Jeff Bagwell
From BR Bullpen
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
- School University of Hartford
- Debut April 8, 1991
- Final Game October 2, 2005
- Born May 27, 1968 in Boston, MA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
First baseman Jeff Bagwell played fifteen seasons with the Houston Astros, and along with Craig Biggio, he was the face of the club for many years.
Bagwell grew up in Boston idolizing Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1989 amateur draft, he was chosen as the AA Eastern League's MVP in 1990, his first full season of professional baseball. He led the league with 160 hits and 220 total bases. He also tied for the led with Mike Twardoski with 24 doubles and finished second to Luis Mercedes (.334) with with a .333 batting average.
He seemed well on his way to following in Yaz's footsteps to Fenway. However, a little over a year after signing with the BoSox, Bagwell became part of one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. On August 30, 1990, he was traded by Boston to the Houston Astros for journeyman relief pitcher Larry Andersen. Andersen had a 1.23 ERA for the Sox that season, helping the team to a division title. However, the Astros ultimately got the better of the deal.
Originally a third baseman, Bagwell was moved to first by Astros manager Art Howe because Ken Caminiti was the team's regular at third. Caminiti went on to become one of Bagwell's closest friends.
Bagwell made his big league debut for the Astros on Opening Day 1991. He hit .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs that season and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Three years later, he had his best season, when he hit .368 with 39 homers and 116 RBIs. He only played in 110 games as his year was cut short because of injury right as well as the 1994 players strike. Nonetheless, he was named NL Most Valuable Player. Ironically, his American League MVP counterpart that year was Frank Thomas, who was also born on May 27, 1968.
Later in his career, Bagwell was slowed by a shoulder injury. While his batting average dropped, he did not miss significant playing time because of the ailment until 2005, when he was out most of the season. He returned, however, as the Astros finally reached the World Series. He saw limited playing time in the postseason and made his last career appearance in Game Four, grounding out as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Because of his recurring injury, Bagwell missed the entire 2006 season and retired at the end of the year. He ended his career as the Astros all-time home run leader.
Bagwell is famous as the test case for the Bill James style of baseball analysis. When Bagwell came up, James predicted he would be a star. That prediction (and more importantly, the basis on which it was made) was hotly contested by an established sportwriter of the old school. As we've seen, James turned out to be right.
On the same day that Bagwell formally retired, the Astros settled a lawsuit with an insurance company over a claim that the Astros were due over $15 million for disability connected with Bagwell's shoulder.
His number 5 was retired by Houston in a ceremony on August 26, 2007.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1990 MVP Eastern League New Britain Red Sox
- 1991 NL Rookie of the Year Award
- 1991 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 4-time NL All-Star (1994, 1996, 1997 & 1999)
- NL MVP (1994)
- NL Gold Glove Winner (1994)
- 3-time NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1994, 1997 & 1999)
- NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1994)
- NL OPS Leader (1994)
- 3-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1994, 1999 & 2000)
- NL Total Bases Leader (1994)
- NL Doubles Leader (1996)
- NL RBI Leader (1994)
- NL Bases on Balls Leader (1999)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 12 (1993-2004)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 9 (1994 & 1996-2003)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1997, 1999 & 2000)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 8 (1994, 1996-2001 & 2003)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 9 (1994, 1996-2001, 2003 & 2004)
| NL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
| Barry Bonds | Jeff Bagwell | Barry Larkin |
| NL Rookie of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 |
| David Justice | Jeff Bagwell | Eric Karros |
[edit] Chris Berman Nickname
Jeff "Brown Paper" Bagwell
