Albers, Pence to receive honors
The awards will be part of a series of presentations recognizing the performances of players at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.
Albers, 10-2 with a league-leading 2.17 ERA in 19 starts for the Hooks, was selected as the Texas League Pitcher of the Year in balloting by managers, broadcasters and beat writers. His accomplishment gave the Hooks the league's top pitching accolade for a second straight year. Jason Hirsh, recently traded by the Astros to the Rockies, was the Texas League Pitcher of the Year in 2005.
On July 20, 2006, Albers became the first player in the two-year history of the Hooks to receive a promotion directly to the big leagues. His 10 wins for the Hooks came in stretches of two five-game winning streaks, and he limited opponents to three earned runs or less in 17 of 19 starts. Albers tossed one inning of shutout relief in the Texas League All-Star Game at Little Rock. Once joining the Astros, Albers split his time the rest of the season between Houston (0-2, 6.00) and Triple-A Round Rock (2-1, 3.96).
Pence, regarded as one of the top position player prospects in the Astros system, led or was tied for the team lead in six offensive categories, including home runs (28) and RBIs (95). He appeared in both the Texas League All-Star Game and the XM Satellite Radio Futures Game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, collecting hits in both showcase events.
Pence's popularity with Hooks fans soared when he decided to forego an invitation to play for Team USA in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Cuba to remain with his teammates in Corpus Christi. That decision helped solidify the Hooks lineup down the stretch, as Pence batted .387 and led the Hooks with five doubles and nine RBI's in seven post-season games.
Albers and Pence will be on hand at the Third Annual South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet, set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17th at the Omni Bayfront Hotel.
To secure your tickets for this premier event, please call the club at 361-561-HOOK and ask to speak with a ticket sales representative. Proceeds benefit the Hooks Field of Dreams program.