his shoulder struck a concrete curb that separated the sidewalk from a garden. He said officers kept beating him while he was down. "I hit the ground hard and they just got on top of me," he said. Backe contends that this is when his shoulder was so badly damaged it ended his career. 2009 Backe was designated for assignment on June 26, 2009. Backe had an ERA of over 10 for the Astros in 2009, including 7 relief appearances and one start. The young Felipe Paulino replaced him on the roster as he was recovering from an injury. On June 29, 2009 Backe was released by the Astros. See also List of World Series starting pitchers References External links 1978 births Living people Houston Astros players Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Texas Galveston Whitecaps baseball players Sportspeople from Galveston, Texas Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Hudson Valley Renegades players Charleston RiverDogs players Orlando Rays players Round Rock Express players Princeton Devil Rays players St. Petersburg Devil Rays players Bakersfield Blaze players New Orleans Zephyrs players Corpus Christi Hooks players