Status: RETIRED HERO
A three-time all-star and one of the greatest pitchers in Houston Astros history, Roy Oswalt had humble beginnings. He pitched at a small high school and scouts brushed him off as being too small to be a good pitcher. However, one scout for the Houston Astros saw his potential and he was drafted in the 23rd round in 1996.
An interesting story about Roy Oswalt pulled from Wikipedia:
“In 1999, when Oswalt was with the Class A Michigan Battle Cats in the Midwest League, he suffered an apparently serious shoulder injury. After a month of pain in his upper shoulder, Oswalt was convinced that his shoulder was torn. Shortly thereafter, he was checking the spark plug wires on his pickup truck. He touched one of the spark plug wires, causing the truck’s engine to start. The truck’s electric current flowed through Oswalt’s body, and consequently the muscles in his hand tightened on the spark plug wire. Unable to let go of it, Oswalt grasped the wire for almost one minute. Oswalt then claimed his foot slipped off the truck’s bumper and he was finally ‘thrown off.’ ‘My truck done shocked the fire out of me, and my arm don’t hurt no more.’ Apparently, the electric charge loosened accumulated scar tissue in the shoulder. Oswalt claims he has not felt any pain in his shoulder since the incident. He finished 1999 with 143 strikeouts and a club-high 13 wins.“
Oswalt’s first eight seasons with the Houston Astros were magical. He had a combined 129-64 record and a 3.13 ERA. But after age 30, he began declining. From 2009 until his final season in 2013, Oswalt played on four teams, never quite finding his groove again. His record 2009-2013 was 34-38 with a 3.96 ERA.
Autograph Card
2001 Donruss Century Marks (serial #057/192)
Rookie Card
2000 Bowman #395
Base Card
2007 Topps #390
