Why did the Houston Colt .45s change their name to the Astros?
The Astros is a good name, but I like the Colt .45s better. Why did they change the name?
The Astros is a good name, but I like the Colt .45s better. Why did they change the name?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
They changed the name when they moved into the Houston Astrodome, hence the name Astros. And in honor of the space program.
Quote I found:
"Construction of the domed building was finally completed in late 1964. In honor of Houston's significance to the country's space program, it was appropriately named the Astrodome, and to maintain the theme, the Colt .45s were proudly renamed the Astros. Houston baseball abandoned the outdoors and moved across the parking lot on April 9, 1965 to play ball in the climate-controlled structure. With Hofheinz now secured as the sole owner of the team and known as the man who brought the vision of a domed stadium to life, he was coined the "Father of Indoor Baseball."
rayburn
Houston Colt 45s
Pat S
I agree with the poster who said that "Astros" is an awful name. It was, and still is. But at least it represents the city, unlike some pro team names such as the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, inherited from distant teams where the name fit.
Nonetheless, the reason was indeed because Houston was the hub of action for the space program, hence the "Astronauts" and "Astrodome."
Personally, I liked the Colt 45s better also. I attended a game at Colt Stadium in 1963, and witnessed a near no-hitter by Jonnny Podres of the Dodgers. Colt Stadium was a reminder of a minor league stadium, located in the shadows of the under-construction Astrodome. It had its own unique brand of charm. And so did the team name.
Anonymous
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of idiots who come in here and give guesses in place of answers, like the moron who claims the Colt 45s became the Angels. It's just baffling these people are able to work a computer.
They changed the name when they moved into the Astrodome, which was a big deal at the time and was considered the "eight wonder of the world." I think "Astros" is an awful name. What is an "astro?" There is no such word in the English language, unless they meant to name the team after the dog from the Jetsons. I know it's of latin origin, but still, the word itself is not an actual word (still, it's far better than "the Expos")
Sarrafzedehkhoee
Astrodome. At the time a huge freaky wonder of the world, like the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois. Now it's kinda dumb, id'n it. Maybe they should change it. What's an 'Astro'? It's like the 'Expos'. Colt. 45s is better.