At the historical marker unveiling, baseball pioneers and their families reflected on the ballpark that gave Houston its Major League beginning.
Before Houston baseball had a dome, it had an outdoor ballpark and people willing to believe in what could come next.
On October 20, 2026, Houston City Beat attended the unveiling of a Texas Historical Marker honoring Colt Stadium, the original home of the Houston Colt .45s. Former players, team leadership, historians, and descendants of the franchise’s founders gathered to recognize the place where Houston’s Major League Baseball story began.
Watch the Video: Before the Astrodome
Located at the west end of Reliant Center, just north of the Astrodome, the marker commemorates the temporary ballpark that housed the Colt .45s from 1962 through 1964.
The stadium served its purpose for only three seasons. The memories and opportunities it created have lasted generations.
A Temporary Ballpark That Gave Houston a Beginning
Colt Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, with Houston defeating the Chicago Cubs 11–2. While construction continued on the Astrodome nearby, the outdoor stadium gave Houston fans their first opportunity to call a Major League team their own. For the 1965 season, the franchise took the field as the Astros and moved into its new domed home.
For longtime baseball executive Tal Smith, the memories of those early seasons include conditions that became part of the ballpark’s identity.
“Colt Stadium brings back a lot of memories that people have alluded to: the heat, and the humidity, and the mosquitoes, and everything else,” Smith said. “But it gave us a foundation for baseball here, and then the transition was made which was even more remarkable.”
That foundation brought players, fans, and a growing city together while something unprecedented took shape next door.
Dinn Mann, grandson of Judge Roy Hofheinz, described Colt Stadium’s role through an image familiar to Space City.
“Houston is world-renowned. Houston is a launching pad for amazing achievement for wonderment. And Colt Stadium was the start of that,” Mann said.
“It’s like we took off at Colt Stadium, and we landed on the moon, that was the Astrodome, right? And then we took the whole thing and we knocked it out to outer space.”
His description connected the stadium to a broader Houston ambition: the willingness to pursue an idea before its full potential could be seen.
Mason Hunt III, great-grandson of R.E. “Bob” Smith, reflected on that same spirit.
“Well, I can say what started here changed the world, and it showed the can-do spirit of Houston, and made people start dreaming on bigger scales,” Hunt said.
The Research Behind Remembering
For historian and author Mike Vance, preserving Colt Stadium’s story drew on years of studying Houston’s sports history.
“Luckily, I had done a lot of the research already on Colt Stadium and working on the Astrodome and writing other sports history,” Vance said. “I’ve written a bunch of books on sports history. So, I had a good head start.”
Even with that background, the research brought discoveries that could not all fit on a historical marker.
“And there’s still things that you find out along the way that, you know, you don’t get to include into the marker.”
That is where the conversations surrounding an unveiling become valuable. A marker gives visitors a permanent place to begin learning. Personal accounts, family memories, and continued research help tell the fuller story.
At Colt Stadium, that story includes the people who brought Major League Baseball to Houston, the players who stepped onto its field, and the families working to ensure their contributions remain visible.
Recognizing Jim Pendleton’s Place in Houston Baseball
Among those players was Jim Pendleton, an African American outfielder who started in left field during the franchise’s inaugural game on April 10, 1962.
For his grandson, Karl Pendleton, the unveiling offered an opportunity to bring renewed attention to that legacy.
“So, as a 38-year-old man, Jim Pendleton was the first African American to be on the Houston Colt .45s roster,” Karl said.
His excitement came from seeing others begin to discover the man behind the name.
“I am absolutely ecstatic because to see people now knowing who he is and curious about him, um that’s what I have been working for for the last few months.”
For Karl, the occasion connected his grandfather’s contribution to his own efforts to preserve and share that history.
“So now this is like the beginning of the awareness campaign,” he said.
“This is a moment of progress for this city, and I’m glad that he was a part of it, and I’m glad that I can now be a part of it in 2026.”
His reflections brought a personal dimension to the dedication: the opportunity for a grandson to help Houston remember his grandfather’s place in its baseball history.
“Colt Stadium Is Where I Came From”
For Larry Dierker, Colt Stadium marks the beginning of his own Major League career. He made his debut there on his 18th birthday, September 22, 1964.
“We shouldn’t forget our history,” Dierker said. “You know, good history or bad history, all of our history.”
His words underscored the purpose of preserving a place that newer generations of fans never had the opportunity to experience.
“It’s important to remember where you came from, and Colt Stadium is where I came from.”
The stadium is gone from its original Houston location. Its place in the city’s story remains.
With the historical marker now unveiled, visitors have a lasting reminder of where Houston’s Major League journey began, and an invitation to learn about the people who made that beginning possible.
Historical note: MLB.com has described J C Hartman as the franchise’s first African American player. The playing record calls that designation into question: Jim Pendleton started for Houston on April 10, 1962, while Hartman’s Major League debut came on July 21, 1962. Those dates establish Pendleton’s earlier appearance for the Colt .45s.
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