Astroland K - L: The World's Most Complete Listing of Houston Astro Baseball Cards

Astroland K - L: The World's Most Complete Listing of Houston Astro Baseball Cards

David Kady Cards

NDFA hit .114 for the 2004 and 2005 Greenenville Astros in 26 games.

Keith Kaiser Cards

Acquired with Butch Henry and Terry McGriff for Bill Doran on August 31, 1990. Kaiser pitched at Osceola and Jackson in 1991, compiling a ghastly 1 - 9 record with a 10.99 ERA. Also, the first (both alphabetically and chronologically) of three in the organization with the initials "KK."

Pat Kane Card

Non-drafted free agent signed by Tim Purpura out of Villanova hit .203 at Martinsville in 1999

Chris Kann Card

Righthander shown as "Kristopher" in the 2000 Media Guide was an 11th Round draft pick in 1999 who pitched at Martinsville

EDDIE KASKO Cards

Included in the TCMA the 1960's set-- Led off Opening Day in 1964, and later managed the Red Sox.

Brad Kaufman Card

After having been released by the Yankees organization (who acquired him along with ex-Astro farmhand Jim Bruske) at the end of 1999, this 16th round pick of the Padres in '93 pitched at New Orleans in 2000 after having been invited to spring trainer as a non-roster player.

Pat Keedy Cards

1st Base/Outfield

Signed as a minor league free agent on December 16, 1987, and invited to 1988 spring training. Sent to AAA Tucson (and pictured there in all three sets), he would spend the year there before getting his last call up to the Majors with the Indians in 1989

Buster Keeton Cards

Actually shown as "Rickey" on his 1982 TCMA Tucson Toros # 13; won eight games and lost fourteen for Triple A Tucson in 1982 and '83

Frank Kellner Cards

Free agent signed out of Louisiana Tech in '89 got as high as AAA Tucson within the organization. Was both a midseason and postseason all-star for AA Jackson in '93, when he hit .301 in 121 games for the Generals

Anthony Kelley Cards

1986 Southern League All-Star was also featured in each of the three Tucson Jones Photo sets

Reid Kelly Card

33rd round pick in 2005 didn't pitch until 2006, but went 4 - 0 with a 3.66 at Rookie Greeneville that year. Much higher ERA at Lexington in 2007, but his peripherals (besides HR/9IP) were still solid

Russ Kemmerer Card

Acquired from Chicago for Dean Stone on June 22 of 1962. Kemmerer did well enough to earn his '63 Topps # 338

Bill Kelso Cards

Pitching Coach for the 1992 Auburn Astros

Jeff Kent Cards

Second Baseman

Hunsicker's biggest signing (prior to Clemens anyway) homered in his first game as an Astro, and now owns the club hit streak record at 24 games. Biggest hit, however, was probably the one that sent the 2004 NLCS back to St. Louis, a three-run homer that made a winner of Brad Lidge and a hero out of Brandon Backe.

Steve Kent Card

Former major leaguer with Tampa Bay was signed by Houston as a minor league free agent on December 20, 2005, and appeared in 27 games for the Round Rock Express, going 1 - 0 with 2 saves with a 2.43 ERA.

Charlie Kerfeld Cards

Relief Pitcher

Noted Jetsons fan

Kyle Kessel Cards

Former Texas A & M point guard received by the 'Stros in the trade that netted them Roger Cedeño and Octavio Dotel and lost them Derek Bell and Mike Hampton.

Tim Kester Cards

His 2.06 ERA for Auburn in '93 was second in the New York-Penn that year. Kester started the 1995 Midwest League All-Star Game. He finished '95 with a 12 - 5 record and a 2.97 ERA--good for eighth in the Midwest League--and got as high as AA Jackson in 1997.

Doug Ketchen Cards

Led Asheville in starts, wins and innings pitched for 1991, then went 8 - 3 with a 2.79 for the '92 Osceola Astros. Doug -- identified as "J.B. Ketchen" on his 1990 ProCards Auburn Astros # 3415 and as "Doug J.B. Ketchen" on his '90 Best Auburn Astros # 8--got as high as AA Jackson in 1993 and 1994.

Brooks Kieschnick Cards

Former NCAA Player of the Year at UT and Cubs' first round draft pick remade himself as a sort of two-way player in the first years of the new century, and after an audition at Corpus Christi, hit .304 with a 5.72 ERA for AAA Round Rock in 2005.

Darryl Kile Cards

A Darryl Kile Timeline, with links to other stuff

Eric King Cards

13th round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2005 hit .305 with a .362 OBP and very low isolated power that summer at Tri-City. A strong start to the 2006 campaign at Lexington got him the nod as a midseason All-Star, but he finished the year at .244/.309/.320. May have hit his ceiling at Salem in 2007, when he hit .200 with a .599 OPS, but should have a chance in 2008.

