Astroland N - O: The World's Most Complete Listing of Houston Astro Baseball Cards

The scoreboard at Osceola County Stadium, circa 1992

OPENING DAY STARTERS FOR HOUSTON IN CAPS

 

The Needle and the Damage DoneThe Needle and the Damage Done

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
4 Garret Nago Cards Catcher
Journeyman in his last year caught for the 1989 Columbus Mudcats, compiling a .256-4-13 line.
21 Mike Nannini Cards Pitcher
Number One pick in the '98 Supplemental Draft began pro career with 16 consecutive scoreless innings for Gulf Coast that year. Midwest League All-Star for Michigan and Pitcher of the Week for Kissimmee in 2000. Traded to the Cubs with Travis Anderson for Flash Gordon on September 11, 2002, and went on to lead the 2003 Cubs minor league system in strikeouts
8 Tyrone Narcisse Cards Pitcher
One Sunday Afternoon in Kissimmee I watched this guy lose 1- 0
1 Ray Navarrette Card Infield
Third baseman hit .232 in 52 games for the 2005 inaugural season Corpus Christi Hooks
2 Scott Navarro Cards Pitcher
Lefty was a member of two straight League champions: went 8 - 3 with a 2.88 for the 1999 Florida State League champion Kissimmee Cobras, and despite a DL stint, appeared in 22 games for the 2000 Texas League champs Round Rock Express
2 Bob Neal Cards General Manager
Immediate predecessor to John Graham as General Manager of the Auburn Astros, the Auburn club finished middle-of-the-pack on the field and at the turnstiles in both years under his stewardship
2 Mike Neal Cards Pitcher
Acquired from the Indians on March 29, 1998 for a player perhaps-still-to-be-named, Neal led the '98 Jackson Generals in hitting and tied for sixth in the Texas League with a .326 batting average
6 Bryant Nelson Cards Infield
Led the 1995 Kissimmee Cobras in hitting with a .327 mark, while playing all of six positions
1 Jack Nelson Card Pitcher
Lefty threw 27 innings for the '06 Greeneville Astros
1 Nate Nelson Card Pitcher
10th round pick in 2000 out of Louisiana Lafayette hit .266 for the 2000 Martinsville Astros, and finished fourth on the team in hits.
24 Tom Nevers Cards Shortstop
1990 Number One Draft Pick was voted the best defensive shortstop in the 1991 South Atlantic League, and a league All Star, but never progressed from there, never hit higher than .272, and never reached Triple A, before his trade to the Brewers on June 21, 1995 for Derrick May.
46 Phil Nevin Cards
3rd Base
 
# 1 Pick in the Nation out of Cal State Fullerton in 1992 had also played for Team USA. He hit two triples in his first professional game (which was also the Florida Marlins' first), but quickly became noted for a countrproductive attitude, which after much handwringing, eventually got him shipped to Detroit straight up for a washed up Mike Henneman in August of 1995. The Tigers and the Angels gave up on him too, before he arrived in San Diego in 1999, and his rise into an All-Star for the Padres I'm sure has more to do with a delayed personal maturation than any manifestation of dormant athletic skills.
1 Danny Newman Card Pitcher
1987 Gulf Coast League All-Star co-led the cycle in wins with 7, and threw three complete games with an ERA of 1.41. Got promoted once, to Asheville for 1988, where he went   6 - 7 with a 4.17 for the Sally League runners-up.
1 Todd Newman Card Pitcher
3 - 3 with a 2.67 in his only professional year for the 1987 Auburn Astros
15 Carl Nichols Cards
Catcher
 
1989 AAA All-Star had been acquired from the Orioles on March 31, 1989 for Victor Hithe. Nichols hit .256, .253, and .215 for his three years--at Tucson. He hit .204, .196 and .077 at Houston with no better than average defense and was given his release following the 1991 season.
2 DAVE NICHOLSON Cards
Outfield
 
Acquired with Bill Heath from the White Sox on December 1, 1965, Nicholson started on Opening Day and got into 100 games, hitting .256 with 10 homers and 31 RBI for the 1966 club. After the year, they sent him with Bob Bruce in a complex deal to the Braves for Eddie Mathews and two guys who would never play for the 'Stros.
4 Derek Nicholson Cards Outfield
Number 16 Draft Pick in 1998 was third on the 1998 New York Penn co-champion Auburn Doubledays in hitting, and was a 1999 Midwest League All-Star for the Michigan BattleCats. Returned to the organization in 2006 as a Corpus Christi Hook, and appeared in 59 games as a backup first baseman and pinch-hitter.
43 JOE NIEKRO Cards
Pitcher
 
