Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome (SABR Cities and Stadiums)

Recaps of the greatest baseball games ever played in the "eighth wonder of the world," the Astrodome, along with information about Astros history and the building of the Dome. Some of the games and chapters included: September 13, 1965: Mays Clouts Number 500, GREGORY H. WOLF August 26, 1966: Aspromonte’s Walk-Off Slam Lights Up the Sky for Astros, THOMAS RATHKAMP June 15, 1967: The “Toy Cannon” Blasts Three Shots in the Astrodome, GREGORY H. WOLF June 18, 1967: Unhittable: Wilson Tosses First No-No in Astrodome History, GREGORY H. WOLF July 2, 1967: “Wynning” Reaction for the Winning Run, JOHN BAUER September 27, 1967: Cuellar Outduels Bunning, NORM KING April 15, 1968: The Astrodome Marathon, RICHARD RIIS August 23, 1968: The Heady Heights of Seventh Place, JOHN BAUER May 27, 1969: Rader’s Walk-Off Slam Sinks Phillies, THOMAS RATHKAMP September 19, 1971: Trailing 4-0, Houston Scores Five Unanswered Runs, and Wins on Joe Morgan’s Walk-Off Homer, GORDON GATTIE June 18, 1972: Reuss Spins One-Hitter, RICHARD A. CUICCHI June 10, 1974: Mike Schmidt Wallops a Tremendous...Single? CHIP GREENE September 22, 1974: Grffin’s Unlikely RBI Single Stifles Braves in 14, THOMAS RATHKAMP June 15, 1976: Rainout in the Astrodome, RICK SCHABOWSKI July 9, 1976: Dierker Tosses a No-No, GREGORY H. WOLF June 24, 1977: Watson Hits for Cycle; Cruz Belts Walk-Off Double in 11th, RICHARD RIIS July 17, 1978: Cruz’s Walk-Off Homer Preserves Niekro’s Extra-Inning Complete-Game Gem, GORDON GATTIE April 7, 1979: Ken Forsch Hurls Earliest No-Hitter in History, CHIP GREENE August 3, 1979: J.R. Richard Strikes Out 15 for Complete-Game Victory, T.S. FLYNN October 11, 1980: Wild Extra-Inning Playoff Game, JIM SWEETMAN October 12, 1980: Astros Fall Short of the World Series, FREDERICK C. BUSH September 26, 1981: Ryan’s Fifth No-Hitter, FREDERICK C. BUSH October 6, 1981: Ashby’s Walk-Off Preserves Ryan Two-Hitter in the NLDS, GREGORY H. WOLF May 9, 1983: Winning Run Scores While Heep Argues with Ump, MARK S. STERNMAN July 13, 1983: Bjorkman Knocks in Five in Cup of Coffee, GREG ERION April 8, 1984: Dickie Thon and the Shadow of Ray Chapman, BILL MCCURDY July 15, 1984: Ashby’s Walk-Off Single Ends it in the 16th, ALAN COHEN April 9, 1985: Morganna Smooches Ryan, NORM KING July 15, 1986: Roger Clemens Returns to Hometown Houston for All Star Game, Wins MVP, MICHAEL HUBER September 23, 1986: Eight Straight Strikeouts for Jim Deshaies, BRENT HEUTMAKER September 25, 1986: Mike Scott No-Hits the Giants, FREDERICK C. BUSH October 15, 1986: Staving Off Scott, RORY COSTELLO September 9, 1987: “Ryan Express” Whiffs 16, including No. 4,500, GREGORY H. WOLF June 3, 1989: “The Game that Would Never End” JOE THOMPSON June 8, 1990: Mike Scott Strikes Out 15, MICHAEL HUBER September 8, 1993: Darryl Kile Tosses No-Hitter, CHIP GREENE September 17, 1993: Harnisch’s Losses No-Hitter on Controversial Call, ALAN COHEN June 24, 1994: Bagwell Homers Three Times, Twice in One Inning, FREDERICK C. BUSH June 13, 1997: First Interleague Game in the Astrodome, STEVE WEST September 25, 1997: Astros Clinch NL Central, FREDERICK C. BUSH August 28, 1998: The Big Unit Fans 16 in Third Straight Shutout in the Dome, GREGORY H. WOLF October 1, 1998: Spiers’ Walk-Off Single Ties the NLDS, PAUL GEISLER May 11, 1999: Beat-Down at the Dome: Astros Spank Bucs While Setting Team-Record For Runs and Doubles, MATTHEW HENSHON June 13, 1999 / July 23, 1999: A Scary Situation for the Houston Astros, BRENT HEUTMAKER September 11, 1999: “It’s Lima Time, Baby” CHAD OSBORNE October 3, 1999: Astros Clinch NL Central in the Last Game at Astrodome, FREDERICK C. BUSH October 9, 1999: Astrodome Goes Out With a Whimper, GREG ERION Astrodome as the Home to Sports Other Than Baseball, ALAN REIFMAN 50 Years and Counting: What Does the Future Hold for the Astrodome? JUSTIN KRUEGER The Astrodome the Numbers, DAN FIELDS The Astrodome: Back to the Future, Part 4, BILL MCCURDY