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Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell (second L to R) poses with fans
First baseman
Born: May 27, 1968 (1968-05-27) (age 40)
Boston, Massachusetts
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 8, 1991
for the Houston Astros
Final game
October 2, 2005
for the Houston Astros
Career statistics
Batting average     . First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves (4-3 Jack Morris, MVP The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 297
Home runs     449
Runs batted in     1,529
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Jeffrey Robert Bagwell (born May 27, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, who spent his entire career with the Houston Astros. The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves (4-3 Jack Morris, MVP 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to The The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. After retirement as a player, he remains with the Astros as an assistant to the General Manager.

Contents

Early life

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bagwell grew up in Killingworth, Connecticut. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Killingworth is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. He graduated from Xavier High School, a private all-male Catholic school located in Middletown, Connecticut, where he excelled at soccer as well as baseball. This article is about Catholic schools in general for specific schools named Catholic High School, see Catholic High School (disambiguation. Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the south-central part of the state 16 miles (26 km His former coaches have said that he was a better soccer player than a baseball player, but was an all-around phenomenal athlete. After high school, he remained in Connecticut, attending the University of Hartford. The University of Hartford, often called UHA or UHart, was founded in 1877 and is a private independent and nonsectarian

Playing career

Red Sox prospect

Bagwell was selected in the fourth round of the 1989 draft by the Boston Red Sox. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants (4-0 Dave Stewart, The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. On August 30, 1990 the Red Sox traded him to the Houston Astros for 36-year old relief pitcher Larry Andersen to gear up for their playoff run. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics (4-0 José Rijo, MVP Larry Eugene Andersen (born May 6, 1953 in Portland Oregon) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and current color commentator

That trade is now regarded as one of the most one-sided of all time. Although Andersen pitched well down the stretch in 1990 (allowing three runs in 22 innings of relief), and helped the Red Sox win the AL East division title on the last day of the season, Boston was swept in the American League Championship Series and then lost Andersen to free agency (in part because of a so-called collusion settlement). Collusion is an agreement usually secretive which occurs between two or more persons to deceive mislead or defraud others of their legal rights or to obtain an objective forbidden

At the time, however, the trade appeared to make some sense from the Red Sox' perspective. Although Bagwell was considered a top prospect, he was blocked from third base by veteran Wade Boggs. Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15 1958 in Omaha Nebraska) is a former Third baseman in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox He also had to contend with two other top prospects at the position, Scott Cooper and Tim Naehring. Scott Kendrick Cooper (born October 13, 1967 in St Louis Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball Third baseman who played for Timothy James Naehring (born February 1, 1967 in Cincinnati Ohio) was a Major League Baseball Infielder who spent his entire injury-plagued However, both Cooper and Naehring were out of baseball by 1997.

Houston Astros

Bagwell blossomed in Houston, becoming one of the best players in Astros franchise history. Bagwell spent his 15-year career in a Houston uniform and, along with teammate Craig Biggio, was synonymous with the Astros throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. Craig Alan Biggio (born December 14, 1965 in Smithtown, New York) is a former Major League Baseball player who played his entire career

Bagwell hit and threw right-handed. Someone who is right-handed will prefer to use this hand for everyday activities such as writing, maintaining personal hygiene, Cooking and so forth His batting style was exaggerated and unusual; he actually stepped back with his front foot as he began his swing. Bagwell had a unique wide-open, crouched stance, which started in a low position with his knees bent, looking somewhat as if he were sitting on an invisible bench. Sliding his front foot backward, he would rise from his stance and swing.

Developed as a third baseman, he was shifted to first base during spring training because the Astros already had an established third baseman in Ken Caminiti. A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Kenneth Gene Caminiti ( April 21, 1963 – October 11, 2004) was an American Third baseman in Major League Baseball Debuting on opening day, Bagwell hit . 294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI, and led the 1991 Astros in several offensive categories, and was named the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves (4-3 Jack Morris, MVP The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America