All-time franchise leader in victories won 20 in '80 and was an All-Star in 1979. Would later appear on the David Letterman show after getting caught with sandpaper. While we've all got to go some time, I think it's fair to say his sudden death from an aneurysm in October of 2006 came too soon by far.
3 Randy Niemann Cards
Pitcher
 
Received by the Astros with a PTBNL who would become Dave Bergman from the New York Yankees on June 15, 1977 for Cliff Johnson, Niemann would pitch 99 innings for the Astros' triple A farm clubs in 1979 and 1980, and another 100 innings for the major league club those years. All told, Niemann went 3 - 3 with a 4.32 before being jettisoned to the Pirates in a deal that netted sparkplug Phil Garner. Niemann pitched for the hated 1986 Mets and was on this plane flight where all these Mets and their wives were puking, but near as I can tell, did not pitch in the 1986 playoffs.
3 Roy Nieto Cards Pitcher
43rd-round pick in the 1991 draft got to High A Osceola in 1993, and won 9 while losing 13 in his three years in the Astros system
50 Fernando Nieve Cards
Pitcher
 
Appalachian League Top Prospect in 2002 had progressed to High A salem by 2004, where he was 10 - 6 with a 2.96 and earned League All-Star honors, and a year-end promotion to then-AA Round Rock. He'd already earned the Mirror Cards, I think. His rookie season at the major league level saw a certain confusion on the part of the club as to whether Fernando is a starter or a reliever. Thought to have the inside track on a spot in the rotation for 2007, Nieve instead broke Spring camp with Round Rock, and was later injured. Try again next year, I suppose
2 Fionel Nieves Cards Pitcher
Native of San Pedro De Macoris signed by Julio Linares with not-so-good results in 1990 and 1991 had graduated stateside from the Dominican Summer League
1 Raul Nieves Card Infield
Shortstop from Bayamon, Puerto Rico spent his last professional year with the 1976 Dubuque Packers (.262-1-18) after spending the first three years of his career in the Phillies organization. Father to a current prospect in the Red Sox organization by the same name, or at least was of 2004. . . .
3 CJ Nitkowski Cards Pitcher
Tied major league record with three consecutive hit batters vs Marlins 8/3/98. Once had a pretty funny baseball-related website, but then a traumatic event convinced him he had to turn his moderately cool and topical website into a place to electronically proseletyze. As if that s&^% wasn't everywhere.
3 Russ Nixon Cards Manager
Manager of the Braves once replaced by Bobby Cox replaced JJ Cannon as manager for the Lexington Legends for 2003. Took the reins at Salem for 2004, then was miscast as manager at Rookie League Greeneville in 2005.

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
2 Ray Noble Cards Pitcher
30 - 17 between 1983 and 1987 for Daytona Beach, Columbus and Tucson, including a   9 - 4, 2.64 year for the '84 Daytona Beach Astros
1 Wilton Noel Card Pitcher
Rare prospect from Cartagena, Colombia pitched at Greeneville in 2005, posting a 2 - 3 record with a 5.30 ERA
1 Antonio Noguera Card Pitcher
Lefty out of the Venezuelan Academy led the 2007 Greeneville Astros in innings pitched and Games Started
4 Guy Normand Cards Pitcher
16-Game winner for the 1987 SAL champion Asheville Tourists
2 Bud Norris Cards Pitcher
6th Round Pick in the 2006 June draft led the '06 ValleyCats in K/BB ratio, then in 2007 finished second on the Lexington Legends to Santo Luis in strikeouts. Baseball America named Norris the Astros' seventh-best prospect--and the one possessing the best curveball--for 2008.
3 Dax Norris Cards Catcher
Minor League free agent signed in Winter of 2002 hit .245 for the Express in 2003 and .319 in 2004. In 2005, and at the age of 32, he played at AA Corpus Christi and hit .232, while no doubt providing lots of guidance for young Hooks pitchers.
6 Don Nottebart Cards Pitcher
Only one guy can throw your first no-hitter, although Nottebart pitched in 87 other games for the Colt .45's beyond that May 17, 1963 gem, winning 21 and losing 34, with no saves and a 3.86
4 Dan Nyssen Cards Outfield
Led the 1987 New York Penn League in hits, while leading the Auburn Astros in average, hits, and RBI. As a member of the Asheville Tourists, on August 12, 1988, and in the seventh-inning, Nyssen made a stab on a dying quail to preserve Dean Hartgraves' first no-hitter.

