How many kids in history get to celebrate their 18th birthday by striking out the MLB version of Willie Mays? Only one – and his name was and still is – Larry Dierker – who pitched his first game for the Houston Colt .45s on his 18th birthday, 9/22/64. Dierker is the youngest surviving Colt .45.
Today, Thursday, April 20, 2017, there are a total of only forty final survivors among all the men who once played for the Houston Colt .45s in any official season box score time from 1962 through 1964. The oldest, of course, is Bobby Shantz, who also heads the list of oldest among all players to ever perform for the Houston major league club as either the Colt .45s or Astros, but this list of “last living” Colt .45s is much more exclusive. Whereas, we continue to see the addition of numerous new Astros yearly, the club existed as the Colt .45s for only those three initial franchise seasons. Therefore, we chose to focus here on who remains from our originally identified club known as the Houston Colt .45s.
Today we are down to our “Final Forty Colt Forty-Fives” and the youngest of these men just happens to be a fellow that many of us still treasure as a special baseball friend and the namesake of our local Houston SABR group, the Larry Dierker Chapter.
Keep that heart, mind, body, and spirit engaged, Mr. Dierker. – We need you with us as long as possible.
And thank you, Darrell Pittman, for fulfilling our request for this data so quickly. Your ability to also program it for The Pecan Park Eagle in Microsoft Word tabular form as requested simply sweetened the project to this early publication date. On some things, my dear friend, I really don’t know what I’d do without either your help or countless other good intentions. Thank you for being you – a true friend and great baseball guy!
Sincerely,
Bill McCurdy, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle
____________________
“Final Forty Houston Colt Forty-Fives” *
| Rank by Age | Player | Houston Years | Birth date | Age in 2017 |
| 1 | Bobby Shantz | 1962 | 9/26/1925 | 92 |
| 2 | Dick Gernert | 1962 | 9/28/1928 | 89 |
| 3 | Don Larsen | 1964-65 | 8/7/1929 | 88 |
| 4 | Bob Lillis | 1962-67 | 6/2/1930 | 87 |
| 5 | Roman Mejias | 1962 | 8/9/1930 | 87 |
| 6 | Dean Stone | 1962 | 9/1/1930 | 87 |
| 7 | Hal Smith | 1962-63 | 12/7/1930 | 87 |
| 8 | Don Taussig | 1962 | 2/19/1932 | 85 |
| 9 | Eddie Kasko | 1964-65 | 6/27/1932 | 85 |
| 10 | Carroll Hardy | 1963-64 | 5/18/1933 | 84 |
| 11 | Dave Roberts | 1962, 1964 | 6/30/1933 | 84 |
| 12 | Al Spangler | 1962-65 | 7/8/1933 | 84 |
| 13 | Jim Owens | 1964-67 | 1/16/1934 | 83 |
| 14 | Joey Amalfitano | 1962 | 1/23/1934 | 83 |
| 15 | J C Hartman | 1962-63 | 4/15/1934 | 83 |
| 16 | Don Bradey | 1964 | 10/4/1934 | 83 |
| 17 | Jim Golden | 1962-63 | 3/20/1936 | 81 |
| 18 | Joe Gaines | 1964-66 | 11/22/1936 | 81 |
| 19 | Carl Warwick | 1962-63 | 2/27/1937 | 80 |
| 20 | Claude Raymond | 1964-67 | 5/7/1937 | 80 |
| 21 | Jim Campbell | 1962-63 | 6/24/1937 | 80 |
| 22 | Jim Dickson | 1963 | 4/20/1938 | 79 |
| 23 | Bob Aspromonte | 1962-68 | 6/19/1938 | 79 |
| 24 | Mike White | 1963-65 | 12/18/1938 | 79 |
| 25 | Dave Giusti | 1962, 1964-68 | 11/27/1939 | 78 |
| 26 | Ernie Fazio | 1962-63 | 1/25/1942 | 75 |
| 27 | Jim Wynn | 1963-73 | 3/12/1942 | 75 |
| 28 | Danny Coombs | 1963-69 | 3/23/1942 | 75 |
| 29 | Conrad Cardinal | 1963 | 3/30/1942 | 75 |
| 30 | Aaron Pointer | 1963, 1966-67 | 4/19/1942 | 75 |
| 31 | Jerry Grote | 1963-64 | 10/6/1942 | 75 |
| 32 | Larry Yellen | 1963-64 | 1/4/1943 | 74 |
| 33 | Dave Adlesh | 1963-68 | 7/15/1943 | 74 |
| 34 | Joe Morgan | 1963-71, 1980 | 9/19/1943 | 74 |
| 35 | Brock Davis | 1963-64, 1966 | 10/19/1943 | 74 |
| 36 | Rusty Staub | 1963-68 | 4/1/1944 | 73 |
| 37 | Sonny Jackson | 1963-67 | 7/9/1944 | 73 |
| 38 | John Paciorek | 1963 | 2/11/1945 | 72 |
| 39 | Steve Hertz | 1964 | 2/26/1945 | 72 |
| 40 | Larry Dierker | 1964-76 | 9/22/1946 | 71 |
* Note: Players for the Houston Club when it was known as the Colt .45s were on the roster at some time during the three original National League entry seasons of 1962, 1963, or 1964. Players in the table which are shown with Houston beyond 1964 are simply those who continued with the club after their named changed to “Astros” in 1965. Pure “Astro” players who only joined the club after the name change are not included in this list.
