Astroland M: The World's Most Complete Listing of Houston Astro Baseball Cards

ASTROLAND

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

Don't bet the farm on a WHIFF KING

Look out for those implicated in the use of PED's

One in a Hundred get to join The One Hundred Club:

Ma

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
1 Brandon Macchi Card Outfielder
34th Round Pick in the June 2001 draft
4 Jim MacDonald Cards Pitcher
Led the 1978 Daytona Beach Astros, the 1980 Columbus Astros, and the 1981 Tucson Toros in Wins. And for 1980, anyway, leading the Columbus Astros was also good enough to lead the entire Southern League

1 James MacDonald Card Pitcher
18th round pick in June '09 out of Boston College began his pro career at Tri City. Named an NYPL midseason All-Star, MacDonald led the V-Cats in saves and games finished
6 Jeff Mackor Cards Catcher

High A Salem's Defensive Player of the Month for August 2004 had his best offensive year in 2006, hitting .272 with a .711 OPS. Mackor also caught Roger Clemens on June 6, 2006, taking a special one-game demotion from Salem to Lexington so that he could play the part of the Rocket's backstop as he readied himself for his last season with the Astros. Mackor was then promoted to Corpus in 2007, but only played 26 games, and only hit .219.
1 Scott MacRae Card Pitcher

Reached the Majors with Cincinnati in 2001, and went 3 - 3 with a save for the 2005 Corpus Christi Hooks
11 Mike Madden Cards

Pitcher

Had the second-lowest ERA among starters (after Ryan) for the '83 'Stros--and then had the highest ERA of all pitchers for the '84 squad
1 Garry Maddox Card Outfield
Hit .351 in only 25 games for the 1998 Jackson Generals
2 Mike Maddux Cards

Pitcher

Hired by the 'Stros as a AA pitching coach the same year his brother Greg won his 257th game and had an ERA under 3.10 for the tenth straight year

2 Victor Madrigal Cards Pitcher

Struck out 85 in 87.1 innings for the 1993 Asheville Tourists
8 Lance Madsen Cards Infield

Hit three home runs in a single game while playing for the Auburn Astros 8/28/1989, then the following year, led the Osceola Astros in triples with eleven. Oddest year, however, may have been 1993, when he paced the Jackson Generals in home runs with 23, and finished second in RBI, while hitting only .221
10 DAVE MAGADAN Cards

3rd Base
Opening Day third baseman in '95 ended up in platoon situation, and hit .329 that year against righties
3 Mike Magnante Cards

Pitcher

Became one of only 35 to strike out the side on nine pitches in a major league game (joining fellow Astros Pete Harnisch and Bob Bruce) on August 22, 1997. He did it in the ninth inning of a 9 - 1 win vs. the Colorado Rockies in relief of winner Darryl Kile
12 Scott Makarewicz Cards Catcher/Coach
1990 Florida State League All Star actually had a better year in '92 for Jackson, when he hit .287 with 15 doubles and 7 homers for the Generals--but instead the Texas League All Star nod went to teammate Tony Eusebio. Later traded by the Marlins with Jay Powell for Ramon Castro

2 Carlos Maldonado Cards Catcher
Acquired in trade for Carlos Hernandez the 2nd Baseman on March 21, 2000, Maldonado hit .270 with 24 doubles for the debut-edition Round Rock Express.
5 Esteban Maldonado Cards Pitcher

Led the 1997 Quad City River Bandits in saves with 9, and pitched three years for the Kissimmee Cobras.
24 Rob Mallicoat Cards

Pitcher

A savage arm injury ruined what could have been an outstanding major league career. I mean, folks were saying he could've gotten guys out in the majors when he was still pitching at single A
4 Chris Maloney Cards Manager
New Orleans manager from 2002 - 2004 and AAA All Star game coach in 2004 is also the son of Jackson General/Round Rock Express magnate Con Maloney--whose parking space I saw at Jackson one year

1 Mark Mangham Card Pitcher
Righthander from Shreveport, LA went 3 - 1 with a 3.91 for the 1985 Florida State League Central Division champion Osceola Astros
4 Jim Mann Cards

Pitcher

0 - 3 with a 4.15 but 22 saves for the '02 Zephyrs got him a trip to Oklahoma City for the AAA All-Star game and a callup to Houston on July 28. Sent back down on August 18, he was placed on waivers and lost October 10.
3 Jay Mansavage Cards 2nd Base
11th Round pick in June '96 did not play much after hitting .169 in his professional debut for that year's Auburn Doubledays
7 Monte Mansfield Cards Pitcher

Led the 2000 Martinsville Astros with a 2.22 ERA and 15 games finished; went 9 - 3 with a 3.20 ERA and 9 saves for what appears to have been the 2004 Salem Avalanche bullpen by committee, and has since been a solid middle reliever for the first two Corpus Christi Hook squads.
2 Felix Mantilla Cards

Infield/Outfield

1965 All Star for the Red Sox was second to Ashburn among regulars on the 1962 Mets in average. Hit .219 for the '66 Astros to cap his career
6 Kirt Manwaring Cards

Catcher

Defensive specialist was picked up for the remainder of 1996 on July 27 for Rick Wilkins and cash and hit .220 in 37 games
1 Marc Manwarren Card Outfield

In his only year in the Astros organization, tied for the club lead in steals with the 1996 Kissimmee Cobras
17 Tommy Manzella Cards Pitcher

Third round pick in the June 2005 draft was named the system's best defensive infielder and best infield arm by Baseball America prior to the '06 season. After a disappointing offensive season at Tri-City in '05, Manzella posted average numbers at Lexington in '06. In 2007, he posted disappointing numbers at Salem, but got a promotion to AA Corpus anyway and did well there. Began '08 At Corpus and hit .299 with a .724 OPS through 54 games before receiving a promotion to AAA Round Rock, where he hit .219. Won two Defensive Player of the Month awards for Round Rock in '09, and led the team in doubles and total bases, before being named team MVP
2 Scott Markley Cards Outfield
Markley hit .315 while leading the club in runs with 113 and hits with 147 for the 1986 1st and 2nd Half SAL Northern Division champions Asheville Tourists

1 Roger Marrero Card Pitcher
Went 1 -3 with a 6.35 for the 1989 Auburn Astros while also appearing in one game for Osceola that year
3 Roy Marsh Cards Outfield
# 10 pick in the June 1994 draft hit .257 for Auburn that year while walking 49 times in 55 games--but only hit .216 the following year at Kissimmee, and thereupon went the independent league route
1 Violenny Marte Card Pitcher
Dominican summer league veteran was 0 - 2 with a 5.06 for Martinsville in 2003
10 Tom Martin Cards

Relief Pitcher

Provided excellent relief work in 55 games for the 1997 NL Central division champions, going 5 - 3 with a 2.09 and a couple saves. Threw in 20 games for the '05 Round Rock Express.
1 David Martinez Card Pitcher
Three-year veteran of the Venezuelan Summer League played at Greeneville Tennessee in 2009, and was 1 - 4 with a 4.50
1 Eduardo Martinez Card Pitcher
Venezuelan Summer League product went 1 - 1 with a 3.08 for the 2000 Martinsville Astros

