The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL).
William Hopkins controlled the Houston Buffaloes at this point, and the Houston Sports Association was able to purchase them on January 17, 1961.
In 1961, the Cubs’ minor league affiliate, the Buffs, played their final season as the Cubs’ premier farm team before being replaced by the city’s National League team.
After William Irving Neder won a “Name the Team” contest, the new Houston team was dubbed the Colt.45s. Colt.45s were regarded as “the guns that won the west” because of their legendary performance on the American frontier.
Navy and orange were the colors of choice. After the 1961 season, an expansion draft was used to build the first club. Both the Colt.45s and the New York Mets took turns picking players that the other National League teams had left unprotected.
Many former Houston Buffaloes players and employees went on to play in the major leagues. In charge of Houston until the completion of the 1964 season, Harry Craft had been there since 1961.
How Early Should You Get To An Astros Game?
The Houston Astros Team Store will not be open to the general public on Sundays or for 1:10pm games. As soon as the gates open two hours before the start of the game, all Astros Team Stores will be open to ticketed supporters.
Non-game days:
Home Plate Team Store Gameday Hours
Day | Time |
---|---|
Gamedays beginning at 6:00pm or later | 12:00pm – 2 hours prior to gates |
Gamedays beginning at 3:00pm or earlier & Sundays | Closed |
Union Station Team Store Gameday Hours
Day | |
---|---|
Games beginning at 3:00pm or later | 9:00am – 2 hours prior to gates |
Games beginning at 1:00pm & Sundays | Closed |
Day | Time |
---|---|
Monday-Friday | 9:00am-5:00pm |
Saturday | 9:00am-2:00pm |
Sunday | Closed |