HOUSTON – A local 90-year-old man hasn't missed a home opening day since Houston started playing Major League Baseball in 1962 -- 53 home opening games for the Astros and 53 for Cleve Lockett of Houston.
"I started in 1962 with the Colt 45s," said Lockett.
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Local 2 caught up with Locket at his home in West University before Tuesday's game. He was surrounded by family and by game programs from the early days.
One game from 1968 even featured an ad for KPRC-TV Channel 2, touting "Big League Television in Houston Since 1950."
Lockett was at the very first preseason game played in an indoor stadium known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."
"The main thing I remember about that game is Mickey Mantle hit the first home run in the Astrodome," Lockett said.
Lockett has seen a lot of Astros baseball over the past 53 years, the good ones and the recent not-so-good ones. Regardless of the teams fortunes, if there's a home opener, Lockett plans to be there.
"I'm 90 years old, so I'm not sure how many more years I'll be doing it, but I'll keep trying," Lockett said.
Tuesday night was Lockett's first home opener without his longtime wife by his side. She passed away within the past year.
Lockett was surrounded at the game by seven other family members including children and grandchildren.