3 Eric Martinez Cards Infield

1991 New York-Penn League postseason All Star at DH won his club's triple crown, pacing the Auburn Astros in average at .320, in RBI with 58, and in homers with 9. Mysteriously did not progress, however, and was out of the system after 1992
2 Ernest Martinez Cards Infield
University of Central Florida graduate signed as a free agent could not cut the mustard at Auburn in 1992, hitting .219
1 JD Martinez Card Rightfielder
20th round pick in 2009 out of Nova Southeastern University not too far from the Astroman hit .403 with 5 homers in 19 games at Greeneville before getting a promotion to Tri-City, where he hit .326 with 7 in 53.
2 Louie Martinez Cards Infield
Juan Luis evidently preferred "Louie" and went 2 - 2 with a 6.75 for the '91 Auburn Astros
5 Marty Martinez Cards

Catcher/Infield

Infielder acquired from the Braves in exchange for Bob Aspromonte hit .308 in 78 games for the 1969 team that fell just a little short of winning the first NL West division title. Tailed off from there, though, and was traded to the Cardinals in November of '71 for future Replacements guitarist Bob Stinson
3 Pedro A Martinez Cards

Pitcher

The slightly maladjusted, perennial Cy Young candidate would be Pedro J Martinez; this Pedro Martinez was acquired in the megadeal that sent Caminiti, Cedeño, Finley, Petagine, Brian Williams, and Sean Fesh to the Padres for Gutierrez, Bell, Brocail, Plantier, and Shipley. Hardly worth the trouble, really: had no record in 20-2/3 innings with a 7.40 ERA for the 1995 squad and moved on for 1996
5 Ronnie Martinez Cards Pitcher
Led the DSL in ERA for 2002; 6 - 4 with a 2.39 for Martinsville in '03, and led the T-City Valley Cats in strikeouts for 2004. Went 11 - 2 with the '04 ValleyCats, and was named New York Penn League MVP. In '05, he co-led the SAL in wins while pitching for Lexington. Pitched at three levels in 2006, reaching AA Corpus Christi, but struggled once he got there. Pitched only at Corpus in '07, but the ERA was high

1 Randy Martz Card Pitcher
Righty was 17 - 19 in the majors and spent his last professional year with the '85 Tucson Toros
1 Larry Mason Card Pitcher

1963 signee spent five years in the Astros' chain, having his best year at Salisbury in 1965, when he was 6 - 2 with a 1.83. Played another three years in Mexico and was rediscovered by TCMA in 1981
3 Roger Mason Cards

Pitcher

Pitched 1-1/3 innings for the 1989 'Stros with a 20.25 ERA, but was 7 - 12 with a 3.54 for that year's Tucson Toros. Would end up throwing over 400 innings in the majors for seven different teams
16 John Massarelli Cards Catcher/Outfield/
Coach/Manager
8th Round Pick in 1987 hit .276 in 1917 at bats in the Astros minor league system, was a 1988 postseason All-Star in the New York-Penn League, and played in the 1990 midseason Florida State League All Star game. Finished his playing career in Taiwan before returning to the Astros to coach, and ultimately manage, at Michigan, Auburn, and Salem

3 Chuck Mathews Cards Pitcher
Went 32 - 16 in the first three years of his career (7 - 3 at Auburn in 1983, 13 - 7 at Daytona Beach in 1984and 12 - 6 at Osceola in 1985), with good ERA's, then had a 5 - 6 record with a 6.01 at Columbus in '86, and was thereafter out of baseball.
6 ED MATHEWS Cards

3rd Base

Last hurrah for the 'Stros in 67, and hit .238 in 101 games before being moved on to his final resting place in Detroit in a deal that saw a return of Fred Gladding
1 Terry Mathews Cards Pitcher
6 - 5 with a 3.67 for the 1993 Jackson Generals, before moving on to the Marlins and their Edmonton affiliate

2 TJ Mathews Cards

Pitcher

Oakland and St. Louis thought he might end up being their closer; Houston in 2002 would've been satisfied with anything more than the 18-2/3 innings he gave them before breaking down
11 Ron Mathis Cards

Pitcher

Led the 1983 PCL in shutouts while pitching eight complete games over 182 innings. Named the fifth starter in Houston at the end of'85 spring training, he went 3 - 5 in 23 games before being sent back down to Tucson. Spent '86 entirely at AAA and most of '87, too, going 10 - 7 to earn a 12-inning, 0- 1 callup to the dome at the end of the year.

19 David Matranga Cards

Infield

2001 Texas League and AA All-Star got his first callup to Houston in 2003, and homered in his first major league at bat, on June 27 of that year.

46 Kazuo Matsui Cards

2nd Baseman

One of the first signings in the Ed Wade era began 2008 on the DL but made an impact once he got going, with a game that included patient approach, skillful bunting and defense that certainly looked better than his NL position-high error total might have suggested. Then came a second DL stint . . . .
12 Jason Maule Cards 2nd Base
Average years in his debut at Auburn in 1999, and his followup at Michigan in 2000, but had a monster breakout in 2001 for the BattleCats, when he led the Midwest League in runs and OBP, and was second in average, while also stealing 56. After hitting .263 at Round Rock for 2002, was lost to the Yankees in the AAA phase of the 2002 Rule V draft

13 DERRICK MAY Cards

Outfield

1996 Opening-Day rightfielder was author of fifth Pinch Hit Grand Slam in team history 9/5/95 vs. the Reds at the Dome
9 LEE MAY Cards

1st Base

81 homers in three years and '72 NL All-Star, but only John Bateman in team history had more at bats with a higher strikeout-to-on-base ratio. That would make him also a:

8 MILT MAY Cards

Catcher

Acquired from the Pirates for Jerry Reuss after the 1973 season, May hung around long enough to drive Bob Watson in for baseball's reputed millionth run, then was dealt to the Tigers with Dave A Roberts and Jim Crawford for nobodies like Terry Humphrey, Mark Lemongello, Gene Pentz, and Leon Roberts. Milt May was also with the 'Stros long enough to be confused with Lee May on the 1975 Hostess issue

2 Johan Maya Cards Infield
Hit .239 in his stateside debut at Martinsville in 1999, was brought back for 2000 at Michigan and hit .206
1 John Mayberry Card

1st Base

Another soon-to-be-great player traded away by the incredibly dense Spec Richardson: Mayberry hit .300 in minor league stops at Greensboro in 1968, at Cocoa the same year, at Oklahoma City in 1969, and at Oklahoma City again in 1971. He was all of 22 years old at that point, and had already totalled 75 professional home runs. Nevertheless, on December 2, 1971, Spec traded Mayberry and Dave Grangaard to Kansas City for Pitchers Lance Clemons and Jim York. Clemons never appeared in even a minor league game for Houston, getting shuttled to St. Louis with Scipio Spinks for Jerry Reuss in April of 1972, and York went 9 - 11 in middle relief through 1975, with a 4.15. Mayberry, on the other hand, immediately went nuts for the '72 Royals, hitting .298 with 25 homers and 100 RBI's. Mayberry, who could always take a walk, unlike the first baseman who ended up playing in Houston after Mayberry's departure, would go on to lead the AL in OBP for 1973, be a two-time AL All-Star and finish in the top 10 of AL MVP voting twice more. Richardson, in the wake of this and the-even-more -disastrous Morgan trade would of course be replaced by Tal Smith as GM after the 1975 season, the worst in team history.

