Post by harlem on Dec 15, 2006 13:57:01 GMT -5
Bagwell retires after 15 years
Bagwell retires after 15 years
By JOE STINEBAKER, Associated Press Writer
December 15, 2006
HOUSTON (AP) -- Jeff Bagwell retired Friday after 15 years with the Houston Astros, ending a career in which he hit 449 home runs but was forced from the field after the 2005 season because of a shoulder injury.
Along with Craig Biggio, Bagwell led the Astros to four division titles and the team's first NL pennant in 2005. The 38-year-old Bagwell retires as Houston's leader in homers, RBIs (1,529), walks (1,401) and extra-base hits (969). He finished with a .297 career average.
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The four-time All Star and winner of the 1994 NL MVP award will remain with the Astros as part of a personal-services agreement struck with the team this week. Bagwell is expected to work with Astros hitters, assist in the front office and make appearances for the team.
"I had a tough time in those last four or five years in my shoulder. It took a lot out of me both on the field and off the field," he said. "This is a day that I knew was coming. I'm OK with it. I feel blessed to have known all of you."
Astros owner Drayton McLane praised Bagwell's contributions to the team on and off the field.
"Jeff has been the heartbeat of the Houston Astros," McLane said.
With a unique and unorthodox batting stance, Bagwell had remarkable power at the plate, ranking among the top 15 players in home runs and RBIs throughout the 1990s. His career home-run total was three behind his childhood idol, Carl Yastrzemski.
Former teammates and colleagues routinely described Bagwell as a "blue-collar guy" and "one of the guys" who accepted the fame and celebrity of his career only reluctantly.
"For as great a player as he was, he was also one of the most humble people I've ever been around," former Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "He really let his play do his talking for him. He was just one of the guys, so to speak."
A native of Boston, Bagwell was traded by the Red Sox to Houston in August 1990 for pitcher Larry Andersen. Astros manager Art Howe switched Bagwell from third base to first base to accommodate Ken Caminiti, who became one of Bagwell's closest friends.
Bagwell was voted NL Rookie of the Year in 1991 after hitting .294 with 15 homers and 82 RBIs. He went on to win three Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove. In his MVP year, he hit .368 with 39 homers and 116 RBIs, playing 110 games in the strike-shortened season.
Bagwell experienced tragedies during his career, with two of his teammates dying unexpectedly within two years of each other.
By 2005, the arthritic right shoulder that periodically bothered Bagwell had slowed his swing and his infield throws. His last at-bat was a pinch groundout in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, when the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
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I know he is a Hall of Famer, but I really have to opinion or attachment to him. In 20 years, he will be as forgotten a Hall of Famer as Juan Marichal.
Bagwell retires after 15 years
By JOE STINEBAKER, Associated Press Writer
December 15, 2006
HOUSTON (AP) -- Jeff Bagwell retired Friday after 15 years with the Houston Astros, ending a career in which he hit 449 home runs but was forced from the field after the 2005 season because of a shoulder injury.
Along with Craig Biggio, Bagwell led the Astros to four division titles and the team's first NL pennant in 2005. The 38-year-old Bagwell retires as Houston's leader in homers, RBIs (1,529), walks (1,401) and extra-base hits (969). He finished with a .297 career average.
ADVERTISEMENT
The four-time All Star and winner of the 1994 NL MVP award will remain with the Astros as part of a personal-services agreement struck with the team this week. Bagwell is expected to work with Astros hitters, assist in the front office and make appearances for the team.
"I had a tough time in those last four or five years in my shoulder. It took a lot out of me both on the field and off the field," he said. "This is a day that I knew was coming. I'm OK with it. I feel blessed to have known all of you."
Astros owner Drayton McLane praised Bagwell's contributions to the team on and off the field.
"Jeff has been the heartbeat of the Houston Astros," McLane said.
With a unique and unorthodox batting stance, Bagwell had remarkable power at the plate, ranking among the top 15 players in home runs and RBIs throughout the 1990s. His career home-run total was three behind his childhood idol, Carl Yastrzemski.
Former teammates and colleagues routinely described Bagwell as a "blue-collar guy" and "one of the guys" who accepted the fame and celebrity of his career only reluctantly.
"For as great a player as he was, he was also one of the most humble people I've ever been around," former Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "He really let his play do his talking for him. He was just one of the guys, so to speak."
A native of Boston, Bagwell was traded by the Red Sox to Houston in August 1990 for pitcher Larry Andersen. Astros manager Art Howe switched Bagwell from third base to first base to accommodate Ken Caminiti, who became one of Bagwell's closest friends.
Bagwell was voted NL Rookie of the Year in 1991 after hitting .294 with 15 homers and 82 RBIs. He went on to win three Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove. In his MVP year, he hit .368 with 39 homers and 116 RBIs, playing 110 games in the strike-shortened season.
Bagwell experienced tragedies during his career, with two of his teammates dying unexpectedly within two years of each other.
By 2005, the arthritic right shoulder that periodically bothered Bagwell had slowed his swing and his infield throws. His last at-bat was a pinch groundout in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, when the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know he is a Hall of Famer, but I really have to opinion or attachment to him. In 20 years, he will be as forgotten a Hall of Famer as Juan Marichal.