Former Express Hurler 4th in Cy Young Voting
November 5, 2002 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, TX â He is gone but not forgotten. Roy Oswalt, former star of the Round Rock Express and now current star for the Houston Astros, finished tied for fourth with Los Angeles closer Eric Gagne in the National League Cy Young balloting behind winner Randy Johnson and runner-up Curt Schilling. That's not surprising considering the Diamondbacks duo combined for a 47-12 record. Atlanta closer John Smoltz was third.
Oswalt finished with a 19-9 record and a 3.01 ERA and strung together a nine-game winning streak that lasted from July 27-Sept. 8, during which he allowed only nine earned runs over 66 1/3 innings for a 1.22 ERA. His streak stayed alive after his next start against the Cardinals when he took a no-decision despite holding the Astros' division rival to two runs over seven innings.
Oswalt was 11-4 with a 1.94 ERA for the Express in 2000. He was promoted to Double-A for what was termed a "one-time" start, however after striking out 15 San Antonio Missions he was asked to stay in Round Rock. Oswalt was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Year, despite missing the playoffs due to his participation with the 2000 USA gold medal winning Olympic baseball team.
Since he was called up from Triple-A in May of 2001, Oswalt is 33-12 with a .733 winning percentage. In 2002, he finished among the league leaders in 10 categories. He had a 2.70 ERA in his home ballpark, a supposed hitters' haven. Oswalt's ERA at home was the sixth-lowest in the league. His overall ERA of 3.01 was the fifth-lowest in the NL.
Oswalt was recently named Pitcher of the Year by the Houston baseball writers and will receive his award at the annual awards banquet on Jan. 31.
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Pacific Coast League Stories from November 5, 2002
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- Former Express Hurler 4th in Cy Young Voting - Round Rock Express
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