Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Houston Astros’

Houston has been bandied about as a possible destination for former Wizards pitcher, Jake Peavy. However, today, Houston came to terms with another former Wizards pitcher; LaTroy Hawkins.

The Astros singed the 35-year-old right-hander to a one-year contract for $3.5 million plus incentives. He finished 2008 with a 3-1 record, one save and a 3.92 ERA over 57 relief appearances with the Astros and Yankees. After being traded from the Yanks to Houston, Hawkins went 2-0 with one save and a 0.43 ERA in 24 appearances. He allowed no earned runs over his first 22 games with Houston after practically being forced out of New York (an unfortunate reality circumstance that has followed him to pretty much every stop since he left Minnesota).

In 688 career games, including 98 starts, Hawkins is 59-77 with 76 saves and a 4.64 ERA. He has also played for the Twins (1995-2003), Cubs (2004-05), Giants (2005), Orioles (2006) and Rockies (2007) during parts of 14 Major League seasons.

LaTroy Hawkins made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins on April 29, 1995 after risign through the Twins’ farm system that included one of the most dominant seasons of any pitcher in Fort Wayne Wizards history. On that date, he becamse the first former Wizards player to debut at the MLB level.

More Hawkins’ Posts:

• Yankees Should Make Hawkins Their Set-up Man (5/31/08)
• LaTroy Hawkins Traded to Astros (7/30/2008)
• All-Time Wizards (8/24/2008)
• ‘zards Alumni

It’s been and up and down year for former Wizards pitcher, right hander Jack Cassel.

The Astros have announced he’s being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to start Tuesday’s game against the Pirates, the team he collected his first career win against. Cassel has appeared in four games for Houston this season, going 1-0 with a 6.28 ERA in 14 1/3 innings.

The Houston Astros have called up former Fort Wayne Wizards pitcher, Jack Cassel from Triple-A Round Rock. He is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in seven starts for the Express and takes the spot of Wandy Rodriguez, who has been on the disabled list since April 19 with a strained groin muscle. That being the case, it may be a short stint with the parent club since Rodriguez is currently doing rehab work through minor league assignments.

He had been up between April 24th and 30th. On the season with the Astros, he is 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA, three strikeouts and 2 walks having started and appeared in two games.

Cassel was drafted in the 25th round of the 2000 draft and was released in 2006 before resigning with the Friars as a free agent. He appeared in Fort Wayne over three seasons (2000-2002), playing in 74 games and logging over 200 total innings pitched while compiling 148 strikeouts.