Shirley Named Hooks Pitcher of the Year

CORPUS CHRISTI - Left-handed pitcher Tommy Shirley earned Hooks' Pitcher of the Year honors, the club announced Tuesday. The Xavier product went 7-3 with a 1.88 ERA in 17 Corpus Christi appearances before his July 6 promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

A Texas League Mid-Season All-Star, Shirley tossed 86.1 innings, walked 17, struck out 78 and held the circuit to a .201 batting average. At the time of his promotion, he ranked second in the league in wins, ERA and WHIP (0.93), third in opponents' batting average and seventh in strikeouts.

Shirley kicked off his 2014 season with five shutout innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts April 6 at Springfield. The southpaw yielded more than two earned runs just once in his 17 appearances - a June 8 start against San Antonio in which he took a no decision.

He won six of his final seven decisions and thrived away from Whataburger Field. On the road Shirley went 4-1 with a 1.17 ERA in nine appearances.

Following his promotion to Triple-A, Shirley pitched in 13 games and went 0-2 with a 4.35 earned run average. He walked 15, fanned 22 and allowed 34 hits in 31 innings of work.

The Astros selected Shirley in the ninth round of the 2010 draft and injuries limited him to just 29 appearances in his first three seasons. However, in 2013-14 he combined to pitch in 57 games while climbing from High-A Lancaster to Triple-A Oklahoma City.