1. Before becoming the "Astros" in 1965, what was the original name of the Houston franchise upon its 1962 debut?
A) Houston Apollos
B) Houston Colt .45s
C) Houston Oilers
D) Houston Roughnecks
Answer: B) Houston Colt .45s.The Story Behind the Stat: The team played as the Colt .45s for three seasons. The name change to "Astros" coincided with the move into the Astrodome.
2. Which legendary pitcher threw a no-hitter to clinch the National League West division title for the Astros in 1986?
A) Nolan Ryan
B) Joe Niekro
C) Mike Scott
D) J.R. Richard
Answer: C) Mike Scott.The Story Behind the Stat: Mike Scott struck out 13 San Francisco Giants to secure the division and went on to win the NL Cy Young Award.
3. Craig Biggio is the only player in MLB history to be named an All-Star at which two positions?
A) Catcher and Second Base
B) Second Base and Center Field
C) Catcher and Shortstop
D) Shortstop and Third Base
Answer: A) Catcher and Second Base.The Story Behind the Stat: Biggio began as a speedy catcher before transitioning to second base to preserve his longevity.
4. In what year did the Houston Astros officially move from the National League to the American League?
A) 2005
B) 2011
C) 2013
D) 2015
Answer: C) 2013.The Story Behind the Stat: As part of a league realignment, the Astros moved to the AL West, sparking a new era.
5. Who was the first Houston Astro to ever be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame wearing an Astros cap?
A) Nolan Ryan
B) Jeff Bagwell
C) Craig Biggio
D) Jose Cruz
Answer: C) Craig Biggio.The Story Behind the Stat: Biggio, who played his entire 20-year career in Houston, was inducted in 2015.
6. Jeff Bagwell won the National League MVP in 1994. What was unique about his victory that season?
A) He won it as a rookie
B) He won it unanimously
C) He won it while playing for a last-place team
D) He won it despite being injured for half the year
Answer: B) He won it unanimously.The Story Behind the Stat: Bagwell hit .368 with 39 home runs in just 110 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season.
7. Which Astros pitcher holds the franchise record for the most career strikeouts?
A) Nolan Ryan
B) Justin Verlander
C) Roy Oswalt
D) Don Wilson
Answer: A) Nolan Ryan.The Story Behind the Stat: Ryan recorded 1,866 strikeouts during his tenure in Houston (1980–1988).
8. The 2005 World Series was the first in franchise history. Who did the Astros face?
A) Boston Red Sox
B) New York Yankees
C) Chicago White Sox
D) Detroit Tigers
Answer: C) Chicago White Sox.The Story Behind the Stat: Despite a legendary rotation, the Astros were swept in four incredibly close games.
9. Jose Altuve won the AL MVP in 2017. How many consecutive seasons did he record 200+ hits leading up to/including that year?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
Answer: C) 4.The Story Behind the Stat: From 2014 to 2017, Altuve led the league in hits each year.
10. Which player hit the iconic walk-off home run in the 18th inning of the 2005 NLDS against the Braves?
A) Chris Burke
B) Lance Berkman
C) Brad Ausmus
D) Morgan Ensberg
Answer: A) Chris Burke.The Story Behind the Stat: Rookie Chris Burke ended the longest game in postseason history at the time with an 18th-inning blast.
11. Who won the 2017 World Series MVP award?
A) Jose Altuve
B) Carlos Correa
C) George Springer
D) Alex Bregman
Answer: C) George Springer.The Story Behind the Stat: Springer tied a record with five home runs in the 2017 Fall Classic.
12. In 2022, Framber Valdez set an MLB record for the most consecutive "Quality Starts" in a single season. How many did he achieve?
A) 20
B) 22
C) 25
D) 28
Answer: C) 25.The Story Behind the Stat: Valdez’s consistency was the backbone of the 2022 championship rotation.
13. Which Astros manager led the team to its second World Series title in 2022?
A) A.J. Hinch
B) Dusty Baker
C) Bo Porter
D) Cecil Cooper
Answer: B) Dusty Baker.The Story Behind the Stat: Dusty Baker finally secured his first World Series ring as a skipper in 2022.
14. What is the nickname of Minute Maid Park due to its history as a transportation hub?
A) The Launch Pad
B) The Juice Box
C) Union Station
D) The Space Station
Answer: C) Union Station.The Story Behind the Stat: The stadium was built around Houston's historic Union Station, celebrated by the train in left field.
15. Yordan Alvarez hit a massive 450-foot home run to clinch the 2022 World Series in Game 6. Against which pitcher did he hit it?
A) Zack Wheeler
B) José Alvarado
C) Seranthony Domínguez
D) Aaron Nola
Answer: B) José Alvarado.The Story Behind the Stat: Alvarez’s three-run moonshot is one of the most clutch moments in Houston sports history.
16. Who holds the Astros' single-season record for home runs (47)?
A) Jeff Bagwell
B) Lance Berkman
C) Richard Hidalgo
D) Yordan Alvarez
Answer: B) Lance Berkman.The Story Behind the Stat: "The Big Puma" set this record in 2006.
17. Which rookie shortstop became the first to ever win a Gold Glove and World Series MVP in the same season?
A) Carlos Correa
B) Jeremy Peña
C) Adam Everett
D) Dickie Thon
Answer: B) Jeremy Peña.The Story Behind the Stat: Peña’s historic 2022 postseason made him an instant legend.
18. The "Astrodome" was famously billed as what?
A) The Greatest Show on Earth
B) The Eighth Wonder of the World
C) The Future of Baseball
D) The Cathedral of Sport
Answer: B) The Eighth Wonder of the World.The Story Behind the Stat: It was the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium.
19. Justin Verlander won his third Cy Young Award with the Astros in 2022. What was his ERA that season?
A) 1.33
B) 1.75
C) 2.10
D) 2.45
Answer: B) 1.75.The Story Behind the Stat: At age 39, Verlander posted the lowest AL ERA since 2000.
20. Which pitcher threw the first no-hitter in Minute Maid Park history (2019)?
A) Justin Verlander
B) Gerrit Cole
C) Framber Valdez
D) Cristian Javier
Answer: A) Justin Verlander.The Story Behind the Stat: Verlander tossed his third career no-hitter against Toronto in 2019.
Want more Astros history? Check out the latest books and DVDs on the Houston Dynasty!
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