Opening Day Roster:
With their day-glo uniforms and "Eigth Wonder of the World" home field, the Astros pretty much looked like the 1970s. In their 16 years of existence, however, they had been anything but flashy on the field - they had finished at .500 3 times, and over .500 just twice. As recently as 1975 they lost 97 games, but that led them to hire Tal Smith as G.M. and Bill Virdon as manager. Smith and Virdon cleaned house and the results were immediate. In 1976, they won 80 games and in 1977 they won 81. They had a good young pitching staff, highlighted by J.R. Richard, and their lineup contained the potent bats of Cesar Cedeno, Bob Watson, Jose Cruz and young Terry Puhl. Many predicted that in 1978 they'd challenge the Reds and Dodgers for the western division title. As fate would have it, they wound up instead being one of the most disappointing clubs in baseball. Injuries and off years saw them topple to a 74-88 record, good only for 5th place, 21 games behing the Dodgers. But, the very next year they would finish second, just 1.5 games behing the Reds, and in 1980 they won their first NL Western Division title.
Down on the farm, nothing much was showing promise - future closer Dave Smith was in AA Columbus, but that was about it.
Steady, sturdy Bill Virdon entered his 3rd full season as manager. His coaches were Tony Pacheco at 1st, Bob Lillis at 3rd, Deacon Jones with the hitters and Mel Wright with the pitchers.
Joaquin Andujar, SP:
Bothered by a sore hamstring in 1977, Andujar confidently predicted he'd win 20 games in 1978. In mid-June, his record stood at a disappointing 3-4, and he was increasingly bothered by a number of aches and pains - he had to come out of 4 out of 5 starts in June because of various ailments, most noticably abdominal pain and and his hamstring flaring up. On July 8, he was placed on the DL because of the latter, and when he returned on July 30 Virdon consigned him to relief duty. He didn't do well out of the pen, and it was anticipated he'd be returned to the rotation for 1979.
Joe Niekro, SP:
Joe began 1978 in the rotation, but with a 2-4 record and a 7.97 ERA he was sent to the pen in mid-May. After middling results in relief, he was returned to the rotation in late June to take Andujar's place. In 21 subsequent starts he went 10-11 with a 2.96 ERA. On July 26, he shut out the Expos on 4 hits, and on September 26 he out-dueled his big brother Phil in Atlanta, getting win in a 2-0 Houston victory.
Mark Lemongello, SP:
During the pre-season, Mark joined with Bo McLaughlin, Floyd Bannister and Joe Sambito to publicly protest their perceived ill-treatment in contract negotiations by the Astros. According to Mark, he couldn't even afford to eat in the same restaurant as Cesar Cedeno. His performance in 1978 didn't help his case - a 9-14 record and a 3.94 ERA won't let one dine in Houston's finest eateries. The somewhat incorrigible and often erratic Lemongello was traded to the Blue Jays after the season, and later went on to be arrested, along with 1978 Cubs' pitcher Manny Seoane, for the kidnapping and robbery of two of his own cousins.
J.R. Richard, SP:
In 1978, J.R. led the Astros with 18 wins and led all of baseball (by far) with 303 Ks (which established both a new team record and an all-time record for N.L. righties). Between 1975 and the first half of 1980, he compiled 1,339 Ks and 96 wins. In July of 1980, he suffered a stroke which cut his career sadly short. It marked the second time in 5 years a great Astro pitching career was ended too early - in 1975 Don Wilson died, after putting together 104 wins, 1,283 Ks and 2 no-hitters in 9 seasons.
Floyd Bannister, RP:
Part of the disgruntled foursome, Floyd, a starter in 1977, entered 1978 primarily a reliever although he did see a couple spot starts early on. When Virdon expanded from a 4 to a 5 man rotation, it was Floyd he added, and in his first start, on May 19, he threw a 7-hit shutout against the Braves. He shutout the Reds on 4 hits on June 29, but overall was 3-4 as a starter with an ERA of 4.34 when he was sent back to the pen in late July after the arrival of Vern Ruhle. For the rest of the season, he pulled relief duty with several spot starts.
Tom Dixon, RP:
After going 2-0 (including a game in which he got the game-winning hit) with a save and a 2.90 ERA through mid-May, Tom was added to the rotation on May 23 and stayed there through mid-August. On June 28, he shutout the Reds on 4 hits, and on August 14 he did the same to the Cardinals in St. Louis. He was back in the pen, with a couple of spot starts at the end of the year, from late August on.
