Astroland B: The World's Most Complete Listing of Houston Astro Baseball Cards
Mecca, formerly

OPENING DAY STARTERS FOR HOUSTON IN CAPS

NL All-Stars in Gold
Playing for Houston in an NL Game gets you an icon like this:

Minor League A/S Card Appearances in italics

Selected players have been marked with the special
WHIFF KING icon,
and you know what that means
Look out for those implicated in the use of PED's 
 The Card Companies were all over Members of The One Hundred Club:  
Ba
CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
6 Edgar Babilonia Cards Infield/Pitcher
Two years in the Venezuelan Summer League got Edgar a shot at Martinsville in 2002, and he returned there for 2003, graduating to Tri-City in 2004. Played half a year at Lexington in 2005, then switched to pitcher for the second half, giving it a whirl down in Greeneville. Threw only 7-1/3 innings at Tri City in 2006.
1 Shaun Babula Card Pitcher
2003 AAA Rule V pick up was 2 - 1 with a 6.35 for the 2004 New Orleans Zephyrs
1 Bryan Baca Card Trainer
Began training at Greenevile in 2007 after three years with the Santa Fe Roadrunners of the North American Hockey League
32 Brandon Backe Cards
Pitcher
 
Acquired from the Devil Rays on December 14, 2003 for Geoff Blum. The excitable Backe was subbing for an ill Roger Clemens on October 3, 2004, when his victory clinched the 2004 NL wild card for Houston, and then one-upped himself each time during the subsequent playoffs, beating Atlanta in the first round, then finally pitching eight scoreless in Game Five of the NLCS vs. St. Louis.
Not as large a factor in '05, yet no-one can say he didn't pitch well enough to win in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series. An injury early in 2006 wiped out both his 2006 AND most of his 2007.
BAGWELL
2005

    JEFF BAGWELL
Cards

First Base
 
 Franchise career leader in homers and RBI is also possessor of greatest single offensive season in club history
Ba
1 Griffin Bailey Card Pitcher
NDFA from Lexington Kentucky never got so far as to pitch for his hometown, twirling his only year at Greeneville in 2006
22 MARK BAILEY Cards
Catcher/Coach
 
Became first player to hit two grand slams at the dome in the same year in 1985. Trading him away for Casey Candaele made room for Biggio in the bigs
2 Chris Baker Cards Pitcher
Began the 2006 season with the Ranger affiliate AAA Oklahoma Redhawks, but made only two appearances before getting traded by the Rangers to the Houston organization on April 13. The Astros immediately assigned Baker to AAA Round Rock, which was convenient for Baker, because the Redhawks were playing the Express that day. He merely had to walk across the diamond at Oklahoma City's Bricktwon Ballpark to change teams.Baker then went on to become a Pacific Coast League midseason All-Star, and finished the 2006 season 9 - 4 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP for the PCL runner up Express.
2 Doug Baker Cards Infield
Played in 78 games in the majors with Detroit and Minnesota between '86 and '90, then
ended up at Tucson in 1991. Was something of a tutor to Bagwell in spring training that year
3 Mark Baker Cards Pitcher
Reliever had an ERA below 1.20 at two single A stops in 1984, then was solid with a 3.09 ERA at Osceola in 1985. Pro Cards switched the back of his '87 Columbus Astros card # 850 with infielder Rob Parker's
(# 853).
1 Paul Bako Card
Catcher
 
Journeyman had huge three-run homer against 'Stros while playing for the Braves during the 2001 Divisional Series.
Still, a whiff king while with Houston--58 K's in 233 plate appearances.

16 Jeff Baldwin Cards
Outfielder
 
0 for 8 with a walk at Houston in '90
1 Reggie Baldwin Card
Infield
 
 Traded to the Mets for future minor league manager Keith Bodie in February of '80. Still . . .
Love that Charlies uniform
13 Jeff Ball Cards Infield
Went 3 for 3 with two doubles in Kevin Gallaher and Jamie Daspit's split no-hitter for the Jackson Generals in 1994. Hit .316 that year, which got him the stays at Tucson for '95 and '96
10 Bill Ballou Cards Coach
Veteran minor league pitching coach has coached for twelve years in the Astros' organization, at Auburn, Quad City, Michigan, Tri-City, and now for the Greeneville Astros, where he replaced the retired Jack Billingham after the 2004 season.
1 Dave Banks Card Infield
A year at Auburn
1 Alan Bannister Card
Infield
 
Rob Neyer, in his Big Book of Baseball Lineups, claims Bannister is the worst-fielding shortstop to have ever worn a White Sox uniform; which is saying a lot, given that the Sox are so old and storied and all; anyway, Bannister's brief career as an Astro is chronicled by the '84 Mothers #21
5 Floyd Bannister Cards
Pitcher
 
