Former Astros catcher and broadcaster Alan Ashby and former player and manager Phil Garner are set to be inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame tonight at Daikin Park, prior to the 6:10 p.m. game vs. the Seattle Mariners.
Ashby and Garner were elected by the Astros Hall of Fame committee, which consists of former Astros players, current front office staff, current media members and Houston-area baseball historians. Notably, Garner was aware of his election prior to his passing in April of this year.
Members of the Garner family will be at tonight’s ceremony.
The official ceremony for the two new inductees will be held on the field tonight at Daikin Park, beginning at 5:35 p.m. Each inductee receives an Astros Hall of Fame sports coat, a customized Hall of Fame plaque and a display case in the Hall of Fame alley.
The Astros Hall of Fame was established in 2019 and resides in Hall of Fame Alley on the main concourse of Daikin Park in left-center field. The Class of 2026 will join the 28 members previously inducted.
THE 2026 ASTROS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
ALAN ASHBY (1979-89 as Player; 1998-2006 & 2013-16 as Broadcaster)
During his 11 seasons in an Astros uniform (1979-89), Alan Ashby was a mainstay behind the plate for the Houston Astros. The switch-hitting Ashby still currently ranks first or second in franchise history in several key categories for catchers, including games, home runs, RBI, hits and runs scored. Ashby was also solid defensively while guiding one of the best pitching staffs in the Majors during the 1980s.
After no postseason appearances in the first 18 years of the franchise (1962-79), the Astros made the playoffs three times (1980-81, 1986) in a seven-year span, with Ashby being a key figure in that time frame. One of his most memorable highlights came in the postseason of 1981 when he hit a walkoff home run vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. It was the first postseason home run ever by an Astros player. Ashby also hit a game-winning home run in Game 4 of the 1986 National League Championship Series vs. Mets southpaw Sid Fernandez, making him the first player in NL history to hit game-winning home runs in the postseason from both sides of the plate.
Ashby also holds the distinction of being the first player in Astros history to homer from each side of the plate in the same game, which he did on Sept. 27, 1982 at San Diego.
Ashby also had some great moments in his career while behind the plate, including tying an NL record by catching three no-hitters. In 1981, Ashby caught Nolan Ryan’s record-setting, fifth career no-hitter, which is a record that still stands. In 1986, he was behind the plate for Mike Scott’s no-hitter vs. the Giants, which clinched the NL West title for the Astros.
Ashby was acquired by the Astros as part of a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on November 27, 1978. Prior to joining the Astros, he spent four seasons with Cleveland (1973-76) and two seasons with Toronto (1977-78).
Following his playing career, Ashby spent 13 seasons as an Astros broadcaster, calling games on both radio and television. From 1998-2006, he was the Astros color commentator on radio, working alongside Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton. From 2013-16, he called Astros games on television, handling both color and play-by-play duties alongside Astros Hall of Famer Bill Brown and former player Geoff Blum. Ashby also spent five seasons broadcasting Toronto Blue Jays games on TV and radio (2007-12).
Ashby was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, and was named starting catcher on the Astros 50th Anniversary All-Time team in 2012.
PHIL GARNER (1981-87 as Player; 2004-07 as Manager)
Phil Garner, who was affectionately known as “Scrap Iron”, had a significant impact on the Astros franchise as both a player and manager.
As a player, Garner spent seven seasons in an Astros uniform (1981-87), appearing in 753 games, mostly at third base and second base. When he was acquired by the Astros from the Pirates during the 1981 season, he brought postseason experience and veteran leadership to the team. In 1979, Garner shined for the World Champion Pirates team, hitting a combined .472 in 10 postseason games to play a key role in Pittsburgh’s title run.
During his playing career in Houston, the Astros enjoyed success, appearing in the postseason twice (1981, 1986) while contending in other seasons. In 1986, the Astros won a club-record 96 games en route to the NL West Division crown.
As a manager for the Astros, Garner displayed a great ability to rally his team through adversity, which led to historic postseason runs. When he was named Astros manager at the All-Star Break in 2004, the Astros were just 44-44. However, the Astros would post a 48-26 record in their final 74 games to earn a Wild Card berth. The Astros would next earn the first postseason series victory in franchise history when they defeated the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. The Astros would end up one win shy of reaching the World Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in what was a thrilling NLCS.
In 2005, the Astros struggled out of the gate, going just 15-30 in their first 45 games. However, Garner was able to rally his club once again, this time leading them to a 74-43 finish to earn another Wild Card Berth, marking the largest turnaround in NL history. In the postseason, the Astros defeated the Braves in the NLDS and the Cardinals in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
During his tenure as Astros manager (2004-07), Garner led the Astros to a 277-224 (.524) record in the regular season, while winning three postseason series and 13 postseason games overall.
Astros Hall of Fame – All Inductees
Class of 2019
Bob Aspromonte Joe Niekro
Jeff Bagwell Shane Reynolds
Craig Biggio J.R. Richard
Jose Cruz Nolan Ryan
Larry Dierker Mike Scott
Gene Elston Jim Umbricht
Milo Hamilton Don Wilson
Joe Morgan Jimmy Wynn
Class of 2020
Lance Berkman Roy Oswalt
Cesar Cedeno Billy Wagner
Roy Hofheinz Bob Watson
Class of 2022
Terry Puhl Tal Smith
Class of 2023
Bill Doran Bill Brown
Class of 2024
Ken Caminiti René Cárdenas
Class of 2026
Alan Ashby Phil Garner
