1991 Houston Astros season

Offseason

• October 4, 1990: Bill Gullickson was released by the Astros.
• January 10, 1991: Glenn Davis was traded by the Astros to the Baltimore Orioles for Curt Schilling, Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch.

Regular season

Summary

April

;Opening Day starting lineup

On April 8, right-hander Mike Scott made the Opening Day start for Houston, while first baseman Jeff Bagwell and right-hander Darryl Kile each made his major league debut, with the defending World Series-champion Cincinnati Reds hosting the Astros at Riverfront Stadium. Bagwell, batting sixth, drew a base on balls during the top of the second inning from Reds' Opening Day starter Tom Browning for his first plate appearance. In the top of the fourth, Craig Biggio golfed the Astros' first home run and scored the club's first run of the season to take a 1–0 lead. The Reds got to Scott in the bottom of the fourth. Leading off, Barry Larkin homered to left and the Reds collected three doubles, capped by Browning's bases-loaded double for a 4–1 advantage. Kile assumed the bottom of eighth, and punched out his first hitter looking, Hal Morris. Bagwell recorded the final outs of the contest by lining out to Larkin for an unassisted double play. Bagwell was hitless in three at bats for his first game while the Reds won, 6–2.

His fifth Opening Day start, Scott matched J. R. Richard's then-club record for pitchers, which stood until Roy Oswalt started his sixth in a row for Houston's opener in 2008. However, this outing would be the penultimate appearance of Scott's major league career.

Scott made his final major league appearance on April 13 at the Astrodome. He took the loss against the San Francisco Giants, to whom he surrendered six hits and five runs surrendered over three innings.

On April 15, Bagwell crushed his first major league home run, which was as well-timed as could be, for both the player, batting .143, and the club. Starters Jim Deshaies and John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves remained in lockstep in a duel at 1–1 through seven innings at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Smoltz' only blemish was a solo home run to Craig Biggio in the sixth inning. The score remained tied until the top of the ninth. With two out, Ken Caminiti singled off Kent Mercker, who then served a two-run blast to Bagwell for his first major league homer. The Astros bullpen ensured the lead stood, as fellow rookie Al Osuna (1–0) recorded two outs to earn his first win of the season and Curt Schilling induced the final two outs for the save (2).

On April 16, Houston turned the seventh triple play in franchise history, during the bottom of the second inning against Atlanta. This feat mirrored the most recent triple play to have occurred in the major leagues, during the previous September 21, in which the Astros also turned one against the Braves on the road.

May

Inserted as a pinch hitter on May 5, Jeff Bagwell pummeled a home run that reached the upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium, just the ninth hitter to do so. The blast, which tied the game, 4–4, covered a distance of 456 ft. Steve Finley followed up by slugging a two-run bomb to provide the margin for a 6–4 Astros win.

June

After surrendering three runs and the lead in the top-half of the ninth inning on June 6, the Astros rallied against the Montreal Expos to win, 9–8. Luis Gonzalez and Ken Caminiti each hit run batted in (RBI)-doubles to spark the walk-off comeback.

July

On July 29, Ken Caminiti connected for his first career grand slam off Bryn Smith, during the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4–1 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The decisive event, the slam ensured the margin for victory with a 6–2 final score. Biggio collected four hits, while Finley legged out a triple and scored. Deshaies went the distance to pick up his fourth win.

August

On August 4, Houston implemented the eighth triple play in franchise history, during the top of the fifth inning versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was the third time in club history that the Astros turned more than one triple play during the same season, first accomplished in 1971, and then 1978 (one of which during the latter season was also prosecuted against the Dodgers). Moreover, this event was distinguished the first occasion that Houston turned as many as three triple plays within one calendar year.

September

Center fielder Kenny Lofton made his major league debut on September 14, batting leadoff at Riverfront Stadium. Lofton drew a base on balls from left-hander Randy Myers in his first plate appearance. Bagwell doubled in Lofton and Biggio for a 2–0 Astros lead and Lofton's first run in the major leagues. In the bottom of the fourth, the Reds led off with a trio of consecutive home runs via Mariano Duncan, Hal Morris, and Paul O'Neill, taking Astros starter Mark Portugal deep for a 3–2 lead. During the bottom of the fifth, Lofton singled off Myers on a line drive between shortstop and second base for his first major league hit. The Astros regained the lead in the eighth after Lofton hit a leadoff infield single, and singles from Biggio and Caminiti. Lofton doubled in the top of the ninth for a third hit, and again scored as the Astros added insurance for a 7–3 win. During his debut, Lofton went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk.

The Astros held a pre-game ceremony for Scott on September 25 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his NL West division-clinching no-hitter. He had remained unable to throw since being placed on the DL in April and, at that time, predicted that his playing career was over.

Performance overview

The Astros concluded the 1991 campaign with a 65–97 record, for sixth and last place with in the NL West, trailing the division-champion and NL pennant-winning Atlanta Braves. Theirs was also the worst record in the National League. A decline by 10 wins from the year prior, the 97 losses tied for most in club annals with the 1965 and 1975 editions. The 97 defeats remained the club record until 2011, with 106—Houston's first-ever season dropping 100 or more contests

Pete Harnisch led the National League in hits per nine innings surrendered (7.020 H/9). This was the 10th time that a Houston pitcher led the league; in 1987, Nolan Ryan had been the Astros' most recent league leader.

For the first and only time during the era in which The Sporting News recognized one Rookie of the Year each for one position player and one pitcher in the each league, both NL awards went to Astros: Bagwell and to left-hander Al Osuna. Bagwell became the fourth rookie to win for position players, following Joe Morgan (1965), Greg Gross (1974), and Jeffrey Leonard (1979). Meanhile, Osuna became the second Astros pitcher to win the award, following Tom Griffin in 1969, amounting to six total Astros who had won The Sporting News rookie award.

After four occasions prior to the 1991 seasons in which The Sporting News had recognized Astros players with their Rookie of the Year Award, Bagwell also became Houston's first-ever NL Rookie of the Year Award, as voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Transactions

• May 20: Signed right-handed pitcher Óscar Henríquez as an international free agent.

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Awards and honors

Grand slams

Awards

• Baseball Digest Rookie All-Stars:
  • Jeff Bagwell—First baseman
  • Luis Gonzalez—Outfielder
  • Al Osuna—Relief pitcher
• Baseball America Rookie of the Year: Jeff Bagwell
• Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball: Clark Nealon
• Houston-Area Major League Player of the Year: Roger Clemens (BOS) & Greg Swindell (CLE)
• Houston Astros Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award: Jeff Bagwell
• MLB All-Star Game
  • Craig Biggio—Reserve catcher
  • Pete Harnisch—Reserve pitcher
• National League (NL) Player of the Week
  • September 1: Ken Caminiti
  • September 8: Andújar Cedeño
• National League (NL) Rookie of the Year: Jeff Bagwell
• The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year:
  • Jeff Bagwell—Position player
  • Al Osuna—Pitcher
• Topps All-Star Rookie Team:
  • Jeff Bagwell—First baseman
  • Andújar Cedeño—Shortstop
  • Luis Gonzalez—Outfielder
  • Al Osuna—Left-handed pitcher

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Tucson

References

;Footnotes

;Sources

References

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22. (September 14, 1991). "Houston Astros (7) vs Cincinnati Reds (3) box score". Baseball-Reference.com.
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