Topic: Chris Sampson

Christopher Keith Sampson (born May 23, 1978 in Channelview, Texas, United States) is a right-handed, Major League pitcher for the Houston Astros. Sampson is 6'0". After attending Texas Tech University, where he played for the Red Raiders, he started his Major League Baseball career on June 2, 2006, when he entered a blowout game for the Houston Astros against the Cincinnati Reds in relief of starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.

Sampson originally began his professional baseball career in the late 1990s as a shortstop. After batting .239, and hitting only one home run during the 1999 season in Class A baseball, Sampson decided to retire since his chances of making the Major Leagues were slim due to his poor batting stats. In the years following his retirement, he coached baseball for Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas, just outside of Dallas, where he would frequently throw batting practice. It was then that he realized his potential as a pitcher.

In 2003, Sampson contacted the Astros for a try-out as a pitcher. Astros Assistant General Manager Tim Purpura was impressed with Sampson's pitching ability and signed him to a minor league contract. Sampson developed as a pitcher, and impressed the Astros with his performance at Triple A Round Rock Express where he began the 2006 baseball season with a 7-1 record and a 2.64 ERA in 10 starts. His performance resulted in the Astros purchasing Sampson's contract on July 1, 2006.