Houston Sports: San Jacinto Day with the Astros and Rockets

The decade of doubleheaders

The ’80s brought some Houston sports doubleheaders! Between 1980 and 1989 the Astros would play on San Jacinto Day every year and compile a 7-3 record. The Rockets would play on San Jacinto Day five times in the 80s.

The first three San Jacinto Days that the Rockets played on fell during the playoffs. In 1981 they beat the Kansas City Kings in game one of the Western Conference Finals. A year later, in 1982 they lost to Seattle in the playoff opener and in 1985 they beat Utah in game two of the first round.

In 1988 the Rockets lost a regular season game to San Antonio and in 1989 won on the road at Phoenix near the end of the regular season.

Both the Astros and Rockets won on San Jacinto Day in 1981, 1985 and 1989.

The rebirth years

For Houston Sports the 90s were a time of rebirth. That was the case on San Jacinto Day as well.

Between 1990 and 1999 the Astros played on San Jacinto Day seven times. They won five of those games. In 1996, unbeknownst to the crowd that day, the Astros played in the Astrodome on San Jacinto Day for the final time. That day they beat Cincinnati 7-5.

The Astros played San Jacinto Day 98 and 99 on the road after being off on the day in 1997. They closed the doors on the Astrodome with a 10-7 record at home on San Jacinto Day.

On the hardwood the Rockets played four games on San Jacinto Day. All of the games were played in the regular season. In those four games the Rockets were 3-1.

Both teams were in action on only three San Jacinto Days. Only 1996 saw both teams reward the fans with holiday wins.