Happy Birthday - 10/19

No future Astros with birthdays today, but numerous former Astros mark the day ~

RHP Jordan Lyles (24)
A 2008 supplemental first round draft pick by the Astros out of high school in South Carolina, Lyles pitched in 72 games (65 starts) for Houston from 2011 through 2013, compiling a 14-29 record with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.454 WHIP. Lyles was traded to Colorado (along with Brandon Barnes) for Dexter Fowler prior to the 2014 season. In his first season for the Rockies, he was 7-4 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.366 WHIP in 22 starts.

LHP J.A. Happ (32)
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round in 2004, Happ came to the Astros in July 2010 in the Oswalt trade and he departed Houston in a huge July 2012 10-player trade with the Blue Jays. In between, he was 18-28 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.461 WHIP in 59 starts. For Toronto this season, he went 11-11 in 30 games (26 starts) with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.335 WHIP.

OF/1B Walt Bond (died September 14, 1967 at age 29)
A member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, Bond played for the Colt 45's in 1964 and the Astros in 1965.  I was not aware of Bond's history until I read this entry from the TBHOF site.

"Standing at 6' 7" tall and weighing between 235–250 lbs, Big Walt Bond had his best year as a Houston Colt .45 in 1964 when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 85 runs—the first true power hitting ballplayer in team history."

But that was only part of the story.  He was one of many silent heroes who helped to integrate baseball.  He was active in the community, working to support local school sports programs.  And he showed enormous courage and strength in his fight against leukemia which he sadly lost at the age of 29.  I encourage reading the entire entry.

OF Brock Davis (71)
Originally signed as a NDFA by Houston in 1963, Davis played for the Colt 45's in 1963 and 1964 and for the Astros in 1966. In 45 games for Houston, he hit .176/.263/.247. Davis made his major league debut at 19. He went on to have a couple of modestly successful seasons with the Cubs and the Brewers in 1971 and 1972 respectively before a knee injury ended his career.

RHP Dave Veres (48)
A fourth round draft pick by Oakland in 1986, Veres signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1992 and eventually pitched in 104 games for Houston in 1994 and 1995. In those games he was 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP. He was traded to the Expos in December of 1995 for Sean Berry.

OF/2B Joe McEwing (42)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 28th round in 1992, McEwing was purchased from Kansas City in March of 2006. McEwing appeared in only seven games for the Astros in 2006 and never got a hit. In 2013, McEwing was the third base coach for the White Sox.

Roster Moves/Transactions

The Astros announced today that they have traded OF Brandon Barnes and RHP Jordan Lyles to the Rockies for OF Dexter Fowler and a player to be named later. The Crawfishboxes has the story here. The Astros 40-man roster now stands at 36. I have updated the ongoing offseason transaction list.

Happy Birthday - 10/19

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Jordan Lyles (23)
A 2008 supplemental first round draft pick by the Astros out of high school in South Carolina, Lyles started the season in Oklahoma City where he was 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA and a 1.521 WHIP in six games (five starts) in April before being recalled to Houston for the rest of the season. In his 27 appearances (25 starts) for the Astros, he was 7-9 with a 5.59 ERA and a 1.511 WHIP.

Several former Astros celebrating birthdays today ~

LHP J.A. Happ (31)
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round in 2004, Happ came to the Astros in July 2010 in the Oswalt trade and he departed Houston in a huge July 2012 10-player trade with the Blue Jays. In between, he was 18-28 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.461 WHIP in 59 starts. For Toronto this season, he went 5-7 in 18 starts with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.468 WHIP.

OF/1B Walt Bond (died September 14, 1967 at age 29)
A member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, Bond played for the Colt 45's in 1964 and the Astros in 1965.  I was not aware of Bond's history until I read this entry from the TBHOF site.

"Standing at 6' 7" tall and weighing between 235–250 lbs, Big Walt Bond had his best year as a Houston Colt .45 in 1964 when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 85 runs—the first true power hitting ballplayer in team history."

But that was only part of the story.  He was one of many silent heroes who helped to integrate baseball.  He was active in the community, working to support local school sports programs.  And he showed enormous courage and strength in his fight against leukemia which he sadly lost at the age of 29.  I encourage reading the entire entry.

