Heritage Sports Art

Some History

Following the 2003 season the Astros signed Houston natives and former Yankees Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens who had won a combined 38 games with the Yankees in 2003. The signing of Clemens took some by surprise as during the 2003 season and post-season he let it be known that that was going to be his last season. But the allure of playing in his hometown in front of his family and alongside his good friend Andy Pettitte was too much for Clemens (and perhaps it had something to do with the $16mil a year), and he signed a two-year contract with the Astros.

After finishing the 2003 season in second in the NL Central with a record of 87-75, one game behind the Cubs, the club felt by adding Pettitte and Clemens they had enough to get them into the 2004 postseason.  And it worked!

After a wild ride, the Astros finished the 2004 season with a 92-70 record, good enough to win the NL Wild Card berth in a real nail biter - more on this in a moment. Their season was not without its ups and downs. Andy Pettitte would suffer an elbow injury in his first start that would affect him the entire season. He spent most of the season on the Disabled List and posted a 6-4 record in just 15 starts. But the remarkable and ageless Clemens would not disappoint - he was dominant from the start of the season. He won his first 9 decisions on the way to an 18-4 record with a 2.98 ERA and 218 Ks. He passed Steve Carlton for 2nd on the career strikeout list on and won his record-setting 7th Cy Young award, his first in the Senior Circuit.

The Astros had a 44-44 record at the time of the All Star game, a game they hosted at Minute Maid Park. Jimy Williams, in his 3rd year with Houston, was booed by his hometown fans when he was introduced as a coach for the NL squad. The fans were upset because after winning 21 games in their first 32, the Astros won only 23 of their next 56 and Williams was held accountable. A day after the game Williams was fired and replaced by former Tigers skipper Phil Garner.

The Astros continued to slump after Garner took over; they were 4 games below .500 by mid August. As September began the Astros got hot and put together a 12-game winning streak. They won 22 of 26 games to become a late entrant into the race for the Wild Card. Down the stretch the Astros were even hotter winning 9 of their last 10 including their final 7 games to capture the Wild Card berth by 1 game over the San Francisco Giants with a record of 92-70.

Houston opened the post season against the Atlanta Braves, a team that has eliminated them from the playoffs in 1997, 1999 and 2001. The Rocket led the Astros to a series-opening victory 9-3. The two teams alternated victories until the 5th and deciding Game 5 in Atlanta when the Astros beat the Braves in a 12-3 laugher. This would be the first playoff series win in the Astros history. Despite the victory a pall was cast over the series when news of former NL MVP, Astros and Braves 3rd baseman Ken Caminiti was found dead of a drug-induced heart attacked in a run-down part of New York.

The Stros advanced to the NLCS where they faced the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals. Carlos Beltran, who the Astros acquired in a mid-season deal, got hot in a hurry, homering in the first inning of the first 2 games. However it wasn't enough as the Astros lost both games and needed a strong performance from Roger Clemens in Game 3 in Houston just to stay alive. Clemens delivered; getting his team back into the series with a strong 7-inning effort as him team won game 3 by a 3-1 count.  Houston would then win Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 series lead back to St. Louis. But Tony Larussas veteran team would regroup and win Game 6, 6-4 and Game 7, 5-2 on home soil to win the NL pennant and advance to the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.  Roger Clemens pitched Game 7 for Houston, but he could not hold off the Cards offence giving up 4 runs, all earned, on 6 hits, in 6 innings-pitched.

This 2004 Astros jersey is the teams alternate road jersey - they have a similar alternate jersey for home but it says Astros across the chest.  This jersey style was introduced in 2002 when the Astros eliminated their black alternate jersey and brought in this brick red jersey. The sleeves on this jersey showcase two patches. On the right sleeve is a patch commemorating the 2004 All Star game that was held at Minute Maid Park, and on the left sleeve is a patch of the Astros state-of-Texas logo.

This jersey is what is referred to nowadays as a 3rd jersey. A 3rd jersey is a concept that became commonplace in baseball and hockey in the 1990's, and in the 2000s in the NFL. Most 3rd jerseys are worn occasionally at home as well as on the road, giving a team a third option as to what uniform to wear. And of course, the addition of a third jersey adds to the options fans can buy, thereby increasing apparel revenues and ultimately benefiting the team. More recently, baseball and hockey teams have begun adding 4th and even 5th jerseys to their roster of uniform possibilities, a bit of a frightening trend to those who like to be able to tell the home team from the road team by seeing the teams uniforms.