HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros officially announced today the opening of the Astros Hall of Fame presented by Houston Methodist, which will debut during the 2019 season.
"The creation of the Astros Hall of Fame has been one of our goals for many years, and we are very excited that the project has come to fruition," said Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan. "The Astros organization has had so many players, managers, coaches, broadcasters and staff members who have made a substantial impact on our city and fans over the 57-year history of our ballclub. The Astros Hall of Fame will give our fans an opportunity to celebrate those individuals, as well as the greatest moments in Astros history, whenever they come to our ballpark". The Astros Hall of Fame will be located in Home Run Alley on the main concourse at Minute Maid Park.
The inaugural 2019 Astros Hall of Fame induction class features the nine Astros with retired numbers, as well as the members of the Astros Walk of Fame located on Texas Ave. The 2019 inductees are Bob Aspromonte, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Jose Cruz, Larry Dierker, Gene Elston, Milo Hamilton, Joe Morgan, Joe Niekro, Shane Reynolds, J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Jim Umbricht, Don Wilson and Jimmy Wynn.
The Astros will host a press conference in the Diamond Club at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 11:00 a.m. CT as part of 2019 Astros FanFest. The press conference is open to the public and will feature Reid Ryan, Astros authentication manager and team historian Mike Acosta and 2019 Astros Hall of Fame inductees Jeff Bagwell and Larry Dierker. The Astros will reveal full details of the Astros Hall of Fame at the press conference, including renderings of the Hall of Fame and a sample of the Astros Hall of Fame Jacket. Following the press conference, Astros Community Outreach Executive and former long-time TV broadcaster Bill Brown will host a Fan Forum session with Bagwell and Dierker in the Diamond Club.
The Astros Hall of Fame presented by Houston Methodist will be open and ready for fans to enjoy starting with the Astros exhibition games against the Pittsburgh Pirates from March 25-26.
The Astros Hall of Fame plaques will not be installed or revealed until the 2019 induction ceremony, which will take place during Astros Hall of Fame weekend from August 2-4.
Later today, the 2019 Class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced live on MLB Network at 5:00 p.m. CT.