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This work stems from two craven and cowardly acts. On August 29, 2006, as Willy Taveras carried his Houston franchise-record 30-game hit streak into a home game against the Milwaukee Brewers, little did he know that the Brewers's starter that night, Tomo Ohka, was plotting and conspiring to play beanball, rather than baseball. Obivously determined not to give Taveras anything that he might have been able to turn into one of his semi-patented infield hits, Ohka beaned Taveras with his first pitch of the ballgame, then hit him again--this time in the area of the head--with his last. And Willy's hit streak died a most ungraceful death. But so entranced had I been with the extreme unlikeliness of Taveras' streak in the first place, and so unwilling was I to see the streak end, that I immediately began grasping at straws. And there was in fact, a very handy straw available. In hitting Taveras twice, Ohka had snapped the hit streak at 30, sure, but he had also extended Taveras' consecutive game onbase streak to 31. Light bulb on. A quick look at Jeff Kent and Tony Eusebio--the last two Astros to hold the club hit streak record before Willy T--showed that they had not wrapped their hit streaks with games in which they'd reached in manners other than with a hit Although I'd recently been reminded that Ted Williams had an 84-game onbase streak in 1949, for all I knew, Willy's onbase was at that point the longest in Houston major league history. So at first, the thrust was about trying to identify anyone who might have had a streak longer than 31 games, although as I searched, I was soon sidetracked into the collection of all streaks longer than 20 games throughout the years. Because of that, the parameters--what has been looked at, and what appears here--look a little out of kilter. Presented below, sorted by Length, drawn from and based on the information in Retrosheet's vast archives, are all onbase streaks of 20 games or more in Houston National League history. To continue or begin a streak, a player will have reached base via a hit, a walk, a hit by pitch, or through defensive interference. And a streak will end when he doesn't do one of those things, and has an officiai plate appearance. Going 0 for 0 with a sac fly will end the streak; being inserted in the field in the ninth inning, and never coming to the plate will not. All players who reached base 31 times--the length of Willy's streak--or more in any one season are listed here. Those who reached between 20 and 30 times have been evaluated, but are listed here only if they had a streak of ten games or more. Since we're talking about it, two players satisfied that last, as it happened--Jose Herrerra in 1968, and Gary Woods in 1980. And lastly, I looked at all pitchers who reached more than nine times in a season, and found that only one hurler in club history was able to put together a streak of ten games or more. It wasn't Mike Hampton, much to my surprise. And lastly, all players from the 2006 season have been looked at. So, if you've been following along, you'll see that the only players not represented here are those position players from prior years who reached less than 20 times in any one season, and those pitchers from the past who reached less than 10. Not exhaustive, but very close. Considering that the longest streak from a player with between 20 and 30 times reached was ten, I feel confident in saying that no streak longer than eight games has been missed, and of course, NONE longer than 19 have been. I had no idea how this would all work out, obviously, although certainly I had expectations that Craig Biggio--and to a lesser extent, Jeff Bagwell--at their late 90's heights would be very well represented. And they were. But the wonderful thing for me about this table I have compiled is thatin addition to reminding us how great a player Jimmy Wynn was--it has rescued from obscurity a tremendous feat accomplished by one of your lesser-known Astros. Greg Gross, who'd have thunk? |
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1969 | Jim Wynn | 52 | 6/4 | 8/3 | Longest Streak in Houston NL History with Gross; Longest by a Righthander | ||
| 1975 | Greg Gross | 6/25 | 8/18 | Longest in Houston NL History with Wynn; Longest by a Lefthander | |||
| 1998 | Jeff Bagwell | 44 | 6/10 | 7/29 | Reached in 88 of 90 games from 10-Jun to 18-Sep; Longest Streak of 1998, Longest of the 90's, and Longest by a Houston infielder | ||