OF Brock Davis (70)
Originally signed as a NDFA by Houston in 1963, Davis played for the Colt 45's in 1963 and 1964 and for the Astros in 1966. In 45 games for Houston, he hit .176/.263/.247. Davis made his major league debut at 19. He went on to have a couple of modestly successful seasons with the Cubs and the Brewers in 1971 and 1972 respectively before a knee injury ended his career.

RHP Dave Veres (47)
A fourth round draft pick by Oakland in 1986, Veres signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1992 and eventually pitched in 104 games for Houston in 1994 and 1995. In those games he was 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP. He was traded to the Expos in December of 1995 for Sean Berry.

OF/2B Joe McEwing (41)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 28th round in 1992, McEwing was purchased from Kansas City in March of 2006. McEwing appeared in only seven games for the Astros in 2006 and never got a hit. In 2013, McEwing was the third base coach for the White Sox.

Roster Moves

HOUSTON
The moves of RHP Jordan Lyles and LHP Dallas Keuchel from AAA to Houston were finalized today. RHP Brad Peacock and RHP Rhiner Cruz were optioned to AAA in the corresponding move.

OKLAHOMA CITY
RHP Lance Day assigned from OKC to Extended Spring Training

Although I've seen nothing official, Asher Wojciechowski's mother tweeted yesterday that the RHP had been  promoted from Corpus Christi to OKC. Mom and Dad Wojo were on their way to Corpus Christi to see their son and did a U-turn to head to OKC instead. (Confirmed this afternoon.)

CORPUS CHRISTI
RHP Mike Foltynewicz tweeted this morning (and it was confirmed this afternoon) that he was being assigend from Lancaster to Corpus Christi.

GREENEVILLE
OF Jose Monzon traded to Colorado as the player to be named later in the Wilton Lopez trade

Roster Moves

HOUSTON
According to Brian McTaggart, RHP Jordan Lyles and LHP Dallas Keuchel are being assigned from Oklahoma City to Houston.

OKLAHOMA CITY
RHP Jason Stoffel assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
C Carlos Perez assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
OF Austin Wates activated from the DL

CORPUS CHRISTI
OF J.D. Martinez assigned to rehab at Corpus Christi
C Max Stassi assigned from Extended Spring Training to Corpus Christi
1B Zach Johnson assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
1B Rafael Valenzuela released

QUAD CITIES
3B Rio Ruiz placed on the 7-day DL (reported to be a minor back/oblique injury)
IF Brian Blasik assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities

It's a part of the process, but it's never easy. Rafy Valenzuela is one of the good guys and he will truly be missed. Thanks for the hugs, Rafy, and good luck.

Tweets of the Day

Bud Norris ‏@BudNorris20

Kid needs a nap. #astrosCAREavan lol @JordanLyles41@JustinMaxwell44 pic.twitter.com/KWaTQ5gl

Jordan Lyles ‏@JordanLyles41

Grandpa needs a little rest before our signing at Academy. 😴😴@BudNorris20 #astrosCAREavan pic.twitter.com/WXyc4xW0

Happy Birthday - 10/19

RHP Jordan Lyles (22)
A 2008 supplemental first round draft pick by the Astros out of high school in South Carolina, Lyles split his time this season between Oklahoma City and Houston. In seven starts for the Redhawks, he was 5-0 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.205 WHIP. By the end of May, Lyles became a permanent member of the Astros starting rotation. In 25 starts, he was 5-12 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.422 WHIP. However, he ended the season strongly as he went 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.087 WHIP in his final four starts.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP J.A. Happ (30)
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round in 2004, Happ came to the Astros in July 2010 in the Oswalt trade and he departed Houston in a huge July 2012 10-player trade with the Blue Jays. In between, he was 18-28 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.461 WHIP in 59 starts. For Toronto this season, he went 3-2 in 10 games (six starts) with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.289 WHIP before his season ended early due to injury.

OF/1B Walt Bond (died September 14, 1967 at age 29)
A member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, Bond played for the Colt 45's in 1964 and the Astros in 1965.  I was not aware of Bond's history until I read this entry from the TBHOF site.