Unless we miscounted, 19 of these surviving 40 Colt .45 alumni went on to spend variable future time beyond 1964 as members of the franchise’s 1965 and forward re-named club, the Houston Astros.
____________________
Bill McCurdy
Publisher, Editor, Writer
The Pecan Park Eagle
Houston, Texas
The Pecan Park Eagle 
April 20, 2017 at 5:48 am |
Thanks for the list Bill and Darrell. Number 30 on the list, Aaron Pointer, is alive and well in Tacoma WA. And in case anyone is wondering he is the brother of the Poiinter Sisters. I guess any any male with that last name who has more than one sister would be the brother of the Pointer sisters but Aaron happens the be the brother of The Pointer Sisters.
April 20, 2017 at 6:48 am |
I couldn’t help noting their birthdays and the historical associations. Pear Harbor was attacked on Hal Smith’s 11th birthday; Joe Gaines turned 27 on the day of JFK’s assassination; and Bob Aspromonte was born on Lou Gehrig’s 35th birthday.
Multitalented Carroll Hardy is known here in Denver as the longtime personnel director of the Broncos and was an important figure in building the Orange Crush Defense.
April 20, 2017 at 1:45 pm |
Bobby Shantz was near the end of his major league career, while Larry Dierker was just starting his career.
April 20, 2017 at 5:36 pm |
Dave Roberts was purchased by the Browns organization on October 10, 1953. I figure it must have been GM Bill DeWitt’s last transaction since Clarence Miles’ Orioles front office was not in place yet and the franchise shift was not yet official.
April 20, 2017 at 5:51 pm |
If you had all those players in their primes, you’d have a whale of an All-star team. Perhaps
OF Spangler
OF Wynn
OF Warwick
1B Staub
2B Morgan
SS Kasko/Jackson
3B Aspromonte
C Grote
SP Shantz
SP Larsen
SP Dierker
SP Lillis
RP C. Raymond
RP Giusti
April 21, 2017 at 2:22 pm |
Sorry … errata .. Lillis was supposed to be UT or PH and former All-Star Dean Stone is supposed to be the 4th SP
April 21, 2017 at 3:26 pm |
Speaking of 83-yo Joey Amalfitano, here is a pic of Joey on the Dallas team that bested the Buffs for the Texas League crown in 1957. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2015-02-13-at-7.34.18-PM.png
April 21, 2017 at 5:51 pm |
Quite a long-lived group! I was at that game when Dierker made his debut. I was a few years younger and thought it was so cool. Still do. Dierker will always be Mr. Astro to me.
April 24, 2017 at 3:02 pm |
I have Jim Dickson, who pitched in a few games for the Colt .45s in 1963, as still alive.
DOB 1938.
April 24, 2017 at 6:33 pm |
James – So do we. Check the list again at # 22. Jim DIckson has been on our list of the living all along.
April 24, 2017 at 3:04 pm |
Sorry Bill see him now listed as #22. Great article.
James
June 30, 2017 at 2:43 am |
Would you have a current address for Randy (Conrad) Cardinal
Thank You Dennis Boehler