The Houston Astros franchise has a rich history that baseball card collectors can chronicle through the years. The team was established as the Colt .45s in 1962 as an expansion franchise and issued their first baseball cards that same year. Those early Colt .45s cards featured players like Manager Harry Craft, Outfielder Jim Pendleton and Pitcher Don Nottebart. The designs on those 1962 Topps cards were basic, as was common for expansion teams in those early years.
In 1965, the team changed its name to the Astros to reflect the city’s contribution to the U.S. space program. Their 1965 Topps baseball cards were the first to feature the Astros logo and name. Top players featured included 3B/OF Jimmy Wynn, P Denny Lemaster and rookie sensation Joe Morgan. Topps and other card companies in the 1960s like Fleer captured the Astros’ early years in Houston before they became a competitive team. Rosters turned over frequently as the team sought to build a contender.
It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that the Astros started to field competitive teams. Their 1969 squad that lost to the Miracle Mets in the NLCS featured several future Hall of Famers like OF/1B Jimmy Wynn, P Don Wilson, C/1B Bob Aspromonte and Manager Harry Walker. Their 1969 Topps cards reflected the team’s rise, featuring sharp action shots and team-color borders. Rated rookies from that era like OF/1B Lee May and P J.R. Richard had enduring careers documented in their early baseball cards.
The 1971-1975 Astros teams are considered among the best to never win a World Series. Led by stars like C/1B Larry Dierker, OF/1B Jimmy Wynn, P Don Wilson, 2B/SS Denis Menke and rated rookies like P/DH Ken Forsch, those squads consistently won 90+ games but fell short in the playoffs. Their colorful Topps and Kellogg’s 3D baseball cards from that time are prized by collectors today for capturing the intensity of “The Killer B’s” era Astros teams.
After a dropoff in the late 1970s, the Astros reemerged as contenders in the 1980s. Future Hall of Fame 3B Phil Garner and P Nolan Ryan led the 1979 squad to an NLCS appearance. Ryan’s rare 1979 Topps Traded card showing him with the Angels and Astros is one of the most iconic in the hobby. Rising stars like OF/1B Glenn Davis and P Mike Scott burst onto the scene in the 1980s. Scott’s dominant 1988 season where he won the Cy Young Award playing for Manager Hal Lanier’s division-winning club is legendary.
The Astros broke through in 2005 to win their first World Series behind ace pitchers Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and coach/ later manager Phil Garner. Stars from that championship squad like OF/1B Lance Berkman, 2B Craig Biggio, SS Adam Everett and rookie sensations P Brad Lidge and OF/1B Morgan Ensberg had memorable rookie and star rookie cards from that era. Biggio’s longevity playing his entire 20-year career with the Astros made him one of the most documented players in team history via annual card issues.
In the 2010s, the Astros emerged as a consistent powerhouse. Behind stars like 2017 World Series MVP and AL MVP George Springer, pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Justin Verlander, and manager A.J. Hinch, the Astros reached new heights, winning 101 games in 2019 and capturing their second championship. Top prospects like SS/3B Alex Bregman bursting onto the scene added to the excitement for Astros card collectors. The scandal surrounding the team’s illegal sign-stealing methods that came to light in late 2019/2020 tainted their accomplishments but did not diminish the historical cards issued of those talented rosters.
Entering the 2020s, the Astros look to add more chapters to their history, hopefully with the talented young core of Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy. For over 50 years of cards since those original 1962 issues, collectors can track the evolution of the Houston Astros franchise through the faces and stats captured in annual baseball card sets. Few other teams have such a well documented rich history within the hobby from their emergence as an expansion club to consistent contender status.
