Editing Houston Astros (section)

===1975–1979: Cautious corporate ownership===
With the $38&nbsp;million deficit of the Astrodome, control of the Astrodomain (including the Astros)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/McLane-era-represents-Astros-most-stable-1698247.php |title=McLane era represents Astros' most stable ownership |date=January 18, 2010 |access-date=February 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212084555/https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/McLane-era-represents-Astros-most-stable-1698247.php |archive-date=February 12, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> was passed from [[Roy Hofheinz]] to GE Credit and Ford Motor Credit. The creditors were just interested in preserving asset value of the team, so any money spent had to be found or saved somewhere else.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=35 |title=Interview – Tal Smith – Pres. Baseball Ops – Astros |publisher=Bizofbaseball.com |date=October 9, 2005 |access-date=November 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027120718/http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=35 |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }}</ref> [[Tal Smith]] returned to the Astros from the [[New York Yankees]] to find a team that needed a lot of work and did not have a lot of money. However, there would be some bright spots that would prove to be good investments in the near future.

The year started on a sad note. Pitcher Don Wilson was found dead in the passenger seat of his car on January 5, 1975; the cause of death was asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. Wilson was 29 years old. Wilson's number 40 was retired on April 13, 1975.<ref name="HOUdaily" />

The 1975 season saw the introduction of the Astros' new uniforms. Many teams were going away from the traditional uniform and the Astros were no exception. From the chest down, the uniform was a solid block of yellow, orange, and red stripes.<ref name="uniforms, SB Nation, April 2013">{{cite web | url=https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/4/11/4213250/houston-astros-uniforms-craig-biggio-jeff-bagwell-jimmy-winn-cesar-cedeno | title=Houston Astros uniforms through history | first=Cliff | last=Corcoran | date=April 11, 2013 | publisher=SB Nation | access-date=May 8, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029013716/https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/4/11/4213250/houston-astros-uniforms-craig-biggio-jeff-bagwell-jimmy-winn-cesar-cedeno | archive-date=October 29, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> There was also a large dark blue star over the midsection. The same multi-colored stripes ran down the pant legs. Players' numbers not only appeared on the back of the jersey, but also on the pant leg. The bright stripes were meant to appear as a fiery trail like a rocket sweeping across the heavens. The uniforms were panned by critics, but the public liked them and versions started appearing at the high school and little league level. The uniform was so different from what other teams wore that the Astros wore it both at home and on the road until 1980.<ref name="HOUdaily" />
[[File:Cesar Cedeno - Houston Astros.jpg|thumb|[[César Cedeño]] (1970–1981) is the franchise's all-time leader with 487 [[Stolen base|steals]]]]
Besides the bright new uniforms there were some other changes. [[Lee May]] was traded to [[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore]] for much talked about rookie second baseman [[Rob Andrews (baseball)|Rob Andrews]] and utility player [[Enos Cabell]]. In Baltimore, Cabell was stuck behind third baseman [[Brooks Robinson]], but he took advantage of his opportunity in Houston and became their everyday third baseman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/enos-cabell-1949 |title=Enos Cabell |publisher=baseballbiography.com |access-date=November 5, 2012 }}</ref> Cabell would go on to become a big part of the team's success in later years. With May gone, [[Bob Watson]] was able to move to first base and was a bright spot in the line up, batting .324 with 85 RBI.

The two biggest moves the Astros made in the offseason were the acquisitions of [[Joe Niekro]] and [[José Cruz]]. The Astros bought Niekro from the [[Atlanta Braves|Braves]] for almost nothing. Niekro had bounced around the big leagues with minimal success. His older brother [[Phil Niekro]] had started teaching Joe how to throw his knuckleball and Joe was just starting to use it when he came to the Astros. Niekro won six games, saved four games and had an ERA of 3.07.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/joe-niekro-1944 |title=Joe Niekro |publisher=baseballbiography.com |access-date=November 5, 2012 }}</ref> Acquiring [[José Cruz]] from the [[St. Louis Cardinals|Cardinals]] was another big win.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hymGG28xYcoC&q=cardinals+sell+cruz+to+astros+for&pg=PA162 |title=Cardinals Encyclopedia – Michael Eisenbath – Google Boeken |date= May 14, 1999|access-date=November 5, 2012|isbn=9781566397032|last1=Eisenbath |first1=Mike |publisher=Temple University Press }}</ref> Cruz became a fixture in the Astros' outfield for several years and would eventually have his number 25 retired.

