Houston Astros
From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s collection containing tens of thousands of artifacts, our curators have created each team’s Starting Nine by hand-picking nine must-see pieces for each of the 30 MLB teams. This limited-time list is the perfect introduction to the Museum for every Houston Astros fan. Don’t wait to make your visit to Cooperstown to take the Hall of Fame Starting Nine challenge.
Astrodome Artificial Turf
When the Monsanto Company was contracted to make artificial turf for the Astrodome, there was only enough turf in stock to cover the infield in time for Opening Day 1966. Over the next several months, more was manufactured and the outfield was covered during a July road trip.
Whole New Ballgame
Nolan Ryan: Tequila Sunrise Jersey
Of all the Astros’ uniforms, perhaps none is more iconic than the horizontal-striped jersey that Houston wore for a decade beginning in 1975. Nolan Ryan wore this jersey in 1983, when his 2.98 ERA and 183 strikeouts led Houston’s rotation. The eight-time All-Star led the league in strikeouts 11 times and ERA twice.
Whole New Ballgame
Jose Altuve: Stolen Base Shoes
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve stood tall in these shoes on June 29, 2014, after stealing two bases in each of four straight games. No one had posted so many consecutive multiple-steal games in 97 years. In addition, Altuve collected 225 hits that year, the first of four consecutive seasons with 200 or more safeties.
Whole New Ballgame
Astrodome Scoreboard Lights
Nicknamed the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome used these lights in its scoreboard. Also known as the Astrolite, the scoreboard was a four-story high extravaganza that featured rudimentary animations of shooting cowboys, snorting bulls and exploding fireworks.
Sacred Ground
Nolan Ryan: Fifth No-Hitter Cap
Six years after his fourth no-hitter, Astros hurler Nolan Ryan pitched his fifth no-no on September 26, 1981, breaking Sandy Koufax’s record. Wearing this cap, Ryan dominated the Dodgers that day with a steady diet of curve balls, admitting afterwards that he had little confidence in his fastball.
One for the Books
Chris Burke: Walk-Off Home Run Ball
On Oct. 9, 2005, Houston’s Chris Burke smashed this ball to end the longest game in postseason history, an 18th-inning walk-off homer that also eliminated Atlanta from the 2005 NLDS. Amazingly, the fan who caught it had also caught teammate Lance Berkman’s grand slam earlier in the 7-6 victory.
Autumn Glory
2017 World Series Championship Ring
Every element has a meaning in the 2017 Astros World Series ring. The iconic “H” is made of 11 gems, symbolic of the team’s 11 postseason wins. The 56 stones that encircle the “H” refer to the franchise’s age, and the 101 smaller stones represent the regular-season victories of the 2017 season.
Autumn Glory
Alex Bregman: 2017 World Series Glove
Wearing this glove in the 2017 World Series, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman successfully handled 16 of his 17 chances, resulting in five putouts and 11 assists. In addition, his two homers and five RBI contributed significantly to Houston’s Series success.
Your Team Today
Justin Verlander: 2017 Game 6 World Series Jersey
Going from Detroit to Houston at the 2017 trading deadline, Justin Verlander immediately began paying dividends. In his first nine starts for the Astros, he went 5-0 in the regular season and 4-0 in the Division and League Championship Series. He wore this jersey in the World Series, in which he totaled 12 innings in his two starts, struck out 14 and posted a 3.75 ERA.
Your Team Today
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