The Houston Astros were originally to be in the proposed Continental League, but MLB offered the soundest owners new NL franchises in Houston (the Colt .45s) and New York (the Mets), killing the Continental League before it could get out of the dugout. The Houston Colt .45s began play in 1962 at Colt Stadium while waiting for the construction of the Astrodome, completed in 1965. The team, composed mostly of young players, struggled the first few years, but did better than the Mets. In one game late in the 1963 season, manager Harry Craft went so far as to field an all-rookie lineup. On April 9th, 1965, The renamed Houston Astros played the first indoor baseball game, with a 2-1 exhibition win over the New York Yankees in the Astrodome. The "Eighth Wonder of the World" didn't turn out quite as expected, however; when glare through the acrylic ceiling panels made routine fly balls dangerous, they were painted translucent white. This resulted in the death of the live grass field, requiring the development of "Astroturf" for the 1966 season. In 1999 the Astros clinched their third straight NL Central on the final day of the season before a sold out crowd. It was the last regular season game to be played at the Astrodome, in 2000 the Astros moved back outdoors to Enron Field.
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