1999 Houston Astros season


The 1999 Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The Astros won their third consecutive National League Central division title. It was their final season playing in the Astrodome as their home ballpark.

Offseason

New stadium

In 1999, the Astros played their final season in the Astrodome as their new stadium was being prepared for play to begin in the 2000 season. The ballpark was first named as Enron Field on April 9, 1999, with naming rights sold to the Houston energy and financial trading company in a 30-year, $100 million deal. Astros management faced a public relations nightmare when the energy corporation went bankrupt in the midst of one of the biggest corporate scandals in American history in 2001, and they bought back the remainder of Enron's thirty years of naming rights for $2.1 million, renaming the ballpark as Astros Field on February 7, 2002. The field was unofficially known as "The Field Formerly Known As Enron" by fans and critics alike, in wake of the Enron scandal. On June 5, 2002, Houston-based Minute Maid, the fruit-juice subsidiary of Coca-Cola, acquired the naming rights to the stadium for 28 years at a price exceeding $100 million.
Based on its downtown location next to the old Union Station buildings, one of the suggested names is the Ballpark at Union Station, or the BUS. During its days as Enron Field, it was also dubbed "Ten-Run" or "Home Run" Field due to its cozy left-field dimensions. In keeping with this theme while paying homage to its current sponsor, the nickname "The Juice Box" is colloquially used today.

Overview

On April 21, Jeff Bagwell hit three home runs in a 10–3 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, his second career three-home run game. The second home run allowed him to surpass Jimmy Wynn as the Astros' all-time home run leader at 224 and he tied a career-high in one game with six runs batted in. He produced another three-home run game on June 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He was also a grand slam short of hitting for the "home run cycle," with a solo home run, a three-run home run, and a two-run home run, respectively. The two three-home run games made him the only player to accomplish this feat at two different stadiums in Chicago in the same season.
On August 20, Bagwell walked a major-league record six times in a 16-inning game against the Florida Marlins.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CTony Eusebio10332388.272433
1BJeff Bagwell162562171.30442126
2BCraig Biggio160639188.2941673
SSTim Bogar10630974.239431
3BKen Caminiti7827378.2861356
LFRichard Hidalgo10838387.2271556
CFCarl Everett123464151.32525108
RFDerek Bell128509120.2361266

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Bill Spiers127393113.288439
Ricky Gutiérrez8526870.261125
Paul Bako7321555.256217
Russ Johnson8315644.282523
Daryle Ward6415041.273830
Matt Mieske5410931.284522
Lance Berkman349322.237415
Glen Barker817321.288111
Stan Javier206421.32804
Alex Diaz305011.22017
Jack Howell37337.21211
Mitch Meluskey10337.21213
Randy Knorr13305.16700
Ryan Thompson12204.20015
Carlos Hernández16142.14301

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
Mike Hampton35246.12243.58177
José Lima34239.021102.90187
Shane Reynolds34231.216143.85197
Chris Holt32164.05134.66115
Sean Bergman1999465.3638

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
Scott Elarton42124953.48121
Wade Miller510.1019.588

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
Jay Powell675444.3277
Billy Wagner6641391.57124
Brian Williams502104.4153
Trever Miller473215.0737
Doug Henry352324.6536
Jose Cabrera264002.1528
Jeff McCurry501015.753
Joe Slusarski30000.003

National League Divisional Playoffs

Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros

Atlanta wins series, 3-1

Farm system