For Hurricane Ike in 2008, Selig mandated that the Astros play two home games against the Chicago Cubs in his hometown of Milwaukee despite proximity to the visiting Cubs.

In January and February 2008, the Astros signed Brandon Backe, Ty Wigginton, Dave Borkowski and Shawn Chacon to one-year deals.

Eighteen teams have all hosted an all-star game at least twice since the Mets last did: Atlanta Braves ( 1972 and 2000 ), Chicago White Sox ( 1983 and 2003 ), Cincinnati Reds ( 1970 and 1988 ), Cleveland Indians ( 1981 and 1997 ), Detroit Tigers ( 1971 and 2005 ), Houston Astros ( 1968, 1986, and 2004 ), Kansas City Royals ( 1973 and 2012 ), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ( 1967, 1989, and 2010 ), Milwaukee Brewers ( 1975 and 2002 ), Minnesota Twins ( 1965, 1985, and 2014 ), New York Yankees ( 1977 and 2008 ), Philadelphia Phillies ( 1976 and 1996 ), Pittsburgh Pirates ( 1974, 1994, and 2006 ), San Diego Padres ( 1978 and 1992 ), San Francisco Giants ( 1984 and 2007 ), Seattle Mariners ( 1979 and 2001 ), and St. Louis Cardinals ( 1966 and 2009 ), and Washington Senators / Texas Rangers ( 1969 and 1995 ).

Many Razorbacks players have gone on to the majors, perhaps the most successful is Cliff Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award Winner, with the most recent being Dallas Kuechel of the Houston Astros ..

Matsui made his 2008 debut for the Astros on April 18.

On May 23, 2008, during a pre-game ceremony in which Biggio received an award for MLB. com's This Year in Baseball 2007 Moment of the Year award for his 3, 000th hit on June 28, the Astros announced that they would retire Craig Biggio's jersey.

The Houston Astros retired his No. 7 jersey on August 17, 2008, prior to the start of a game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks.

On September 5, 2008, the ValleyCats extended their PDC ( player development contract ) with the Houston Astros through the 2010 season.

Previously, Chávez played for the Montreal Expos ( 1996 – 1997 ), Seattle Mariners ( 1998 ), Houston Astros ( 2000, 2002 – 2005 ), Baltimore Orioles ( 2006 ), Pittsburgh Pirates ( 2008 ), and Toronto Blue Jays ( 2009 ).

Hurricane Ike's landfall in Houston forced the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros to play a two-game series at Miller Park on Sunday, September 14 and Monday, September 15, 2008.

The park became the first neutral site in Major League history to host a no-hitter, when Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs threw the first no-hitter in the history of the park against the Houston Astros on Sunday, September 14, 2008.

He also expressed optimism about spending the next four years with Miguel Tejada as a teammate ( Tejada was traded to the Astros before the 2008 season ).

Clapp began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Lexington Legends, the Houston Astros " A " ball team in the South Atlantic League, although he came out of retirement to represent Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was named to the roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Rakers signed with the Houston Astros for the season, but was released shortly after and signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League for the 2008 season.

On June 22, 2008, Majewski signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros and was assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi.

However, the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball announced on Friday, October 17, 2008 that it had withdrawn the suspension of the former Astros ' starting pitcher because it was a first offense.

Since the Fenway Sports Group purchased the Carolina League's Salem Avalanche franchise after the 2007 season, with the stated intent of moving the Red Sox's High-A affiliation there once the 2007 – 2008 agreement term expired, the JetHawks were forced to find a new major league affiliate before the 2009 season — the Houston Astros.

The team, known from 1995 through 2008 as the Salem Avalanche, was previously affiliated with the Houston Astros from 2003 to 2008 and the Colorado Rockies from 1995 to 2002.

In December 2007, this group sold the team to Fenway Sports Group, a subsidiary of the Boston Red Sox ownership group, preparing the team for an affiliation change after its Player Development Contract with the Astros ended in 2008.

On January 11, 2008, Diaz signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros, but was released on May 2, 2008.

