The Cocoa Colts were a minor league baseball team based in

Cocoa, Florida Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida. The population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Florida, Titusvil ...

in 1964. The Cocoa Colts played exclusively as members of the four–team

Rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

level

Cocoa Rookie League The Cocoa Rookie League, based in Cocoa and Melbourne, Florida, was an American minor professional baseball league that operated for one season, . One of the first spring training-complex-based circuits, it was graded at the Rookie-league lev ...

, placing 3rd in the standings, with all league games played at the

Cocoa Expo Sports Center Coastal Florida Sports Park (formerly known as Cocoa Expo Sports Center) is a multi-sport complex located in Cocoa, Florida, where athletes of all levels can practice and play in facilities fit for the pros and improve their ability to compete ...

. The Cocoa Colts were so named as the team was a minor league affiliate of the

Houston Colt .45's The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

in 1964.

History

The

began play in the 1964 season, with all games based in Cocoa, Florida. The Cocoa "Colts" became members of the four–team

level

. The

Cocoa Mets The Cocoa Mets were a minor league baseball team based in Cocoa, Florida in 1964. The Cocoa Mets played exclusively as members of the four–team Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League, placing 2nd in the league standings, with all league games played ...

Cocoa Tigers The Cocoa Tigers were a minor league baseball team based in Cocoa, Florida in the 1964 season. The Cocoa Tigers played exclusively as members of the four–team Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League, with all league games played at the Cocoa Expo Sport ...

and

Melbourne Twins The Melbourne Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Melbourne, Florida, that played in the 1964 and seasons. The Melbourne Twins played as members of the Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League in 1964 and Florida East Coast League in 1972 ...

joined the Colts in the four–team league, beginning league play on July 1, 1964. The Colts were on the losing end of two no–hitters in 1964. On July 3, 1964, Cocoa Met pitcher

Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...

threw a 7–inning

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

in his professional debut against the Cocoa Colts. McGraw defeated the Colts 4–0 in the victory. On August 30, 1964, Gene Melton and Jerry Lyscio of the Melbourne Twins threw a combined 5–inning no–hitter in defeating the Colts by the score of 2–1. In their only season of play, the Cocoa Colts placed 3rd in the Cocoa Rookie League final standings. With a record of 23–29, playing under manager Dave Philley, the Colts finished 11.0 games the 1st place Melbourne Twins (34–18) in the final regular season standings. The Colts finished behind the 2nd place Cocoa Mets (28–22) and ahead of the 4th place Cocoa Tigers (17–33) in the final standings, as the league had no playoffs. The Cocoa Rookie League permanently folded after one season of play. The complex–based Colts and other Cocoa Rookie League teams charged fans no admission to games and individual attendance records were not kept. The Cocoa Rookie League games drew 1,683 total fans for the 1964 season schedule.Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd ed.''

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

, 2007, page 527 In the next season, Cocoa, Florida hosted the 1965

Cocoa Astros The Cocoa Astros were a professional minor league baseball team in the Florida State League (FSL), as a Class A affiliate with the Houston Astros from 1965–72 and 1977. The team played at the Astros' spring training facility. The Cocoa FSL tea ...

, who began play as members of the Class A level

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

The ballpark

The Cocoa Rookie League teams played games at the

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

Larry Dierker Lawrence Edward Dierker (born September 22, 1946) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, manager, and broadcaster. During a 14-year baseball career as a pitcher, he pitched from 1964 to 1977 for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and the St. Loui ...

(1964) Houston Astros Hall of Fame *

Gene Ratliff Kelly Eugene Ratliff (born September 28, 1945 in Macon, Georgia) is a retired major league baseball player who played four games in his career, all for the Houston Astros in 1965. He struck out four times in four at bat In baseball, an at bat ...

(1964) * Don Wilson (1964) Houston Astros Hall of Fame

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em

External references