Houston Astros tickets

The team began to play winning baseball in 1969 since Harry "The Hat" Walker took over as manager. Prior to that, the only highlights had been Joe Morgan and Rusty Staub, two products of the team's farm system who enjoyed long major league careers. In the strike-shortened 1972 season the 'Astros finished a surprising second, due in large part to the efforts of pitchers Don Wilson and Larry Dierker, and everyday players Lee May, Doug Rader, Jimmy Wynn, Bob Watson, and Cesar Cedeno. As has been the case often throughout their history, unfortunately for the Astros, most of those players enjoyed more success on other teams later in their career.

The Astros were often pre-season picks to contend with Cedeno as the centerpiece and the imposing J.R. Richard on the mound, but they could do no better than second place in the 1970s. Nolan Ryan united as a free agent and assisted form a talented pitching staff in the 1980s. The 1980 team won an exciting playoff for the NL West title over the Dodgers, before bowing to the Phillies in the NLCS. The first part of the 1980s were disappointing as talented players Jose Cruz, Dickie Thon, and Bill Doran failed to push the team over the top. The pitching staff was strong with Ryan, Joe Niekro, Bob Knepper, and Mike Scott.

The team combined young talent with some experienced veterans to win a second division title by 1986. The Mets was their foe in the NLCS was their fellow expansion team from 1962. In a thrilling 6 game series, the Astros battled to their final out before leaving the season. It was one of the most thrilling playoff series in baseball history. The team settled into a pattern of mediocrity the next 6-7 years, but by 1994, under new manager Terry Collins, they were ready to contend again. But Collins was unable to drag the team to the top, finishing second in the NL Central three times from 1994-1997.