Happy Birthday - 11/11

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Tommy Shirley (26)
Originally from Pennsylvania, Shirley was drafted in the ninth round in 2010 out of Xavier University. Shirley had a breakout season in 2014, starting the year in AA Corpus Christi and ending it in AAA Oklahoma City. In 30 games (16 starts), he had a 2.53 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP. He walked 32 and struck out 100 in 117.1 innings of work.

OF Andy Pineda (18)
An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, Pineda played his first professional season with the Dominican Summer League team, hitting .279/.384/.312 in 65 games.

Bullpen Catcher Javier Bracamonte (45)
Bracamonte has been a bullpen catcher for the Astros since 2001 and is genuinely one of the nicest, friendliest people you would ever want to know.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

CF Scott Loucks (58)
A fifth round pick by Houston in 1977, Loucks played in 69 games scattered over 1980 to 1983 hitting .260/.308/.288. In July 1984, he was traded to the Montreal Expos for Brad Mills (yes, that Brad Mills).

C/1B J. R. House (35)
Originally drafted by the Pirates in the fifth round in 1999, House came to Houston as a free agent in 2006 and again in 2008. In four games in 2006 and three games in 2008 for the Astros, he never got a hit. However, in 12 seasons of minor league and independent ball, he hit .300/.361/.470. After believing his baseball career to be over due to injuries, he enrolled in West Virginia University and played football for a season in 2005 before coming back to baseball in 2006. In 2012, he became a hitting coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system and managed their Short Season A team in 2014.