3 LEE MAYE Cards

Outfield

Acquired early in '65 from the Milwaukee Braves in a deal that sent away Ken Johnson and Jim Beauchamp, Maye would lead off on Opening Day of 1966, and hit .288 that year in 115 games, the highest average among regulars. His career as an R & B singer is discussed here, at www.group-harmony.com, and you may view his 1966 Topps # 162 by clicking this
1 Cesar Mayora Card Pitcher
Righthander was 2 - 3 with a 4.54 for the '05 Greeneville Astros then pitched at Greeneville again and at Tri-City in 2006

15 Edwin Maysonet Cards

Shortstop

19th Round Pick hit .275 in his debut for the 2003 Tri-City Valleycats. The following year at Lexington, he led all Astros--minor or major league--in triples with 10. By 2007, he had reached AA Corpus, and had acquired a nice reputation as a plus fielder. Round Rock's starting shortstop for 2008, and hit .271. Got 7 ABs in a September callup, getting his lone hit September 17, in a 14 - 2 loss to Florida. Maysonet performed better by far in Houston than in Round Rock for 2009, seeing a couple weeks of decent playing time for Houston when Kazuo Matsui was placed on the DL with a bad hamstring in late May

Mc

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
1 Josh McAfee Card Catcher
Acquired straight up for Brian Dallimore from the D-Backs in April, 2000, McAfee hit .155 for the Kissimmee Cobras that year, backing up Brandon Buckley and Scott Chapman

1 Steve McAllister Card Shortstop

1981 Gulf Coast League All-Star for the Astros Orange squad hit .273 that year, .248 the nest at Asheville, and .197 at Daytona in 1983, then was released
2 Jason McCarter Cards Pitcher
Best season was his last one in the Astros' organization, as in 1998, he threw 70 innings and notched four saves for the Quad City River Bandits
2 Tim McClaskey Card Pitcher
June 2003 free agent signing finished the year and came back for 2004, eventually pitching in 49 games for the Express, winning 12 and losing 13. Pitched in the organization again in 2005, and finished first in WHIP and second in innings pitched for AA Corpus Christi
4 Todd McClure Cards Pitcher
1988 Florida State League All-Star was traded to the Minnesota Twins on December 4, 1988 for Mark Portugal. Portugal would win 52 games for the big league Astros, and McClure would be out of baseball by 1990.
1 Tom McCraw Card

Coach

Having seen the rotund and nearly immobile McCraw on the bench, you'd probably be surprised to hear that a young McCraw finished second in the American League in triples and tenth in stolen bases for the 1968 season as a member of the Chicago White Sox. As hitting coach for the late 90's Astros, became something of a tutor to Derek Bell after Derek had faded
1 Justin McCray Card Infield
Hit .287 in 61 games for the '90 Asheville Tourists, but only walked 7 times and homered twice

3 Jim McCutcheon Cards Pitcher
Not sure why the man has a Quad City card, as it appears that all McCutcheon did in 1993--his last year in baseball--was go 1 - 2 in 16 games with a 7.30 for Asheville, and Asheville only

2 Denny McDaniel Card Pitcher

Lefthander pitched a year in the independent Northwestern League before getting another chance in the 2003 Carolina League. Signed by Salem, he went 5 - 1 to earn a shot with Round Rock in 2004. The Austin native responded with a 4 - 3, 3.36 season for his hometown Express
1 Von McDaniel Card Infield
A phenom for the 1957 Cardinals--One month out of high school, he 2-hit the 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers in his first major league start--McDaniel saw his pitching career derailed by a sore shoulder (and an infinite ERA for the 1958 Houston Buffaloes). Switching to the infield for the 1959 season, McDaniel then played three years for the Oklahoma City '89ers between 1962 and 1964, hitting .247, .215, and .195, respectively, before his release.

1 Jim McDonald Card Infield
Not to be confused with Jim MacDonald, the 1980 Southern League wins leader, this McDonald hit .286 with 5 homers and 41 RBI's for the '82 Tucson Toros and .270 with 2 and 21 for the same-year edition Columbus Astros
4 Mike McDowell Cards Pitcher
53rd Round Draft Pick in 1989 out of Eastern Washington bucked the odds for a couple years, getting as high as Burlington in 1991
1 Joe McEwing Card

Infield

"Super Joe" was purchased from Kansas City on the eve of the 2006 season, then spent most of the year at Round Rock, and was named Express MVP after the season
2 Leon McFadden Card

Shortstop

"[McFadden had] grown up in Los Angeles in a mixed neighborhood and never had a single racial encounter until he was a baseball player in Georgia
[probably as a member of the 1964 Durham Bulls]. The team bus stopped at a restaurant and all the players piled in. The man behind the counter asked McFadden if he'd like to come back and eat in the kitchen.
'I really didn't think anything about it at first,' McFadden said. 'I thought maybe they had another room in the back, someplace more comfortable. It just didn't register. So I said "No thanks. I'll sit here."'
He was soon enlightened by the manager [Billy Goodman or Walt Matthews?].
'I was angry. I had a package of crackers in my hand and I just threw them down, walked out and sat in the bus.' After a while his teammates came out bringing him food, and he got angry at them for that. 'I realized later that they were just trying to be nice to me. But when that kind of thing happens, you don't think straight. I was so hurt and so angry I could feel the tears in my eyes. I didn't know whether to cry or punch somebody.'"
--Jim Bouton, Ball Four
Astroman in [white brackets]
2 Chris McFerrin Cards Pitcher
The 1997 Media Guide says:
Had a hand in 24 of Auburn's 37 victories in 1996 as he was 4 - 2 with 20 saves in 33 games. He tied for first in saves in the New York-Penn League while his appearances tied him for second.

1 Randy McGarvey, Jr. Card Catcher
.238 at Tri-City in 2003
1 Clint McGill Card Catcher
Signed as an NDFA at the age of 23 in February of 2005, and made his professional debut with single A Lexington that April--probably an interesting story in there somewhere.
6 Brian McGlone Cards Shortstop
52nd Round selection in the June 1990 draft played three years in the early '90's, hitting both his homers at Auburn in 1991

1 Robbie McGorkle Card Catcher
Being a kid musta been tough with a last name like Robbie's
1 Ryan McGrath Card Catcher
No relation to Campbell, we believe
1 Doug McGraw Card Pitcher
December 1993 Rule V pick up from the White Sox organization pitched in '94 for Osceola, and was mistakenly given the back of Jimmy Lewis' 1994 card by the people at Classic.
2 Terry McGriff Cards

Catcher

Primary catcher at Tuscon in 1991 who had five at bats for the big club in 1990, and also happens to be Gary Sheffield's godfather
1 Joe McIntosh Card Pitcher

Ambidextrous pitcher traded with Larry Hardy--in Tal Smith's fourth move after taking over for the axed Spec Richardson--in December of 1975 for Doug Rader never pitched for the big club, and wouldn't even pitch in the minors for them until 1979, for Gulf Coast
1 Larry McIver Card Outfield
A member of the 1981 Astros Orange Gulf Coast entry, and the 1982 Auburn Astros
3 Mickey McKee Cards Infield
Possessor of an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Tulane, and another member of that 2001 Lexington Legends squad that may have been the most dominant minor league team in franchise history
2 Ron McKee Cards GM
SAL Executive of the Year in both '84 and '90 had his snivelling kid put in the '89 Asheville ProCards set

9 Ryan McKeller Cards Pitcher
Had a predeliction for giving up the long ball at Martinsville in 2003, with 4 in 37-2/3 innings, but otherwise had a fine 3 - 0, 3.58 campaign. Led the 2004 Tri-City ValleyCats in earned runs and was second in innings pitched. Despite 4.00 ERA's at two stops in 2005, was still considered to have a bright future by those in the organization, as he was invited to the Ryan camp prior to the 2006 season. Finished 24 games for the '07 Salem Avalanche, while compiling a praiseworthy 2.84 ERA. 4 - 6 with a 5.89 at AA Corpus in 2008. Split '09 between AAA Round Rock and Corpus, striking out 78 while walking 25 in 81-1/3 IP
1 Jim McKnight Card Pitcher
Hit .295 with 32 RBI for the 1981 Florida State League Champion Daytona Beach Astros
17 Tony McKnight Cards

Pitcher

1995 Number One Pick and team leader in ERA for the 1999 Jackson Generals was moved out by the Hun at the trade deadline in 2001 for what turned out to be a remarkably mediocre Mike Williams. McKnight left behind a 5 - 1 career record with a 3.91 ERA for the Astros, which included a four-hit complete game shutout vs. his future Bucs teammates, pitched September 27, 2000.

