PCL1 Round Rock Express

Houston Continues to Add to Minor League System

Published on December 12, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK - The way Brian Gordon tells it, there really isn't much of a tale. The Houston Astros' recent vote of confidence begs to differ.

One year after playing Russian Roulette with his baseball dreams, the Round Rock High product is seeing divine dividends. Gordon, who moved from outfielder to pitcher in 2007 after nearly a decade away from the mound, was signed to a minor league contract by the Houston Astros earlier this month, joining a wealth of talent that could see time with the Triple-A Round Rock Express during the 2008 season.

The Astros have also inked minor league deals with veterans such as right-handed pitcher Stephen Randolph, outfielders Todd Self and Jose Cruz, Jr. and infielders Danny Klassen and Thomas Perez.

A glance at Houston's current minor league signees who could see time in Round Rock in 2008:

Brian Gordon (RHP) - After playing 1,084 minor league games as an outfielder, Gordon decided to roll the dice in 2007. He switched to pitching where he posted a 5-1 record with a 2.88 earned-run average over 30 outings before joining Round Rock. With the Express, Gordon, who had not pitched in a live game in more than a decade, went 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA and eight strikeouts against one walk in 11 relief innings. Gordon also batted .333 as a pinch-hitter for the Express. He is a lifetime .274 batter with 118 homeruns and 587 RBI in 3,801 at-bats.

Todd Self (OF) - Originally selected by Houston in the 15th round of the 2000 draft, Self made a marked comeback with the organization in 2006, just one season after being placed on waivers. Self batted .294, drove in 69 runs and scored 72 more for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. He hit .298 with the 2005 Round Rock Express and joined the Astros for 21 games, collecting nine hits. Self is a career .296 hitter in 826 minor league games.

Jose Cruz Jr.* (OF) - Playing in 91 games with San Diego last season, the 33-year-old hit .234 with six home runs and 21 RBI. He played all three outfield positions for the Padres, making the majority of his starts in left field. In 11 Major League seasons with Seattle (1997), Toronto (1997-2002), San Francisco (2003), Tampa Bay (2004), Arizona (2005), Boston (2005), Los Angeles (2005-2006) and San Diego (2007), Cruz, Jr. has hit .248 with 204 home runs, 623 RBI and collected 113 stolen bases. He is one of the 18 active outfielders to record at least 200 career home runs and 100 stolen bases in his career. A former standout at Rice University, Cruz, Jr. was the 1st round selection of the Seattle Mariners.

Steve Randolph* (LHP) - Returning to his old stomping grounds after leaving the University of Texas in 1995, the 33-year-old won a team-high 10 games for the Express and earned his trip back to the Major Leagues in 2007. From April 5 to July 6, Randolph notched a 6-0 record with four saves to compliment a sterling 2.37 ERA with the Express. His efforts were noticed by the Astros, as the left-hander made three different stints with the club, including the last two months of the season. It marked the third visit to the National League for Randolph. He compiled 10 wins over 95 appearances for Arizona in '03-'04.

Danny Klassen (IF) - The utility infielder returns for his 15th season in professional baseball (Klassen missed all of 2006 with a knee injury). Klassen batted .319 for the 2005 Express, just one percentage point off his Triple-A best. He rebounded in 2007, hitting .293 with 52 runs scored and 21 doubles. He also showed extreme versatility, playing second base, shortstop, and third base and spending time in the outfield.

Thomas Perez* (INF) - Splitting time last season between Triple-A Last Vegas and Triple-A Charlotte, Perez combined to hit .254 with six home runs and 56 RBI between the two clubs. Following a mid-season trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox, Perez appeared in 88 games at Charlotte, serving as the club's primary shortstop. An 11-year Major League veteran and switch-hitter, the 33-year-old owns a .240 Major League average with 24 home runs and 180 RBIs in 781 games with Toronto (1995-98), Philadelphia (2000-05) and Tampa Bay (2006).

Ray Sadler (OF) - The 27-year-old drove in a career-high 93 runs and slammed 24 homers with Double-A Corpus Christi in his first season with the Astros organization last year. Sadler spent parts of four seasons in the Chicago Cubs' organization before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003 for first baseman Randall Simon. The Clifton, Texas native spent most of his time swapping between Double- and Triple-A with the Pirates, joining the major league club for three games in 2005. Sadler collected two hits, including a homerun, in eight major league at-bats. He is a lifetime .273 hitter in the minor leagues.

Kyle Middleton (RHP) - In his first season as a closer, Middleton provided the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks with late-inning security. The 6-foot-5 right-hander picked up 23 saves, closed out 41 games and carved out a 3.35 earned-run average, the second-best of his career. Middleton is 54-51 with 560 strikeouts and a 4.44 ERA over 927 2/3 innings in the minors.

Josh Miller (RHP) - The 28-year-old Miller made his Triple-A debut with the Express last season, posting a 2-2 record with a 3.89 earned-run average over 10 outings (four starts). Miller also appeared in 25 games for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, trimming a 3.48 ERA over 98 1/3 innings. In 2006, he posted a career-best 11 wins for the Hooks.

Frankie Caraballo (OF) - Signed by Houston as a nondrafted free agent in 2001, Caraballo has steadily climbed through the system's ranks. He batted .256 with 13 homeruns and 57 RBI for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks last season. The 24-year-old also collected one hit for the Astros during Spring Training in 2007.

Kevin Hooper* (INF) - The 30-year-old played in 60 games with Triple-A Toledo in 2007 and hit .301 with 19 RBI. He appeared in 52 games at second base and eight games at shortstop. Hooper played in 14 games with Detroit from 2005-2006, with one hit in eight at-bats. Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 8th round of the 1999 draft, the Kansas native spent five years in the organization before joining the Tigers in 2005. The 30-year-old put together a career season in 2002 with Triple-A Calgary, batting .288 with 26 extra-base hits and 70 runs.

*- invited to Houston's Spring Training camp for 2008

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Pacific Coast League Stories from December 12, 2007


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