Happy Birthday - 10/23

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

2B George Williams (died May 14, 2009 at age 69)
Drafted from the Phillies in the 1961 expansion draft, Williams played in only five games for the Colt 45's in 1962, hitting .375/.375/.500 in eight plate appearances.

RHP Bo McLaughlin (60)
A first round pick for the Astros in 1975, McLaughlin played for Houston from 1976 to 1979.  He had a 9-15 record over 87 appearances with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.352 WHIP.  He was traded to the Braves in 1979 for Frank LaCorte. In 2013, he was Assistant Pitching Coach of the Colorado Rockies.

2B Kazuo Matsui (38)
Matsui signed with Houston as a free agent in November 2007 and played for the Astros from 2008 until his release in May of 2010. In 255 games with Houston, he hit .259/.315/.370. After his release, he played briefly in the Rockies minor league system. He has played in the Japan Pacific League in 2013. Matsui was responsible for placing the phrase "anal fissure" in the lexicon of Astros lore. Thanks for that.

OF Ben Francisco (32)
Francisco came to Houston in the 10-player megatrade with the Blue Jays in July 2012 and departed via trade to Tampa Bay six weeks later. In the interim, he played in 31 games, hitting .247/.289/.365. Ah, Benny Fresh, we hardly knew ye. Since then, he played with the Yankees until his release in June and then played in the Padres minor league system.