First selection in 1976 Draft hung around for a while, but not with the Astros. The good news is that unloading him to the Mariners got us Craig Reynolds.
1 Luke Barganier Cards Outfield
30th Round Pick in 2004 hit .230 for the Tri-City ValleyCats that year
15 Glen Barker Cards
Outfield
 
FAST
but sometimes not too smart
48 K's in 197 plate appearances also made him a

2 Shane Barksdale Cards Pitcher
Auburn and Quad City in 1997 after 2-1/2 years at Gulf Coast as an infielder
1 Mike Barlow Card
Pitcher
 
 76 SSPC # 298 -- Received From the Cards for Mike Easler on 9/30/75, and actually appeared in four games for Houston in 1976, though he spent the bulk of the bicentennial year in Memphis. At some point, he was (waived? traded again?) and wound up with California and their AAA Salt Lake City affiliate. Continued to pitch professionally until 1982.
3 Brandon Barnes Card Outfield 6th Round pick in the June 2005 began inauspiciously at Greeneville and hit .200 with two homers, the didn't do much better when repeating in 2006. But he raised the average at Tri-City in '07, and led the team in homers.
3 Tucker Barr Cards Catcher
Single A catcher couldn't hit
4 Efrain Barrero Cards Pitcher
Crapped out at Asheville in '91 after a 2.44 ERA performance at Auburn in 1990
15 Jimmy Barrett Cards Pitcher
'00 Appy League All-Star was named by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the organization for 2003, but fell off the map after that.
2 Scott Barrett Cards Pitcher
Fifth-round pick in '98 was beset by injuries and retired in 2000
1 Tommy Barrett Card Infield Cups of Coffee with Philly & Boston
2 Angel Barrios Cards Pitcher '01 & '02 Martinsville
6 Manuel Barrios Cards
Pitcher
 
Traded with RHP Oscar Henriquez and (eventually) RHP Mark Johnson to the Florida Marlins for Moises Alou on November 11, 1997
2 Jose Barron Cards Trainer
Sticks and stones guy for the Auburn Doubledays in 1995 and 1996
15 Jimmy Barthmaier Cards Pitcher
13th Round selection in the June 2003 draft went 1 - 1 with a 2.49 when he made his professional debut with the Martinsville Astros that year. By 2006 he was voted by Baseball America as having the best curveball in the organization and was fourth overall on their list of Astros prospects. Went out and led the Salem Avalanche for 2006 in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts, but also carried a somewhat high 1.39 WHIP and did not make the Carolina League All-Star squad. Just 2 - 9 with a 6.20 at AA Corpus in 2007. Claimed by the Pirates in November '07 when the Astros removed him from the 40-man roster.
10 Philip Barzilla Cards
Pitcher
 
History shows again and again how nature points out the follies of men: this lefthander who made his first and last appearance for the AStros on June 11, 2006 is one of only seven pitchers in Astro history to have exactly one Game Pitched and exactly 0 At Bats, and one of only two (with Hipolito Pichardo) to conclude his Astros career with exactly 1/3 of an inning pitched.
2 Marsalis Basey Cards Second Base 1993 in the New York Penn League
3 Corey Bass Cards Pitcher 47th Round pick in the June 2005 draft started off pretty well at Greeneville that year, going 3 - 3 with a 2.93, striking out 41 while only walking 10. Repeated at G-Ville in '06, then advanced to Lexington for 2007, where he continued to post a strong K/BB, but had a little trouble with the ERA
89 KEVIN BASS Cards
Outfield
 
 Complained when Chris Berman called him Kevin "Largemouth" Bass
10 JOHN BATEMAN Cards
Catcher
 
 Caught Nottebart's No-Hitter; Opening Day backstop 64 - 67; I'm looking for his '63 Pepsi Card
1 Ariel Batista Card Outfield Panamanian signed January 2, 1999 played in the Dominican and Venezuelan Summer Leagues, and in 2002, for Martinsville
3 Pete Bauer Cards Pitcher
Signed as a free agent on January 29, 1989, after his release by the Mets' organization. Went 4 - 1 with a 1.55 for the '90 Osceola Astros
1 Thomas Bayrer Card Pitcher
2 Bazooka Joe Cards Pop Culture Icon
Topps included a card picturing the comic character wearing an Astros T-shirt in the 2003 version of the Bazooka set. You should click to see the whole thing--it's probably the coolest novelty subject card since Bill Clinton's.
Be - Biehl
CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
4 Mike Beams Cards Outfield/3rd Base
Tenth round pick in the '86 draft, his best year was at Auburn in 1988, where he hit .282
1 Doug Bearden Card Infield
2 Jim Beauchamp Cards
Outfielder/Manager
 
