Major League Baseball in Texas
Major league baseball came to Texas when the
National League awarded two franchises in 1961, one
to New York (Mets) and the other to Houston and Roy
Hofheinz, who named the team the Colt .45s.
The team played in the temporary Colt Stadium
until the completion next door of the Astrodome. With
the 1965 move to the world’s first domed stadium, the
team became the Astros.
In 2000, the Astros moved to the new downtown
ballpark now called Minute Maid Park. The Astros
have been in the playoffs 10 times, including the
World Series in 2005. In 2011, Houston businessman
Jim Crane became the principal owner of the franchise.
In 2012, Major League Baseball decided to move
the Astros from the six-member Central Division of
the National League to the four-member West Division of the American League so that there will be fivemember divisions all around.
Thus, beginning in 2013, the Astros are competing in the American League against in-state rival the
Texas Rangers.
Houston Colt .45s (National League)
Year
1962
1963
1964
Win
64
66
66
Loss
96
96
96
Houston Astros
%
.400
.407
.407
Finish
8th in league
9th in league
9th in league
Year
Win
Loss
%
Finish
1965
65
97
.407 9th in league
1966
72
90
.444 8th in league
1967
69
93
.426 9th in league
1968
72
90
.444 10th in league
National League split into divisions with Houston in
the West Division
1969
81
81
.500 5th in division
1970
79
83
.488 4th in division
1971
79
83
.488 tied for 4th
1972
84
69
.549 tied for 2nd
1973
82
80
.506 4th in division
1974
81
81
.500 4th in division
1975
64
97
.398 6th in division
1976
80
82
.494 3rd in division
Lance Berkman was part of the Killer Bs (also
1977
81
81
.500 3rd in division
Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell) who went to the
World Series in 2005. Photo Mojo on Flickr (CC).
1978
74
88
.457 5th in division
1979
89
73
.549 2nd in division
1980
93
70
.571 1st in division; lost NLCS to Philadelphia Phillies 3-2
1981
61
49
.555 3rd in division; lost NLDS to Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2
1982
77
85
.475 5th in division
1983
85
77
.525 3rd in division
1984
80
82
.494 tied for 2nd in division
1985
83
79
.512 tied for 3rd in division
1986
96
66
.593 1st in division; lost NLCS to New York Mets 4-2
1987
76
86
.469 3rd in division
1988
82
80
.506 5th in division
1989
86
76
.531 3rd in division
1990
75
87
.463 tied for 4th in division
1991
65
97
.401 6th in division
1992
81
81
.500 4th in division
1993
85
77
.525 3rd in division
Year
Win
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
66
76
82
84
102
97
72
93
84
87
92
89
82
73
86
74
76
56
55
2013
2014
2015
2016
51
70
86
84
Loss
%
Finish
Realignment to Central Division
49
.574 2nd in division; (baseball strike, no playoffs)
68
.528 2nd in division
80
.506 2nd in division
78
.519 1st in division; lost NLDS to Atlanta Braves 3-0
60
.630 1st in division; lost NLDS to Atlanta Braves 3-0
65
.599 1st in division; lost NLDS to Altanta Braves 3-1
90
.444 4th in division
69
.574 1st in division; lost NLDS to Atlanta Braves 3-0
78
.519 2nd in division
75
.537 2nd in division
70
.568 1st in division; lost NLCS to St. Louis Cardinals 4-3
73
.549 1st in division; lost World Series to Chicago White Sox 4-0
80
.506 2nd in division
89
.451 4th in division
75
.527 3rd in division
88
.457 5th in division
86
.469 4th in division
106
.346 6th in division
107
.340 6th in division
Realignment to American League, West Division
111
.315 5th in division
92
.432 4th in division
76
.531 2nd in division; lost ALDS to Kansas City Royals 3-2
78
.519 3rd in division
Texas Rangers (American League)
The Texas Rangers began play in Arlington in
1972 after Washington Senators owner Bob Short got
permission to move his team to the Dallas-Fort Worth
area. The Senators were a 1961 expansion franchise.
(The original Washington Senators had moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins.)
The Rangers played in Arlington Stadium until
1994 when they moved next door to the Ballpark in
Arlington, now called Globe Life Park. Oil executive
Eddie Chiles bought the team in 1980 and sold it in
1989 to a group of investors that included future President George W. Bush.
In 1998, Dallas businessman Tom Hicks bought
the team. In 2010, a group including oilmen Bob
Simpson and Ray Davis acquired the team.
The Rangers have made the postseason playoffs
eight times, including the World Series in 2010 and
in 2011.
Year
Win
Loss
%
-1971 played as the Washington Senators
1972
54
100
.351 6th in AL West Division
1973
57
105
.352 6th in division
1974
84
76
.525 2nd in division
1975
79
83
.488 3rd in division
1976
76
86
.469 4th in division
1977
94
68
.580 2nd in division
1978
87
75
.537 2nd in division
1979
83
79
.512 3rd in division
1980
76
85
.472 4th in division
1981
57
48
.543 3rd in division
1982
64
98
.395 6th in division
1983
77
85
.475 3rd in division
1984
69
92
.429 7th in division
1985
62
99
.385 7th in division
Finish
Year
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Win
Loss
52
74
90
77
88
95
71
73
72
71
89
79
80
75
79
87
90
96
93
91
67
88
95
62
70
72
85
74
67
91
89
90
91
73
83
82
87
83
75
72
66
69
71
95
74
67
87
75
70
83
83
85
77
86
75
87
91
79
79
77
85
76
%
.537
.463
.435
.512
.512
.525
.475
.531
2nd in division
6th in division
6th in division
4th in division
3rd in division
3rd in division
4th in division
2nd in divsion
Finish
.546 1st in division; no postseason due to players’ strike
.514 3rd in division
.556 1st in division; lost ALDS to New York Yankees 3-1
.475 3rd in division
.543 1st in division; lost ALDS to New York Yankees 3-0
.586 1st in division; lost ALDS to New York Yankees 3-0
.438 4th in division
.451 4th in division
.444 4th in division
.438 4th in division
.549 3rd in division
.488 3rd in division
.494 3rd in division
.463 4th in division
.488 2nd in division
.537 2nd in division
.556 1st in division; lost World Series to San Francisco Giants 4-1
.593 1st in division; lost World Series to St. Louis Cardinals 4-3
.574 2nd in division; lost wild-card game to Baltimore Orioles 5-1
.562 2nd in division; lost playoff for wild-card to Tampa Bay 5-2
.414 5th in division
.543 1st in division; lost ALDS to Toronto Blue Jays 3-2
.586 1st in division; lost ALDS to Toronto Blue Jays 3-0
Sources: MLB websites, Dallas Morning News, and other sources.
Opening day at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 2010. Photo by Red3biggs (CC).