2002 Houston Astros season
| 2002 Houston Astros | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Division | Central |
| Ballpark | Astros Field |
| City | Houston, Texas |
| Record | 84–78 (.519) |
| Divisional place | 2nd |
| Owners | Drayton McLane, Jr. |
| General managers | Gerry Hunsicker |
| Managers | Jimy Williams |
| Television | KNWS-TV FSN Southwest (Bill Brown, Jim Deshaies, Bill Worrell) |
| Radio | KTRH (Milo Hamilton, Alan Ashby) KXYZ (Francisco Ernesto Ruiz, Alex Treviño) |
The 2002 Houston Astros season was the 41st season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 38th as the Astros, 41st in the National League (NL), ninth in the NL Central division, and third at Astros Park, renamed Minute Maid Park during the season. The Astros entered the season as defending NL Central division champions for the fourth time with a 93–69 record; however, their season ended in defeat in the National League Division Series (NLDS) to the Atlanta Braves for the third time.
The 2002 season was the first for Jimy Williams as manager, the 15th in franchise history, having replaced Larry Dierker. Opening Day for Houston occurred on April 2 in which they hosted the Milwaukee Brewers, who won, 9–3. Wade Miller was the Astros' Opening Day starting pitcher. On April 8, Craig Biggio became the fifth player and on the sixth occasion in franchise history to hit for the cycle.
Dierker, having pitched for Colt .45s/Astros for 13 seasons, broadcast for 18, and managed the club for another five, had his uniform number retired by the club on May 19. Likewise, other Houston broadcasters, Harry Kalas (Ford C. Frick Award), and René Cárdenas (Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame inductee) were honored for their career impact.
The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Derick Grigsby, 29th overall. On June 5, the Astros announced a new agreement reached with Minute Maid for the naming rights to their stadium, rebranding it from Astros Field to Minute Maid Park.
Outfielder Lance Berkman represented the Astros and played for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game, his second career selection.
Berkman became the second Astro to lead the league in runs batted in (RBI), collecting 128.
The Astros concluded the season with an 84–78 record, in second place in the NL Central division, and 13 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros ranked third in the NL Wild Card race, trailing the eventual NL-champion San Francisco Giants by 11+1⁄2 games. However, this was the ninth winning season in the previous 10 for Houston—with 2000 being the exception—continuing an unprecedented period of success. Additionally, it was the eighth time in nine seasons since moving to the NL Central that the Astros had finished in either first or second place.
Following the season, catcher Brad Ausmus won the second Gold Glove Award of his career.