1978 Houston Astros season
| 1978 Houston Astros | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Division | West |
| Ballpark | Astrodome |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Record | 74–88 (.457) |
| Divisional place | 5th |
| Owners | General Electric, Ford Motor Company |
| General managers | Tal Smith |
| Managers | Bill Virdon |
| Television | KPRC-TV |
| Radio | KPRC (AM) (Gene Elston, Dewayne Staats) |
The 1978 Houston Astros season was the 17th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 14th as the Astros, 17th in the National League (NL), tenth in the NL West division, and 14th at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season having completed an 81–81 record for third place and 17 games behind the division-champion and NL pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
At Riverfront Stadium on April 6, J. R. Richard made his third of five consecutive Opening Day starts for Houston, who were defeated by the Cincinnati Reds, 11–9. The Astros' first round pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Rod Boxberger at 11th overall; in the second round, they chose outfielder Danny Heep.
Center fielder Terry Puhl was Astros' representative at the MLB All-Star Game and played for the National League, his lone career selection. Third baseman Eddie Mathews, who briefly played for Houston in 1967, became the second former Astro to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Astros concluded the season fifth in the NL West with a record of 74–88, 21 games behind Los Angeles, who repeated as both division champions and NL pennant winners. J. R. Richard became the first right-handed pitcher in National League history to reach 300 strikeouts, as well as the first Houston Astros pitcher to lead the league, with 303.