What happened today in team history?
1961 – Indoor baseball team in Houston?
With votes going in favor of the bond election coming January 31st, Harris County is allowed to begin construction of the first indoor baseball arena. This vote came at the same time owners of National League teams were attempting to get a judge to allow Houston to become the location for the next expansion franchise.
2017 – Astros gets its second HOFer
With 86.2% of the votes in his seventh year on the ballot, longtime Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell gets voted into the baseball hall of fame. He would end up getting indicted just a couple months later.
What else happened on this day?
1994
MLB owners approve of a new revenue-sharing plan for the league that is aimed at teams’ salary caps. Without player approval, this would end up causing a strike that would go on to last over 200 days and become the longest sports-related work stoppage in history.
2018
Despite resistance from players and coaches, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announces two new rule changes that will be implemented to the game with the efforts of speeding up the pace of play, one being a 20-second pitch clock and the other regarding mound visits.