One win behind Joe Niekro, Roy Oswalt got to the top in Houston faster than anybody!

As of this day and morning date, Sunday, July 11, 2010, Roy Oswalt has compiled 143 wins pitching only as a Houston Astro from 2001 to 2010. Roy trails knuckleballer Joe Niekro by a single victory  on the list of all time biggest franchise pitching winners. Joe Niekro registered 221 total wins in a 22-season total career (1967-1988) and he bagged 144 of these babies as a Houston Astro hurler in eleven seasons from 1975 to 1985.

The question now is: Which will come first – Roy’s Houston franchise record-breaking win as a pitcher – or his trade for future value to a 2010 title contender in this year of the “Expensive Veterans for Sale As We Build For the Future” campaign down at Minute Maid Park?

Time will tell – and time is short. The trading deadline is coming up on July 31st and, as the Houston Chronicle covers more completely this morning, the Seattle trade of the more affordable Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers has elevated Roy Oswalt to the top rung of most desirable candidates still out there on the vine. Only Roy’s heavy-bucks contract and how much the Astros will have to eat of it to swing a deal stands in the way.

At any rate, if Roy’s going to tie and pass Joe Niekro for the all time lead in franchise pitching wins, he had better get them quickly. In terms of fewest innings pitched to get there, Roy Oswalt already has reached the second rung on the ladder faster than anyone before him.

If we have to give him up, we are going to miss him. As an Astros fan, I will simply hope that the Reds of our own division don’t come up with the best, most workable deal for Roy. His loss to Houston would be greatly compounded if we had to deal with Roy coming back to pitch against us in three home stands each season over the next five to eight years. The only worse trade would be for the Astros to deal Oswalt to the Cardinals. Thank God the Cards are cool on pitching, for now. They are, aren’t they?

For the record, here’s the Top Ten List of Biggest Winners among Houston Pitchers for the entire period of the major league franchise from 1962 through this date in 2010. The list includes the number of innings that each pitcher worked to get there:

(1) Joe Niekro (144 wins in 2270.00 IP)

(2) Roy Oswalt (143 wins in 1923.33 IP)

(3) Larry Dierker (137 wins in 2294.44 IP)

(4) Mike Scott (110 wins in 1704.00 IP)

(5) J.R. Richard (107 wins in in 1606.00 IP)

(6) Nolan Ryan (106 wins in 1854.67 IP)

(7) Don Wilson (104 wins in 1748.33 IP)

(8) Shane Reynolds (103 wins in 1622.33 IP)

(9) Bob Knepper (93 wins in 1738.00 IP)

(10) Ken Forsch (78 wins in 1493.67 IP)

Have a peaceful Sunday, everybody!

Tags: Baseball, History, Houston Astros, Joe Niekro, Roy Oswalt

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