The best year in Bagwell's professional career was the strike-shortened 1994 season when he was unanimously named National League Most Valuable Player after batting . Headline events of the year As a result of a players' strike the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 368 with 39 home runs, 116 runs batted in and 104 runs scored, in just 400 at-bats. In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching He became the first National Leaguer to finish first or second in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored since Willie Mays in 1955. Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-3 Johnny Podres, MVP His . 750 slugging percentage in 1994 ranks as the 11th best single-season mark in Major League history and was the highest by a National Leaguer since Rogers Hornsby in 1925. In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. Rogers Hornsby ( April 27, 1896 in Winters Texas - January 5, 1963 in Chicago Illinois) nicknamed "The Rajah" Bagwell's hand was broken by a pitch on August 10, just before the players' strike began; had the season continued, he would likely have missed the remainder of the year and might not have won the MVP. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire But because of the timing of his "lucky break," Bagwell became just the fourth player in National League history to win the award unanimously. Bagwell was also the runner-up for the 1999 MVP, and was third in 1997. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians (4-3 Liván Hernández,

Bagwell's unique stance made him vulnerable to inside pitches. His left hand was broken by pitches in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians (4-2 Tom Glavine, MVP But rather than change his successful style, he began wearing a heavily-padded protective batting glove.

Bagwell had nine seasons with over 30 home runs, eight seasons with 100 or more RBI, and nine seasons with over 100 runs scored. In six consecutive years, from 1996 through 2001, he reached all three marks in every season. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2 John Wetteland, MVP Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: He drew at least 100 walks for seven straight seasons, and had six seasons with a . 300 batting average.

Bagwell was also considered a strong fielder, winning a Gold Glove award in 1994, and compiling a career . 993 fielding percentage. He also exhibited above-average speed and baserunning skills for a first baseman, stealing 202 bases over his career, including two seasons (1997, 1999) in which he stole at least 30 bases, and five seasons (1994, 1996-99) in which he stole at least 15. In 1997, he became the first full-time first baseman to steal 30 bases while hitting 30 home runs.

Bagwell was teammates with Craig Biggio for the entirety of his Major League career. While Derek Bell was on the team from 1995-1999, the trio was sometimes called "The Killer B's. Derek Nathaniel Bell (born December 11, 1968 in Tampa, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball player " The nickname also sometimes referred to Sean Berry and was later to include Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran. Sean Berry (born March 22, 1966 in Santa Monica, California) is a former Major League Baseball player who served primarily as William Lance "The Big Puma" Berkman (born February 10, 1976 in) is a Major League Baseball player for the Houston Astros. Carlos Ivan Beltrán (ˈkɑrloʊs bɛlˈtrɑːn bel- trahn) born April 24 1977 in Manatí Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder

In 2001, Bagwell signed a five-year extension with Houston. By 2005, Bagwell was the seventh highest-paid player in the sport, receiving $18 million in the fourth year of the deal. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series However, shortly after the 2005 season began, a persistent arthritic condition in his shoulder sidelined him for what turned out to be three-quarters of the season. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body This same condition, which began to affect him in 2001, turned the former Golden Glove winner into a defensive liability at first base, forcing him to "push" the ball instead of throwing it. Teams began taking advantage of Bagwell's defensive weakness caused by the arthritic condition. As the condition worsened, Bagwell's offensive production became affected, as well, and pressure mounted on the Astros' managers to bench the perennial All-Star. Although unable to throw, Bagwell was reactivated in September 2005 as a pinch hitter and played a small but symbolic role in the Astros' successful drive to capture the National League pennant. Bagwell was the Astros' designated hitter in the first two games of the World Series versus the Chicago White Sox, and a pinch hitter in the two games played in Houston. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois.

Health issues

On January 23, 2006, the Astros indicated that they would file a claim on an insurance policy on Bagwell's health, to collect approximately $15. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor 2006 Major League Baseball season|2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season Headline Event of the Year The 2006 World Baseball Classic is a surprise success 6 million of the $17 million in salary Bagwell was owed for the 2006 season. Because of the language of the policy, the Astros could not release Bagwell without losing their settlement, nor could Bagwell take the field. The decision effectively eliminated Bagwell's chances of playing again in the Major Leagues.