CARDS I HAVE PLAYER POSITION REMARKS
14 Ken Oberkfell Cards
Infield
 
Roleplayer was .214-30-1 in 130 games for Houston between 1990 and 1991. . . but Oberkfell will always be remembered by Astros fans for what he did as a member of the Braves. On June 12, 1988, in a Sunday matinee at the Dome, Oberkfell singled cleanly to break up a Mike Scott no-hitter with two outs in the 9th. Denied his second career no-no, Scott got the next guy, Gerald Perry, to finish with a no-walk one-hitter
1 Jim O'Bradovich Card
Infield
 
Signed as a free agent from Minnesota on April 9, 1977, O'Bradovich led the 1978 Charleston Charlies in homers with 21 and RBI with 85, plus hit .306. He was rewarded with an International League All-Star selection and a September callup to Houston, during which he went 3 for 17 with a triple and a couple ribbies.
4 Mark O'Bradovich Cards Catcher
Switch-hitting 20th Round Draft Pick in the 2001 draft was named a South Atlantic League All Star following his 2003 season with Lexington. Backup to Jeff Mackor on the 2004 Salem Avalanche squad
1 Patrick O'Brien Card Catcher
17th Round pick in 2003 out of Kent State hit .203 at Tri-City that year, with a single extra-base hit
1 Javier Ochoa Card Catcher
NDFA from Maracay, Venezuela, played two years at Gulf Coast and a third at Auburn--with a cup of café at Quad City--in the late 90's
3 Brian O'Connor Cards Catcher
24th Round Pick in 1999 spent three years in the Astros system and didn't hit .200 during any of them
2 Jim O'Dell Cards Infield
Led the 1983 Auburn Astros and the 1984 Asheville Tourists in homers and RBI, and was also named by the fans of the 1985 Osceola Astros as their most popular player. They also gave him the nickname "Digger"
1 Matt O'Donnell Card Infield
Non-drafted free agent was 4- 0 with a 1.91 in 25 games as a reliever for the 2004 Appalachian League champion Greeneville Astros
1 Mike Oglesbee Card DH
The Professional Baseball Player Database V 5.0 refers to Mr. Oglesbee as "Nathan." After leading the 1986 Eugene Emeralds in homers (and thereby outhomering future Killer B Sean Berry), Oglesbee was traded to the Astros for a certain Mike Fuentes, a journeyman who had reached the majors with Montreal in 1984, and had played at Columbus and Tucson for the 'Stros in '86. Placed at Asheville for '87, Oglesbee hit 13 homers and drove in 42 for the very powerful Tourist club that won the Northern division before and after the break but lost in the finals of the playoffs. In fact, Fuentes and Oglesbee had fairly strong seasons in 1987, with Fuentes posting better numbers in all three triple crown categories, but the point was thereafter moot: each was out of professional baseball after the 1987 season
3 Jim Olander Cards Outfield
Olander played 14 seasons in the minors, but had only two full seasons worse than his .235-1-12 effort for Tucson in 1990, his only season in the Astros organization
2 Steve Oliverio Cards Pitcher
2 - 8 with a 4.72 over 18 games in his final season, for the 1989 Columbus Mudcats
2 Jim Olson Cards Pitcher
Second in wins in the South Atlantic League to Charley Kerfeld while pitching for the 1983 Spartanburg Phillies, Olson pitched for Auburn in 1986 and Asheville in 1987, compiling a 9 - 9 record
8 Paul O'Malley Cards Pitcher
Man of ups and downs, this second-tier righthander won 8 in a row for the 1995 Kissimmee Cobras--then lost nine in a row to close the year. Led the 1998 Jackson Generals in wins, although he was lucky to do so, considering his 5.45 ERA that year
3 Mark Ori Cards Infield
2005 New York-Penn League All- Star went on to boost the power with 36 XBH at Lexington in 2006. In 2007, coupled a Carolina League average slugging mark of .395 with an above-league average OBP of .350
9 Jorge Orta Cards Pitcher
Co-owner of modern day major league record for hits in a game--with six--began coaching in the Astros chain in 1997, and managed at Martinsville from 2001 - 2003. His 2003 club had the best record in the Appalachian League at 42 - 23, but lost two games to one in the finals, and Orta was named Manager of the Year. He coached at Tri-City in 2004 and 2005.
18 Javier Ortiz Cards
Outfield
 
