Ex-Knight Bud Norris of Round Rock Starts AAA All-Star Game.
July 15, 2009Astros Prospect Tosses Two Scoreless Innings for Pacific Coast League
Houston Astros top prospect Bud Norris (pictured in the bullpen at PGE Park) of the Round Rock Express made his return to Portland to start the AAA All-Star Game for the Pacific Coast League.
Norris pitched for the Aloha Knights (then located in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland) in 2005.
Bud went 7-1 and struck out 75 over 66 innings pitched while posting a miniscule 1.09 ERA that summer for the Knights and earned first-team All-West Coast League honors.
The right-hander from Cal Poly and Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves were the team's #1 and #2 starting pitchers.
Bud pitched two hitless innings and struck out two International League All-Stars before a sellout crowd at PGE Park as the IL beat the PCL 6-5.
Norris (3-8, 2.64, 107 strikeouts) continues to impress and is likely to be called up to Houston this season.
Three ex-Knights have made their Major League debuts this summer including Bobby Scales of the Chicago Cubs, Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves and Marc Rzepczynski of the Toronto Blue Jays.
