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Estrada joins Astros' 40-man roster

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) - The Houston Astros announced today that the club has purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Paul (pronounced "Pah-ool") Estrada from Double-A Corpus Christi, adding him to the 40-man roster. The Astros also outrighted catchers Eric Munson and J.R. House to Triple-A Round Rock, removing both from the 40-man roster. The announcement was made by General Manager Tim Purpura.

Estrada, 24, was 8-5 with 15 saves and 3.05 ERA in 56 games for the Hooks this season. The 2006 Texas League All-Star ranked second in the league in strikeouts (134), third in games (56) and fourth in saves (15). His saves total is a single-season best for the two years the Hooks have been in Corpus Christi. Estrada also ranked second among all minor league pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (13.60). He allowed just 61 hits in 88.2 innings and held opponents to a .191 batting average. Today's move marks Estrada's first appearance on a Major League roster.

House, 26, played in 97 games for the Hooks this season before getting called up to Round Rock and Houston, where he appeared in four games for the Astros. In 379 at-bats for the Hooks this year, House batted .325 with 10 home runs, 23 doubles and 69 RBI's. Like Estrada, House represented the Hooks at this season's Texas League All-Star Game.

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Frank White, who led the Wichita Wranglers to the Texas League championship series this past year, will join the Kansas City Royals' player development department.

Royals senior vice president J.J. Picollo said Thursday that White will not return as manager in 2007. He was 218-200 in three seasons with the Wranglers.

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Bishop Edmond Carmody, 72, danced around Corpus Christi Hooks President J.J. Gottsch, 35, beating Gottsch 15-5, 15-10 Thursday evening during an annual racquetball match at the Omni Bayfront Hotel benefiting the American Diabetes Association. The head of the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi remains undefeated in the four years of the event.

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Wranglers manager Frank White said he will not return to Wichita for the 2007 season.

"Right now I felt like I had done all I could do there in the minor leagues," White said Thursday, "so it was time to explore some other avenues and try to do something that I could kind of point at and say, 'This is making a difference overall.' I think I made a difference in the players, but for my overall development, my overall wish is to do something different."

J.J. Picollo, the Royals' senior director of minor league operations, said the team has created a position for White.

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The Houston Astros purchased the contract of Hooks closer Paul Estrada on Friday, adding him to the parent club's 40-man roster.

Estrada, 24, was 8-5 with 15 saves and 3.05 ERA in 56 games for the Hooks this season, his first in Class AA. The 2006 Texas League All-Star ranked second in the league in strikeouts (134), third in games (56) and fourth in saves (15). His saves total was a single-season record for Corpus Christi. He allowed just 61 hits in 88.2 innings and held opponents to a .191 batting average.

The Astros also outrighted catchers Eric Munson and J.R. House, an ex-Hook, to Class AAA Round Rock, removing both from the 40-man roster.

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Adam Kilker figures St. Louis Cardinals fans in the Springfield area will get a serious case of playoff fever, with symptoms so bad that they might try to buy tickets from scalpers outside of Busch Stadium.

The Drury University alumnus worries they might do away with common sense as the Cardinals advance in baseball's playoffs.

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His eyes are as big as those of a kid let into a baseball clubhouse, his excitement as enormous as you might imagine.

Former Springfield Cardinal reliever Josh Kinney hopped up on the wood bench of the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout over the weekend and, well, look at him.

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The Wranglers will open the 2007 season, their final one in Wichita, with a six-game homestand starting April 5, the team announced today.

The Wranglers will move to Springdale, Ark., for the 2008 season.

The first three games will be against Corpus Christi in a rematch of the Texas League championship series. San Antonio will round out the homestand with a three-game series.

The final home game will be against Tulsa on Aug. 27.

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Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - The Arkansas Travelers and Petit Jean Meats are proud to announce that the Travs Hot Dog has been voted the region's top hot dog in the annual "Best of Central Arkansas" survey voted by the readers of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Partnered with the Travs since the 2003 season, Morrilton-based Petit Jean Meats sell the Travs dog in grocery stores and at Razorbacks sporting events as "Jumbo Grillers". The century-old Travs and Petit Jean Meats, founded in 1928, are two of Arkansas' great family traditions and plan on continuing their partnership in the future at the Travs' new home, Dickey-Stephens Park.

"Petit Jean Meats is known to produce the best meat products in Arkansas," said Travs General Manager/Executive Vice President Bill Valentine. "Petit Jean has a well-known reputation for quality and that's what they deliver. It is the best hot dog you can find as far as I'm concerned. We're proud to offer Petit Jean's hot dogs to our fans."

For more information on Petit Jean Meats, please visit Ozark Hickory Smoked Ham, Bacon, Sausage and Deli Meat – Petit Jean Meats – Morrilton Packing Company.

Please call (501) 664-1555 or visit Arkansas Travelers for game information.

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Texas League champion Corpus Christi Hooks begin defense of their 2006 title on Thursday, April 5th, by opening the season against the Wichita Wranglers, the team they beat a little over three weeks ago in the championship series. The Hooks' third season starts with a six-game road trip, with the home opener slated for the following Thursday, April 12th, also against Wichita.

Highlighting the 2007 schedule is the annual Texas League All-Star Game, to be played at Whataburger Field on Tuesday, June 26th. The 71st edition of the summer classic pits the stars of the South Division against the stars from the North.

"Having the All-Star Game come to Corpus Christi in our third year is great timing," said team president J.J. Gottsch. "This will be another premier event for our fans, and gives us the opportunity to showcase Whataburger Field and Corpus Christi to the rest of the league and a potential regional television audience."

The regular season has a slightly different format from schedules of recent years, though the "unbalanced" element of the calendar remains. In 2007, the Hooks play division foes Frisco and Midland 32 times each, with 28 games slated against the rival Missions of San Antonio. Corpus Christi battles its North Division foes 12 times each. In addition, the five-game series has been eliminated, trimming all series to either three or four games.

While there are 70 games in each half, the first half ends in the middle of a four-game series June 17-20 against San Antonio. The Hooks finish both halves at home against the Missions, who are now affiliated with the San Diego Padres. San Antonio's affiliation switch brings the number of National League affiliates in the league up to four, which for Corpus Christi means a total of 52 National League-style games in 2007, as opposed to 28 this past season.

The Hooks play 33 weekend dates at Whataburger Field (10 Fridays, 11 Saturdays and 12 Sundays), one more than in 2006. Corpus Christi's longest home stand is 12 games in length (June 13-24), while the club has two 11-game road trips (June 1-12 and July 19-29).

The Hooks are home for Father's Day (June 17th), the 4th of July and Labor Day (September 3rd), the final day of the regular season. The Hooks are also home on the 17th of every month April through August.

For more information on the Hooks' 2007 schedule and to purchase season tickets, call the club's office at 361-561-HOOK. Fans may also review the 2007 schedule on line at Corpus Christi Hooks

City Hall Proclamation

Members of the Hooks' front office will be in attendance during the proclamation period of today's city council meeting, scheduled to begin at 11:45 this morning at City Hall, located at 1201 Leopard Street in downtown Corpus Christi. Mayor Henry Garrett and the city council are expected to issue a proclamation regarding the Hooks recent victory in the Texas League Championship Series. The Hooks, in return, have something special planned for City Hall.