1966 Houston Astros season
| 1966 Houston Astros | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Ballpark | Astrodome |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Record | 72–90 (.444) |
| League place | 8th |
| Owners | Roy Hofheinz |
| General managers | Tal Smith |
| Managers | Grady Hatton |
| Television | KTRK-TV |
| Radio | KPRC (AM) (Gene Elston, Loel Passe, Harry Kalas) |
The 1966 Houston Astros season was the fifth season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their second as the Astros, fifth in the National League (NL), and second at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season with a 65–97 record, in ninth place and 32 games behind the NL pennant and World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 1965 season was the first for Grady Hatton as manager, the third in franchise history, having replaced Lum Harris. On April 12 at Dodger Stadium, Robin Roberts made the Opening Day start for Houston, who were defeated by Los Angeles, 3–2.
Though this was the second season for the Astrodome in operation, it was the first with the playing surface of AstroTurf installed. The infield portion was installed in March, and the outfield was ready for play on July 19. The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Wayne Twitchell, at third overall.
Second baseman Joe Morgan and pitcher Claude Raymond represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game, the first career selection for both. Morgan was the first player in franchise history to be named starter to the mid-season event; however, he missed the game due to injury.
The Astros concluded the season with a record of 72–90 (.444), in eighth place and 23 games behind the Dodgers, who repeated as NL pennant-winners. At the time, the 72 wins represented more than Houston had won in any of their first four seasons of play.