The history of Houston Astros baseball cannot be told without former pitcher, broadcaster, and manager Larry Dierker. Throughout his career, Dierker has picked up several accolades. He has been enshrined in the Astros Hall of Fame. His jersey number, 49, was retired following his 13 years as a player and five as a manager. Then, in 2019, he rounded it out by being added to the team’s press box Wall of Honor, recognizing his twenty years as a broadcaster.
Astros Hall of Fame Profile: Larry Dierker
The Early Years
Dierker grew up in Los Angeles, California. While his high school pitching records left a little to be desired, a scout saw his potential in his mechanics and arm action. That scout, Tommy Lasorda, felt his style would be perfect for the major leagues and refrained from giving a bad report on the young hurler. At 17, the Chicago Cubs fought to sign him against the new expansion team, the Houston Colt .45s. Houston won out, and on Dierker’s 18th birthday, he hit the major league mound for the first time. He promptly struck out Willie Mays in the first but ultimately ended up losing the game. He only appeared in two more games that season, but the following saw more playing time and great improvement. In 1965, he picked up a 7-8 record, followed by 10-8, then a drop to 12-15 in 1968.
Becoming A Star
During the 1969 season, Dierker picked up twenty wins, the first Astros player to do so. He picked up twenty complete games, 232 strikeouts, and made the All-Star Team. He would make the All-Star Team again in 1971 when he went 12-6 before an elbow injury ended his season that August. For the next few seasons, Dierker would battle rotator cuff injuries. Despite up and down performance, Dierker came out with a winning record with the Houston Colt .45s/Astros. His tip of the cap to the hometown crowd came on July 9, 1976. During a game at the Astrodome versus the Montreal Expos, Dierker no-hit his opponents. The Astros came away 6-0 winners at the dome in front of 12,511 fans. That would be his last season with the team.
Playing Days At An End
During the 1976 off-season, Larry Dierker and Jerry DaVanon were traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Joe Ferguson and Bob Detherage. During his final season, Dierker pitched in 11 games. He picked up a 2-6 record, with his last win coming on a seven-inning, five-hit game on July 1 over the Chicago Cubs. His final appearance came during a one-inning stint on October 1 against the New York Mets. The following March, he was released, and Dierker’s career ended.
In the Booth
Dierker made his presence known at Astros games for more time than on the field. From 1979 to 1996, Dierker was the Astros’ color commentator on both radio and television broadcasts. He returned to that position for the 2004 and 2005 seasons following a turn in the dugout as the Astros’ manager.
In the Dugout
When the Astros fired manager Terry Collins in 1996, they didn’t have to go far to pick up his replacement. That October, they hired Dierker away from the broadcast booth. His service time on the field helped endear him to the players. During those two years, he managed two of the hottest hitters in baseball, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, moving the latter full-time into batting leadoff.
Under Dierker, the Astros finished in first place four out of the five years he managed the team, falling to fourth in 2000. His 1997 team won the division, making Dierker the sixth rookie manager to win a division title. It was the first division championship for the team in 11 years. The following year, the Astros picked up hurler Randy Johnson at the trade deadline. With the new addition, Dierker took his team to 102 wins, a new club record that would take two decades to fall, and earned the National League Manager of the Year award.
During the 1999 season, Dierker had a medical situation on the field. He had been complaining of severe headaches for days. During the June 13 game against the San Diego Padres, those headaches culminated in a grand mal seizure. It nearly killed him, but he was saved by emergency brain surgery. After four weeks, Dierker had recovered and was back on the field for the season. They would win 97 games and go to a third consecutive National League Central Division title.
Retirement
On October 19, 2001, Astros owner Drayton McLane pulled Dierker aside, with the manager coming away giving his resignation. The owner had been approached by players, such as Biggio, about differences over philosophy in the game. Dierker agreed it was time to go. He closed out his managerial career with a 435-348 record, making it to the postseason four out of those five years but never coming away with a World Series trophy.
After a break from the club, Dierker returned in 2015, working as a Special Assistant to then-team president Reid Ryan. He also runs a podcast about the early years of baseball. Additionally, his interest in the history of the game led the Houston chapter of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) to honor Dierker by naming the chapter after him.
Main Photo Credits: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