Ken Forsch, RP:
Ken entered the season happily recovered from an arm injury which had troubled him in the second half of 1977. Working out the the pen, he went 6-4 with a 3.16 ERA over 44 appearances when, towards the end of August, he was put into the rotation. As a starter he went 5-2, including a 5-hit shutout against the Braves on September 21 and a two-hitter against the Dodgers on September 8, with a 2.02 ERA. This success marked his transition to a starter for the rest of his career.
Gene Pentz, RP:
1978 was Gene's second year in the Astro bullpen. He made 10 appearances before going on the DL on May 13 due to back issues. The problem became chronic and he returned home to Johnstown, PA to undergo rehab efforts. Ultimately, the Astros released him on September 5. As it turned out, his final major league appearance came on May 3 - he threw the final inning of a 10-3 Astro loss in Montreal.
Joe Sambito, CL:
The Astros' young closer earned 11 saves and struck out 96 against only 32 walks. One of the team's four unhappy pitchers, Joe finally signed on August 21, but even then issued a prepared statement saying it didn't mean he was satisfied with the treatment he received during negotiations. Despite this wrinkle in his relationship with Houston management, from 1979 through 1981 he was one of the better closers in the game for Houston - he posted ERAs of 1.77, 2.19 and 1.84 during that period - before an arm injury limited his effectiveness.
Joe Ferguson, C:
Joe had some knee issues in the second half of 1977, but was declared 100% by doctors as 1978 got under way. He got out of the gate with a bang - homers in the first two games of the season. His bat cooled off quickly - from late April into early May he struggled to keep his average above .200. Shoulder pain forced him to sit at the end of May and for the first 2 weeks of June. On July 1, confident their catching prospects looked ready for big-league action, the Astros traded Joe to the Dodgers for a player-to-be-named-later.
Ed Herrmann, C:
Ed made it into only 16 games before being sold to Montreal on June 9. Throughout the season, Ed had been a vocal critic of the direction the team was taking - he, along with Enos Cabell and Art Howe, complained there were too many players happy and laughing after losses. Just before being sold, he accused management of running the club on the cheap, said that there was no interest winning, and predicted they'd lose 100 games before the year was out.
Dave Bergman, IF:
Dave has happy to land in Houston for 1978 - after idling in the Yankee farm system for several years, it was clear to him he didn't figure in their future plans. He spent the first half of the season spelling Bob Watson at first base. When Terry Puhl moved to center after Cedeno went down, Dave got a good number of starts in left. Once Denny Walling took over the position late in the year, Dave went back to being an infield/outfield reserve.
Enos Cabell, IF:
A spring training experiment with Enos at short didn't take, so he was once again Houston's starting third baseman. He played in all 162 games, hitting .295 and stealing 33 bases, each second-best on the team. His 195 hits set a new team record.
Julio Gonzalez, IF:
Had Cabell switched to short, Art Howe would have moved to third, opening up an chance for Julio to be the team's starting second baseman. None of that happened, and he again served as a middle-infield reserve. He was sent to Charleston on July 10, shortly after the team acquired infielder Rafael Landestoy, but was recalled on July 22.
Art Howe, IF:
The Astros' second baseman had a decent year at the plate, hitting .293 with 7 HR and 55 RBI. Physically, however, it was rough going. On July 31 against the Giants, he collided with Terry Whitfield in a play at second and suffered a fractured jaw, facial lacerations and two lost teeth. In just his second game back, on August 13, he was hit in the head by Dave Campbell of the Braves. His head was so swollen the next day, he was forced to use J.R. Richard's batting helmet. Then, on August 29, he broke his finger, causing him to miss 3 weeks. Through it all, he was never placed on the DL.
Jimmy Sexton, IF:
Jimmy saw limited action in 1977 with the first year Mariners, but spent most of the year at their San Jose farm club, where he stole 52 bases in 58 tries. Acquired from the Mariners for Leon Roberts after the 1977 season ended, Sexton was considered a promising infield prospect in Houston. He was an infield reserve all season, but did see a good number of starts in the several weeks leading up to Metzger's sale to the Giants. On August 5 in Atlanta, he went 2-for-3 with a triple and HR, 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Jesus Alou, OF:
Out of professional ball since 1975, the baby of the Alou trio was signed by the Astros in December of 1977 and served in 1978 as a reserve outfielder and pinch-hitter. On opening day, he hit a pinch-single in his first professional at-bat since September 26, 1975. Once Terry Puhl moved to center to cover for Cedeno in June, Jesus started regularly in left against lefties.
Jose Cruz, OF:
Jose patrolled right field in Houston from 1972 through 1987. In 1978, he led the team with 37 stolen bases, 83 RBI and a .315 average (he was in the hunt for the NL batting title until late in the year). On May 20 against the Braves, he went 4-for-5 with a HR, 3 runs scored and 6 RBI. On June 9 in St. Louis, he was 4-for-4 with 2 triples, 2 runs scored and 5 RBI.
