Astros Invite Five Pitchers, Four Catchers, and Four Position Players to Spring T.

HOUSTON (January 8)- The Houston Astros announced today that they have agreed to terms with 13 players on minor league contracts and invited them to spring training in Kissimmee, Florida. Included in the signees are right-handed pitchers Travis Driskill, Jim Mann, Brian Powell, Brad Rigby, Ricky Stone; catchers Frank Charles, Raul Chavez, Chris Tremie, C/1B Alan Zinter; infielder Mendy Lopez; and outfielders OF/3B Orlando Merced, Scott Pose and Omar Ramirez. The 13 non-roster spring training invitees join veteran infielder Charlie Hayes, who signed a minor league contract on January 2.

Driskill, 29, went 12-11 with a 4.01 ERA in 28 starts last year for Triple A New Orleans, his first season in the Astros system. Prior to coming to the Astros, Driskill posted a 46-37 minor league record with a 4.10 ERA over 226 games for the Cleveland organization, which drafted him in the fourth round of the June 1993 draft. Originally selected by the Astros in the 76th round of the June 1990 draft, the Austin native played two seasons at Texas Tech and one year at Blinn Junior College.

Mann, 26, made his major league debut last season with the New York Mets, pitching in two games with an 0-0 record and a 10.13 ERA. He pitched most of the year with Triple A Norfolk, where he was 3-4 with a 2.98 ERA and three saves in 49 relief appearances. Mann was a 54th round selection by Toronto in the 1993 June draft and played six seasons in the Blue Jays system (1994-99) before being selected by the Mets in the 1999 Rule V Draft.

Powell, 27, started five games for the Astros last season, posting a 1-1 record and a 6.39 ERA, and made four relief appearances. He spent most of the season with Triple A New Orleans, going 9-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 18 starts. Powell began his career with Detroit after being selected in the second round of the June 1995 draft. He pitched four years in the Tigers system including making 16 starts (3-8, 6.35 ERA) for the Tigers in 1998. Houston acquired Powell as part of a seven-player trade on January 14, 1999.

Rigby, 27, split time last season between Kansas City and Montreal, compiling a combined 0-0 record with a 11.85 ERA in 10 major league games. He also went 3-10 with a 6.67 ERA in 24 games with 14 starts for Triple A Ottawa, Montreal's top farm club. Rigby began his professional career as a second round pick of the Oakland A's in the June 1994 draft. He has appeared in 73 major league games (14 starts) with Oakland, Kansas City, and Montreal, compiling a 5-13 major league record and a 5.50 ERA.

Stone, 25, has pitched for seven seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization after being selected in the fourth round of the June 1994 draft. Stone compiled a 9-5 record with a 4.94 ERA and five saves for Triple A Albuquerque last season. He started seven of the 48 games in which he pitched. For his minor league career, Stone has a 49-46 record with a 4.85 ERA and 12 saves in 206 games.

Charles, 31, made his major league debut last season with the Astros, batting .429 with a double and two RBI in four games. He spent the bulk of the year with Triple A New Orleans where he primarily played catcher but also saw time at first and third base. He batted .261 with five homers and 37 RBI in 84 games for the Zephyrs. A 17th round selection by San Francisco in the June 1991 draft, Charles spent two separate stints in the Giants' minor league system (1991-92, 1998), five seasons in the Texas system (1994-97), and a season in the San Diego system (1999). Charles is a .264 career hitter in 861 minor league games, swatting 61 home runs and driving in 429 runs.

Chavez, 27, played in 14 games for the Astros last season and batted .256 with his first major league home run and five RBI. Chavez also caught 92 games for Triple A New Orleans, posting a .244 average with two home runs and 36 RBI. He was originally signed by Houston as an non-drafted free agent in 1990 and spent six seasons (1990-95) in the Astros minor leagues. On December 20, 1995, he was traded to Montreal along with pitcher Dave Veres for infielder Sean Berry. He then played two seasons in the Montreal system (1996-97) and two seasons (1998-99) in the Seattle system. In 32 major league games with Montreal, Seattle, and Houston, Chavez batted .253 with one home runs and seven RBI.

Tremie, 31, played most of the 2000 season with Triple A Calgary in the Florida Marlins system, batting .267 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 46 games. Tremie was a 39th round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the June 1992 draft and played seven years in the White Sox organization (1992-96) and one year each in the Philadelphia (1997), Texas (1998), Pittsburgh (1999), and Florida (2000) organizations. In 21 career major league games, he compiled a .146 average with no home runs and one RBI. A Houston native, Tremie graduated from South Houston High School and attended the University of Houston.

Zinter, 32, split time last year between Triple A Iowa (Chicago Cubs) and Triple A Tucson (Arizona Diamondbacks). Playing both first base and catcher, the switch-hitting Zinter batted .245 with 15 home runs and 40 RBI between the two teams. Selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the June 1989 draft, Zinter has played in the Mets, Tigers, Red Sox, Mariners, Cubs, and Diamondbacks systems. He holds a .257 career minor league average with 182 home runs and 673 RBI.

Lopez, 26, made four pinch hit appearances for the Marlins last season (0x3, BB) after played both shortstop and second base for Triple A Calgary. He was second on the Cannons team with a .324 batting average with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 56 games. Prior to playing for the Marlins last season, Lopez spent his entire career in the Kansas City organization signing as a non-drafted free agent in 1992. Lopez played in 81 major league games for the Royals in 1998-99 and finished the 1998 season as Kansas City's everyday shortstop. He holds a .253 average with one home run and 18 RBI in 85 major league games.

Merced, 34, began the 2000 season with the Orix Blue Wave of the Japanese Leagues before finishing the season with Triple A New Orleans. He played 17 games for the Zephyrs, hitting .269 with one home run and 14 RBI. A 10-year major league veteran, Merced has played for the Pirates (1990-96), Blue Jays (1997), Twins (1998), Red Sox (1998), Cubs (1998), and Expos (1999) since signing as a non-drafted free agent of the Pirates in 1985. In 1,051 major league games, he has compiled a .280 career batting average with 88 home runs and 500 RBI.

Pose, 33, spent the last two seasons as the Kansas City Royals top reserve outfielder and pinch hitter. Last year, he led the Royals and was fourth in the American League with 27 pinch hit at-bats (.222, 6x27). Overall, Pose hit .188 with no home runs and one RBI. A 34th round selection by Cincinnati in the June 1989 draft, he has played in 202 major league games with the Marlins, Yankees, and Royals and batted .240 with no home runs and 21 RBI.

Ramirez, 30, had a breakout season last year and was named the Triple A New Orleans team MVP. In his second season in the Astros system, he led the Zephyrs with a .320 average and 53 RBI and was second with 73 runs scored and 19 steals. Rameriz played seven seasons in the Cleveland system (1990-96) after being selected in the 31st round of the June 1990 draft. He played with Rio Grande of the Independent Leagues in 1998 before coming to New Orleans in 1999. In 769 minor league games, Rameriz has a .288 average with 51 home runs and 334 RBI


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RKMAN

Proud believer of the 2001 World Champion Houston Astros.