1983 Houston Astros season


The 1983 Houston Astros season was the 22nd season for the Major League Baseball franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 19th as the Astros, 22nd in the National League, 15th in the NL West division, and 19th at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season having posted a 77–85 record for fifth place and 12 games behind the division-champion Atlanta Braves.
On April 5, Joe Niekro made his second Opening Day start for Houston, who hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers but lost, 16–7. On April 27, Nolan Ryan recorded the 3,509th strikeout of his career to surpass Walter Johnson for the all-time record. In the amateur draft, Houston's first round selection was catcher Robbie Wine at eighth overall.
Shortstop Dickie Thon and pitcher Bill Dawley each represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game and played for the National League, the first career selection for both.
The Astros concluded the season with an 85–77 record, for third place and 6 games behind the division-champion Dodgers. Following the season, Thon and outfielder José Cruz both won their first career Silver Slugger Awards for their respective positions, also the first Astros to win the award.

Offseason

Summary

April

Reprising Opening Day just two seasons prior, the Astros hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Houston featured right-hander Joe Niekro to oppose southpaw Fernando Valenzuela. In a reversal of a 2–0 pitchers' duel that had transpired during the first iteration, neither starter fared well, yielding six runs while lasting a maximum of three innings each. While the Dodgers successfully implemented damage control, the Astros could not, as Los Angeles piled on 15 hits to fuel a 16–7 rout. Leading the way was Pedro Guerrero, who cranked a home run among three hits and six runs batted in, while finishing a double away from hitting for the cycle. The 16 runs surrendered on Opening Day was the season-most for runs allowed for the Astros. It also oriented their longest losing streak of the season, at nine games.
On April 17, Nolan Ryan struck out Andre Dawson for the 3500th strikeout in his career.

Nolan Ryan's career record-breaking strikeout

On April 27, Ryan struck out Brad Mills of the Expos to break Walter Johnson's all time mark for strikeouts in a career. Mills was the 3,509th strikeout of Ryan's career. Ryan totaled five whiffs on the day. Phil Garner and Dickie Thon each delivered two runs batted in in a 4–2 Astros' victory, and moved the club game up from last place in the NL West. Omar Moreno led off the contest with a triple. Thon then swatted sacrifice fly to score Moreno, and, in the third, an RBI single. Garner later homered in the first and singled in another runner during the third.
Ryan pitched eight innings overall. Alan Ashby served as Ryan's batterymate. Frank LaCorte closed out the ninth for the save.

May

Right-hander Mike Scott debuted for Houston on May 6, a start in which he tossed four scoreless innings but yielded five walks to the Atlanta Braves. Frank DiPino, who finished the bout by tossing five perfect innings and whiffed five, earned the victory in relief as Houston won, 6–0. DiPino also hit an RBI double during the top of sixth inning. Omar Moreno collected four hits, three RBI, and a stolen base, while Dickie Thon tallied three hits, two stolen bases, and scored twice.

June

On June 4, Alan Ashby homered twice, doubled and had six runs batted in to back Mike Scott, who earned his first win as a Houston Astro. The final score was 13–0 over the Cincinnati Reds. Scott went the distance to simultaneously to garner his first complete game and shutout as an Astro.
Nolan Ryan went the distance on June 12, differentiated as the first complete game of his career without having issued any base on balls, and collectively, the power pitcher's 167th complete game. Ryan tossed a five-hit, 2–0 shutout masterpiece of the San Diego Padres in which he induced 11 whiffs and earned a game score of 88. Bill Doran plated Ashby with a single during the bottom of the second, and, in the third, Cruz doubled in Thon, who had two hits. Puhl also added two hits.
Shortstop Dickie Thon homered twice off Padres starter Eric Show on June 17. This generated enough offense for Ryan, as he struck out six in a 4–1 win. Ryan also ended the contest just one strikeout behind Philadelphia Phillies starter Steve Carlton for the all-time strikeout race.

July

On July 10, Cruz collected his 10th career four-hit game, slashing two doubles with two RBI. This was his first four-hit game of the season. Cruz doubled twice, scored twice, and drove in two, but the New York Mets overcame Houston, 7–5. Terry Puhl added three hits while Thon and Phil Garner each had two. Darryl Strawberry hit his ninth home run for New York.
On July 22, Cruz was 4-for-5 for his 11th career four-hit game and second of the campaign. He also scored twice.

August

On August 11, José Cruz went 2-for-4—including a triple—and produced his first game of the season with at least four RBI.
On August 15, Cruz went 3-for-5 and launched his fifth career multi-home run game, and his sixth career with 5 RBI.
José Cruz originated a career-best 29-game on-base streak from the nightcap of a doubleheader on August 23 until September 23. During the streak, Cruz hit for a.364 batting average,.412 on-base percentage and.477 slugging percentage, garnering 39 hits and 9 bases on balls.

September

On September 13, José Cruz received a hit by pitch for the seventh time—third as an Astro—and final time in his major league career.
Cruz collected four hits on September 16, his third four-hit contest of the campaign, and 12th of his career. He also doubled a pilfered a base. Bill Doran led the game off with a triple, while Terry Puhl and Cruz both followed with doubles to give Houston a 2–0 lead over the Cincinnati Reds. The Astros' momentum did not endure, however, as the Reds won easily, 8–3.
On September 18, Cruz posted his 14th career contest with at least three walks, otherwise going 0-for-2.
On September 20, Cruz realized his third career six-RBI game, going 2-for-3 with an intentional base on balls. With Houston up 5–0, Cruz launched his second career grand slam off Burt Hooton during the second inning, which only got things warmed up as Houston ran away with a 15–2 drubbing of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Denny Walling also had a big game, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, and doubled twice. Nolan Ryan allowed four hits and two runs over six innings with seven strikeouts, and Jeff Heathcock closed out the last three innings for his first save.

Performance overview

Houston concluded the 1983 season with an record, in third place in the NL West divions and six games behind the division-champion Dodgers. The Astros also had the fourth-best record in the National League. For the third instance in franchise annals, the club reached the 85-win threshold, and for the fifth time, a.525 winning percentage—including the former, along with the 1972 and 1981 strike-shortened campaigns. Moreover, since 1972, this was the eighth campaign with a record at.500 or above.
Left fielder José Cruz remained in contention for the batting championship until the final day, winding up third. Cruz led the National League in hits, becoming the first Astro to accomplish this feat.
For the seventh time, an Astros pitcher claimed the title for hits per nine innings surrendered: Nolan Ryan at 6.143 H/9. The major league leader in this category for the third consecutive season, Ryan followed Don Wilson in 1971, and J. R. Richard.
Cruz and Thon both won their first career Silver Slugger Awards for their respective positions, while becoming the first Astros to receive the honor.
Moreover, Cruz won his third Houston Astros' team Most Valuable Player Award, having previously received the honor for the 1977 and 1980 campaigns. As a third-time winner, Cruz surpassed Rusty Staub for the club record, who won in 1966 and 1967.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Game log

Regular season

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CAlan Ashby8727563.229834
1BRay Knight145507154.304970
2BBill Doran154535145.271839
SSDickie Thon154619177.2862079
3BPhil Garner154567135.2381479
LFJosé Cruz160594189.3181492
CFOmar Moreno9740598.242025
RFTerry Puhl137465136.292844

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Kevin Bass8819546.236218
Tony Scott8018642.226217
Jerry Mumphrey4414348.336117
10013540.296319
Craig Reynolds659821.21416
Luis Pujols408717.195012
John Mizerock338513.153110
Harry Spilman427813.16719
George Bjorkman297517.227214
Tim Tolman435611.196210
7143.21400
Bert Peña481.12500