Roger Metzger, IF:
The Astros' regular shortstop since 1971, Roger entered 1978 having to fight for his job. The team was high on Jimmy Sexton, and Metzger was coming off a year in which he hit .186. He played regularly for most of the first couple months, but began ceding some starts to Sexton in early June. Roger was sold to the Giants on June 15th.
Bob Watson, IF:
An Astro since 1966, Bob was the team's regular first baseman from 1971 through the first half of 1979. In 1978, he led the team with 14 HR and hit .289. He played with aches and pains all year (as he said, he took his Tylenol and did his best) but was finally forced to miss two weeks in August with a pulled hamstring. Watson loved Houston and the Astros' fans, but came to the conclusion during 1978 that he only had so much time left in the game and that he wanted the chance to play for a winner. He asked GM Tal Smith for a trade at the ened of the year, and was sent to Boston mid-way through 1979.
Cesar Cedeno, OF:
Once seemingly bound for super-stardom, by 1977 Cesar had already plateaued. It was probably an unwise move, in retrospect, for Houston to have signed him to a 10-year, 3.5 million deal during spring training, 1978. The Astros' center fielder got off to a good start - he hit well over .300 for much of April and was sitting at .281 with 23 stolen bases when, on June 15, he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee sliding into second against the Cubs. Placed on the DL on June 17, he was unable to return to action until the final weekend of the season. After another 3 average years in Houston, he was traded to Cincinnati for 1982.
Wilbur Howard, OF:
The switch-hitting Howard was used as a reserve outfielder and occasional platoon starter in 1978. He was on the DL from May 20 through June 9 with a sprained ankle. His final major league appearance was on September 30 - he went 1-for-3 as the starting left fielder against the Giants.
Terry Puhl, OF:
Second-year man Terry began the season as the Astros' left fielder. A native of Saskatchewan, he was the only Canadian-born non-pitcher in MLB in 1978. He was one of the Astros' steadiest players all season long, and took over in center when Cesar Cedeno went down with injury in June. He hit .289 with 32 stolen bases. He'd go on to play with the Astros through 1990, contributing to both their '80s-era division championships.
Denny Walling, OF:
After 3 years of false starts, Denny finally spent a full year at the major league level in 1978. A reserve outfielder, he played fairly regularly in left, especially against righties, once Terry Puhl moved to center in late June. He hit .251 with 36 RBI and 9 stolen bases.
In-Season Moves:
Oscar Zamora, RP:
Oscar was called up from Charleston (where he was leading the IL in appearances and saves) when Gene Pentz went to the DL on May 13. He was sent back in exchange for Rick Williams on June 9. He got recalled on July 13 but was returned again on July 22. Irritated with being sent to the minors for the 3rd time in 1978 (the first being at the end of spring training), he returned home to Miami to work on personal business rather than report to Charleston. His final major league appearance came on July 21 in Philadelphia - he surrendered 2 hits and 1 run in 0.2 innings of relief.
Rick Williams, RP:
Rick was summoned from Charleston on June 9 in exchange for Oscar Zamora. He remained with the Astros for the rest of the season, making 17 appearances. His major league debut was on June 12 against the Pirates - he threw a single inning of relief and came away with the win.
Reggie Baldwin, C:
Reggie was called up from Columbus on May 21 and made his major league debut on May 25 in San Francisco as a defensive replacement for Joe Ferguson. Once Ed Herrmann was sold to Montreal, Reggie became the club's second string catcher, and he started for a while when Joe Ferguson nursed a sore shoulder in June. He was sent down to Charleston in exchange for Bruce Bochy on July 19, but was recalled on August 17. He developed a shoulder problem during the course of the year, and after being recalled was used as a pinch-hitter.
Mike Fischlin, IF:
An agressive shortstop with good range, Mike was summoned from Charleston when Metzger was sold to the Giants on June 15. For much of June and the first part of July, he was the team's regular shortstop. However, his hitting was a liability (he batted .116 on the year) and by mid-July he had ceded the starting role to Rafael Landestoy. He was sent back to Charleston on August 17, and was recalled in September.
Bo McLaughlin, RP:
Bo was brought up from Charleston, where he had posted a 7-4 record, on June 19. He earned 2 saves to go with an 0-1 record and a 5.01 ERA before being shipped back to Charleston on July 30 to accomodate Andujar's return from the DL.
Luis Pujols, C:
A highly-valued prospect, Luis was called up from Charleston on June 29. He was the regular catcher for all of July, but because of his weak bat (he hit just .131 on the year) he sat in favor of Bruce Bochy for much of August and September.