 34 homers for the '64 AAA Oklahoma City squad, then '65 Opening Day at the Dome in left
1 Bo Belinsky Card
Pitcher
 
Evidently, an absolute lunatic. When a demotion to AAA Oklahoma City seemed all but inevitable, he pushed for a trade to the White Sox, whose Triple A club played in . . . Honolulu.
67 Topps # 447
6 Buddy Bell Cards
Third Base
 
Led the AL in At Bats while hitting .329 in 1979, but there was no gas left in the tank when the 'Stros picked him up in '88
228

    DEREK BELL Cards
Outfield
 
 Dierker did NOT care for him
4 Eric Bell Cards
Pitcher
 
0 - 1 with a 6.14 in 10 games for Houston in '93 kinda makes that "top lefty" award he won in the American Association two years later look superfluous
2 Antony Bello Cards Pitcher 21st Round pick in the June 2006 draft led Greeneville starters in ERA for 2006, and finished second in innings pitched for the '07 V- Cats
52 CARLO$ BELTRÁN Cards
Outfield
 
Last major deal swung by Gerry Hunsicker showed that the confluence of need shown by an underachieving major league team and the desire for opportunity exemplified by a five-tool player ready to break out can make lots of people rich
1 Julio Beltran Card Infield
Signed by the Astros out of the Mexican Center League in 1977, this Beltran played five summers for the Astros in the Forida State League and two more in the Gulf Coast complex league. A 1982 sojourn at Columbus was his only foray into the higher minors.
4 Juan Beltre Cards Pitcher
Lefty played two years in the Dominican Summer Leagues, before landing stateside in 2002 for Martinsville, and advancing to Tri-City for 2003, where Choice Sportscards called him 'Jonathan.' Most recently, 5 - 1 with a 6.12 for the '05 Salem Avs.
1 Brian Bennett Card Catcher '89 
2 Jeff Bennington Cards Catcher
The Few, the Proud, the Burlington Astros
1 Steve Benson Card Infield
Hit .275 at Tucson in '82, but his card is at Columbus in '83
6 Dave Bergman Cards
Outfield/1st Base
 
Two run triple beat the Phillies in game two of the 1980 NLCS; some success later as a Tiger
10 Sean Bergman Cards
Pitcher
 
Fifth starter gave the 'Stros some quality innings in 1998 and 1999, mostly in '98, as that's when he gained 75% of his Astro victories
BERKMAN
790

    LANCE BERKMAN Cards
Outfield
 
August 2004: The great 2000 Just Minors question is settled, in favor of "Sumo Wrestler," prompting some more serious analysis of Lance's place in Astros history vis a vis OPS

Be
CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
1 Dwight Bernard Card Pitcher
115 games with the Mets and Brewers between '78 and '82 before he landed with the Toros in '84
1 David Bernhard Card Pitcher '96 in Upper New York State
2 Dale Berra Cards
Infield
 
 Daddy doesn't like me doing coke
6 Perry Berry Cards 2nd Base Weak hitting infielder got as high as Osceola, twice
48 SEAN BERRY Cards
3rd Base
 
Only Berry & Mike Schmidt ever hit an overhead speaker at the Dome with a batted ball Became the Astros' new hitting coach on July 12, 2006.
1 Don Berti Card Catcher
12 homers and 50 RBI for Asheville in '82 were good enough to get a guy a promotion to the Florida State League for 1983
1 Jeff Bettendorf Card Pitcher
0 - 7 for the Mets' Tidewater AAA club got him a trade and a demotion (to the Astros and to AA) for 1986
2 James Betzsold Cards Outfield
Rose to Buffalo in the Indians organization (and hit .333 in the AAA World Series in 1998), before being traded to the Astros, where he played two years at New Orleans
4 Ed Beuerlein Cards Catcher Relation of Steve?
2 Terry Beyna Cards Infield
1 Buddy Biancalana Card
Shortstop
 
 This '85 World Series hero played in all of 18 games for the Houston club in '88, but Letterman loved him--had him on his show like five times--so how could I not show you his only Astro card, the '88 Score #383?
4 Rod Biehl Cards Pitcher
'91:'92:
BIGGIO
1156

    CRAIG BIGGIO Cards
Catcher/
2nd Base/
Outfield
 
 First player to collect 3000 hits in an Astros uniform, and the first player ever to have five hits in the game where he reached 3000. All-time leader among righthanders in doubles, and fifth all-time overall. Only player in baseball history with 3000 hits, 250 homers, 400 stolen bases, and 600 doubles. Second all-time in hit by pitches, and leadoff home runs. Astros all-time leader in years, games played, runs scored, doubles, hits, times on base, extra base hits, and second in stolen bases, RBI and walks.

