Introduction to the Houston Astros’ Colorful History
Right around the time Houston’s live oaks began shedding their old leaves, the Houston Astros reported for spring training. While the baseball preseason action was in Florida, plenty of Houston fans shed their own winter wear and dusted off their Astros jerseys in anticipation of Opening Day. In March, the fuchsia azalea bushes exploding from Houston’s landscaped yards preceded an ocean of Astros orange in April. And those blue caps are for the two-time world champions, not the native, blooming bluebonnets. Every spring, Houston colors in nature compete with Houston Astros baseball, from ubiquitous orange and its accompanying rainbow compatriots to the dark blues of Space City.
The Early Years: Colt .45s and the Birth of the Astros
The history of Astros uniforms is a vast portfolio of colors, logos, and typefaces, leaving Houstonians divided on what’s the ultimate era. Way back in 1962, Houston was awarded a Major League Baseball expansion team, the marketing genius of cofounder Roy Hofheinz, a former Houston mayor and Harris County chief executive. NASA was still in its infancy, and Houston had not yet been named the home of Mission Control. A public contest settled on the new team name, Colt .45s, after the ubiquitous cowboy firearm. Never mind that Houston was already a forward-looking city, grasping at modernity, even though cowboy iconography persisted all around the largest city in Texas. Those black caps with “.45” are still popular throwbacks.
The Astrodome Era and the Introduction of the Iconic Logo
Legend has it that Colt’s Manufacturing Co. wasn’t so keen on sharing the name, so Hofheinz took the opportunity to embrace Houston’s new nickname, Space City. Taking a page from the brand-new American Football League’s Houston Oilers, Hofheinz renamed the baseball team after another local industry: space. “Astronauts” was too long, but “Astro” was just right, and would also make a perfect name for the Harris County Domed Stadium, which opened 60 years ago this month. For those first years in the Astrodome, the Astros replaced “.45” with the H-on-star on a blue cap, and white jerseys featuring a simplified shooting star. And from 1965 to 1993, the franchise’s primary logo, seen on the jersey sleeve, featured the Astrodome itself.
The Tequila Sunrise Era: A Bold and Controversial Design
While the original team included future legends like Jimmy Wynn and Larry Dierker, it languished in its league. Possibly the only decent thing to happen for the team in 1971 was the birth of the now-iconic orange caps. The controversial and bold orange rainbow jersey made its debut in 1975, popping visually in contrast to the modest 1960s predecessor and against the bright green Astroturf, especially on television. At the time, it was innovative as a pullover, missing the customary buttons. In 1980, Florida Today sports columnist Shelby Strother coined the term “Tequila Sunrise” to describe it, for its graphic similarity to the tropical cocktail.
Evolution and Change: The 1990s and Beyond
While the orange rainbow was fun, the following dark navy blue and metallic gold branding was dead serious. Appearing in 1994, the new uniforms were confident in their simplicity, with a large, slanted, gold star open on one side, the only, albeit slight, callback. Everything else was brand-new, including the typeface, which was best described simply as “italics.” By then, anything from the 1970s was perceived as corny to young fans, and anyone caught wearing tequila sunrise uniforms in the Astrodome would surely be trash-talked. With the opening of downtown’s Ballpark at Union Station (now Daikin Park) in 2000, the Astros were due for a makeover reflecting the neo-traditional venue.
The Modern Era: A Return to Basics
A move to the American League and yet another rebrand went up to bat in 2013—a welcome back-to-basics. No pinstripes. No script typeface. No brick red. No ’90s navy and gold. Just a deeply saturated orange, blue, and white. And the return to the 1970s H-on-star logo, getting a subtle upgrade—the enlarged H was faceted and the star had a subtle accented split. But the best part was the solid orange cap, which never appeared as frequently as the blue caps, as the Astros grew into the championship legacy era we’re all still vibrating from. And in another charming callback, alternate blue jerseys featured the old orange rainbow on side panels under each arm, a wonderful, and no longer mocked design feature.
Conclusion
Today, fans are offered an endless supply of twists and mash-ups of all the historic Astros logos, colors, and fonts for their caps, jerseys, and championship bling, all for sale at the team store. Pink, plaid, camo, black on black? Why not? And whether you love, hate, or have no opinions on the alternate City Connect uniforms, they do take a few big swings, design-wise. All of the options for fans deepen team love, and make for an amazing show off the field, too. The Houston Astros’ colorful history is a reflection of the city’s vibrant culture and the team’s commitment to innovation and tradition. As a fan, there’s no better way to show team spirit than by embracing the ever-changing, yet timeless, Astros brand.
