Daytona Beach Astros

Florida State League (1978-1984)

Tombstone

Born: January 21, 1978 – The Cocoa Astros relocate to Daytona Beach, FL¹
Moved: September 24, 1984 (Osceola Astros)²

First Game: April 11, 1978 (W 6-5 vs. Lakeland Tigers)
Last Game: September 1, 1984 (L 5-2 vs. Tampa Tarpons)

Florida State League Champions: 1981

Stadium

City Island Park
Opened: 1914

Ownership & Affiliation

Owners:

1978-1979: George Sisler, Jr.
1980-1983: Harry Valentine
1984: Harry Valentine & Don Miers

Major League Affiliation: Houston Astros

Attendance

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Print Download

Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007

Background

The Daytona Beach Astros were a Class A farm club of the Houston Astros from 1978 until 1984. The team was one of the most popular draws in the Florida State League in the early 1980’s under the management of General Manager Don Miers and out-of-town owner Harry Valentine of New York. Daytona Beach had a long history in the Florida State League dating back to 1920. The Astros became the city’s first team to draw 100,000 fans in a season, peaking at 102,510 for their final campaign in the summer of 1984.

The Astros won the Florida State League championship in 1981.

Key Players

Top future Major League stars to come through City Island Park during the Astros era included:

Second baseman Johnny Ray (Daytona Beach ’79)
First baseman Glenn Davis (Daytona Beach ’82)

Former National League All-Star and strikeout king J.R. Richard made his six starts for Daytona Beach in 1982. The 32-year old was in the midst of an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to come back from a devastating stroke that ended his Major League career in 1980.

Move & Replacement by Islanders

Somewhat unusual among Florida State League cities, Daytona Beach did not host the spring training operations of their parent club, the Houston Astros. The Astros held spring training Cocoa, Florida in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Houston began development of a new spring training base in Osceola in 1984. With the team new facility ready for the 1985 season, Houston owner John McMullen purchased the Daytona Beach FSL franchise from co-owners Harry Valentine and Don Miers for a reported $200,000 at the end of the 1984 season. Houston consolidated operations in Osceola in 1985 and the Daytona Beach Astros became the Osceola Astros that spring.

Great Farm teams of the past

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Meanwhile, a new Florida State League club, the Daytona Beach Islanders, set up shop at City Island Park for the 1985 season. The Islanders, and another successor club, the Admirals, lasted three more seasons before Florida State League baseball left town at the end of the 1987 season.