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Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Image 2 of 14 1: He began throwing 98-99 mph consistently while at Class A Lexington in 2011 after an opposing coach in Asheville approached him in the outfield after a start and recommended a tweak. 1: He began throwing 98-99 mph consistently while at Class A Lexington in 2011 after an opposing coach in Asheville approached him in the outfield after a start and recommended a tweak. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 3 of 14 2: He takes pride in his competitiveness. “I’m a huge competitor. I don’t like losing. Once I get up to Houston, hopefully sooner than later, I’m going to be a hard competitor. I don’t like losing. I’ll go at it and pitch like it’s my last game. There’s a lot of great prospects coming up and we’re going to try to turn this thing around.” less 2: He takes pride in his competitiveness. “I’m a huge competitor. I don’t like losing. Once I get up to Houston, hopefully sooner than later, I’m going to be a hard competitor. I don’t like losing. ... more Photo: Michael Zamora / Corpus Christi Caller-Times Image 4 of 14 3: Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw are two of the pitchers he admires the most. 3: Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw are two of the pitchers he admires the most. Photo: Leon Halip / Getty Images Image 5 of 14 Image 6 of 14 4: In high school he was hit in the chest by a batted ball. He still considers that accident among the scariest moments of his life. “When I was in high school, the ball hit right off my chest. I was dizzy. That’s my worst fear too. You see those balls that get hit back at the pitcher’s head. It’s not something to joke about. I was a sophomore. I came hard off with the medal bat, it hit me right there.” less 4: In high school he was hit in the chest by a batted ball. He still considers that accident among the scariest moments of his life. “When I was in high school, the ball hit right off my chest. I was dizzy. ... more Photo: Jeff Findley / For the Chronicle Image 7 of 14 5: He loves to play golf. He’s usually six or 10 over par, but on “a good day one over,” he said. 5: He loves to play golf. He’s usually six or 10 over par, but on “a good day one over,” he said. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 8 of 14 6: He usually plays the drums to relax. “I go down and play the drums. I just go down there and put the headphones and go to town,” he said. 6: He usually plays the drums to relax. “I go down and play the drums. I just go down there and put the headphones and go to town,” he said. Photo: Michael Zamora / Corpus Christi Caller-Times Image 9 of 14 7: The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was a forward on his high school basketball team through his junior year. 7: The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was a forward on his high school basketball team through his junior year. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 10 of 14 Image 11 of 14 8: He has “Family” tattooed on his left wrist. Another tattoo says “Live for now, smile now, cry later.” 8: He has “Family” tattooed on his left wrist. Another tattoo says “Live for now, smile now, cry later.” Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 12 of 14 9: His last name is pronounced “Folt-in-ev-ich." 9: His last name is pronounced “Folt-in-ev-ich." Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 13 of 14 10: He was taken with the 19th pick of the 2010 draft. That pick was obtained as part of compensation from the Detroit Tigers for the loss of closer Jose Valverde. 10: He was taken with the 19th pick of the 2010 draft. That pick was obtained as part of compensation from the Detroit Tigers for the loss of closer Jose Valverde. Photo: File photo Image 14 of 14 Flame-throwing Foltynewicz gets call of a lifetime from Astros 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

Mike Foltynewicz’s powerful right arm is practically a sleeve of tattoos. By comparison, his left arm is a blank canvas with his left wrist devoted to his most intimate and personal piece of art – a tattoo of the word “family.”

The Astros’ hard-throwing righthander was only seven years old in Harvard, Illinois, when he first told his mother Cindy he would be a major-leaguer when he grew up. Although Cindy Foltynewicz urged her boy to devise a Plan B, she and her husband Gary nurtured his passion.

Mike Foltynewicz finally landed in the majors Friday, becoming the third of the Astros’ prized prospects and the first high-ranking pitching prospect to be promoted from Class AAA Oklahoma City this year. His family were stuck at Midway Airport ready to join him at Minute Maid Park, but they were on his wrist and in his heart on the special day.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “It’s a dream come true right now. I’ll try to live it.”

Rated by Baseball America and ESPN as the fourth best prospect in the Astros’ system, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was 7-7 with a 5.08 ERA at Oklahoma City.

He has been compared favorably to Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge. Some insiders predict his ceiling as a dominant closer while others believe he’ll be a front-of-the-rotation starter.

For now he’ll start his career out of the bullpen, just as Oswalt began his stellar career in May 2001 with the Astros.

“We looked at his innings workload and wanted to give him an opportunity in Houston to pitch on the major league team,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “Didn’t want to put him in the rotation because the rotation is full right now.

“It’s a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet and try his pitches here and have success and for us to continue to evaluate him and challenge him.”

Foltynewicz, 22, hit 99-mph on his fastball routinely in the minors. He steadily marched up the Astros’ farm system since he was taken 19th overall in the first round of the 2010 draft.

A starter most of his pro career, he got experience pitching in relief the last two years as part of the piggyback routine the Astros utilize throughout the farm system.

He has a superb fastball, an above average changeup, a curveball and a slider. He began using his slider consistently again last month.

Although he will start his career out of the bullpen the Astros will still consider using him in the rotation next season. They need him in the bullpen right now. It’s no secret the coaching staff coveted him as a potential closer in spring training before Luhnow reassigned him to minor-league camp.

“It’s been a long journey, four or five years journey in the minor leagues to prove to everyone that I belong,” he said. “The big thing is I’m a big competitor so I’m going to do the best I can.”

His climb to the majors began years before the Astros drafted him. His mother Cindy would often ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up. From the time Mike was seven the answer was always the same – a major league player.

“Well, it can always happen,” Cindy would tell her son. “You just have to have Plan B.”

Foltynewicz enjoyed the game so much he would usually cry after practice.

“He was like, ‘why are we leaving?” Cindy recalled. “He would just freak out. He just has the passion in that heart for that game. He was crazy, but I loved him for it. It kept him out of troubles.”

Foltynewicz’s parents never had to ask him to get ready for baseball practice. If it rained during the summer, he would call his mother at work to beg her to devote her lunch hour to sweeping the water off of their local Little League field so it would dry in time for his night games.

Rain or shine, Cindy and Gary Foltynewicz helped Mike refine his pitches and hitting. One summer both parents developed tennis elbow after throwing him countless rounds of batting practice.

Naturally they were the first folks Mike called late Thursday night when he learned that he was finally heading to the majors.

“I’m going to the show,” he told his mom.

“What?” Cindy responded.

The next 30 seconds of the call were pure silence. Foltynewicz could tell his mother was crying. He cried too.

“He’s interviewed for this job his whole life, and I’m so damn proud,” Cindy said. “He’s ready. He’s worked. He’s dedicated and loyal. He’s ready.”

Unfortunately for Foltynewicz’s parents and his girlfriend, their noon flight from Midway Airport in Chicago was tremendously delayed Friday and not likely to land in Houston in time for his first major-league game.

Cindy said it was “sickening” waiting at the airport for more than 10 hours knowing they might miss Mike’s major-league debut.

“We’re not going to leave now until 9, so we won’t get there,” Gary said. “We’re going to miss the whole game, but he’s now in the majors and that’s the name of the game.

He’s very excited, as he should be. He’s gearing up to pitch in Houston. This is what he’s been looking forward to for the last four years.”