By Glenn Sattell
Chronicle correspondent

His dad won the 1990 Cy Young Award with the Pittsburgh Pirates. But Kyle Drabek accomplished a feat on July 4 that his dad never did.
The younger Drabek, pitching for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, fired a no-hitter. He threw just 98 pitches, striking out three while facing one batter over the minimum in accomplishing the gem, a 5-0 win over New Britain, in his continuing quest to follow in his father’s footsteps to the Major Leagues.
The 23-year-old Drabek, who in his senior year led The Woodlands High School baseball team to the 2006 Class 5A state championship, is following in what appears to be a building pipeline of pitchers to the big leagues.
Former Highlanders ace Scott Atchison is currently pitching with the Boston Red Sox. Some feel like Drabek is a couple of months away from getting the call to the Toronto Blue Jays. And Jameson Taillon, recent graduate of The Woodlands High School, is mulling over whether to sign a pro contract or pitch at Rice University after being selected second overall in the 2010 June Draft.
“I was real excited when I read that he’d thrown the no-hitter,” The Woodlands baseball coach Ron Eastman said. “Obviously he’s got tremendous stuff at any level. For him to do that at the professional level is a great feat. I’m real happy for him.”
Drabek was chosen in the first round, 18th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2006 draft. He was involved in a trade last December with Toronto that sent all-star Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
Since Tommy John surgery in 2008, Drabek went 12-3 last season, with a 3.19 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 158 innings pitched. He followed up the no-hitter with another strong outing, working six innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts to raise his record to 9-8 with a 3.03 ERA in 113 innings (85 strikeouts).
“Kyle’s got great potential and he’s having a pretty solid year, learning how to pitch at that level,” Eastman said. “Hopefully he’ll just continue to get better and we’ll see him pitching at a higher level pretty soon.”
Speculation is already beginning for Drabek’s call-up to Toronto in September.
“Originally it sounded like that might be a possibility,” Eastman said. “And then the (Blue Jays) pitching staff is doing pretty good, so things weren’t really sure. Now you’re hearing rumors about them starting to maybe dump salary. So if that’s the case then maybe he may get a shot here before the end of the year. You never know.”
Atchison, 34, is back in the Major Leagues after spending the last two seasons playing in Japan. Originally drafted in 1998 by the Seattle Mariners, Atchison played two seasons there going 2-3 in 31 relief appearances. He resurfaced in the Major Leagues in 2007 with the San Francisco Giants compiling a 4.11 ERA in 22 relief efforts.
He made his first Major League start this season with the Red Sox and in 27 2
3 innings (24 strikeouts) had a 1-1 record with a 4.88 ERA to show for it.
“I really didn’t get to know him at all,” said Eastman, who coached against Atchison when he was at Lamar High School. “But it’s good to see a former (Highlanders) alumni pitch in the Majors.”
Taillon, the first round selection of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and second pick overall in last month’s Major League Draft, may soon get his chance as well. But his future is still somewhat up in the air.
History shows that hammering out a deal to sign the top three or four players in the draft takes time. And Taillon also has a baseball scholarship to Rice University on the table as well.
“He’s in a win-win situation,” Eastman said. “The couple of times I’ve talked to Jameson, they’ve told him just to relax and be patient. He’s not worried. He’s got two great opportunities and come August we’ll probably know (his decision).”
Former Highlander Brett Eibner is in somewhat the same boat. The fourth pick of the second round by the Kansas City Royals in last month’s draft could sign a pro contract or play out his senior year at the University of Arkansas.
“I talked to him a couple of times when they were in the (college baseball) playoffs but haven’t talked to him since his season ended,” Eastman said.
Still another former Highlanders standout, pitcher Kyle Walker, is toiling in the minors, as well.
“It’s exciting to watch,” Eastman said of his former players’ career developments.