Astros Legends, 2nd Edition

Description

Major league baseball came to Houston, Texas in 1962 when the expansion franchise was born as the Houston Colt 45s. The team evolved into the Astros after moving to the Astrodome, sometimes called “The Eighth Wonder of the World.”

With more than 50 years in the MLB, the Astros created legendary players, games, and moments. The great Nolan Ryan established records during his Houston years. Both Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell became the first Astro legends elected to the Hall of Fame. Astro pitchers have authored eleven no hitters, one involving six pitchers and another featuring a pitcher who lost the game. J.R. Richards’ career was cut short by a stroke after the careers of Jim Umbricht and Don Wilson were cut short by death. The Astros won two of the greatest games in World Series history in 2017 and an 18-inning playoff game in 2005 on a home run by an unlikely candidate. The Astros best reliever of all time, Billy Wagner, pitched his entire career with the wrong arm. And their second winningest starter, Roy Oswalt, may have saved his career by nearly being electrocuted. Colt 45 third baseman Bob Aspromonte promised a young boy he would try to hit a homer for him and succeeded three different times. Jimmy Wynn hit a homer in his hometown of Cincinnati that went so far it almost wound up in the yard of his boyhood home. The men who brought the major leagues to Houston and those who build the Astrodome plus many of the most unusual and great games are part of the Astros Legends.

There are more than 103 Astros Legends included. The number a legend itself—the most games won by the franchise in a single season, achieved in 2018. Recently updated, the second edition of Astro Legends will include recent trades, wins, seasons, and more.

About the Author

For more than 45 years, Greg Lucas has been a sportscaster and play by play announcer heavily involved in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association with the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers. He has called over 4000 sporting events including major college football, basketball, baseball plus his work with the pros and a total of 25 different sports.

His first book, “Baseball-Its More Than Just a Game” was based on materials he had collected and used in broadcasts and telecasts and as part of pre-game and other special programs over his long active career.

A native Midwesterner from Kokomo, Indiana, Greg got his career started while getting his undergraduate degree from Butler University in Indianapolis.