HOUSTON BASEBALL TIMELINE ROOTS NEW GROWTH 1887 Houston

HOUSTON BASEBALL TIMELINE ROOTS NEW GROWTH 1887 – Houston Baseball Association formed 1888 – Houston Babies become 1 st prof. club 1896 – Houston Babies renamed Houston Buffalos 1880 - 1900 1905 – West End Park Opens 1914 – WW I halts baseball 1919 – origins of 1 st farm team: Buffs secretly affiliate with St. Louis Cardinals when Branch Rickey facilitates purchase of 18% of Buffs 1920 – Fred Ankenman named President of Buffs 1900 – 1920 EVOLUTION 1920 - 1945 PUSH FOR EXPANSION 1941 Highlights • Ted Williams hits. 406 • Joe Di. Maggio 56 game hitting streak 1946 – Russell new Pres/GM 1949 – Buffs broadcast on TV 1945 - 1960 1952 – Russell out; Kirksey & Cullinan fail to lure Cardinals to Houston 1959 – Houston Sports Association formed (HSA) by Kirksey, 1947 Highlights Cullinan, Hofheinz and R. E. Bob Smith; announce plans for • Robinson breaks color barrier 3 rd baseball league (Continental) 1960 - today 1921 – Buffs become Cardinals Double A team 1928 – Buffalo Stadium Opens 1929 – Great Depression 1930 -34: Cardinals win 3 pennants and 2 World Series 1931 – Dizzy Dean & Ducky Medwick start playing for Buffs 1941 – Pearl Harbor 1942 – Rickey moves to Dodgers 1943 – Buff Pres Ankenman resigns; WW II suspends Texas League VICTORY FOR HOUSTON 1960 – Buffs partner with Chicago Cubs; Continental League fails; Natl League grants franchise to NY and Houston 1961 - Houston's 1 st prof team named via contest 1962 – Colt. 45’s play inaugural season at Colt Stadium Post 1962 – Astros, Astrodome, Minute Maid Park, World Series 2017