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TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Hooks, Astros' affiliates in playoffs

September 2, 2006 - Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) - In just three days, the Corpus Christi Hooks venture into the Texas League playoffs for the first time. The Hooks will battle the Midland RockHounds in the best-of-five South Division playoffs, with games one and two set for Whataburger Field on Tuesday, September 5th and Wednesday, September 6th.

Corpus Christi's entry into the post-season is part of an amazing 2006 season for the Houston Astros' farm system, as the organization's top four affiliates are all going to the playoffs, with a fifth club on the verge of qualifying.

"Fans in Corpus Christi are going to enjoy these games," stated Reid Ryan, CEO for the Hooks and Ryan-Sanders Baseball. "The excitement of playoff baseball is hard to beat, and the fact that the Astros' top four affiliates are all involved not only speaks to the excellence of the Houston organization but also bodes well for the future of our teams and the big league club."

The Hooks, 7-1 winners last night in San Antonio, will have Juan Gutierrez on the mound for Game 1 of the TLSD series this coming Tuesday night. Gutierrez has tossed 14 innings of shutout ball in his four closely-monitored starts since his return from the disabled list.

Third baseman Mark Saccomanno, who clubbed his third grand slam of the season last night, has been on fire of late (7 HR's, 25 RBI's in the last 16 games), and will need help from the likes of outfielders Hunter Pence (28 HR's, 95 RBI's) and Josh Anderson (league leading 173 hits, 43 steals) in order to stop a poised and determined Midland club that has won nine straight and 16 of its last 19 games.

The Triple-A Round Rock Express captured the Pacific Coast League's American Southern Division crown, and will travel to either Nashville or Iowa to open their best-of-five playoff series on Tuesday. Second baseman Brooks Conrad (.262-23-89, 15 steals), first baseman J.R. House (.416-5-32 in 28 games) and pitcher Chris Sampson (12-3, 2.53, 4 saves), all former Hooks, lead an Express club that has an overall record of 83-58.

In the Carolina League, the Advanced-A Salem Avalanche rolled to a second-half title in the Southern Division with a 44-21 record that includes an unbelievable 28-5 record on the road. The Avalanche, with versatile players like corner infielder Neil Sellers (.271-2-57, league doubles leader with 39), recently ripped off 14 straight wins, an amazing streak that ended on Wednesday. Salem boasts four players with 20 or more stolen bases, and in All-Star outfielder Beau Torbert (.309) has one of only two players in the league with a batting average of over .300. Starting pitcher Jimmy Barthmaier (11 wins, league best 132 K's) will need to do well for Salem to succeed in its best-of-three playoff series against Kinston.

In Lexington, Kentucky, the Class-A Lexington Legends secured the South Atlantic League's Northern Division first-half title and will play the Lakewood Blue Claws in a best-of-three playoff series. The Legends are led by outfielder Eli Iorg (15 HR's, 84 RBI's, 40 steals), catcher JR Towles (.313-11-52, 13 steals) and pitcher Brad James (6-2, 1.46). Former Texas A&M - Kingsville star hurler Garrett Murdy (6-5, 3.51, 2 saves) has been a valuable member of the Legends' staff.

At the Short-Season A level, the Tri-City ValleyCats (Troy, NY) lead New York-Penn League's Stedler Division by five games over Oneonta with only six to play in the regular season. The ValleyCats can qualify as either the division winner or the wild card entrant, and once in will play a to-be-determined opponent in a best-of-three playoff series. Southpaws Chris Salamida (9-1, 0.86, 41 hits in 63 innings) and Victor Garate (4-0, 0.94, 8 saves) head up a killer pitching staff, while outfielder Jordan Parraz (.342-6-34, 22 steals) is the league leader in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Ryan-Sanders Texas League Post-Season History

2000 - Round Rock defeats El Paso 3-2 in West DS; beats Wichita 4-1 in TLCS

2001 - Round Rock defeats San Antonio 3-2 in West DS; loses to Arkansas 2-0 in TLCS

2002 - Round Rock loses to San Antonio 3-2 in West DS

2004 - Round Rock loses to Frisco 4-1 in TLCS

2006 - Corpus Christi ?

Note: Round Rock began play in the Texas League in 2000 and moved to Corpus Christi following the 2004 season.

Corpus Christi's Texas League Post-Season History

1958 - Corpus Christi defeats Houston 4-1 in playoffs; beats Austin 4-3 in TLCS

Note: The Corpus Christi Giants competed in the Texas League during the 1958 and 1959 seasons.

Hooks' Bait - Hooks' left fielder Jorge Cortes fashioned a 27-game hitting streak and a 55-game on-base streak this season.

The best man at Cortes' wedding was Tony Beasley, currently the third base coach for the Washington Nationals.

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Texas League Stories from September 2, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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