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Throw'n with the Wind
Zephyrs pitchers Mike Gallo and Kirk Bullinger stand out in a pack of top-notch talent.Brian Ross
New Orleans - The Houston Astros are pitcher-rich. Their AAA franchise, the New Orleans Zephyrs, have some of the best developing arms in baseball. This came through a lot of good player development, and a few good veteran acquisitions.
Two of the exceptional hurlers in the organization are Mike Gallo, farm-raised left-hander, and veteran Kirk Bullinger, a six-year free agent acquired in 2002. Both are fierce competitors who have derived both a powerful pitching performance and the emotional discipline and character-building for a shot at the big-leagues.
Mike Gallo, the left-hander, is going with the flow. He began his pro career in the minors in 1999, and has seen a steady progression each year. He has a (2002) 3.85 lifetime ERA in the minors, but his commanding .90 ERA in AAA ball in 2003 and the South paw command the attention of pitching coaches both with the Zephyrs and the Astros.
Then there is the curious case of Kirk Matthew Bullinger, who has been piloting his way through the winds of free-agency. Bullinger also sports a lifetime (2002) 3.85 ERA in the minors, but it's a more impressive lifetime as his career began back in 1992. He has played a few innings in the show for Montreal, Boston, and Philly. Fitting a club's program has been Bullinger's achilles heel,but with the Astros, he may have the maturity and the stuff to see a more permanent place in the show.
Minor League News had a chance to catch up with these two top talents, and find out a bit more about what drives their impressive pitching this season.
