from official site
07/18/2002 2:20 pm ET
MLBeat: Saarloos to rejoin club
Right-hander will start Saturday against the Cubs
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
MILWAUKEE -- Right- hander Kirk Saarloos will be recalled from Triple-A New Orleans in time to start Saturday's game at Chicago.
Saarloos, 23, made three starts for the Astros in June after jumping from Double-A to the Majors but was optioned to New Orleans after going 0-2 with a 17.65 ERA. Since then, Saarloos has made four appearances, including two starts, with stellar results, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA (4 ER/16 IP). He was named the Pacific Coast League?s Pitcher of the Week for July 1-7 after going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA.
"He made the transition to Triple-A very easy," assistant general manager Tim Purpura said. "That's part of the reason why we had confidence in bringing him up when we did, because of that factor. We thought he'd handle it well, and he did. He goes down there, and now knowing what it takes to compete up here, he starts off doing the things right away down there that he needs to compete up here. That says a lot."
Manager Jimy Williams is confident that Saarloos will be able to work through the control issues that plagued the right-hander in his first big league stint.
"I think that's probably the key for everybody," Williams said. "The best pitch is strike one. Get out in front of the hitters. He knows that and we feel he can do that up here. He went right back down there (to New Orleans) and started playing good."
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from Houston Chronicle:
July 19, 2002, 12:09AM
Astros summary
Second chance
Rookie Kirk Saarloos struggled when called up directly from Class AA Round Rock to the majors,
going 0-2 with a 17.65 ERA last month. But the 23-year-old righthander regained his touch at Class AAA New Orleans and will rejoin the Astros to make the start Saturday against the Cubs.
Saarloos has exhibited excellent control since he was drafted in the third round last year out of Cal State Fullerton. He didn't have good command of his pitches during his three big-league starts in June, but he was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA at New Orleans.
"We talked about it the other day. The best pitch is strike one," manager Jimy Williams said. "It doesn't matter what pitch it is. Just get in front of the hitter. He knows how to do that, and we feel he can do it up here."
Saarloos was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA at Round Rock before the Astros called him up June 19.
07/18/2002 2:20 pm ET
MLBeat: Saarloos to rejoin club
Right-hander will start Saturday against the Cubs
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
MILWAUKEE -- Right- hander Kirk Saarloos will be recalled from Triple-A New Orleans in time to start Saturday's game at Chicago.
Saarloos, 23, made three starts for the Astros in June after jumping from Double-A to the Majors but was optioned to New Orleans after going 0-2 with a 17.65 ERA. Since then, Saarloos has made four appearances, including two starts, with stellar results, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA (4 ER/16 IP). He was named the Pacific Coast League?s Pitcher of the Week for July 1-7 after going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA.
"He made the transition to Triple-A very easy," assistant general manager Tim Purpura said. "That's part of the reason why we had confidence in bringing him up when we did, because of that factor. We thought he'd handle it well, and he did. He goes down there, and now knowing what it takes to compete up here, he starts off doing the things right away down there that he needs to compete up here. That says a lot."
Manager Jimy Williams is confident that Saarloos will be able to work through the control issues that plagued the right-hander in his first big league stint.
"I think that's probably the key for everybody," Williams said. "The best pitch is strike one. Get out in front of the hitters. He knows that and we feel he can do that up here. He went right back down there (to New Orleans) and started playing good."
.................................................................................................................
from Houston Chronicle:
July 19, 2002, 12:09AM
Astros summary
Second chance
Rookie Kirk Saarloos struggled when called up directly from Class AA Round Rock to the majors,
going 0-2 with a 17.65 ERA last month. But the 23-year-old righthander regained his touch at Class AAA New Orleans and will rejoin the Astros to make the start Saturday against the Cubs.
Saarloos has exhibited excellent control since he was drafted in the third round last year out of Cal State Fullerton. He didn't have good command of his pitches during his three big-league starts in June, but he was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA at New Orleans.
"We talked about it the other day. The best pitch is strike one," manager Jimy Williams said. "It doesn't matter what pitch it is. Just get in front of the hitter. He knows how to do that, and we feel he can do it up here."
Saarloos was 10-1 with a 1.40 ERA at Round Rock before the Astros called him up June 19.
