Home at Last
Roy Oswalt pitches with a purpose every fifth day -- that purpose is to win. Each time he takes the mound with a determined and intimidating presence. He has the calm and collected poise of a confident man who knows no fear. Roy is considered among baseball's elite. His quiet confidence stems from his solid family ties and solid upbringing.
Born in Weir, Misissippi (population 600), Roy is married to his high school sweetheart, Nicole. He balances the love for his wife, daughters Arlee and Ainslee, and his hometown, with his intense drive to pitch like a champion every time out on the mound.
His desire to perform like a champion and perfect his own skills came from watching the man Roy most admires in his life - his father, Billy. - play softball for hours on end. The elder Oswalt, a logger and Vietnam veteran, noticed Roy’s talent at an early age and took it upon himself to convince the local high school, with a graduating class of just over 30, to field a baseball team. The future Hall of Famer moved on to the local junior college (Holmes) where his stature grew and frame filled out. His trademark fastball neared its present day “zip” and garnered the attention of the Houston Astros. He was selected in the 23rd round of the 1996 Amateur Draft by the team where his idol, Nolan Ryan, had his number retired that very same year.
Roy’s rise to the big leagues didn’t happen overnight. He spent five years in the minor leagues, waking up every day and putting in a hard day’s work, just as his father Billy has done his entire life. In 1999 however, while pitching in Class A with the Michigan Battlecats, Roy began experiencing severe shoulder pain which continued on for nearly a month; this was an injury that could have derailed his career.
Instead, it was an unlikely occurrence that changed his path. While working on his truck, Roy reached for a spark plug and was thrown to the ground from electric shocks running through his entire body for nearly a minute. When he recovered, the shoulder pain was gone and it has never returned. Roy ended that season with 143 strikeouts and a club-high 13 wins.
Roy burst onto the Major League scene in 2001, dominating opposing hitters with his four-pitch repertoire, ranging from a 70 m.p.h. curveball to a blistering 95 m.p.h. fastball. He finished his rookie campaign with a 14-3 record and a 2.73 ERA, earning him 2nd place in the Rookie of the Year voting.
The next few years found Roy building on his success which included the first 20 win season of his career in 2004. He was the only pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so that year. The league and fans alike had no choice but to take notice. While not as boisterous or flashy as his some of his peers, nobody could question his rise to stardom.
2005 became a breakthrough year for Roy as he took his team to the World Series. However, before Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, owner Drayton McLane walked through the clubhouse and told Roy that if he won that night he would buy him a Caterpillar bulldozer. Roy delivered on his send by pitching a gem, winning the NLCS MVP. In addition to going to the World Series, that year Roy again won 20 games, made the All-Star team, and even read the Top 10 list on Davis Letterman. In that year’s NLCS, the Astros suffered a heart wrenching defeat in Game 5 and had their backs to the wall. Before Game 6, owner Drayton McLane walked through the clubhouse and told Roy that if he won that night, he would buy Roy a Caterpillar bulldozer. Roy delivered on his end by pitching a gem, taking his team to the World Series and winning the NLCS MVP award. Roy turned around and immediately gave the trophy to his hero, his father Billy.
Roy celebrating the 2005 NL Championship
“He got up at 5:30 every morning and was home at five in the afternoon to get me to the game by seven, ” Roy remarked while describing the happiness he felt seeing his father’s face after giving him the trophy. “It’s a small token for the way he believed in me. I remember growing up and people coming by to ask why he spent so much time with me out in the yard throwing the ball. Now maybe they understand.”
Roy’s father, hometown, and family all helped mold Roy into the composed competitor that he is today. Make no mistake however, underneath this tranquil and poised exterior is the unrelenting fire and passion of a man on a mission. That mission is to bring the Houston Astros, the team that has become a piece of his family, a World Series Championship.