Acquired by the Astros from the Dodgers for Ed Vosberg on July 22, 1989, Ortiz would go on to hit .352 at Tucson in 1990. Given limited major league trials during 1991 and 1992, he carried averages of .273 and .276 with low power numbers before being released in the winter of 1991. Played in both the Gulf Coast League and the Northern League during his subsequent, fruitless, attempt to get back to the majors.
1 JC Ortiz Card Pitcher
Lefthander from Las Cruces, New Mexico was drafted in the 34th round in 1999, and spent the rest of the year at Auburn, going 1 - 2 with a 4.66.
3 Joe Ortiz Cards Catcher
Second (to Eric Anthony) on the 1988 Asheville Tourists in both homers (13) and RBI (71). Caught the entire game for Asheville and scored a run in Dean Hartgraves' first n0-hitter on August 12 of that year. Despite hitting only .206, was still able to finish second to Osceola team leader Andy Mota in RBI
1 Alvin Osofsky Card Outfield
Strong-armed switch-hitter batted .185 with a ribbie and a homer for the 1975 Covington Astros, and .221-0-8 for the 1975 Dubuque Packers. After this one and only season in the Astros' chain, Osofsky found work for 1976 in the ill-fated and doomed independent Gulf States League, where he batted .303 with 3 homers and 47 RBI's.
2 Claude Osteen Cards
Pitcher
 
25th-winningest lefty of all-time was an Astro for 252 days, the period of time between December 6, 1973, when Osteen and Dave Culpepper were received from the Dodgers in exchange for Jimmy Wynn, and August 15, 1974, when Osteen was traded to the Cardinals for Dan Larson and Ron Selak. Wynn of course had perhaps his best year for the Dodgers in '74, while Osteen was 9 - 9 with a couple of shutouts and an adjusted ERA of 94 for Houston. Larson and Selak had excellent ERA's at Columbus in 1975, but only Larson was called up to the major
league club in 1976, the year after a clearly faded Osteen had retired. Although he ended up with a losing record, Larson in actuality had a better adjusted ERA in his initial season in Houston than Osteen did in his abbreviated campaign. Then Larson was 1 - 7 lousy in 1977 (which ended up being Jimmy Wynn's last year), was sent back to the minors, and didn't get recalled until after he was traded to the Phillies for Dan Warthen, who was 0 - 1 with a 4.22 for the '78 squad, and was released toward the end of spring training 1979. I might call the whole thing a wash, except the Toy Cannon got a pennant out of the many deals.
So good for him.
58 Al Osuna Cards
Pitcher
 
360 minor- and major-league appearances for the Astros but never made a single start.
546
 

 

ROY OSWALT Cards
Pitcher
 
Pitcher known for groin strains and Cy Young near-misses from Weir, MS (pop. 553), was Olympic Gold Medallist in 2000, Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year for 2001, and Opening Day Starter for 2003 - 2007. Had a .700 winning percentage through his first four major league seasons, and can very easily be imagined--should he stay healthy-- as the future Astros career leader in wins. His selection as 2005 NLCS MVP--and the big fat long term contract recently signed--only reinforces this thought.
5 Spike Owen Cards 1st Base
Ex-Longhorn became hitting coach for Round Rock in 2002
1 Billy Owens Card 1st Base
Minor league free agent signed out of the Orioles organization on October 10, 1996 played at High A Kissimmee in 1997 and at AA Jackson in '98.
2 Jayhawk Owens Cards 1st Base
Backup catcher for the Colorado Rockies between 1993 and 1996 served as hitting coach for the Michigan BattleCats in 2001 and for the Lexington Legends in 2002
5 Jim Owens Cards
Pitcher
 
118 innings pitched for the Colt .45's in 1964 with 11 starts, but used less and less after that, until by 1967 he threw 10-2/3 innings total over 10 games. Take a look:

Owens' Numbers Dwindled
YrGIPWSv
196448118.08 6
19655071.368
19664050.042
19671010.700

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