"Standing at 6' 7" tall and weighing between 235–250 lbs, Big Walt Bond had his best year as a Houston Colt .45 in 1964 when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 85 runs—the first true power hitting ballplayer in team history."

But that was only part of the story.  He was one of many silent heroes who helped to integrate baseball.  He was active in the community, working to support local school sports programs.  And he showed enormous courage and strength in his fight against leukemia which he sadly lost at the age of 29.  I encourage reading the entire entry.

OF Brock Davis (69)
Originally signed as a NDFA by Houston in 1963, Davis played for the Colt 45's in 1963 and 1964 and for the Astros in 1966. In 45 games for Houston, he hit .176/.263/.247. Davis made his major league debut at 19. He went on to have a couple of modestly successful seasons with the Cubs and the Brewers in 1971 and 1972 respectively before a knee injury ended his career.

RHP Dave Veres (46)
A fourth round draft pick by Oakland in 1986, Veres signed with Houston as a free agent in May 1992 and eventually pitched in 104 games for Houston in 1994 and 1995. In those games he was 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP. He was traded to the Expos in December of 1995 for Sean Berry.

OF/2B Joe McEwing (40)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 28th round in 1992, McEwing was purchased from Kansas City in March of 2006. McEwing appeared in only seven games for the Astros in 2006 and never got a hit. In 2012, McEwing became the third base coach for the White Sox.

Blind Loyalty

I got a little hot under the collar when I saw the following come across my twitter timeline last night.

"That 08 draft that Wade/Heck used to praise is showing nothing. Castro can't hit/field and Lyles can't pitch. #Astros"

When I came to the defense of Lyles and Castro, I was accused of "blind loyalty."

Let's just set aside the fact that there are still almost a dozen other players from the 2008 draft in the system, including J.B. Shuck, Ross Seaton and Luis Cruz, who are still successfully making their way through the system. Let's just focus on Castro and Lyles.

Jordan Lyles is 21 years old. Let me repeat. Jordan Lyles is 21 years old. He made his first start in the major leagues when he was 20 years old. Through 27 games (22 starts) at the major league level, let's see how Jordan Lyles numbers compare to another young pitcher who recently came through the system through an identical number of starts.

Innings Pitched
Jordan Lyles - 131.2 IP*
Bud Norris - 119 IP

*Note that Lyles innings are higher mainly due to 5 bullpen outings.

ERA
Jordan Lyles - 5.40
Bud Norris - 5.29

WHIP
Jordan Lyles - 1.473
Bud Norris - 1.555

Hits per 9
Jordan Lyles - 10.4
Bud Norris - 9.8

HR per 9
Jordan Lyles - 1.4
Bud Norris - 1.2

SO/BB Ratio
Jordan Lyles - 2.1
Bud Norris - 2.2

Yeah, and Bud Norris was 4 years older than Jordan Lyles when he made his major league debut. "Lyles can't pitch." At 21 years of age on a rebuilding team, in a year in which Lyles has been racking up frequent flyer miles between Oklahoma City and Houston, he "can't pitch." Most 21 year olds are playing A ball right now, not the majors. I don't know how Lyles will continue to develop. He may never make it as a truly successful major league player, he may not hit his stride for another seven years, or he may continue to develop into the middle rotation starter than many of us think he will become. But to say he "can't pitch" at this point in his career is ludicrous.

And then there's Castro. He'll be turning 25 on Monday so I suppose we should put him out to pasture because he hasn't developed into a star in the 39 games he's been in since missing a season due to two separate injuries. "Castro can't hit/field."

In Castros' last 28 games, he is hitting .318/.392/.545. In his last 14 games, he is hitting .348/.333/.435. But he "can't hit." Mmm, OK. He does have five errors (second in the NL) and four passed balls (third in the NL) so far this season which I admit is high. I'd like to see him cut down on those. Do you know who led the National League in passed balls in his first full season in the major leagues? That would be Johnny Bench. He was in the top five in errors as a catcher five times and passed balls four times during his career. Now, I'm not even remotely suggesting that Castro will be another Bench, but can't we give Castro just a wee little bit more time before we decide that he "can't hit/field?"