HAL KING Card

Opening Day backstop in '68, and catcher for each and every inning of the the longest shutout by innings in major league history.

Craig Kizer Card

1 - 2 with a 4.96 for the 1982 Auburn Astros

Klinton Klass Cards

Krazy, Kooky, Klinton Klass was the Astros' 28th round pick in the June '93 draft, and hit .204 in 35 games for that year's Auburn squad

Danny Klassen Cards

Rookie League ball in Chandler, Arizona in 1993 for Mr. Klassen, then (in order) Helena, Beloit, Stockton, El Paso, Arizona of the National League, Tucson, back up to the D-Backs, back down to Tucson, up again to Arizona, back down to Tucson, El Paso once more, the major leagues in Detroit, Toledo, and then, in 2005, what we're concerned with here, a season in Round Rock, Texas, where he hit .319 and slugged .535. After being injured all of 2006, he returned to the Express for 2007, and hit .293 in 105 games.

Phil Klimas Card

1976 Appalachian League All-Star for the last ever Covington Astro team was pictured in the 1977 Cocoa Astro set. After departing the Astro organization in 1979 after two years spent at Columbus, his greatest year was probably his last: in 1982, he led the AA Eastern League in batting average and hits, while playing for the Glens Falls White Sox.

David Klinefelter Card

Tenth round pick in the June '88 draft went 2 - 3 with a 4.42 for the Auburn Astros

Bob Knepper Cards

Astrokillah brought in from the Giants with throw-in Chris Bourjos for Enos Cabell went 93 - 100 for the Astros over nine seasons. During his best years--1981 and 1988, when he went 9 - 5 with a 2.18 and 14 - 5 with a 3.14, respecively--he was a quality number two or three starter. But Knepper also led the club in losses four times, while leading in innings pitched once. His legacy also includes a one-hitter he threw 9/21/88 vs. the Braves--and a pattern of mysoginistic statements made to the press.

Alan Knicely Cards

A Knice pair

RAY KNIGHT Cards

Received straight up for Cesar Cedeño on 12/18/81; Would make the '82 All-star team during his .294-6-70 season. Actually led the NL in hitting at the break in '83, but was not similarly honored that year. Traded to the Mets for Gerald Young, infielder Manny Lee, and pitcher Mitch Cook on August 28, 1984.

Alan Knobel Card

NDFA from Valparaiso went 2- 0 with a save for the 2005 Tri-City squad`

Randy Knorr Card

Anemic-hitting catcher spent most of his time at New Orleans in '99 and also played in the bigs with the Blue Jays

Mark Knudson Cards

1 - 7 with a 5.20 in a Houston uniform, but a winning pitcher while wearing a Brewers cap.

Ryan Kochen Cards

Team MVP for the 2001 Martinsville Astros--leading the club in average, runs, total bases, and RBI's. Hurt his shoulder April 12, 2002 while playing for Lexington, and was out for the rest of that year, but returned for 2003, and was something of a disappointment, hitting .248 for the light-hitting Legends. Given another crack with Salem in 2004, he hit .254 with 52 K's and 19 walks.

Lance Koenig Cards

Hit .275 for the 2003 Martinsville Astros in his first pro year and .270 in only 20 games for the 2004 Tri-City Valleycats in his second

Brock Koman Cards

Led the New York Penn League in doubles for 2003 with 25 for the Tri-City Valleycats, then hit the same amount for the 2004 Lexington Legends

Doug Konieczny Cards

1971 non-drafted Free Agent signed by Jim Walton would be named Southern League All-Star in 1973, when he led that league in strikeouts. Brief callups that year and the following did not go well, nor did his full-fledged shot in 1975. Still, a place in my heart, as Konieczny's was my first Astro card.

Zak Krislock Cards

Reliever at Auburn in 1992 had a 11.2 K/9IP and led the club in saves. Brought back for 1993, he split his time between Asheville and Quad City, and managed 107 K's in 110 innings.

Andrew Kroeker Cards

Only 8 at-bats for the 2005 Tri-City ValleyCats; got 54 more in 2006, homering twice with 6 RBI

Gary Kroll Card

Acquired from the Mets for Johnny Weekly and cash on 1/6/66, Kroll compiled a 3.80 ERA with no record in 1966. Optioned to Oklahoma City out of spring training in 1967, Kroll was sent to Cleveland for cash on July 27, 1967. His lone Astro artifact remains a high number.