Despite high expectations, [[1975 Houston Astros season|1975]] was among the Astros' worst in franchise history. Their record of 64–97 was far worse than even the expansion Colt .45's and would remain the worst record in franchise history until [[2011 Houston Astros season|2011]]. It was the worst record in baseball and manager [[Preston Gómez]] was fired late in the season and replaced by [[Bill Virdon]]. The Astros played .500 ball under Virdon in the last 34 games of the season.<ref name="HOUdaily" /> With Virdon as the manager the Astros improved greatly in 1976 finishing in third place with an 80–82 record. A healthy [[César Cedeño]] was a key reason for the Astros' success in 1976. [[Bob Watson]] continued to show consistency and led the club with a .313 average and 102 RBI. [[José Cruz]] became Houston's everyday left fielder and hit .303 with 28 stolen bases.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1976.shtml |title=1976 Houston Astros Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025192002/http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1976.shtml |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/n/niekrjo01.shtml |title=Joe Niekro Statistics and History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228132133/http://www.baseball-reference.com/n/niekrjo01.shtml |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> 1976 saw the end of [[Larry Dierker]]'s playing career as an Astro, but before it was all over he would throw a no-hitter and win the 1,000th game in the Astrodome.<ref>[http://larrydierker.com/index.asp?id=7] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528081837/http://larrydierker.com/index.asp?id=7|date=May 28, 2007}}</ref> The Astros finished in third place again in [[1977 Houston Astros season|1977]] with a record of 81–81.<ref name="HOUdaily" />

One of the big problems the Astros had in the late 1970s was that they were unable to compete in the free-agent market. Ford Motor Credit Company was still in control of the team and was looking to sell the Astros, but would not spend money on better players. Most of the talent was either farm grown or bought cheaply.

The [[1979 Houston Astros season|1979 season]] would prove to be a big turnaround in Astros history. During the offseason, the Astros attempted to fix some of their problem areas. They traded [[Floyd Bannister]] to [[Seattle Mariners|Seattle]] for shortstop [[Craig Reynolds (baseball)|Craig Reynolds]] and acquired catcher [[Alan Ashby]] from [[Toronto Blue Jays|Toronto]] for pitcher [[Mark Lemongello]]. Reynolds and Ashby were both solid in their positions and gave Houston some much-needed consistency.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1979_trans.shtml |title=1979 Houston Astros Trades and Transactions |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907162816/http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1979_trans.shtml |archive-date=September 7, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The season started with a boost from pitcher [[Ken Forsch]], who threw a [[no-hitter]] against the [[Atlanta Braves|Braves]] the second game of the season.<ref name=HOUdaily/> In May 1979, New Jersey shipping tycoon [[John McMullen (engineer)|John McMullen]] had agreed to buy the Astros. Now with an investor in charge, the Astros would be more likely to compete in the free-agent market.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/sports/18mcmullen.html | work=The New York Times | first=Richard | last=Goldstein | title=John J. McMullen Dies at 87; Ex-Owner of Devils and Astros | date=September 18, 2005 | access-date=February 19, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209192926/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/sports/18mcmullen.html | archive-date=December 9, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref>

The Astros were playing great baseball throughout the season. [[José Cruz]] and [[Enos Cabell]] both stole 30 bases. [[Joe Niekro]] had a great year with 21 wins and 3.00 ERA. [[J. R. Richard]] won 18 games and set a new personal strikeout record at 313. [[Joe Sambito]] came into his own with 22 saves as the Astros closer. Things were going as they should for a team that could win the west.<ref name="HOUdaily" /> The Astros and Reds battled the final month of the season. The Reds pulled ahead of the Astros by a game and a half. Later that month they split a pair and the Reds kept the lead. The Astros finished with their best record to that point at 89–73 and {{frac|1|1|2}} games behind the NL winner Reds.<ref name="HOUdaily" />

With Dr. McMullen as sole owner of the Astros, the team would now benefit in ways a corporation could not give them. The rumors of the Astros moving out of Houston started to crumble and the Astros were now able to compete in the free-agent market. McMullen showed the city of Houston that he too wanted a winning team, signing nearby [[Alvin, Texas]] native [[Nolan Ryan]] to the first million-dollar-a-year deal. Ryan had four career no-hitters already and had struck out 383 in one season.<ref name="HOUdaily"/>