* Jason Michaels, Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies ( 2001 – 2005 ), Cleveland Indians ( 2006 – 2008 ), Pittsburgh Pirates ( 2008 ), Houston Astros ( 2009 – Present )

* Sporting News All-Decade Team ( 2009 ): C – Joe Mauer, Twins ; 1B – Albert Pujols, Cardinals ; 2B – Jeff Kent, Giants – Astros – Dodgers ; 3B – Alex Rodriguez, Mariners – Rangers – Yankees ; SS – Derek Jeter, Yankees ; OF – Barry Bonds, Giants ; OF – Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners ; OF – Manny Ramirez, Indians – Red Sox – Dodgers ; DH – David Ortiz, Twins – Red Sox ; SP – Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks – Yankees – Giants ; RP – Mariano Rivera, Yankees

He managed the Lexington Legends, the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros, for the 2009 season.

On November 16, 2009, Lawless was named the new manager for the Lancaster JetHawks, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Houston Astros, for the 2010 season.

Blanco hit his first major league home run on July 29, 2009 while playing the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field.

On July 2, 2009, the MLB experienced its first game to be delayed / halted by a swarm of bees at Petco Park in a game between the Padres and the Houston Astros.

From 2009 to 2011, Quirk served as bullpen coach for the Houston Astros under manager Brad Mills.

Ramírez got off to a quick start in 2009 with 5 RBI during the Cubs ' opening series against the Houston Astros.

In his first campaign with the Cardinals, in 1996, La Russa clinched the National League's Central Division title ( and also finished National League Runner-Up ), a feat his club repeated in 2000, 2001, 2002 ( his fourth Manager of the Year award ), 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009 ( the Cardinals also tied for the National League Central crown with the Houston Astros in 2001 ).

He played with the Kansas City Royals ( 1988 – 95 ), Boston Red Sox ( 1996 – 99 ), Chicago Cubs ( 2001 – 02 ), Houston Astros ( 2002 ), Chicago White Sox ( 2003 ), New York Yankees ( 2004 – 05 ), Philadelphia Phillies ( 2006 – 08 ) and the Arizona Diamondbacks ( 2009 ).

He pitched for the Houston Astros ( 1995 – 2003 ), the Philadelphia Phillies ( 2004 – 2005 ), the New York Mets ( 2006 – 2009 ), the Boston Red Sox ( 2009 ), and the Atlanta Braves ( 2010 ).

On December 10, 2009, Feliz signed a $ 4 million 1-year deal with the Houston Astros.

He served as the manager of the Lexington Legends, the Astros ' Class A minor league team, for the 2009 season.

From 2009 to 2011, the JetHawks reintroduced the all new Hawkettes, a dance team that helps pass out giveaways at the main gate, toss JetHawks and Astros merchandise into the stands, and demonstrate their dancing abilities with their own dance routines, along with KaBoom, between innings.

On January 7, 2009, Bazardo signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros.

On October 27, 2009, Mills was named manager of the Houston Astros, replacing interim manager Dave Clark.

Shelton signed a minor league contract on December 8, 2009 with Houston Astros

He signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros on January 14, 2009, and was invited to spring training.

On February 22, 2009, Hall elected to undergo shoulder surgery, which enabled the Astros to void his deal.

With Virdon as the manager the Astros improved greatly in 1976 finishing in third place with a 80 – 82 record.

After finishing fourth in 1985 the Astros fired general manager Al Rosen and manager Bob Lillis.

After finishing second in their division in 1994 ( in a strike year ), 1995, and 1996, the Astros won consecutive division titles in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

However, they collapsed at the end of the season, finishing tied for third with the Houston Astros behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.

One month later, on September 20, Zambrano gained his first big-league victory by finishing out the fifth inning against the Houston Astros.

As his college basketball career came to an end, Lofton was able to concentrate on baseball and he improved rapidly, finishing second in the league in hitting at. 331 while adding 62 steals for the Osceola Astros in the Florida State League.

Construction on the seating area was completed in late May increasing the capacity for the May 29, 2006 game vs the Houston Astros with finishing touches performed throughout the year.

The Astros, badly in need of power after finishing last in the NL in home runs in 1971, sent second baseman Morgan, pitcher Jack Billingham, infielder Dennis Menke, outfielder Cesar Geronimo and minor leaguer Ed Armbrister to Cincinnati for May, second baseman Tommy Helms and utility man Jimmy Stewart.

He played the entire 1991 season with the Astros, finishing the season with an average of. 262, and having career highs with 151 games played and 4 home runs to go along with 7 triples, which placed him ninth in the National league in that category.