Nonetheless, Bagwell still reported to spring training hoping he could contribute in some way during the upcoming 2006 campaign, and to test his own injured shoulder. He wanted his play to determine his status, not the particulars of the Astros' insurance policy. Bagwell played several games with the Astros in spring training, batting . 219 with two RBI. He never had to make any throws that were difficult enough to put notable stress on his shoulder, since the other infielders shifted toward him when they were playing. As expected, the Astros put him on the 15-day disabled list in late March. Bagwell said that he was only in good enough condition to play every several days, rather than every day. [1]Bagwell was paid the full amount of his contract, and that was never at issue. The Astros and the insurance company settled the claim the same day Bagwell announced his retirement. [2]

The Astros declined to pick up the $18 million club option for 2007, instead buying Bagwell out for $7 million. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Minor League Baseball Bagwell filed for free agency in November 2006, but announced his retirement one month later. Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Tim Purpura announced that Bagwell would remain in the Astros organization, in the player development department, as one of the Assistants to the General Manager. [3]

Bagwell made his first public appearance at Minute Maid Park since the end of his career on June 28, 2007, when he was pulled out of the Astros dugout after the 7th inning by his former teammate and long-time friend Craig Biggio, who had just logged his 3000th career hit. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Craig Alan Biggio (born December 14, 1965 in Smithtown, New York) is a former Major League Baseball player who played his entire career In Major League Baseball, the 3000 Hit Club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have made 3000 or more career base hits. Biggio wanted Bagwell to be with him "between the lines one more time" and to share the achievement and appreciation from the hometown Houston fans.

Number retirement

The Houston Astros retired his number 5 jersey on August 26, 2007, prior to the start of a game versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bagwell was the eighth player in Astros history to have his number retired. Most recently, Jimmy Wynn's No. James Sherman Wynn (born March 12 1942 in Hamilton Ohio) nicknamed "The Toy Cannon" is a former Center fielder in Major League 24 was retired in 2005. [4].

Jeff Bagwell's Retired Number
Jeff Bagwell's Retired Number

Career statistics

Jeff Bagwell career statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB OBP SLG AVG HBP
1991 156 554 79 163 26 4 15 82 75 116 7 . 387 . 437 . 294 13
1992 162 586 87 160 34 6 18 96 84 97 10 . 368 . 444 . 273 12
1993 142 535 76 171 37 4 20 88 62 73 13 . 388 . 516 . 320 3
1994 110 400 104 147 32 2 39 116 65 65 15 . 451 . 750 . 368 4
1995 114 448 88 130 29 0 21 87 79 102 12 . 399 . 496 . 290 6
1996 162 568 111 179 48 2 31 120 135 114 21 . 451 . 570 . 315 10
1997 162 566 109 162 40 2 43 135 127 122 31 . 425 . 592 . 286 16
1998 147 540 124 164 33 1 34 111 109 90 19 . 424 . 557 . 304 7
1999 162 562 143 171 35 0 42 126 149 127 30 . 454 . 591 . 304 11
2000 159 590 152 183 37 1 47 132 107 116 9 . 424 . 615 . 310 15
2001 161 600 126 173 43 4 39 130 106 135 11 . 397 . 568 . 288 6
2002 158 571 94 166 33 2 31 98 101 130 7 . 401 . 518 . 291 10
2003 160 605 109 168 28 2 39 100 88 119 11 . 373 . 524 . 278 6
2004 156 572 104 152 29 2 27 89 96 131 6 . 377 . 465 . 266 8
2005 39 100 11 25 4 0 3 19 18 21 0 . 358 . 380 . 250 1
Career 2150 7797 1517 2314 488 32 449 1529 1401 1558 202 . 408 . 540 . 297 128

Highlights

Trivia

See also

Sources

Preceded by
David Justice		 National League Rookie of the Year
1991		 Succeeded by
Eric Karros
Preceded by
Barry Bonds		 National League Most Valuable Player
1994		 Succeeded by
Barry Larkin
Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. Below is the list of 254 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2000 hit milestone during their career in MLB Below is the list of 155 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 400 doubles milestone Below is the list of 300 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 Runs milestone Below is the list of 257 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 RBI milestone The 30-30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 Home run and 30 Stolen base plateaus in the same season In Baseball, a player hits for the cycle when he hits a single, a double, a triple and a Home run in the same game though not necessarily Major League Baseball recognizes Runs batted in champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes doubles champions in the American League and National League each season Listed below are the occurrences of Major League Baseball players who have hit three Home runs in a single game David Justice (born April 14 1966 in Cincinnati Ohio) is a former Right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves (4-3 Jack Morris, MVP Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967 in Hackensack New Jersey) is a former American baseball player who played in Major League Baseball Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Headline events of the year As a result of a players' strike the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. Barry Louis Larkin (born April 28, 1964 in Cincinnati Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball player
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