Jeff Bagwell retires

[Chi City 81]

Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell retiring

By JOE STINEBAKER
Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Jeff Bagwell, the face of Houston baseball for a generation with teammate Craig Biggio, will retire Friday after 15 years with the team.

The four-time All Star will remain with the Astros as part of a personal-services agreement reached with the team earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the team’s plan who requested anonymity because an official announcement had not been made.

Bagwell, the greatest power hitter in Houston Astros history, is expected to work with young Astros hitters, assisting in the front office and making appearances for the team.

The Astros have scheduled a Friday morning news conference to announce the retirement.

Bagwell, 38, leaves the Astros as the team’s all-time leader in home runs (449), RBIs (1,529), walks (1,401) and extra-base hits (969). He had a lifetime batting average of .297.

Despite his unique and highly unorthodox batting stance, Bagwell displayed remarkable power at the plate, ranking among the top 15 players in home runs and RBIs throughout the 1990s. His 449 home runs leaves him three behind his childhood idol, Carl Yastrzemski.

A Boston native, Bagwell’s minor-league contract was owned by the Boston Red Sox until August 1990, when the Red Sox traded him to the Astros for pitcher Larry Andersen. Astros manager Art Howe switched Bagwell from third base to first base to accommodate Astros third baseman Ken Caminiti, soon to become one of Bagwell’s close friends.

Bagwell’s impact was immediate, and he was named the National League rookie of the year in 1991, hitting .294 with 15 homers and a club rookie record of 82 RBIs. He went on to win three Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove.

It was in the strike-shortened season of 1994 that Bagwell had perhaps his best season, hitting .368 over 110 games, slamming 39 home runs and knocking in 116 runs to lead the Astros within a half-game of Cincinnati before a players strike ended the season Aug. 12. As a result, Bagwell was unanimously selected the National League’s most valuable player.

 

[buckweaver]

No surprise, and a long time coming, but still: A sad day for baseball in Houston.

 

[GB-Hack]

Heard this migh be coming yesterday, I'd say borderline HOF, but gets in because he and Biggio were the face of the Astros for so long.

 

[SoSueMe]

Just 51 homers shy of 500, which is usually the ticket to Cooperstown. If he wasn't plagued by injuries, he'd have surpassed the plateau, easily.

 

[buckweaver]

Heard this migh be coming yesterday, I'd say borderline HOF, but gets in because he and Biggio were the face of the Astros for so long.

Bagwell is kind of on the tail end of the 1975-95 superstars whose career numbers aren't going to stack up favorably to the inflated numbers of the last decade.

But I always felt I was watching a Hall of Famer when Bags was at his peak. Same goes for Frank Thomas, his contemporary among first basemen in this era and whom he will always be linked to because they share the same birthdate (5/27/68).

Bagwell is not among the top tier of HOF first basemen -- Gehrig, Sisler, Terry, Foxx -- but he's up there with the Greenbergs, McCoveys, Cepedas, et al.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Easy, 1st ballot HOFer. A half step behind Thomas, a large one ahead of McGriff, and a moderate sized one ahead of Murray & Palmiero (even without the steroids). It's been 6 months or so, I guess we can do this again.

 

[Gold]

Whoa, buckweaver...

Greenberg and McCovey are certainly in a tier with Jimmie Foxx and Bill Terry, if not above that level. Foxx and Terry both played much of their careers in the 30s, which was a big offensive era. McCovey played in what was not a favorable era for hitter and in a park which was not favorable for hitters, and still was an incredible player. Greenberg was negatively affected by serving in World War 2, but was also incredible.

 

[pallister]

I enjoyed watching him in the '05 Series.

 

[broadway joe]

Easy, 1st ballot HOFer. A half step behind Thomas, a large one ahead of McGriff, and a moderate sized one ahead of Murray & Palmiero (even without the steroids). It's been 6 months or so, I guess we can do this again.

1st ballot? No way. Borderline guy.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Definitely borderline. And no way is he even with Eddie Murray.

 

[Oz]

Just 51 homers shy of 500, which is usually the ticket to Cooperstown. If he wasn't plagued by injuries, he'd have surpassed the plateau, easily.

I'm guessing there are some other guys -- guys not in the HOF -- who could say the same.

 

[Dude]

Is this a good enough reason to post a pic of his ex-wife?

 

[Smallpotatoes]

After he won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, a lot of Red Sox fans talked about how it was a mistake that the Red Sox traded him. In hindsight, it was, but at the time, the Red Sox needed a relief pitcher, had Wade Boggs and another third baseman ahead of him (Cooper, but I can't remember his first name) and with Mo Vaughn at first, it looked like Boston needed a relief pitcher more than it needed Bagwell.

 

[blondebomber]

Scott Cooper.

Problem was, Bagwell was born in Boston, and the Red Sox have a history of cherishering their local boys. That was the sin.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

No Hall. Not with 449 HRs in this era. Sorry.

 

[GB-Hack]

But he doesn't have the taint of suspicion. I think it will help him when the time comes.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

But he doesn't have the taint of suspicion. I think it will help him when the time comes.

he doesn't? i suspect. i suspect highly

6 minor league home runs in 731 at-bats

majors -- first four seasons 15, 18, 20, 39 (in shortened '94)....

suspicious indeed

 

[GB-Hack]

So people make a jump. I call it growing into your strength in your mid-20's. Others say he's on the juice. If he had gained any substantial weight over that time, I could see it, but he's always been the same, powerful lower legs and pretty squat.

He played consistently well until 2004, great glove at first, excellent baserunner. The numbers may say he's marginal, but I think he gets in.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

If he gets in, Canseco better join him.

 

[hawker14]

bagwell's guilty, at the least, by association. close friends with caminiti and holy cow, look at how bagwell's numbers took off around the same time as caminiti's.

a jump from 20 homers to a pro-rated 60 in '94, between the age of 25-26 ? and he didn't juice ? please...bagwell is up there with mcgwire as a juicer, and if mcgwire doesn't get in the hall there is no way in hell bagwell ever will. they've made their money and i really don't care about their legacies. they cheated, we all know it even if mlb won't admit it.