Matt Albers

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**Matt Albers**
Major League Baseball debut
Houston Astros — No. 37
Relief Pitcher
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
July 25, 2006 for the Houston Astros
Selected MLB statistics (through December 28, 2006)
Record	0-2
ERA	6.00
Innings pitched	15
Strikeouts	11

Matthew Kip Albers, born January 20, 1983 in Houston, TX, is a relief pitcher with the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball. After being drafted in the 23rd round of the June 2001 draft, Matt worked his way up through the minors and started 2006 at AA Corpus Christi, where he went 10 - 2 with an excellent 2.17 ERA. The Astros were so impressed that when there was an opening at the major league level in late July, they called Albers up. Albers pitched a couple games in relief, then made his first major league start against the San Diego Padres on August 3, 2006.

When Albers was sent back down shortly after the San Diego start, it was to AAA Round Rock, so wrapped in his demotion was a promotion. Albers returned to the majors when rosters expanded on September first.

After the Texas League season concluded (with his former team in Corpus Christi having won the league title), Albers was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.

He pitched at Mesa in the Arizona Fall League over the winter.

For 2007, Albers is one of a group of pitchers (along with Wandy Rodriguez and Chris Sampson) that the Astros plan to try out as their fifth starter this spring.

[edit] Trivia

Albers is the first baseball player from the Astros' minor league affiliate Class A Tri-City Valley Cats to make it to the major leagues.

He was the second straight Astro to win Texas League Pitcher of the Year, as Jason Hirsh won the award in 2005, when still in the Astro organization and pitching at Corpus.

Albers is also a 2001 graduate of William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land.