Also, you should check out this Top Prospect card, perhaps the only one in my collection that doesn't even have a picture of the player it represents
3 Bo McLaughlin Cards

Pitcher

Number One pick in the June '75 draft--while also spending time at AAA Memphis and Charleston--went 9 - 15 with a 3.90 over four years and 203.1 innings with the big club. Possessor of two 1 - 0 complete game shutouts for the 'Stros (one over ten innings), McLaughlin was traded to the Braves in May of 1979 for reliever Frank LaCorte
1 John McLaren Card Coach/Catcher

Beginning in 1970, spent seven years in the Astros' minor league system, at Covington, Columbus, Sumter, Cocoa, Iowa, Dubuque, and Memphis. But although he played and scored a run in game three of the triple header, his biggest regret may be that he didn't catch Eleno Cuen's no-hitter for his 1972 Cocoa Astros
1 Tio McLean Card Pitcher
Pitched in 10 games for Greeneville and Gulf Coast in 2009
2 MARK MCLEMORE Cards

2nd Base

Opening Day Starter in 1991 didn't learn to hit 'til after he left Houston; he's a lifetime .259 hitter with a .349 career OBP, but managed no better than .148 with a .221 before his July release that year
41 Mark McLemore Cards

Pitcher

Fourth round pick in the 2002 draft got knocked around at Tri-City that year, and at Lexington the next, although the lefty DID average better than a strikeout an inning for the Legends in 2003. 2004 saw him post a 7 - 7 record with Salem to go with a 3.66 ERA, both by far career bests. After an injury in 2006, he finally ascended to Houston in 2007, where he showed flashes of solidity, despite struggling mightily against lefthanders. Spent all of '08 on the DL at Round Rock
3 Don McMahon Cards

Pitcher

Durable right handed reliever would pitch 1310 innings before he was through, and pitch for seven teams, but only the 1963 Houston Colt .45's ever allowed McMahon to start a game. Actually, they allowed him to start two for them, and he lost both. But was 6 - 8 otherwise over most of two season with the Colts, and had a 2.81 ERA in 100 games

3 Craig McMurtry Cards

Pitcher

1994 AAA All-Star would break picket lines during the 1994-95 strike--McLane is on record as saying that McMurtry would have been the team's 1995 Opening Day Starter had the strike not ended--then pitch in 11 games for the big club the following year. Which made his teammates about as happy as you might think. . . .
18 Buck McNabb Cards Outfield
1991 Second Round Draft Pick and '92 Midwest League All-Star was perhaps the best minor league player from the early to mid nineties farm system never to get a big-league at bat

2 Patrick McNair Cards Pitcher
43rd Round Pick in the 2001 draft had five saves over 70 innings for the 2002 Lexington club
29 Aaron McNeal Cards 1st Base

Next Big Thing--who led the 1999 Midwest League in homers and was named both the league and the BattleCats' MVP--became trade bait after a wrist injury sustained while with Round Rock in 2000 dampened his power stroke. The player McNeal was traded for--Shortstop Cristian Berroa--hit .325 in his one year for the BattleCats in 2001, didn't get a minor league card for some reason, and was lost to the Rockies in the 2001 Rule V draft.

Me

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
1 Rusty Meacham Card Pitcher
10 - 4 with 2.74 ERA with the Kansas City Royals in '92; 4 - 3 with a 2.20 for the 2000 New Orleans Zephyrs

1 Geoff Meadows Card Pitcher
Shown as Jeff on his 1982 TCMA Auburn Astros #7, although the Doyle database shows "Geoff." Anyway, 0 - 2 with a 9.50 for the 1981 Astros Blue Gulf Coast squad, and 2 - 5 with a 5.49 for the team with whom he makes his card appearance.
19 Louie Meadows Cards

Outfield

Make no mistake: he's no Mike Fischlin. But Meadows, after hitting .300 in the minors three times, remains one of only 18 non-pitchers with over 100 major-league at-bats for Houston to finish with an average under .200

26 Dave Meads Cards

Pitcher

The organization isn't showing a great deal of faith in you when they lend you out to an independent club for your second professional year--as the Astros did with Meads in 1985, when they let him pitch the South Atlantic League season with the unaffiliated Gastonia Jets. But Meads struck out 130 while walking only 30 in 146 innings for Gastonia, and the Astros made
  sure not to lend him out
for 1986. And a 4 - 3 record
   with the '86 Asheville
Tourists got him to AA Columbus by the end of the Southern League campaign. Meads made his major league debut April 13 of the following year, and got his first win ten days later, when, relieving Danny Darwin with an Atlanta Brave on second with two outs in the top of the seventh, he struck out Ken Griffey on three pitches. Meads was done for the day, but the Astros rallied in the bottom frame, and he had the W.
1 Tim Meckes Card Pitcher
23 - 29 over four years in the Astros organization, spending two years as high as AA Columbus
1 Tomas Medina Card Pitcher
"Tomas also enjoys soccer, music, and pizza," says the back of his 1997 Auburn card. I guess they were stumped for better material, as the ERA's--in the DSL, in the GCL, in the FSL, and in the New York-Penn--were very high.
1 Val Medina Card Infield
Hit .383 with 28 driven in for the 1981 FSL champion Daytona Beach Astros, earning a promotion to Columbus, where he drove in another 28, but hit only .273
1 Chris Medrano Card Coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 2009 Greeneville Astros
2 Jhonny Medrano Cards 3rd Baseman
Pictured on a card for the 2008 Greenville Astros, although he did not play. Hit .213 at Tri-City in 2009
2 Danny Meier Cards Outfield
24th round pick in the June 2008 played four positions, and DHed, for the Tri-City ValleyCats before his June 2009 release
1 Marlon Mejia Card Infield

13th Round Pick in 1995 out of Westchester Community College hit .208 with a homer for the 1996 Auburn Doubedays
3 ROMAN MEJIAS Cards Outfield
Until Jeff Bagwell connected twice on the first day of the season, 2003, Mejias had been the only player to homer twice on Opening Day for the Houston National League club, doing it in the Colt .45's inaugural game on Aril 10, 1962. Mejias was easily the greatest offensive force for the first year club, but would be traded to Boston in November of '62 for two-time AL batting champ and big-time disappointment Pete Runnels.

