Happy Birthday - 4/26

Happy Birthday to ~

SS/2B Ben Orloff (26)
Drafted by Houston in the ninth round in 2009 out of UC Irvine, the California native split his 2012 season between Lancaster and Corpus Christi and hit a very solid .290/.361/.327. But it is Orloff's defense and leadership on the field that set him apart. In 15 games at Corpus Christi in 2013, he is hitting .293/.380/.317.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Mike Scott (58)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the second round in 1976, Scott came to Houston in a trade for OF/1B Danny Heep in December of 1982. In 263 games pitched for Houston from 1983 to 1991, he was 110-81 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP. But it was the magical 1986 season that made Scott a Houston folk hero as he won the Cy Young Award and went 18-10 with a 2.22 ERA and a 0.923 over 275.1 innings pitched. And there was the little matter of clinching the NL West by pitching a no-hitter.

In the NLCS that season, Scott was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and a 0.500 WHIP with 19 strikeouts. If the series had gone to seven games, Scott would have been the pitcher. Any Astros fan who was alive at the time (and most Met fans, if they're being honest) know in their hearts that it would have been the Astros facing the Red Sox in the World Series that year if Scott had gotten that opportunity.

IF Geoff Blum (40)

Blum played for Houston during two stints, in 2002 and 2003 and again in 2008 to 2010. A seventh round draft pick by the Expos in 1994, he first came to Houston in a trade with the Expos for 3B Chris Truby before being traded away two years later to Tampa Bay for RHP Brandon Backe. The second time around Blum signed as a free agent. In a total of 580 games for Houston, he hit .259/.317/.394. Most Astros fans have a love-hate relationship with Blum. He was a very popular player in Houston, but he also hit a game-deciding home run against the Astros in the World Series in 2005 so there's that. He finished his career playing for the Diamondbacks in 2012 and is currently (allegedly) a television announcer for the Astros, reportedly broadcasting on some network called CSN Houston, but I have no way of independently verifying that since I have DirecTV.

2B Steve Lombardozzi Sr. (53)

Originally drafted by the Twins in the ninth round in 1981, Lombardozzi played in 23 games for the Astros in 1989 and 1990, hitting .211/.302/.421.

SS/RF Leon McFadden (69)

McFadden played in 62 games for Houston over 1968 to 1970, hitting only .215/.275/.240 before being traded to the Cardinals in June 1970.

RHP Scott Strickland (37)

A tenth round pick by the Expos in 1997, Strickland only pitched for Houston in five games in 2005 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP.