The Houston Astros began life in the Major Leagues as an expansion team, originally called the Houston Colt .45s. The team struggled in the beginning, with heartbreaking losses such as an April 1964 game against the Reds, when Ken Johnson pitched a no hitter through nine innings and still lost 1-0.

The team’s future looked brighter when the old name was dropped and the club became the Houston Astros in 1965. Along with the name change, the Astros opened their new baseball field, the Astrodome, which became a sensation touted as the “eighth wonder of the world.” This indoor baseball field, which set a 22-year home attendance mark in 1966, with 50,908 baseball tickets sold, featured a manufactured carpet that resembled grass, still known as “Astroturf.”

The Astros have an interesting history full of outstanding players and surprising game stats. In the late 1960s, pitcher Don Wilson threw two no hitters. The team played one of the longest games in the majors, 24 innings against the Mets in 1968, before finally winning 1-0. 1969 saw the club achieve a .500 season for the first time, winning as many games as they lost.

In the 1970s, fans holding Astros tickets thrilled to the abilities of outfielder Cesar Cedeno. Cedeno hit over .300, regularly set base stealing records and earned five Gold Glove awards in a row. In 1978, J.R. Richard became the first right-handed pitcher in the National League to strike out more than 300 batters during a season. In 1980, the Astros finally made their first appearance in the National League championship game, though they lost to the Phillies.

The 1980s were Nolan Ryan’s years to shine. The phenomenal pitcher threw his fifth no-hitter, passed the old all-time strikeout record, and became the first pitcher ever to throw 4,000 strikeouts. But Ryan wasn’t the only great pitcher on the team during this time. Mike Scott was awarded the first Cy Young award ever for the Astros in 1986.

From 1980 to 1999, the Houston Astros made it to the playoffs six times. In 1999, Astros tickets sold hotter than ever, because it was the final season for the grand old Astrodome. A new stadium, Enron Field, opened for the Astros in 2000, and fans set a record for the team with more than three million baseball tickets sold. The Astros played on a home field with real grass for the first time in 36 years. The stadium, considered the crowning glory of downtown Houston, was renamed Minute Maid Park in 2002.

In 2005, the Astros finally took their first National League Pennant and played their first World Series. They lost the series to the White Sox, but Astros tickets for games at Minute Maid Park continue to sell as fans hope for more returns to the championship.