Finally, let's examine the phrase "blind loyalty." Blind means being unable to see. Loyalty means a strong feeling of support or allegiance. I strongly support Jason Castro and Jordan Lyles because I want them to succeed even though I am unable to see what their ultimate destinies are to be. If that means that I am blindly loyal, then so be it.

Roster Moves - 6/2

Oklahoma City
OF Fernando Martinez optioned to Houston to replace OF Travis Buck who went to the DL.
RHP Jordan Lyles recalled to Houston.
UT Matt Downs optioned to Oklahoma City.

Lexington
RHP Richard Rodriguez assigned from the GCL Astros to Lexington.
1B Jesse Wierzbicki assigned from Lexington to Tri-City.

There are additional moves forthcoming late today. I will post those as soon as I am at liberty to do so.

Roster Moves - 5/29

Oklahoma City
RHP Jordan Lyles was optioned back to Oklahoma City from Houston.
RHP Chris Hicks was activated from the DL and assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City.

Corpus Christi
CONFIRMED Unconfirmed, but according to numerous player tweets it looks as though OF Adam Bailey will be sent from Lancaster to Corpus Christi on Wednesday (and will play at Lancaster tonight).

Lancaster
CONFIRMED Also, not confirmed by the Astros, but OF Grant Hogue confirmed in a tweet to Bryan Trostel of Astros County that he was being assigned from Extended Spring Training to Lancaster. He had started the season on the DL after breaking a hamate bone in Spring Training. Updated to Add: This move is not official until Wednesday as well.

Roster Moves

Oklahoma City
RHP Jordan Lyles optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City.
RHP Enerio del Rosario recalled from Oklahoma City to Houston.
The previously reported LHP Wes Musick move from Corpus Christi to OKC was also confirmed.

Also, according to a tweet from Joe Witkowski, 1B Jesse Wierzbicki is headed to Lexington, but this information HAS NOT been confirmed yet.

Roster Moves - 4/29

HOU/OKC
IF Brian Bixler was optioned to OKC.
RHP Jordan Lyles was recalled to Houston.

RHP Jordan Lyles was to be sent back to OKC after his start to make room for Marwin Gonzalez to come off the paternity list.

LAN
I missed a roster move from 4/28 as C Ryan McCurdy was assigned to Lancaster.

Roster Moves - 4/27

HOU
RHP Kyle Weiland was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
SS Marwin Gonzalez was placed on the 3-day paternity list.

OKC/HOU
IF Brian Bixler was recalled to the Astros.
LHP Fernando Abad was recalled to the Astros.

Jordan Lyles will be called up to start the game on Sunday in place of Weiland. An additional roster move will have to be made then to make room for Lyles on the 25-Man Roster.

Minor League Schedule and Results

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

Charleston at Lexington at 9:05 a.m. CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD and LHP Kyle Hallock (1-0, 9.28)
Available on MiLB.tv

Midland at Corpus Christi at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Murphy Smith (2-0, 3.21) and LHP Brett Oberholtzer (1-0, 5.17)
Available on MiLB.tv

Oklahoma City - Off Day

Rancho Cucamonga at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Angel Sanchez (1-2, 5.65) and LHP Wes Musick (1-1, 3.00)

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

Charleston over Lexington 4-1
Nick Tropeano (L, 1-1) only lasted two innings as he faced eight batters in the second inning giving up three runs (two earned).  He didn't look good in the second, but ended up striking out the side before all was said and done.  I am hoping that the early hook doesn't indicate an injury of some kind. Nathan Pettus and Carlos Quevedo capably shared the rest of the load in long relief.  The Lexington offense took the night off as they were only able to muster five hits for the night, with two of the hits belonging to Roberto Pena.  Throwing errors by Matt Duffy and the newly promoted Chris Epps didn't help, nor did the GIDP's by Zach Johnson and Emilio King.

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 8-5
Jordan Lyles had a no-hitter going through 5.1 innings and a shut-out going through 7.1 innings, but then the wheels came off the bus and he ended up charged with four earned runs before all was said and done.  Scott Moore (3x3, 2B, 2RBI), Brett Wallace (2x4, 2RBI) and Brad Snyder (3x4, 2B, 3B, 2RBI) did the most damage at the plate, with Fernando Martinez contributing a double and Justin Ruggiano a triple.