2 Diego Melendez Cards Pitcher
0 - 12 with a 5.82 for the 1977 Cocoa Astros -- but pitched for three more years, two of them at High A. Not much success, though
6 German Melendez Cards Catcher/Pitcher

02 Appalachian League Top Prospect, when he hit .291 with 21 RBI's in 38 games but only 1 homer and 6 doubles. After two years of declining production, made the switch to pitcher, and was 7 - 0 with a 2.86 as a reliever for Tri-City in 2005. Continued to do well in '06, and reached High A Salem that year as a 25-year old.
6 - 5 with a predeliction for the longball in '07 for Corpus Christi. Released in May of '08.
2 William Melendez Cards Catcher
Shown as "Luis" on his '73 Cedar Rapids card, and "William" on his '76 Dubuque--but signed the '73 card "Bill"--which is how Pat Doyle shows him. Caught for 7 years in the Astros organization for eight teams, enjoying perhaps his best year for the '74 Columbus Astros, when he hit .221 with a couple homers and 31 RBI

40 Mitch Meluskey Cards

Catcher

Lack of class he showed when departing to Detroit via trade was matched only by the break he caught when he was re-signed by the club he'd dissed so mercilessly.
1 Roberto Mena Card Infield
Minor league free agent who had been drafted by the Mariners and let go after one Short A season played one season for the Astros, as well, at Lexington, and at Salem, in 2008.
1 Darryl Menard Card Pitcher
Righthander was 3 - 2 with a 2.47 in 29 games for the '86 Osceola Astros in his only year in the Astros' chain
2 Donaldo Mendez Cards Infield
Venezuela native led the 2000 Astros farm system in stolen bases with the 39 he swiped for the 2K version Michigan BattleCats
1 Valentin Mendez Cards 2nd Base
2001 Dominican Summer League MVP came stateside for Martinsville in '02

4 Michael Mendoza Cards

Pitcher

Owner of 37 wins within the organization between 1973 and 1980, Mendoza pitched his one scoreless, perfect, major league inning on September 26, 1979, finishing the game for the Astros that both Niekro brothers had started. Phil won his 20th; Joe lost his 11th.
16 DENIS MENKE Cards

2nd Base/Shortstop

Opening Day '69 - '71 and an All-Star in 1969 and 1970 played six different positions during his 1970 All-Star campaign, AND batted .304 with 92 RBI's while usually batting fifth.

4 Hector Mercado Cards Pitcher
Without a doubt Mercado's most notable year within the Astros chain was 1994, when he notched a decison in each of his first twelve starts while posting a 2.35 ERA over that span. Unfortunately, FSL All-Star nod notwithstanding, the record was only 5 - 7 at that point, and he kinda fell apart from there, finishing 6 - 13 with a 3.95

18 Orlando Merced Cards

Outfield

Runner Up to Bagwell in 1991 Rookie Of The Year voting ended up playing alongside him between 2001 and 2003
3 Carlos Mercedes Cards Pitcher

Like major-leaguer brother Jose Mercedes, Carlos was signed originally for the Orioles' Dominican League entry, then moved on
2 Fernando Mercedes Cards Pitcher

0 - 3 with a 9.38 in 18 games with four saves in his single professional year for the 1992 Burlington Astros
1 Jamie Merchant Card Pitcher

Righty was 5 - 1 with a 3.44 for the 2003 Tri-City Valleycats
3 Ron Meridith Cards Pitcher

Led the 1980 Columbus Astros in ERA with a 2.54 while winning 9 and losing 5; would eventually pitch in parts of two major league seasons for the Cubs
3 Joe Messman Cards Pitcher

Number six pick in the 1997 draft pitched in a Midwest-League-leading 63 games for the 1998 Quad City River Bandits, then was traded in a deadline move to San Francisco on August 31, 1999 for outfielder Stan Javier

2 Daniel Meszaros Cards Pitcher
48th round pick broke out at Lexington in early 2009, converting his first 9 save opportunities, and posting a 19:3 K/BB ratio. Promoted to AA Corpus shortly thereafter, and did OK.
1 Tony Metoyer Card Pitcher

Began his career as a third baseman with Auburn in 1984, hitting only .175, then converted to pitcher. Threw for three more years in the Astros chain, his best year being 1987, when he went 7 - 3 with a 2.72 for a very good Osceola staff. Pitched in 1988 for the unaffiliated Carolina League Virginia Generals, and in 1989 for the unaffiliated Miami Miracle of the FSL. For 1990, he was off to Taiwan, where he pitched for seven years. He then closed his career by pitching for four years in the Mexican League, and has more recently coached for Baseball USA
3 Nathan Metroka Cards Outfield
Led the '08 Greeneville Astros in hitting and OPS, while garnering an Appy League Player of the Week award for the week of August 25th. Not bad for a 47th round pick. Began '09 at Lexington but was demoted to Extended Spring Training in May and later rejoined Greeneville.
20 ROGER METZGER Cards

Shortstop

1973 Gold Glove Winner started Opening Day each year from 1971 to 1978. Gotta love his poorly airbrushed hat on the 1971 Topps # 404 Rookie Stars he shares with Buddy Harris
21 Brian Meyer Cards

Pitcher

In five minor league stops and two major league ones within the Astros organizaton, this 1988 Southern League All-Star only once had an ERA over 3.00. Compiled ERAs under 2.00 for Auburn in 1986, for Osceola in 1987, and for Houston in 1988. Finished up with a 2.84 major league ERA--but an 0 - 5 major league record
1 Drew Meyer Card 2nd Baseman
Former first round pick of the Texas Rangers signed a one-year contract before the '09 season and played at AA Corpus Christi, hitting .291 and OBPing .362
4 Jonathan Meyer Cards 3rd Baseman
Third round pick played his first pro season as an 18-year-old at Greeneville in 2009 and led the team in G, AB and PA

Mi

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
6 Dan Miceli Cards

Pitcher

I guess there are some that feel his scathing, small-minded critique of John Boles DIDN'T lead to that worthy man being fired as manager of the 2001 Marlins, but I'm not buying that s&^% here. Still, Miceli acted the team player in his stay as an Astro, and was rather valuable as a setup man in 2004 after the departure of Octavio Dotel and the promotion of Brad Lidge to the closer's role. Struggled in the playoffs, to put it mildly, however.

4 Jason Michaels Cards

Outfield

Back up outfielder for the '09 team mostly pinch-hit or spelled Carlos Lee for defense late, but also played center and right.
1 Brian Middleton Card Pitcher

1 - 3 with a 3.10 in his only year in the Astros organization, for the 2001 Martinsville Astros

2 Kyle Middleton Cards Pitcher
Minor League free agent who had pitched seven years in the Royals system was signed by the Astros in May of '07 and installed as the closer at AA Corpus Christi. Struck out 44 in 51 inings, while notching 23 saves. Split '08 three ways: some at AA Corpus, some at AAA Round Rock, and some on the DL.
2 Jiovanni Mier Cards Shortstop
Grandstand Appy League Top Prospects Unnumbered led the 2009 Greeneville Astros in homers and triples--and errors--after having been made the club's # 1 pick in the most recent June draft.
1 Matt Mieske Card

Outfield

Acquired by the Astros from Seattle on June 19, 1999 in exchange for Jackson General Kevin Hodges, who would then make his major league debut for the Mariners. Mieske, for his part, would hit .284 with 5 doubles and 5 homers in 109 at bats for the 1999 Houston squad. Mieske did nowhere near so well in 2000 and was released on August 17 of that year.
6 Mark Miggins Cards Pitcher

Misidentified as Dave Smith in the 1979 Charlotte set on a card that was later corrected
1 Scott Migl Card Pitcher
Righthander split '09 between Greeneville and Tri-City after having been the Astros' 34th round draft pick. Finished 3rd on the Greeneville staff with a 2.75 ERA
14 Joe Mikulik Cards Outfield
1000 Minor League hits can be the stuff of poetry
1 Bob Milacki Card Pitcher

"Shellacky Milacki" returned from Kintetsu in 1998 and led the AAA champion New Orleans Zephyrs in innings pitched (189.2) and strikeouts (104).

