The first Chester Charge was played by Steve Ross, who was then an 18-year-old high school student. Related: Personal Memories of the Dome & Its Possible Future
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He’d usually appear at the sound of a bugle call (and the crowd bellowing “Charge!”) as the Dome’s spectacular scoreboard lit up after an Astros homer and win. Also, for many years, orange-suited, helmeted “Earthmen” groundskeepers dragged the infield periodically during games.įollowing closely on the heels of Ted Giannoulas’ iconic 1974 San Diego Chicken (Padres), the Astros debuted their very first “traditional” mascot, Chester Charge in April 1977.Ĭhester Charge was a 45-pound costumed cartoon Texas Cavalry soldier on horseback with limited game-time activities, including a pre-game appearance, 7th-inning stretch shenanigans, and post-win base-rounding.
#Orbit astros full
Dana would appear as his comedic alter-ego, Jose Jimenez, “the honorary eighth astronaut,” in full Astros uniform, and perform comedy skits before games.Īlso in the Astros’ early days of the 1960s and into the ’90s, the Astrodome had a house band: The Astronuts were a four-piece Dixieland band who delighted fans in the stands between innings with banjo, trombone, trumpet, and tuba.
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It was an actual human, comedian Bill Dana, who was introduced in January 1965 by Astrodome creator and team president Roy Hofheinz. The first Astros mascot wasn’t furry, and didn’t sport an oversized head, but was fairly short-lived. Orbit, though, wasn’t the first Astros mascot, or even the first on-field representative of Houston’s baseball team. Orbit is back and ready to lead the Houston Astros and their fans into a new era of baseball.”Įarly iteration of Orbit, courtesy of AstrosDaily. After Orbit heard the outcry from fans asking him to come back to their beloved Houston Astros, he knew it was time to return. Orbit wins Best Mascot by (1 st MLB Mascot to win the award) After founding an intergalactic school for kids and serving diligently in his community, Orbit yearned for Houston and the best fans in baseball. provides the following official Orbit bio: “After the 1999 season, Houston Astros mascot, Orbit, hitched a ride on the space shuttle Discovery to visit his home back in the Grand Slam Galaxy. Re-introduced into his mascot role in November, 2012, Orbit (aka Homerunus Spectacularus from the Grand Slam Galaxy) was brought back to help kick off the Astros’ new retro colors and uniform, coinciding with the team’s switch from the National League to the AL for the 2013 season, sending the long-eared baseball bunny back into his hole.ĭiscounting his birth as a result of some “Big Bang Theory,” the Astros’ Publicity Dept.
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Orbit Rides an Ostrich Through Yankees Warm-Upsįans began a 2010 Facebook uprising called “Bring Back Orbit,” hoping to urge the Astros brass to consider bringing back the popular orange-antennaed, Astro-jersey-wearing alien.īeyonce, Eat Your Heart Out: All the Single Orbits Junction Jack ultimately retired to a hill country carrot ranch just west of Austin, which opened the door for Orbit’s return. This proximity to the railroad station seemed to bring about the notion of a bunny conductor. He gave way to a railroad conductor rabbit named Junction Jack, as the Astros moved downtown, adjacent to the 103-year-old Union Station train depot, into what was originally called Enron Field. He was the Astros’ mascot from 1990 through 1999, when the team’s home was the Astrodome. And, believe it or not, he’s on his second “mission” in his current position. Orbit is the Houston Astros’ green and fuzzy anthropomorphic alien mascot.