Corpus Christi over Midland 8-2
Despite starting pitcher Jose Cisnero's 12 strikeouts over five innings pitched, this was not a pretty start as he saw a lot of base runners due to three hits, four walks and a fielding error, but he emerged at the end having given up only two runs (both unearned) and got the win.  On offense, it was the Jon Singleton show as he went 4x4 with a triple, two home runs and four RBI to increase his average to .377.  Also contributing were Kody Hinze (2x4), Austin Wates (1x3, 2B) and Andrew Simunic (1x2, HR, 2RBI).  Brandon Barnes showed signs of mortality as he went 0x4 with three strikeouts, but still managed to get an RBI on a ground out.

GAME OF THE DAY
Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 6-3

What went right:  Stellar starting pitching and a big night for George Springer.  Bobby Doran had a terrific start marred only by a solo home run.  He didn't walk a single batter and struck out seven.  One night after getting struck out five times, Springer went 4x4 including two run scoring triples.  Jio Mier also had a great night at the plate.

Bobby Doran (W, 2-1) - 7IP 3H 1R 0BB 7SO 1HR
Gabriel Garcia - 1.1IP 4H 2R 1BB 2SO
Kirk Clark (S, 1) - 0.2IP 0H (still has a 0.00 ERA)

Jio Mier - 3x4 RBI BB R
George Springer - 4x4 2-3B 3RBI R
Adam Bailey - 2x4 2B SO R CS
Domingo Santana - 1x4 2B RBI R

What went wrong: Gabriel Garcia got roughed up in his relief appearance, and Jonathan Meyer and Telvin Nash went 0fer.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Big Bobby Doran's excellent start gets him the prize.  Doran is now 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA.  Jordan Lyles gets honorable mention for his 5.1 innings of no-hit pitching.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Who knew we would have two 4x4 nights? Jon Singleton and George Springer share the honors.

Tweets of the Day

Brett Wallace ‏ @brettwallace29

@JordanLyles41 how did you not get a pinch hit AB today? Unreal, wanted to see that golf swing in action again

Jordan Lyles ‏ @JordanLyles41

@brettwallace29 yea same here Wally, feelings were a little hurt to know I wasn't our first option. Had to settle for @kidkeuchy

Dallas Keuchel ‏ @kidkeuchy

@JordanLyles41 @brettwallace29 guys relax, they called upon the best option and he came through.. No worries

Minor League Schedule and Results

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Kannapolis at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: LHP Brandon Parrent (0-0, 6.23) and TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Oklahoma City at Memphis at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Henry Sosa (0-0, 2.25) and LHP Nick Additon (0-0, 5.40)

Corpus Christi at Northwest Arkansas at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: LHP Brett Oberholtzer (0-0, 6.23) and TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Lake Elsinore at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  TBD

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

Lake Elsinore at Lancaster - Postponed

Lexington over Kannapolis 6-5 in 11 innings
Noteworthy:  Matt Duffy, Justin Gominsky and Alex Todd (with a walk-off home run) provided most of the offensive output, a much needed contribution as Zach Johnson, Jordan Scott and Delino DeShields Jr. seemed to have been carrying the majority of the load lately.  Jonas Dufek had a solid start and there were good relief outings from Evan Grills and Dayan Diaz (W, 2-0).  Murilo Gouvea was charged with a blown save and a throwing error.

Corpus Christi over Northwest Arkansas 12-2
Noteworthy:  I'd like to know what the team OBP was before and after this game as everyone made it on base at least once as Corpus collected nine hits and a whopping 11 walks.  Even though this one was a group effort, Brandon Barnes (3x5 with a double and two RBI) and Jake Goebbert (2x4 with two doubles and three RBI) stood out.  Jose Cisnero earned the win with a strong six inning start in which he gave up only three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.  Henry Villar was very good in two innings of relief, but Josh Zeid gave up three hits and two runs in his one inning.

GAME OF THE DAY
Oklahoma City over Memphis 11-3

What went right:  Jordan Lyles' start and some gaudy offense.  There's no real need to embellish this win with words ... let's just go directly to the stats.

