Bud, the Drews and More

by Matt Rogers

We all shared a proud moment Tuesday night at Whataburger Field during the eighth inning of a game against San Antonio.

Public address announcer Lon Gonzalez told us pitcher Bud Norris had become the 25th former Hook to reach the Big Leagues and was on his way to Chicago, where he pitched for the Astros in a Wednesday afternoon game at Wrigley Field.

Simple math tells us that’s an average of five players per year. Cincinnati utility man Drew Sutton, a Baylor product who played second, short and third for Corpus Christi in 2007-08, made it two dozen back on July 2 when he debuted against Arizona at Great American Ball Park. In April, Houston completed the Jeff Keppinger deal by sending Sutton to the Reds.

So, Corpus Christi’s 2008 pitcher- and player-of-the-year are already at the highest level. Norris, the Astros’ top prospect according to Baseball America, started for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He allowed three or more earned runs in just four of 19 Round Rock starts, limiting hitters to a .237 average and carving out a PCL-best 2.63 ERA along the way. Norris fanned 112 batters over a career-high 120 innings.

And to think just a year ago Corpus Christians were mistaking him for KRIS-TV weekend anchor Tyler Garrett!

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Mark Ori’s batting average has jumped 20 points in the last six games to .283. He’s 13-for-25 in that span (.520) with nine runs batted in. Then there are the current Drews, Locke and Meyer.

Locke belted the 2009 team’s first grand slam of the season in an 8-1 romp over San Antonio Wednesday. It was his second home run of the game and drove the former Dodger farmhand’s season RBI total to a career and minor league-best 92.

Meyer, the Texas Rangers’ top draft pick in 2002, has hit in 12 straight contests (.345).

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Andy Van Hekken and Kenny Baugh have been the Hooks’ most consistent starters of late, but have more than that in common. They signed Houston contracts after independent ball stints – Van Hekken with the Somerset Patriots (Bridgewater N.J.) and Baugh with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, both of the Atlantic League.

Van Hekken, who pitched a complete-game shutout for Detroit against Cleveland in his MLB debut on September 3, 2002, is 11-6 with the Hooks since joining the club last July. He came to Corpus Christi from Laguna of the Mexican League.

Baugh was a first-round selection for the Tigers out of Rice in 2001. He’s worked exactly six innings in each of his last four outings.

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How do you spell relief? According to Hooks broadcaster/media relations director Matt Hicks, the Hooks bullpen looks like this recently:

*Evan Englebrook has two saves in as many chances since his return from the disabled list

*Chia-Jen Lo has allowed one earned run over five innings since his win in the XM Futures Game during MLB’s All-Star break

*Tyler Lumsden has permitted one earned run over his last four innings

*Ryan McKeller has yielded one earned run over his last four appearances (six innings)

*Danny Meszaros, who earned a three-inning save Wednesday vs. San Antonio, has allowed two earned runs over his last six outings (10 2/3 innings)

*Charlie Weatherby has not given up a run and surrendered four hits in his last five assignments (8 1/3 innings)

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Catch the most recent episode of Astros Insider on FOX Sports Net (FSN) this week and take a tour of Whataburger Field with director of stadium operations Tina Athans. Hooks president Ken Schrom is also featured.

The Astros Insider crew with producer John Kelly and anchor Patti Smith was in town on July 17.

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Word on the street has Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Scott Malone working on another blockbuster baseball event. Be on the lookout for details.