The only thing that's left is the Cooperstown induction.

Bil - Bo
CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
20 JACK BILLINGHAM Cards
Pitcher/Coach
 
Fifteen years as pitching coach at Kissimmee, then he moved to Martinsville
4 Marvin Billingsley Cards Pitcher
Gave up 169 hits in (what else?) 169 innings at Asheville in 1993
3 George Bjorkman Cards
Catcher
 
There seems to be some confusion as to whether Mr. Bjorkman played at AA Columbus in 1982. What is not open to dispute is his five RBI performance for the Houston club July 13, 1983
5 Craig Bjornson Cards Pitcher Tucson native fell far short of pitching there
2 John Blackmore Cards Pitcher
3 Willie Blair Cards
Pitcher
 
ARRGHH! The Lofton Deal!
8 Alberto Blanco Cards Pitcher
'95 Midwest League All Star and '97 Florida State League Top Prospect
2 Romo Blanco Cards Pitcher
Aka "Romauldo": '73 at Cedar Rapids and '75 at Dubuque
7 Nate Bland Cards
Pitcher
 
Seven-year minor- and independent-league veteran was acquired in the Rule V draft from the Mets in 2002, then, in addition to throwing a few innings at New orleans, contributed at the major league level in 2003
6 Wade Blasingame Cards
Pitcher
 
Blasingame was the winner of the longest game by innings in Astro history, the 24-inning pitchingfest vs. the Mets April 15, 1968. The 'Stros beat the Mets 1 - 0 when Bob Aspromonte's groundball went through shortstop Al Weiss' legs, scoring Norm Miller.  Don Wilson had started, and Hal King caught every inning, while an ex-Astro, Gerry Grote, caught all 24 for the Mets.
2 Craig Blazek Cards Pitcher
23rd round pick in the June 2005 draft out of the University of Vermont pitched 5-2/3 innings at Tri-City before pitching 27 at Lexington that summer. Got a promotion to Lexington for 2006, and went 2 - 1 as a middle reliever, with a 3.82 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. Led the High A Salem Avalanche in Games Pitched in 2007, while posting a better-than-league-average 4.07 ERA
3 CURT BLEFARY Cards
Infield/Outfield
 
 Named in '94 to the Sporting News' All Time Carolina League Team. '67 AL Rookie of the Year for the Orioles. Partcipated in 7 double plays 5/4/69 vs Giants. None of this, though, kept him from his eventual fate on the AstroConnection All-Disappointment Team 
(you betcha)
1 Jeff Blitstein Card Pitcher 39th round draft pick gave it a whirl in '99 as a Doubleday
17 Geoff Blum Cards
3rd Base
 
 Third Baseman Acquired from the Expos when the organization threw in the towel on Chris Truby and jettisoned when Jimy Williams finally got it through his thick skull that Morgan Ensberg can hit. But the lamebrained platoon wasn't Blum's fault: Although he didn't walk enough, Blum possessed occasional power, and most of all played the game hard.
2 Seth Bobbitt Cards Pitcher aka "Katcherpeckeroff"
5 Bruce Bochy Cards
Catcher
 
Born at "Place Landes de Boussac," France, this marginal major leaguer (.338 at Covington in 1975, but .182 at Houston in 1980) would one day manage the Padres to a Divison Series victory over the 'Stros
5 Keith Bodie Cards Outfield/Manager
Played the outfield at Columbus in 1980 after having been acquired in exchange for Reggie Baldwin;
Would later manage the 1987 Asheville Tourists to a 91-48 record, and be named a coach at the 1988 Florida State League All-Star game
17 Joe Boever Cards
Relief Pitcher
 
 "Boever the Saver" in the minors tied for the NL lead in appearances in 1992
15 TIM BOGAR Cards
Shortstop
 
My girlfriend thinks he's too good-looking to be a baseball player--real good defense, too Opening Day shortstop in 2000, with the departure of Ricky Gutierrez. Plus (I mean, Bogar's gotta be one of the coolest career .228 utility players ever), he pitched in two games for the 'Stros in 2000. Unfortunately, retired a Dodger. Won an Appy League championship as manager of the 2004 Greeneville Astros.
10 Brian Bogusevic Cards Pitcher
Number One pick in the June 2005 draft had doubled as an outfielder and a lefthanded pitcher at Tulane; the Astros--with an organizational need for lefthanders--put him to work as a pitcher only that summer at Tri-City. By the end of 2006--after a second year spent at Lexington--Bogusevic had yet to separate himself from the pack as a prospect worth that $1.375 million first round signing bonus. Some say he did so in 2007, though, as he led the High A Salem Avalanche in wins, and posted a workable 91:30 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
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