Jordan Lyles (W, 2-0) - 7IP  3H  2R  0BB  7SO  1HR
Adalberto Flores - 1IP  3H  1R
Enerio del Rosario - 1IP  1SO

Brian Bixler - 4x5  RBI  2R  SB
Angel Sanchez - 3x5  HR  2RBI  SO  3R
Fernando Martinez - 2x3  2HR  6RBI  SO  2R
Brett Wallace - 3x5  SO  R
Jordan Lyles - 1x3  2B  2RBI  2SO

What went wrong:  Lyles was a little rocky with his first two batters as he hit the first batter and gave up a home run to the second, but after that it was smooth sailing.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Jordan Lyles for getting his second win against Shelby Miller and helping his cause with a two-RBI double.  His ERA now stands at 2.08.

PLAYER OF THE DAY
Um, yeah, if you get a grand slam, you're probably going to earn my player of the day honors.  Add in a second 2-run home run and that kind of seals the deal.  Fernando Martinez is hitting .361 and has three home runs and 13 RBI already in this young season.

A NOTE ON MINOR LEAGUE RECAPS - I don't plan on doing full-blown recaps of the games this season as that would keep me from writing other things that you may find of interest as it pertains to the Astros minor league system.  For more information (and different perspectives), you should check out Astros County and The Crawfish Boxes for their minor league recaps.

Roster Moves - 4/2

The Astros announced that Jordan Lyles will start the season at AAA and that Lucas Harrell has made the opening day roster.  In addition, Rhiner Cruz, Kyle Weiland, David Carpenter and Fernando Rodriguez will be making the first opening day roster of their careers.

Four cuts remain to be made, presumably one outfielder (out of Shuck, Buck & Ruggiano), one catcher (Landon Powell), and two pitchers (out of Wright, Abad & Sosa, again presumably).

At the minor league level, the following assignments to Corpus Christi were announced:

RHP Jonnathan Aristil
RHP Henry Villar
SS Jose Martinez
C Jair Fernandez
LHP Kevin Chapman
OF Austin Wates
2B Jordan Kreke
1B Jonathan Singleton
3B Andrew Simunic
RHP Jose Cisnero

Tweet of the Day

@JordanLyles41Jordan Lyles

The Lyles boys plus the ole man. Oh.. and the tacky sweaterspic.twitter.com/HCDyMKE5

Tweet of the Day

@jordanlyles41Jordan Lyles

Congrats to the Texans on first playoff game and win! Best of luck next week in Baltimore! #Htown

Happy Birthday - 10/19

RHP Jordan Lyles (21)
A 2008 supplemental first round draft pick by the Astros out of high school in South Carolina, Jordan is the second player (behind Jason Castro) from that draft class to make it to the bigs.  After starting the year in Oklahoma, Jordan made his major league debut on May 31st.  At Oklahoma City, Jordan was 3-3 in 12 appearances (10 starts) with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.299 WHIP.  At Houston, he was 2-8 in 20 appearances (15 starts) with a 5.36 ERA and a 1.415 WHIP.

LHP J.A. Happ (29)
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round in 2004, Happ came to the Astros in 2010 in the Oswalt trade.  Happ struggled during much of the season until he was sent to Oklahoma City to work on his mental game mostly.  For the season, he was 6-15 with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP, but he was much improved in August and September as he went 2-2 in 7 starts with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.268 WHIP.

Former Astros with birthdays today

OF,1B Walt Bond (died September 14, 1967 at age 29)
A member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, Bond played for the Colt 45's in 1964 and the Astros in 1965.  I was not aware of Bond's history until I read this entry from the TBHOF site.

"Standing at 6' 7" tall and weighing between 235–250 lbs, Big Walt Bond had his best year as a Houston Colt .45 in 1964 when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 85 runs—the first true power hitting ballplayer in team history."

But that was only part of the story.  He was one of many silent heroes who helped to integrate baseball.  He was active in the community, working to support local school sports programs.  And he showed enormous courage and strength in his fight against leukemia which he sadly lost at the age of 29.  I encourage reading the entire entry.

OF Brock Davis (68)
Played for the Colt 45's in 1963 and 1964 and for the Astros in 1966

RHP Dave Veres (45)
Compiled a 2.31 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP in 104 appearances in 1994 and 1995

2B Joe McEwing (39)
Appeared in 7 games in 2006