4 LARRY MILBOURNE Cards

2nd Base

1973 Rule V pickup started Opening Day in '76, although he would not supplant Rob Andrews at second, and would play in only 59 games in what would be his last season in the organization
4 Aaron Miles Cards Infield

Finished fifth in the Midwest League in batting for the 1999 Michigan BattleCats, then was taken from us by the White Sox in the 2000 Rule V Draft. Would go on to make the majors with the '03 Sox, and play for a World Champion in St. Louis in 2006.
1 David Miller Card Pitcher
The tallest player in Tri-City ValeyCat history (surpassing the previous holder of this distinction, Evan Englebrook) was
2 - 0 for the V-Cats in 2007, and 3 - 2 in 2008 before being released in November
19 Greg Miller Cards Pitcher
Not the Dodgers guy at one time on everybody's hot list, but the guy acquired on December 15, 1999 along with Adam Everett for Carl Everett. Although he had a 90+ fastball and a good curve, a 2002 injury set him back, and 2003--with ERA's over 5.00 at Round Rock and New Orleans--was his last year in the organization
2 Jeff Miller Cards Infield

4 - 4 with a 3.60 over 50 games for the 1992 Burlington Astros. Struck out 44 over what turned out to be the last 33-2/3 innings of his professional career
3 Josh Miller Cards Pitcher
Innings eater for the 2006 Texas League champion Corpus Christi Hooks was second on the squad in innings pitched, first in hits and earned runs allowed--and led the team in wins, too. Returned in 2007 and posted a 3.48 ERA and a fine 1.19 WHIP. Gave up 30 home runs in 148 innings at Round Rock in '08.
4 Kyle Miller Cards Pitcher

One of three catchers for the 2007 Greeneville Astros also played some first. After beginning '08 at Greeneville, got a promotion to Lexington in July. '09 went like the reverse
9 NORM MILLER Cards

Outfield

Opening Day 68 & 69, when he got the majority of his 1316 at bats and 315 hits for the Astros. Pictured with Doug Rader on one of the cooler Shooting Star issues I've seen.
104

ORLANDO MILLER Cards

Shortstop

Acquired from the Yankees on March 13 of 1990 for Daven Bond and ex-Olympian David Silvestri, Miller was immediately fallen in love with by the card companies upon his acquisition by the Astros. And a 1990 Sally League All Star pick seemed to confirm everything. But the defense was horrendous throughout the minors, and got no better once he got to the majors, where he hit like he had for the most part in the minors: in the .260's. Nevertheless, Miller, before his trade to the Tigers in December of '96, became one of only eleven Astros in the nineties to have hit 20+ doubles in back-to-back years during the decade.
1 Richard Miller Card Pitcher
6 - 2 with a 2.73 for the 1975 Covington Astros, then not as good in 1976 for either Dubuque or Columbus
3 Ryan Miller Cards Infield

1997 FSL All-Star hit .307 with 20 doubles for the '98 Jackson Generals and topped out at New Orleans two years later
2 Tony Miller Cards Pitcher

3 - 2 with a 4.61 for the 1991 Auburn Astros
11 Trever Miller Cards

Relief Pitcher

5 - 2 with a 4.02 over the 1998 and 1999 seasons for the big club. Was especially good in '98, when he appeared in 37 games, going 2- 0 with a save, and actually made a spot start, on September 15, 1998, in an 8 - 4 loss to the Mets that wasn't his fault. Acquired by the Astros in the first Ausmus deal, Trever was sent to the Phillies at the end of spring training 2000 for human blowtorch Yorkis Perez. Returned to the Astros fold in 2006 and with the departure of Mike Gallo , became the club's lone lefty specialist for 2006. Joined by Mark Mclemore in that role for '07, Miller most distinguished himself that year by appearing in a major-league record 76 games without a decision--though he did notch one save.
197

WADE MILLER Cards

Pitcher

Opening Day Starter 2002 owned Milwaukee, and was 32 - 18 in first 50 Major League Decisions. Besides, it was all his fault.
1 Brad Mills Card Infielder

1985 Tucson Toro acquired in trade that sent Scott Loucks to the Expos had spent parts of four years in the majors with Montreal, hitting .256 in 106 games, but didn't do as well as that 1985 Cramer Tucson Toros Brad Mills # 75 at Tucson, hitting .237 with a single homer. 24 years later, on October 27, 2009, Mills was named the Astros 16th manager, replacing Cecil Cooper.
2 Fred Mims Cards Outfield

.293-14-71 for the Cedar Rapids Astros in 1973
1 Chris Minaker Card Infield
MLFA who had a Masters from Stanford and deferred a Rhodes scholarship to play ball wrote his senior thesis on social pressure and steroid use. Hit .319 with a .350 OBP in a month and a half for High A Lancaster, then was mysteriously released.
4 Jim Miner Cards Pitcher

Last year of seven-year professional career was spent with the 1984 Tucson Toros, for whom he went 5 - 5 with a 4.47

1 Craig Mineto Card Pitcher

Righthander who once went 8 - 0 in the FSL compiled an 11 - 12 record over his three years with the 85 - '87 Tucson Toros
2 Bill Minnich Cards Outfielder

.201-2-14 for the 1992 Auburn Astros
1 Gino Minutelli Card Pitcher

Delaware native would pitch for the Toros in 1994 (going 4 - 4 with a 6.71) and end his career the following year pitching for the Tigres of Mexico City
2 Dennis Miscik Cards Pitcher

Spent five years in the Astros minor league system, for five teams. Was named a 1976 Appalachian League All Star when he went 5 - 4 with a 3.34 for Covington, and went 8 - 2 with a 3.50 for the 1979 Southern League East Division champion Columbus Astros. And his 1980 Tucson card shows him in a super-cool red Shooting Star jacket

12 Donovan Mitchell Cards Infield

His .291-3-45 All-Star season for the 1992 Asheville Tourists impressed Fleer enough that he was honored with inclusion in the 1993 - '94 Fleer Excel set. Later, would hit .329 with four homers and 42 RBI's for the '95 Quad City River Bandits and was named a Midwest League midseason All-Star, though his card actually shows Chris Truby (I think).
2 Ryan Mitchell Cards Infield

3 - 1 with a 3.34 and a nice strikeout to walk ratio at Greeneville in 2005 for this 6'5" 17-year old 20th round draft pick. Repeated at Greeneville in 2006--until he was suspended and sent home for an unspecified violation of team rules in August. Never re-signed, and now plies his trade in an indie league.
3 Tony Mitchell Cards Outfield

Acquired from the Cleveland Indians with Mitch Meluskey for Buck McNabb and Jimmy Lewis on April 26, 1995, Mitchell spent a single year in the Astros chain, hitting .266 with 19 homers for the Jackson Generals. Not sure how, but he was gone for 1996, although the Signature Rookies people didn't catch on
1 Greg Mize Card Pitcher

12 - 17 with a 5.49 over four seasons in the Astros chain, finishing up at High A Daytona Beach in 1984
7 John Mizerock Cards

Catcher

The desperation of the mid 80's Astros to find someone, anyone who could take Alan Ashby's place has been written about elsewhere, but sure is interesting to note that when Mizerock got his first major league at bat in 1983, he had:
a) never hit higher than .257 in the minors
b)somehow managed to be named to the 1982 Southern League All Star team despite hitting .229.
After hitting .185 during the Astros' 1986 Division championship year, Mizerock was released on October 24, and was thus already history when his two 1987 cards hit the streets. . . Both Robbie Wine and Mark Bailey would survive the 1987 season, but would not get through the '88 campaign, and Craig Biggio would make his debut June 25 of that year, effectively ending the "masquerade."