| 1998 | Craig Biggio | 41 | 4/17 | 6/3 | |||
| 1993 | Craig Biggio | 38 | 8/3 | 9/15 | Longest Streak of 1993, and first of club-record (with Bagwell) four 30-+ game streaks | ||
| 1996 | Jeff Bagwell | 37 | 5/14 | 6/22 | Longest Streak of 1996 | ||
| 2004 | Lance Berkman | 7/30 | 9/8 | Reached in 52 of 53 from 7/10 - 9/8; Longest Streak by a Switch-Hitter, and of the 2000's so far | |||
| 2000-2001 | Richard Hidalgo | 35 | 30 Game Streak to End 2000 and 5 game streak to start 2001 | ||||
| 1970 | Joe Morgan | 33 | 7/3 | 8/9 | Longest Streak of 1970 | ||
| 1993 | Jeff Bagwell | 4/20 | 5/27 | First of club-record (with Biggio) four 30-+ game streaks | |||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1999 | Jeff Bagwell | 33 | 6/25 | 7/31 | Longest Streak of 1999 | ||
| 2004 | Lance Berkman | 4/28 | 6/2 | Berkman becomes the only player with two 30+-Game Streaks in the same year | |||
| 1968 | Jim Wynn | 31 | 8/8 | 9/7 | Longest Streak of 1968 and the first 30-Game Streak in Franchise History | ||
| 1996 | Craig Biggio | 7/6 | 8/11 | ||||
| 2006 | Willy Taveras | 7/27 | 8/29 | HBP twice in game that stopped his club-record thirty-game hit streak, then did not reach next game; Went 1 for 9 without a walk in an 18-inning game vs. Chicago 8/15/06; Also Longest Streak in club history from a player who never played in the Astrodome. Will almost assuredly end the season with the lowest OBP of any player in club history who compiled a 30-Game Streak | |||
| 1985 | Bill Doran | 30 | 4/20 | 5/26 | Longest Streak of 1985 and of the '80's | ||
| 2000 | Richard Hidalgo | 8/28 | 10/1 | Longest Streak of 2000 And Longest To Be Still Active at the End of a Season | |||
| 2003 | Craig Biggio | 6/19 | 7/26 | Longest Streak of 2003 | |||
| 1971-1980 | Joe Morgan | 23 Game Streak to End 1971 and 7 game streak to start 1980 | |||||
| 1966 | Joe Morgan | 29 | 4/13 | 5/15 | Longest Streak of 1966, and Morgan becomes the first Houston player to have the team's longest streak two years in a row | ||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1970 | Denis Menke | 29 | 8/1 | 9/1 | |||
| 1983 | Dickie Thon | 6/17 | 7/26 | Longest Streak of 1983 with Cruz | |||
| 1983 | Jose Cruz | 8/23 | 9/23 | Longest Streak of 1983 with Thon | |||
| 1987 | Gerald Young | 8/20 | 9/20 | Longest Streak of 1987, Longest by a Houston Rookie, and Longest from a player who didn't reach 200 times in the season of the streak | |||
| 1993 | Jeff Bagwell | 7/28 | 8/28 | ||||
| 1999 | Jeff Bagwell | 5/15 | 6/15 | Bagwell Second Player in team history after Gross to have the two longest streaks in any one year | |||
| 2002 | Jeff Bagwell | 6/27 | 7/31 | Longest Streak of 2002 | |||
| 1967 | Bob Aspromonte | 28 | 6/5 | 7/5 | Longest Streak of 1967 and longest by a third baseman | ||
| 2001 | Moises Alou | 6/18 | 7/19 | Started 4 games prior to and ended 1 game after his 23-game hit streak | |||
| 1970 | Jim Wynn | 27 | 5/14 | 6/13 | Wynn the first player in team history with 20+-game streaks in three consecutive years | ||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1974 | Greg Gross | 27 | 5/18 | 6/21 | Longest Streak of 1974 | ||
| 1997 | Luis Gonzalez | 5/24 | 6/22 | Longest Streak of 1997 | |||
| 1999 | Carl Everett | 8/20 | 10/3 | Ended the Season, and as he did not return, the streak is in a sense still active. | |||
| 2001 | Craig Biggio | 5/23 | 6/23 | ||||
| 1973 | Roger Metzger | 26 | 7/27 | 8/22 | Longest Streak of 1973 | ||
| 1975 | Greg Gross | 5/7 | 6/5 | Reached in 96 of 101 5/7 - 8/26; Gross First in Team History to have the two Longest Streaks in any one year, and second player after Morgan to have two 20-+ gamers in one season | |||
| 1977 | Bob Watson | 7/27 | 8/23 | Longest Streak of 1977 | |||
| 1979 | Jose Cruz | 4/15 | 5/13 | Longest Streak of 1979 | |||
| 1994 | Craig Biggio | 4/17 | 5/16 | Longest Streak of 1994 with Bagwell | |||
| 1994 | Jeff Bagwell | 5/20 | 6/18 | Longest Streak of 1994 with Biggio | |||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1997 | Jeff Bagwell | 26 | 5/16 | 6/13 | |||
| 2004 | Carlos Beltran | 8/11 | 9/7 | Streak by a Midseason Acquisition | |||
| 1969 | Denis Menke | 25 | 4/8 | 5/2 | Streak to Have Opened the Season | ||
| 1999 | Jeff Bagwell | 4/10 | 5/8 | Reached base in 133 of 141 from 4/10 to 9/11 | |||
| 2000 | Tony Eusebio | 7/9 | 8/29 | Exactly Coincided with his club record hit streak of the time; Longest streak by a Houston catcher | |||
