an Astro belts one out on an even-numbered minute. May hits a second shot for good measure and Larry Dierker tosses a three-hitter in a 4-0 whitewash of the Expos.
