On this day in 1962, the expansion Houston Colt-45, who later became the Astros, played their first game. It was also the first major league game played in Texas. (The Rangers moved to the Dallas Ft Worth area in 1972)
Houston beat Chicago, 8-1: Veteran Bobby Shantz pitched a complete game and Cuban Roman Mejias was the batting hero:
Shantz ended his Opening Day complete-game victory by getting Ron Santo to fly out to right field. The Colt .45s had won their first game! And Roman Mejias, with two three-run home runs, a single, and six runs batted in, was the day’s hitting star.
And so Colt-45 got off to a winning start in 1962.
Roman Mejias led Houston with 24 HR & 76 RBI. He was out of baseball a couple of years later.
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