Gulf Coast League Astros
Encyclopedia
The Gulf Coast League Astros are a minor league baseball
team of the Gulf Coast League
(GCL), and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros
. They are located in Kissimmee, Florida
, and play their home games at Osceola County Stadium
. The GCL Astros began play in 1977. The team suspended operations after the 1998 season, but returned to the GCL in 2009. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball
either as draftees or non-drafted free agent
s from the United States
, Canada
, Dominican Republic
, Venezuela
, and other countries.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team of the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
(GCL), and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. They are located in Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
, and play their home games at Osceola County Stadium
Osceola County Stadium
Osceola County Stadium is a baseball park located in Kissimmee, Florida. It is the home stadium of the Gulf Coast League Astros rookie league minor league baseball team of the Gulf Coast League. It is also the spring training home of the Houston Astros and their minor league affiliates. The stadium...
. The GCL Astros began play in 1977. The team suspended operations after the 1998 season, but returned to the GCL in 2009. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
either as draftees or non-drafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and other countries.
Alumni
- Former GCL Astros include:
- Bobby AbreuBobby AbreuBob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....
- Troy AfenirTroy AfenirMichael Troy Afenir is a former Major League Baseball catcher. In his major league career, Afenir played for the Houston Astros in , the Oakland Athletics from...
- Eric AnthonyEric AnthonyEric Todd Anthony is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 34th round of the 1986 MLB amateur draft, Anthony would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Houston Astros on July 28, 1989, and appear in his final game on September 27, 1997...
- Andújar CedeñoAndújar CedeñoAndújar Cedeño Donastorg was a Major League Baseball shortstop from to . Born in La Romana, Dominican Republic, he played for the Houston Astros from 1990 to , the San Diego Padres in , and in 1996 played for the Padres, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros again.He hit for the cycle in and was a...
- Raúl ChávezRaúl ChávezRaúl Alexander Chávez is a Major League Baseball catcher who is currently a member of the New York Mets organization...
- Bill Doran
- Germán DuránGermán DuránGermán Durán is a Major League Baseball third baseman in the Houston Astros organization.-Early life:...
- Tony EusebioTony EusebioRaul Antonio Bare Eusebio is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Houston Astros....
- Lou FrazierLou FrazierArthur Louis Frazier is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors, between 1993 and 1998, for the Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox. He was primarily a left fielder.From 2007-2008 Frazier was the first base coach for the...
- Alejandro FreireAlejandro FreireAlejandro Freire is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Baltimore Orioles during the season. Listed at 6' 2", 220 lb., Freire batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela....
- Freddy GarcíaFreddy GarcíaFreddy Antonio García , nicknamed "The Chief", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent...
- Carlos GuillénCarlos GuillénCarlos Alfonso Guillén is a Major League Baseball second baseman and switch-hitter....
- Richard HidalgoRichard HidalgoRichard José Hidalgo [ee-DAHL-go] is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He played with the Houston Astros , New York Mets , and the Texas Rangers . He batted and threw right-handed....
- Brian HunterBrian Hunter (outfielder)Brian Lee Hunter is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. At 6'3" and around 180 lbs, he was known for stealing over 70 bases in 1997.-Minor league career:Hunter was born on March 5, 1971 in Portland, Oregon...
- Jeff JudenJeff JudenJeffrey Daniel Juden is a former Major League Baseball player. He is 6'8" and weighs 270 lbs...
- Rob MallicoatRob MallicoatRobbin Dale Mallicoat is a former Major League Baseball left-handed reliever who played professional baseball from 1985 through 1995...
- Aaron MilesAaron MilesAaron Wade Miles is a Major League Baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Houston Astros:Miles was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft...
- Wade MillerWade MillerWade Thomas Miller is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Houston Astros from through the Boston Red Sox in and the Chicago Cubs in and . He bats and throws right-handed...
- Melvin MoraMelvin MoraMelvin Mora , affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
- Roy OswaltRoy OswaltRoy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
- Roberto PetagineRoberto PetagineRoberto Antonio Petagine is a left-handed first baseman for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball. His Major League Baseball career includes brief stints with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners , but...
- Tuffy RhodesTuffy RhodesKarl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes is a professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and eleven years in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan....
- Johan SantanaJohan SantanaJohan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
- Mike SimmsMike SimmsMichael Howard Simms is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors between and . Six of those seasons were spent with the Houston Astros, and three with the Texas Rangers....
- Bobby Abreu