Hal Woodeshick - Playing Career - Houston Colt .45s/Astros

Houston Colt .45s/Astros

Woodeshick was on the Houston Colt .45s roster for the expansion team's inaugural Opening Day in 1962. His contract had been purchased on October 12, 1961 from the Denver Bears, the Tigers' American Association affiliate at the time. General manager Paul Richards, who had previously managed the Baltimore Orioles, was impressed with several of his qualities such as his six-foot-four-inch (1.93 meters) height, work ethic and an ability to throw an effective sinker. The most important one was Woodeshick having his best performances against Richards' old ballclub. In the fifteen games he pitched versus the Orioles, he was 4–1 with a 1.80 earned run average (ERA).

The acquisition was a big risk because Woodeshick was prone to wildness with his pitches and had problems with his fielding. He spent most of his first Colt .45s spring training working with Richards and pitching coach Cot Deal to correct his inability to make accurate throws to the first baseman after cleanly fielding ground balls. The solution was for Woodeshick to jog toward the first baseman and lob an overhand soft toss to him. Under Richards' tutelage, he improved his curveball and learned how to throw the slip pitch.

Woodeshick started in 26 of his 31 appearances in 1962. In the Colt .45s' second-ever regular season contest on April 11, its first at night, he pitched eight innings and endured a one-hour rain delay in the fourth to earn a 2–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He finished the campaign with a 5–16 record due to a pair of nagging injuries. A slow-healing throat infection had left him out of playing shape at midseason. By the time he was released at year's end, his back pain was so debilitating that his wife had to drive him back to their Pennsylvania home. After two spinal taps failed to provide a cure, his problem was remedied by a chiropractor who prescribed an exercise regimen.

He returned to the Colt .45s as its first-ever legitimate closer in 1963, winning eleven games with a team-leading ten saves and a 1.97 ERA. His success was based largely on having picked up the slider from Rusty Staub. Woodeshick pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Ray Culp for the National League in the 1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, striking out Joe Pepitone in the sixth and Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew in the seventh. The only two baserunners he allowed were Zoilo Versalles (walk) and Brooks Robinson (single), both in the sixth. His best year in the majors was 1964 when he led the senior circuit in saves with 23.