Rusty Kryzanowski Card

Nice Irish Boy

Joe Kwolek Card

Played at Asheville in '85 and '86 and at Osceola in '86, with the partial season at Asheville in '86 yielding his career best line: .319-5-28

The same scene as at masthead two hours earlier

Dave Labossiere Cards

The Astros' Head Trainer for the past twenty years, Labosierre got four cards when he was trainer for the 80 - 83 Tucson Toros

Carlos Laboy Cards

Non-drafted free agent out of Yubocoa, Puerto Rico played four years for the Astros system between'86 and '89--and saw his average drop in each of them.

Frank Lacorte Cards

Relief Pitcher

Righthander compiled a 1 - 1 record with a 1.35 ERA in four postseason games for the'Stros--but had a habit of losing his cranium when rocked.

Mike Lacoss Cards

Relief Pitcher

One of the most unflattering photos to grace an Astros card ever?

Pete Ladd Card

The star of our 1981 TCMA Tucson Toros #19, acquired from Boston with Bobby Sprowl for Bob Watson, also appeared on the '80 Topps Rookie Stars # 678; Went 1 - 1 with a 2.92 ERA in 12-1/3 innings for the 'Stros.

Carlos Ladeuth Cards

Venezuelan League graduate was 1 - 1 with 1.58 as a reliever for the '06 Greeneville Astros, then put up a 2.42 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP for Tri-City in '07

Kenneth LaHonta Card

Hit a home run a year between 1974 and 1976: one at Covington in 1974, one at Covington in 1975, and his last at Dubuque (for whom he's pictured, of course) in 1976

Steve Lake Card

Cracked out an even 100 hits for the 1982 Tucson Toros, then went on to play 476 games in the majors for the Cubs, Cardinals, and Phillies. Went two for four in major league postseason at bats.

Mike Lamb Cards

3rd Base/
1st Base/
Left Field

Streaky utilityman was beloved by Jimy Williams, who used him--often without justifcation--in platoon with Morgan Ensberg. Despite being more suited to the infield, used in left at beginning of 2005 campaign when rookies Luke Scott and Chris Burke did not get the job done. Well worth the shaky defense in my opinion, such as when he hit the salami off Mark Prior.

Randy Lamb Card

Best year was for the team with whom he's pictured, the 1977 Cocoa Astros, when he hit .279 with 12 ribbies.

Layne Lambert Cards

Led the Auburn Astros and finished eighth in the New York-Penn League in 1990 with a .303 average. Briefly reached AA Jackson in his last pro year of 1992.

Lawrence Lamphere Cards

South Atlantic League Midseason All-Star in 1989, when, despite hitting only .223, he led the league in stolen bases with 67 and threw in 65 walks and 24 doubles.

Dave Landaker Cards

Eight of his ten cards have something to do with his status as the Astros' number two pick in the June 1992 draft. Didn't play in 1992 due to injury (?), then only got into ten games at Gulf Coast in 1993. Played decently as a 20-year old at Gulf Coast in '94, but flunked out after his .206-18-0 year at Kissimmee in 1995. Almost incontrovertibly one of the worst draft picks in Astros' history.

Rafael Landestoy Cards

2nd Base
/Shortstop

Received by the Astros with future NLCS MVP Jeff Leonard in exchange for Joe Ferguson on July 1, 1978. Landestoy's best year for the Astros was probably 1979, when he hit .270 and had a slightly better-than-League-average .338 On Base percentage. He scored the winning run in Game Three of the 1980 NLCS, then drove in the first run in the eighth inning of the fifth game. Landestoy was traded to the Reds for Harry Spilman on June 8, 1981. He returned to the organization in 1985, when he played a year for AAA Tucson. Click to see his nine cards.

Jim Landis Cards

Defensive specialist playing his last season in Houston in 1967 made 50 putouts in 50 games with no errors, but only had a moderate Range Factor of 1.27

Ira Lane Cards

Hit .093 for the '82 Daytona Beach Astros

JASON LANE Cards

After years of having opportunities dangled in front of him, only to be pulled away, the early going of 2005 seemed as if Lane were finally emerging as the OPS monster we knew lurked within. 2006, despite an increase in plate discipline, changed our minds about this, though, and Lane was traded to San Diego for cash towards the end of 2007.
Pity, really.

Kevin Lane Cards

Relief Pitcher

Most remarkable line's gotta be his 3 - 10 record to go with the 2.69 ERA for the '93 Osceola Astros

Raphael Lanfranco Cards

Three of his four cards call him "Raphael" with a ph, rather than "Rafael," with an f, so I'm going with that. Got as high as Burlington in 1992, where he hit his one professional homer.

Gregg Langbehn Cards

Manager/Coach

Came into the Astros system in '99 as Pitching Coach with Auburn, graduated to Lexington, managed at Tri-City for three years, and is currently managing at Lexington. His 2004 and 2006 teams at Tri-City both won the Stedler division and advanced to the New York-Penn League finals, but each fell short, and finished as league runners up.

