1999 Houston Astros season

1999 Houston Astros
National League Central champions
Final Astros regular season game in the Astrodome on October 3, 1999
LeagueNational League
DivisionCentral
BallparkAstrodome
CityHouston, Texas
Record97–65 (.599)
Divisional place1st
OwnersDrayton McLane, Jr.
General managersGerry Hunsicker
ManagersLarry Dierker, Matt Galante
TelevisionKNWS-TV
Fox Sports Southwest
(Bill Brown, Jim Deshaies)
RadioKTRH
(Milo Hamilton, Alan Ashby)
KXYZ
(Francisco Ernesto Ruiz, Alex Treviño)

The 1999 Houston Astros season was the 38th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 35th as the Astros, 38th in the National League (NL), sixth in the NL Central division, and 35th and final season at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season as two-time defending NL Central champions with a 102–60 record, setting a then-club record for wins, as well their first-ever 100-win season. However, the Astros' season ended in a 3-games-to-1 defeat by the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series (NLDS), also the NL pennant winners.

On April 6, pitcher Shane Reynolds made his fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros, who hosted the Chicago Cubs and won, 4–2. In the amateur draft, the Astros' first round selection was outfielder Mike Rosamond at 42nd overall.

Four Astros represented the club, playing for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game: first baseman Jeff Bagwell, and pitchers Mike Hampton, José Lima, and Billy Wagner. This was the fourth All-Star appearance for Bagwell, and first for each of Hampton, Lima and Wagner. Former pitcher Nolan Ryan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ryan spent nine of his 27 MLB seasons with Houston, from 1980 to 1988. Following the season, Ryan was also announced as a selectee to the MLB All-Century Team.

The Astros won their third consecutive NL Central division title on October 3, the final day of playing regular season games in The Astrodome before a sellout crowd. Fans broke the franchise attendance record for a second consecutive season at over 2.7 million. For the first time in franchise history, Houston claimed three consecutive division titles while qualifying for the playoffs in three straight seasons; the next time they accomplished this occurred exactly two decades later, in 2017, 2018, and 2019. This was the Astros' sixth division title and sixth playoff appearance in franchise history.

However, the Astros' season ended in a 3-games-to-1 defeat by the Atlanta Braves in that year's NLDS. It was their third consecutive NLDS loss, and the second in three seasons to Atlanta, who ended their season as the NL pennant winners. In fact, through the point, the Astros had never won playoff round.

Following the season, Hampton, the NL leader in wins (22) and third-place finisher in earned run average (ERA, 2.90), was recognized with the Players Choice Award for NL Outstanding Pitcher and as The Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year, Wagner won the Rolaids Relief Man Award, and Bagwell and Hampton won Silver Slugger Awards.

The Astros relocated the following season to Enron Field, later rebranded as Minute Maid Park, also in downtown Houston.