Ml - Mo

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
10 Dave Mlicki Cards

Pitcher

"Super Dave" was acquired from the Tigers on June 23, 2001 in exchange for faded 20-game winner Jose Lima. Went 7 - 3 the rest of the way, and got the nod for (and the losss in) game two of the NLDS vs. the Braves. 4 - 10 in 2002, Mlicki was not invited back for '03. Still, one of only three Astro pitchers with five innings or more pitched to have a postseason ERA of 0.00
12 Doug Mlicki Cards Pitcher

Brother to Dave was drafted in the 12th round by the Astros in 1992, and got as high as AAA Tucson in 1996. His 1995 Signature Rookies Authentic Signature # 37 notes that the curveballer Mlicki led the '93 Osceola squad in innings pitched, walks, and strikeouts, and that he had "established himself as Houston's best pitching prospect, outside of Billy Wagner."

1 Mike Modica Card Pitcher
When drafted by the Astros in the 46th round of the June 2008 draft, Modica chose not to sign. But when drafted in the 24th round by the Asrtos the following year, he did. 0 - 3 with a 2.61 ERA for Tri-City and a 1.41 WHIP after that.
14 Brian Moehler Cards

Pitcher

Failed Free Agent acquisition for '03 was supposed to fill the void left by the released Shane Reynolds. Three starts, 13.7 IP, and 12 Earned Runs later, he was on the DL for the remainder of the season. Returned as bullpen help in '07, and didn't do half bad. Re-signed for '08, Moehler made a couple emergency starts early on, and comported himself fairly well.
1 Joe Moeller Card Pitcher
Drafted by the Astros from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1967 rule V draft, Moeller was returned to the Dodgers nine days before the start of the 1968 season, and thus became one of the few '60's era players (along with Manny Mota and the ever-hated Donn Clendenon) to have an appearance on a baseball card as a Houston player but to have never appeared in a regular season game
4 Randy Moffitt Cards

Pitcher

Brother to Billie Jean King closed ten years for the Giants, twice surpassing 150 in ERA+, and was picked up by the '82 'Stros after San Fran cast him off. Splitting time between Tucson and Houston, he still managed a respectable 3.02 ERA with three saves in 30 appearances for the parent club
4 Shawn Moffitt Cards Trainer
Trainer to clubs in Kissimmee, Auburn and Michigan in the late '90's
2 Carlos Mojica Cards
Catcher

Graduate of the Dominican Summer league hit .302 without any extra base hits in 16 games for Greeneville in 2008. Did have 4 doubles and a homer at the same level in '09, when he hit .273.
1 Felix Molina Card Infield
Minor league free agent who had been let go from the Twins organization played second at third at AA Corpus in 2009, OPSing .679
5 Eric Montague Cards Trainer
Has now spent seven years as a trainer in the Astros organization starting in 2002: a year at Martinsville, a year at Lexington, five at Salem, and now has moved west to train the new Lancaster JetHawks High A affiliate.

6 Rafael Montalvo Cards

Pitcher

Had a 17-year minor league career--and a one-game major league career. After spending five years within the Dodgers organization, they sent him to the 'Stros for an over-the-hill Enos Cabell on June 10 of 1985. After going 2 - 7 with a 4.20 in 52 games at Tucson to finish '85, Montalvo pitched in his one major league game April 13, 1986, in an 8 - 7 loss to the Braves by the end of which Phil Garner had stroked a two-run pinch hit triple, and Mike Scott had taken the loss. Montalvo himself gave up a triple, and an earned run. After that Montalvo went back to Tucson, where he played the remainder of '86 and two more years. He finished at Campeche in the Mexican League, in 1996.

1 Dionel Montas Card 3rd Baseman
The only Dionel in Astros' organizational history played at Greeneville in 2008
4 Alberto Montero Cards 3rd Base
Non-drafted FA out of La Romana, Dominican Republic played at Asheville and Burlington, hit three homers
1 Larry Montgomery Card Pitcher
Came out of a retirement that had lasted since 1981 to pitch with Tucson in 1985. 0 - 2 with a 4.60 there, he also pitched at AA Columbus (with better results) before hanging them up again
26 Ray Montgomery Cards

Outfield

47 games for the Astros between 1996 and 1998, including a spot on the Opening Day roster for '97, adds up to a real up and down career
8 Jackie Moore Cards Manager

Led the Round Rock Express into the playoffs in three of his first four years, and won the Texas League championship in Round Rock's debut year of 2000. Was named Texas League Manager of the Year in three of the five years he was eligible, and now has a PCL Division championship under his belt, as well. In late 2007 came the news that he was to join the major league club as Cecil Cooper's bench coach in 2008. Left the organization in 2009 when he accepted the job of bench coach with the Texas Rangers
11 Melvin Mora Cards Infield
A lot of people who didn't know that Mora was a 1993 South Atlantic League All-Star first heard of Mora during the 1999 NLCS, when playing for the New York Mets against the Braves, he went 6 for 14 with 6 runs and a homer. The Mets showed about as much faith in Mora's ability as the Astros had, and traded him with others to Baltimore for Mike Bordick. Mora has been a three-time All-Star for the Orioles, and finished 18th in MVP for 2004

3 Jorge Moreno Cards Infield
Got a card appearance with the '73 Cedar Rapids club despite having no batting average there (evidently he spent most of the year with Covington)
2 OMAR MORENO Cards

Outfield

December '82 free agent signing had 30 Stolen bases in 97 games--imagine if he'd hit. But he didn't, so they traded him to the Yankees in August of '83 for 1984 All-Star Jerry Mumphrey
3 Nick Moresi Cards Outfield
Third round pick out of Fresno State in 2006 hit .180 at Tri-City that year, and didn't improve the average much at Lexington in '07, though he did boost the slugging a good deal with ten jacks. Split '08 between Lexington and Salem, while also missing time because of a broken bone in his hand when he was hit by a pitch. Played at Lancaster and at Corpus in '09, hitting .233, then lost to the Nationals in the December Rule V draft

41 Joe Morgan Cards

2nd Base

Two stints with the 'Stros but wearing a Reds cap in the Hall. Which kinda makes sense, as contrarians aside, he really was much better after he left the Astros

2 Cesar Morillo Cards Infield
Appeared in 37 games at short, 6 games in the outfield, and a bunch more as a pinch-hitter for the 2000 Texas League champion Round Rock Express. Hit .295 that year and was invited back for 2001, although he was not able to repeat his performance (.183) for the 2001 League runners-up
13 Alvin Morman Cards

Pitcher

29 - 12 as a farmhand in three seasons, and 4 - 1 as a Houston Astro, although the ERA didn't always match. An amazing 8 - 0 with a 1.55 in 1992 for the Asheville Tourists, and 8 - 2 with a 2.96 the following year for Jackson. After giving up 8 homers in 42 innings for the 'Stros in '96, however, was traded to Cleveland for Jose Cabrera.