Allen Langdon Card

Tenth round pick in the June 2005 draft played only 11 games for the 2005 Greeneville Astros due to injury. Repeating at Greeneville in 2006, he finished fourth on the club with a .343 OBP. Released in June 2007

Clarke Lange Card

Hit .217 with three homers and 24 RBI for the 1985 Osceola Astros

Hal Lanier Cards

1986 National League Manager of the Year, and was JR Richard's final strikeout victim in that fireballer's first major-league start.

Cory Lapinski Cards

Lefthander was an 11th round pick in the 2005 June draft and walked 38 in 33 innings for Tri-City that year. Showed improvement at Tri-City in 2006, striking out 45 and walking 29 in 37-1/3 innings with a 2.41 ERA, but was released in March of 2007

Norm Larker Cards

First Base/Outfield

In his only year with the club, Larker led the 1962 Colt .45's in walks, doubles, and OBP. Cardwise, Larker's is the only '62 Bazooka I've got

Steve Larose Cards

Pitched for the Jackson Mets in 1990, then the Jackson Generals in 1991, after coming to the Houston organization in a trade that also acquired Nick Davis in exchange for Dan Schatzeder.

Don Larsen Cards

Sure the World Series perfecto, but also owner of three other World Series victories. 4 - 8 with a 2.40 in 108-2/3 innings for (mostly) the '64 Colts.

Dan Larson Cards

Pitcher received with another for Claude Osteen had a deceptive 5 - 8 record in 1976, and a very informative 1 - 7 record in '77

Kirk Larson Cards

28th round pick in the June '91 draft hit a buck-sixty at Auburn in 1992

Ryan Larson Card

38th Round Pick of the Astros in 2002 played at both Martinsville and Tri-City that year, hitting a homer with 17 RBI before his eventual release. He extended his professional career somewhat with two years in the independent Frontier League

Larry Lasky Cards

First took a job with the Astros organization at Sarasota in 1978, and was still working at Osceola County Stadium in 1996.

Jason Latham Card

Free Agent pick pitched at Martinsville in 1999

Barry Latman Cards

According to JewsInSports.org, Latman felt strongly enough about his Jewish heritage and religion, that he honeymooned in Israel. Latman went 13-5 (including nine straight victories) in 1961 for the Indians, and made the All-Star team. He joined the Houston Astros in 1966, and the website notes that Latman had three Jewish teammates on that team: Norm Miller, Larry Sherry, and Bo Belinsky. Though that's kind of a misleading statement: I can't really imagine a devout guy like Latman having much to say to certified whacko Belinsky. But anyway. . . .Latman retired after the 1967 season, finishing 20-16 lifetime, with 16 saves. He was 5 - 13 with one save as a 'Stro.

Andy Launier Card

2006 49th round pick from Sierra College in California was signed for 6th - 9th round money as a Draft and Follow, then made his debut at Greeneville in '07. He there put up a better-than-league average slugging percentage, and was named Greeneville Offensive and Defensive Player of the Month for June.

George Lauzerique Cards

The Cuban-born Lauzerique reached the majors at the age of 19 with the Athletics, but was playing in Mexico by his 25th birthday. After two years out of baseball, returned to give it a whirl with the 1975 and 1976 Dubuque Packers squads, for whom he got a couple cards, and coached a year.

Scott Lawler Card

Played in the Cape Cod League before being picked as a free agent and assigned to Auburn in 1997, but went no further.

Carlos Lazu Card

Pitched in 13 games, finishing 8, for the 2007 Greeneville Astros

Le

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
2 Ramon Leader Cards Outfield

Played on the last ever Covington Astro team, and finished with the 1978 Daytona Beach Astros

3 Del Leatherwood Cards Pitcher

Got as high as Tucson in 1980 and '81, but his best year was for the 1979 Columbus Astros, for whom he was 15 - 11 with a 3.07. There does seem to be some doubt about the spelling of his name--each of his three cards shows a different version--but Pat Doyle has it as shown here.
1 Luis Ledesma Card Outfield

After hitting .317 in 1998 for the Dominican Summer League Astros, they brought him to the States and Martinsville for 1999. After he hit in .183 in 26 games, they musta sent him back. . .
79 CARLOS LEE Cards

Left Field

100-Million dollar free agent outfielder was Houston team MVP in his first year of 2007, and became fifth player in team history to post a .300-30-100 season. Much better defensively than you'd expexct from a fat man, too!
1 Chris Lee Card Pitcher

After going 5 - 2 with a Gulf Coast League-leading 1.15 for Sarasota in '87, Lee advanced to Asheville for'88
1 David Lee Card Pitcher

Major leaguer with the Rockies, Padres, and Indians was 1 - 1 with a 4.35 in 31 innings for the 2006 Round Rock Express
2