PCL1 Round Rock Express

Gordon Makes Debut After 10 Years Away

Published on August 5, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK - Just last year, Brian Gordon would walk to the plate and settle into the batter's box while his song, "Who Says You can't Go Home?" echoed over The Dell Diamond speakers.

On Sunday, Gordon returned home to Round Rock from a seemingly improbable odyssey to prove that in baseball, anything's possible.

Though Chan Ho Park suffered through another rough outing, allowing six runs over five innings in the Express' 6-1 loss to Salt Lake, the game's outcome faded when Gordon, wearing No. 40, was announced.

Gordon, who last pitched for in Central Texas for the Round Rock High School Dragons in 1997, made the leap from 10-year outfield veteran to relief pitcher just before the 2007 season. Prior to spring training, he had never faced a live batter in professional baseball.

The 28-year-old, who spent 10 years compiling a .274 batting average with 118 home runs, appeared in 30 games for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks this year, going 5-1 with one save and a 2.88 earned-run average in his first professional season.

Promoted late Friday, Gordon returned to pitch at The Dell Diamond, less than five miles from the high school that gave him his beginning.

He entered for the eighth inning with Round Rock trailing 6-1 and induced a pop-out before striking out Bees' clean-up hitter Gregory Porter on an 89-mph outside fastball. Mike Eylward grounded out to Gordon to end the inning, and when he made his way into the dugout, Gordon was greeted by a standing ovation and handshakes from the entire Express team.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 5, 2007


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