1 Fred Morris Card Pitcher

1 - 1 with a 4.36 for Daytona Beach in 1978 and 3 - 1 with a 5.00 for Columbus in '79.
1 Jeff Morris Card Pitcher

15th round pick in the June 1980 draft was 16 - 8 with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in his three-year career in the Astros organization, and reach AAA Tucson, for whom he is pictured in his lone card appearance.
1 Ken Morris Card Pitcher
5 - 5 with a 4.52 in his lone season for the 1988 Auburn Astros
33 Andy Mota Cards

2nd Base

Son to Manny led the 1988 New York-Penn League in average and hits, then did the same the following year in the Florida State League. 1990 Southern League All Star got a September call up in 1991, but hit .189 and was traded to San Francisco after 6 at-bats for the '93 Toros

16 Gary Mota Cards Outfield
Son to Manny, brother to Andy, I guess Gary changed his playing name from Manny Jr. to ease the hype. 1992 Sally League All Star did not do very much else, but as always, there are the cards, which are stories in themselves.

2 Jose Mota Cards Outfield
No relation as far as I know for this outfielder who got as high as the Florida State League for two years in the late '70's. Mike Lally, a teammate of Mota's with the '75 Covington Astros, says that Mota "could absolutely fly on the basepaths," though Lally also remembers that Jose was also picked off quite a bit.
1 Manny Mota Card Infield

Acquired from the Giants with Dick LeMay for Joey Amalfitano in November of 1962, Mota spent spring of 1963 at Geronimo Park at Apache Junction but was traded to the Pirates five days before of the start of the 1963 season for health food freak Howie Goss, and thus accumulated exactly 0 of his 150 career pinch-hits in a Houston uniform.
3 Trevor Mote Cards Infield
15th Round Draft Pick in 2001 had his best year at Michigan in 2002, when he was third on the club in homers (10) and doubles (25). Played for the Salem Avalanche in 2003, but only hit .235, and was, evidently, released
11 Tony Mounce Cards Pitcher
Began the 1995 season for Quad City by spinning 19 consecutive scoreless innings, and ended it by leading the league in wins with 16. Went on to finish second in ERA in the Florida State League for the 1996 Kissimmee Cobras, but couldn't make a seamless transition to higher-level minor-league ball. Despite being named a 1997 Midseason Texas League All-Star, he finished the year with a 5.03 ERA. After that, it appears he was not considered quite so highly within the Astros organization. Released some time after the 2000 Media guide went to press, Mounce has most recently been signed by the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League.

114

JAMES MOUTON Cards

Outfield

1993 Pacific Coast League MVP for the Tucson Toros led off Opening Day in '94, but never quite bellied up with the OBP or the Stolen Bases. But the K's were really the problem. I guess it's pretty logical to say that it's OK to strike out a little bit if you've got the extra bases, and if so, the contrapositive also holds. So you might then finger the worst offenders by calculating:
(Total Bases - Strikeouts)/Plate Appearances).
Figuring minimum 1000 plate appearances, and through the end of 2003, Moises Alou (at .404) leads the Astros all-time in this particular stat--and he's got more than a 100 point lead over his second-place uncle Jesus. James Mouton, on the other hand, is fourth-worst on this list, ahead of only defensive wizard Tim Bogar, Eric Anthony (who did hit a few homers, but struck out so prodigiously that they were nullified for all intents and purposes), and Mark Bailey. So in the end the promise was belied, and Mouton was an unlikely

1 Ashton Mowdy Card Pitcher
19th round pick in the June 2008 draft finished tied for second on the team in strikeouts with 48

Mu - My

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
12 Josh Muecke Cards Infield
Fifth round pick was 3 - 3 with a 4.14 in 2003 as a starter for Tri-City, then went 9 - 1 mostly out of the pen in 2004 for Lexington. Won ten games in 2005, and was Carolina League Pitcher of the Week May 22. A wrist injury on Opening Day while pitching for Corpus in 2006 presaged a poor year, but Muecke returned to lead the Hooks in innings pitched and wins for 2007. 8 - 13 with a 4.89 for Round Rock in 2008, but named to the AAA All-Star team, and pitched a scoreless inning in the game, held July 15 in Louisville. Became a free agent after his year at Round Rock in '09, when he was 7 - 11 with a 4.90 for the Express.
1 Pete Mueller Card Infield

Four-year, five-team Astro minor-leaguer was only captured on cardboard in his last season within the organization, for the '86 Osceola club. Was a Gulf Coast All-Star in '83 at first base, and had 93 RBI for the 1985 Asheville Tourists
1 Bryan Mulhern Card Catcher

NDFA played a year for Greeneville, hitting .190
20 JERRY MUMPHREY Cards Outfield
NL All-Star in '84 was acquired from the Yankees in '83 when they realized Omar Moreno wasn't gonna hit, and left to the Cubs for Billy Hatcher after the '85 season. Hit .291 as an Astro in 325 games, including .307 off righties
1 Julio Munoz Card Pitcher
An astounding 0 - 9 for the 1989 Gulf Coast Astros, Munoz was given another shot at Asheville in 1990, and doesn't appear to have pitched that badly, going 3 - 2 with a 2.35, but that was all. . . .

7 Pete Munro Cards

Pitcher

Pitcher Number Two in the Six-Pitcher No-Hitter asked CJ Nitkowski, "Yo bro, where you at with your faith?"
6 Eric Munson Cards

Catcher/1st Base

Radical move made by Garner and Purpura in the Spring of 2006 to install Munson -who had previously played all of one inning as a major leaguer behind the plate--as the team's backup catcher didn't really work out, but it wasn't a disaster, either.
2 Garrett Murdy Cards Pitcher
2004 NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year at Texas A & M Kingsville jumped to rookie ball after June, and was only 2 - 3 with a 6.43 for the Greeneville Astros, but had a very nice 20/6 strikeout to walk ratio. After a 2005 at Lexington which featured an ERA over 7.00, Murdy returned to the SAL and finished second on the club in innings pitched and third in appearances, all while maintaining a solid 3.38 ERA. Released, however at the end of March '07

1 Gary Murphy Card Pitcher

ProCards tells us that Murphy had four complete games for the 1985 Auburn Astros, to go with a 4 - 5 W-L and a 4.14 ERA
2 Mike Murphy Cards Catcher

Classic/Best misidentifies Mike Murphy as a pitcher in his only professional year, although I can see how the .167 batting average got them thinking that way. . . .
4 Pat Murphy Cards Pitcher
Pat should sue for slander: Classic/Best got it wrong by a factor of 12 on the back of his 1993 Quad City card, when they say he had a 54.54 ERA in 83-1/3 innings for Burlington in '92. It was actually 4.54.

8 Rob Murphy Cards

Pitcher

3 - 1 with a 4.04 in 59 innings for the 1992 Houston ballclub, the left-handed Murphy struck out 42 and walked 21 during his only year with the 'Stros
2 Doug Murray Cards Catcher
Backup catcher for two years in the low minors hit his only professional homer for the 1998 Quad City River Bandits
1 Ivan Murrell Card

Outfield

More interesting as a regular with the Padres than as a minor leaguer with the Astros, but isn't it always like that?

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