Rafael Landestoy, IF:
Rafael arrived from Los Angeles on July 7 as a player to be named later from the Ferguson trade. He took over at short for Mike Fischlin by the end of the month. He held the job for the rest of the year, except for a couple weeks in August when a sore arm limited him to pinch-hitting duties.
Bruce Bochy, C:
Bruce was brought up from Charleston on July 19 in exchange for Reggie Baldwin. In his major league debut that same day, he started at Shea and got a single in his first at-bat against Craig Swan. He initially backed-up Pujols but, because of his better bat (he hit .266 on the year compared to Pujols' .131), he started most of August and September.
Vern Ruhle, SP:
Vern was signed by the Astros in spring training after being released by Detroit. He played at Charleston until being called up on July 19. From then through the end of the season, he compiled a 3-3 record and 2.12 ERA. In back-to-back starts, on August 5 and 13, he shut out the Braves (first in Atlanta then in Houston), on 4 and then 5 hits.
Dan Warthen, RP:
Acquired from the Phillies for Dan Larson on September 2, Dan made 4 relief appearances and one spot start - his final big league appearance, on the 29th against the Giants. He threw 8 innings, giving up just 2 runs but taking the loss 2-1.
Jeffrey Leonard, OF:
Jeffrey was acquired from the Dodgers on September 11 to complete the Ferguson deal from earlier in the season. In 4 games, the future MVP of the 1987 NLCS had 4 RBI.
Keith Drumright, IF:
Called up in September, Keith made his major league debut on the 1st, starting at second in Chicago - he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. He started 15 games at second base during the last month of the season filling in for the injured Art Howe.
Jim Obradovich, IF:
Another September call-up, Jim made his major league debut on the 12th, pinch-hitting in Cincinnati. After another 8 appearances, he saw his final major league action on the 29th pinch-hitting against the Giants. In a start in San Diego on the 15th, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Joe Cannon, OF:
Called up in September, Joe got into 8 games before the season ended, connecting for 4 hits and an RBI.
Frank Riccelli, RP:
The long-time minor league veteran got the second of three major league auditions when the Astros called him up in September. He made just 2 relief appearances, throwing a combined 3 innings and surrendering no runs.
Other 1978 Astros Stuff:
Astros' Coaches:
Harris County Domed Stadium
(The Astrodome)
8400 Kirby Dr., Houston, TX
Owner - GE Credit/Ford Motor Credit
General Manager - Tal Smith
Minor League Affiliates:
Rookie: GCL Astros (Gulf Coast League)
23-31, 5th of 6
Manager: Julio Linares
Future Star: Jack Lazorko
A: Daytona Beach Astros (Florida State League)
42-93, 11th of 11
Manager: Lee Posada/Charles Sprinkle
Future Star: Danny Heep
AA: Columbus Astros (Southern League)
70-73, 4th of 5
Manager: Jim Johnson
Future Star: Dave Smith
AAA: Charleston Charlies (International League)
85-55, 1st of 8
Manager: Jim Beauchamp
Future Star: Jim Pankovits
Tony Pacheco
Bob Lillis
Mel Wright
Summary of Roster Moves:
May 15 - Pentz to DL, Zamora from Charleston
May 20 - Howard to DL (active roster to 23)
May 21 - Baldwin from Columbus (active roster to 24)
June 9 - Herrmann to Expos, Howard from DL
June 9 - Zamora to Charleston,
Williams from Charleston
June 15 - Metzger to GIants, Fischlin from Charleston
June 17 - Cedeno to DL (active roster to 23)
June 19 - McLaughlin from Charleston
(active roster to 24)
June 29 - Pujols from Charleston (active roster to 25)
July 1 - Ferguson to Dodgers for PTBNL
(active roster to 24)
July 7 - Landestoy from Dodgers (active roster to 25)
July 8 - Andujar to DL (active roster to 24)
July 10 - Gonzalez to Charleston (active roster to 23)
July 13 - Zamora from Charleston (active roster to 24)
July 19 - Bochy from Columbus, Baldwin to Columbus
July 19 - Ruhle from Charleston (active roster to 25)
July 22 - Zamora to Charleston,
Gonzalez from Charleston
July 30 - Andujar from DL, McLaughlin to Charleston
August 17 - Fischlin to Charleston,
Baldwin from Columbus
September 2 - Warthen from Phillies
September 11 - Leonard from Dodgers
September 29 - Cedeno from DL
September Call-Ups: Fischlin, Drumright, Cannon,
Obradovich and Riccelli
Deacon Jones