| 2004 | Jeff Kent | 5/14 | 6/11 | Exactly Coincided with his club record hit streak of the time | |||
| 2006 | Lance Berkman | 6/6 | 7/4 | ||||
| 1969 | Joe Morgan | 24 | 5/25 | 7/6 | Morgan First In Team History with two 20-Game Streaks in a single season | ||
| 1975 | Cesar Cedeño | 7/19 | 8/3 | Cedeño third in Team History after Morgan and Gross with two 20-game-plus streaks in same season | |||
| 1975 | Wilbur Howard | 7/4 | 7/29 | ||||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1977 | Cesar Cedeño | 24 | 8/25 | 9/23 | Two games at the end of his then-club record 22 game hit streak | ||
| 2000 | Jeff Bagwell | 7/29 | 8/22 | ||||
| 2001 | Lance Berkman | 6/17 | 7/14 | ||||
| 1965 | Joe Morgan | 23 | 6/16 | 7/16 | Longest Streak of 1965 | ||
| 1967 | Rusty Staub | 6/25 | 7/21 | Started three days before his then-record 20-game hit streak | |||
| 1971 | Joe Morgan | 9/4 | 9/30 | Ended the Season -- and his first tenure with the Astros -- with a 23-game streak Featured an 0 for 8 with a single walk in a 21 inning game vs. SD 9/24/71 | |||
| 1973 | Lee May | 5/30 | 6/24 | Never walked during his 21-game hit streak, then extended the onbase streak without hitting safely in the next game by walking twice; Reached only 183 times all season " | |||
| 1981 | Art Howe | 5/1 | 5/24 | Exactly Coincided with his club record hit streak of the time | |||
| 1985 | Bill Doran | 6/15 | 7/7 | ||||
| 1992 | Craig Biggio | 8/5 | 8/29 | Longest Streak of 1992 | |||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1995 | Craig Biggio | 23 | 7/8 | 8/5 | Longest Streak of 1995; Biggo had at least tied for longest streak on team four years running | ||
| 1998 | Ricky Gutierrez | 3/31 | 5/1 | Opened Season; Would not reach base 200 times all year | |||
| 2002 | Lance Berkman | 8/19 | 9/11 | ||||
| 1970 | Joe Morgan | 22 | 5/12 | 6/4 | |||
| 1970 | Joe Morgan | 8/15 | 9/9 | Morgan With Two 20-Game Streaks in one season, again | |||
| 1975 | Cesar Cedeño | 5/25 | 6/16 | ||||
| 1986 | Kevin Bass | 7/12 | 8/14 | Longest Streak of 1986 | |||
| 1991 | Jeff Bagwell | 6/16 | 7/12 | Longest Streak of 1991 and first of club-record 18 streaks of 20 games or more for Bagwell | |||
| 1993 | Luis Gonzalez | 6/27 | 7/23 | ||||
| 1995 | Dave Magadan | 4/26 | 5/21 | Only reached base 188 times all year | |||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1999 | Craig Biggio | 22 | 7/23 | 8/14 | |||
| 1999 | Craig Biggio | 5/2 | 5/26 | ||||
| 1999 | Jeff Bagwell | 8/22 | 9/11 | ||||
| 2001 | Jeff Bagwell | 8/23 | 9/23 | ||||
| 2003 | Lance Berkman | 5/20 | 6/12 | ||||
| 2004 | Jeff Bagwell | 8/18 | 9/9 | ||||
| 1966 | Bob Aspromonte | 21 | 7/17 | 8/4 | One of only ten players in team history to reach less than 200 times (178) but still manage a 20-game-plus streak. | ||
| 1966 | Sonny Jackson | 7/4 | 8/4 | ||||
| 1971 | Bob Watson | 6/19 | 7/10 | ||||
| 1982 | Dickie Thon | 7/24 | 8/13 | Longest Streak of 1982; only reached 175 times all told | |||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1984 | Jerry Mumphrey | 21 | 4/18 | 5/14 | Longest Streak of 1984 with Cruz | ||
| 1984 | Jose Cruz | 7/7 | 7/30 | Longest Streak of 1984 with Mumphrey | |||
| 1986 | Billy Hatcher | 8/16 | 9/10 | ||||
| 1986 | Kevin Bass | 4/26 | 5/22 | Bass fifth player after Morgan, Gross Cedeño, and Cruz go have two 20-game streaks in a single year | |||
| 1992 | Jeff Bagwell | 6/24 | 7/18 | ||||
| 2002 | Jeff Bagwell | 8/2 | 8/24 | ||||
| 2003 | Jeff Bagwell | 4/4 | 4/27 | ||||
| 1965 | Walt Bond | 20 | 5/28 | 6/16 | First 20-Game Streak in Franchise History; Reached only 154 times overall | ||
| 1969 | Joe Morgan | 4/8 | 4/27 | Opened Season | |||
| 1970 | Doug Rader | 4/21 | 5/14 | ||||
| Year | Player | Length of Streak | Streak Start | Streak End | Comment | ||
| 1983 | Jose Cruz | 20 | 6/4 | 6/28 | Cruz fourth player after Morgan, Gross and Cedeño to have two 20-+ game streaks in a single season, and second after Gross to have the two longest in any one year (although he shared) | ||
| 1983 | Ray Knight | 6/8 | 6/30 | ||||
| 1985 | Kevin Bass | 7/20 | 8/11 | Reached Less than 200 times overall | |||
| 1987 | Bill Doran | 5/30 | 6/19 | ||||
| 1995 | Derek Bell | 6/14 | 7/4 | ||||
| 1999 | Ken Caminiti | 9/6 | 9/28 | Reached Only 127 Times all Year | |||
| 2000 | Ken Caminiti | 5/6 | 6/6 | Reached only 106 times all year; fewest times reached by a player who compiled a 20-game streak in team history | |||
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