1985 Houston Astros season
| 1985 Houston Astros | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Division | West |
| Ballpark | The Astrodome |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Record | 83–79 (.512) |
| Divisional place | 3rd—tied |
| Owners | John McMullen |
| General managers | Al Rosen Dick Wagner |
| Managers | Bob Lillis |
| Television | KTXH HSE |
| Radio | KTRH (Gene Elston, Milo Hamilton, Larry Dierker, Jim Durham, Jerry Trupiano) |
The 1985 Houston Astros season was the 24th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 21st as the Astros, 24th in the National League (NL), 17th in the NL West division, and 21st at the Astrodome. The Astros entered the season as having tied for second place in the NL West with an 80–82 record and 12 games behind the division-champion and NL pennant-winning San Diego Padres.
On April 5, Nolan Ryan made his second Opening Day start for Houston, who hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers and won, 2–1. In the amateur draft, Houston's first round selection was outfielder Cameron Drew at 12th overall. Knuckleball pitcher Joe Niekro earned his 200th win on July 2, and, on July 11, Ryan became the first pitcher to reach 4,000 career strikeouts.
Left fielder José Cruz and Ryan each represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game and played for the National League. This was the second career selection for Cruz and seventh for Ryan. Cruz recorded his 2,000th career hit on September 15.
In September, Dick Wagner became the ninth general manager in franchise history, replacing Al Rosen.
The Astros concluded the season with an 83–79 record, tying for third place with San Diego in the NL West, and 12 games behind Los Angeles, the division-winners.