PCL1 Round Rock Express

Sampson Called Up, Gallo Back

Published on June 2, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


For Chris Sampson, the biggest gamble of his life paid off on Friday.

The 28-year-old right-hander, who left professional baseball for three years to focus on training himself to pitch, was called up by the Houston Astros. Sampson led the Pacific Coast League with a 7-1 record and had won six consecutive decisions for the Express.

He will be replaced by former Express pitcher Mike Gallo, who was 1-2 with a 6.06 earned-run average over 23 appearances for Houston this season. This will be Gallo's fourth stint with Round Rock, where he first appeared in 2002 as a 25-year-old.

Sampson was drafted by Houston in the eighth round of the 1999 draft and hit .239 with 21 stolen bases with Single-A Auburn as a shortstop that year. He took the next three years off before returning to pro baseball in 2003, this time as a starting pitcher for Single-A Lexington.

He went 7-11 with a 3.80 earned-run average with Single-A Salem in 2004 and posted a 3.12 ERA with Double-A Corpus Christi in 2005. Before his call-up, Sampson held hitters to a .228 batting average, issues just five walks to the 238 hitters he faced and carved out a 2.64 ERA.

Sampson was also 12-for-23 (.522) with a double, three RBI and six runs as a regular and pinch-hitter.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 2, 2006


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