Florida Complex League Astros Explained

Florida Complex League Astros
Allyears:1965, 1977–1998, 2009–present
City:West Palm Beach, Florida
Uniformlogo:Houston Astros cap logo.svg
Class Level:Rookie
Current League:Florida Complex League
Division:East Division
Majorleague:Houston Astros
Nickname:FCL Astros
Ballpark:FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (2017–present)
Pastparks:Osceola County Stadium (2009–2016)
Leaguenum:3
Divnum:2
Owner:Houston Astros

The Florida Complex League Astros are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Astros. The team plays its home games in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries.

History

The team first played in 1965 in the Florida Rookie League (FRL), and won the league championship. The FRL was the direct predecessor of the Gulf Coast League (GCL), which was formed in 1966. However, the team first played in the GCL during 1977–1998, capturing titles in 1979 and 1994. In 1980 and 1981, the team fielded two squads in the GCL, differentiated by Orange and Blue suffixes. The team suspended operations after the 1998 season.

The team returned to the GCL in 2009, playing their home games at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida. The team has operated continuously since then, and moved to West Palm Beach entering the 2017 season.

Prior to the 2021 season, the Gulf Coast League was renamed as the Florida Complex League (FCL).

Season-by-season

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
align=center colspan=6FRL Astros (1965)
1965 36–21 1st League Champs
No playoffs until 1983
align=center colspan=6GCL Astros (1977–1979)
1977 22–32 6th No playoffs until 1983
1978 23–31 5th Julio Linares
1979 33–19 1st Julio Linares League Champs
align=center colspan=6GCL Astros Blue (1980–1981)
1980 38–24 2nd Eric Swanson
1981 22–38 12th Eric Swanson
align=center colspan=6GCL Astros Orange (1980–1981)
1980 34–28 5th Fernando Tatis
1981 33–28 4th
align=center colspan=6GCL Astros (1982–1998)
1982 20–42 10th
1983 29–32 6th Jose Tartabull
1984 36–27 2nd (t) Jose Tartabull
1985 24–37 8th Julio Linares
1986 32–29 3rd Julio Linares
1987 32–30 5th Julio Linares
1988 28–35 7th Julio Linares
1989 16–47 14th Julio Linares
1990 33–30 7th Julio Linares
1991 27–33 12th (t) Julio Linares
1992 27–33 12th Julio Linares
1993 35–24 3rd Julio Linares Lost League Finals
(vs. GCL Rangers (2 games to 0)
Won in 1st round
(vs. GCL Mets (1 game to 0)
1994 41–18 2nd League Champs
(vs. GCL Royals (2 games to 1)
Won in 1st round
(vs. GCL Marlins (1 game to 0)
1995 32–26 8th (t) Bobby Ramos
1996 31–28 7th Bobby Ramos
1997 24–36 14th Julio Linares
1998 22–38 14th Julio Linares
align=center colspan=6GCL Astros (2009–2020)
2009 18–38 16th
2010 20–36 15th
2011 20–34 15th
2012 28–31 9th Ed Romero
2013 27–33 11th (t) Edgar Alfonzo
2014 28–32 11th
2015 19–41 15th Marty Malloy
2016 22–31 14th Marty Malloy
2017 27–27 10th Wladimir Sutil
2018 27–28 9th Wladimir Sutil
2019 23–28 10th Wladimir Sutil Playoffs cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian
2020 No Season due to pandemic[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved. Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020.