Highlighted Year: Bob Aspromonte, 1964

Third Baseman, Houston Colt .45s

 

Age:  26 (June 19)

3^rd season with Colt .45s

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 170 

Prior to 1964:

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Aspromonte grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and participated in youth baseball. As a senior at Lafayette High School, he was captain of the baseball team and played basketball as well. Aspromonte signed with the Dodgers out of high school in 1956. After playing for Macon of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League, the 18-year-old was called up to Brooklyn in September and went hitless in one at bat. Aspromonte spent six months in the Army in 1957 before entering the Army Reserve and returning to baseball with Macon, where he batted .311 in twelve games before being sent to Thomasville of the Class D Georgia-Florida League where he hit .263 in 53 games while appearing at third base and shortstop. In 1958 he was assigned to Des Moines of the Class A Western League where he batted .263 with 12 extra-base hits and a .333 on-base percentage. In 1959 “Aspro” advanced to the Montreal Royals and hit .259 with 18 doubles and a .299 OBP. A strong spring performance allowed Aspromonte to start the 1960 season as a utility infielder with the Dodgers, who were in their third season in Los Angeles and coming off a World Series title. After an impressive four-hit outing in May that included his first major league home run, Aspromonte’s hitting dropped off and he was sent to St. Paul of the Class AAA American Association to get more playing time and he batted .329 with 18 doubles, 7 triples, 2 home runs, and a .390 OBP. Back with the Dodgers in 1961, he saw scant playing time, appearing in only 47 games and hitting .241 with a .290 OBP. With NL expansion in 1962, Aspromonte was selected by Houston with the third overall pick, and he became the new club’s starting third baseman. He went on to bat .266 in 1962 with 18 doubles, 4 triples, 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, and a .332 OBP. Aspromonte had a lesser season in 1963, hitting a disappointing .214 with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .276 OBP. His defensive performance was better as he placed second among NL third basemen with 134 putouts, and fifth in assists with 213.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

3B – 155, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 608

At Bats – 553

Runs – 51

Hits – 155

Doubles – 20

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 12

RBI – 69

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 7

Strikeouts – 54

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 7 [13, tied with five others]

Average - .280

OBP - .329

Slugging Pct. - .392

Total Bases – 217

GDP – 14 [13, tied with Tommy Davis & Frank Howard]

Hit by Pitches – 8 [5, tied with Orlando Cepeda & Walt Bond]

Sac Hits – 6

Sac Flies – 6 [7, tied with ten others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 8, HR - 9, RBI - 33, AVG - .284, OBP - .322

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Cincinnati 8/15

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 2

Most home runs, game – 1 on twelve occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Cincinnati 6/11, vs. Philadelphia 6/29, vs. Cincinnati 8/15, vs. St. Louis 8/19 – 10 innings

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000) with 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 405

Put Outs – 133

Assists – 261

Errors – 11

DP – 10

Pct. - .973 

 Awards & Honors:

Colt .45 of the Year: Houston chapter, BBWAA

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The Colt .45s went 66-96 to finish ninth in the NL, 27 games behind the pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals while leading the league in fewest runs scored (495), fewest hits (1214), fewest doubles (162), fewest home runs (70), fewest RBIs (452), lowest batting average (.229), lowest OBP (.285), lowest slugging percentage (.315), and fewest total bases (1668). The Colt .45s, with solid pitching and defense as well as a lack of offensive punch, still stayed just under .500 until late June on the way to reproducing their 1963 record. Aspromonte topped the club in batting and led NL third basemen with his .973 fielding percentage.

Aftermath of 1964:

The club was renamed the Astros in 1965 as it moved into the new domed stadium, dubbed the Astrodome. On the field, the team started well but again finished ninth. Aspromonte again performed well defensively, but his batting production dipped somewhat to .263 with 15 doubles, 5 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. In 1966 he topped NL third basemen in fielding percentage for the second time (.962) and his hitting production resulted in a batting average of .252 with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .297 OBP. A contact hitter with limited power, he slugged two grand slams, which gave him a career total of six with Houston, which remained the club record until 2011. Aspromonte had a fine season at the plate in 1967, hitting .294 with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 6 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .354 OBP. Despite some other good individual performances, the Astros finished ninth. By 1968 “Aspro” was the last remaining player from Houston’s inaugural season. Challenged at third base by young Doug Rader, he was limited to 124 games and batted .225 with 12 extra-base hits, including just one home run, 46 RBIs, and a .285 OBP. In the offseason Aspromonte was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Backing up Clete Boyer at third base and doing utility duty at other positions, he appeared in 82 games and batted .253 with a .304 slugging percentage. With the advent of divisional play in both leagues, the Braves won the NL West title and lost to the New York Mets in the first NLCS. It provided Aspromonte with the only postseason action of his career. He went hitless in three at bats. Still a reserve with the Braves in 1970, he appeared in 62 games and hit a mere .213 with a .282 OBP. Dealt to the Mets in the offseason, Aspromonte started the 1971 season at third base and, despite a slow start, was performing respectably until he suffered a calf injury in June. Seeing limited action the rest of the way, he batted .225 in 104 games with 5 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .285 OBP. Released in the offseason, he was invited to spring training with Cincinnati, failed to make the team, and retired. For his major league career, Aspromonte batted .252 with 1103 hits that included 135 doubles, 26 triples, and 60 home runs. He scored 386 runs and compiled 457 RBIs, a .308 OBP, and a .336 slugging percentage. With Houston he batted .258 with 925 hits, 336 runs scored, 111 doubles, 24 triples, 51 home runs, 385 RBIs, a .313 OBP, and a .345 slugging percentage. Aspromonte was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also the first honoree on the Astros Walk of Fame outside Minute Maid Park. He further received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his humanitarian work fostering tolerance, respect, and understanding between religious and ethnic groups. His brother, Ken, was an infielder with six major league teams between 1957 and 1963 who managed the Cleveland Indians from 1972 to ’74.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.