1. #1
    bigboydan
    bigboydan's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 08-10-05
    Posts: 55,425

    Jeff Bagwell retires

    I noticed yesterday that Jeff Bagwell retired. This guy put up some pretty impressive numbers over his 15 year career, and I feel he should be a HOF'er.

    Heres just a few of his accomplishments in his career:

    one of 10 players with 200+ stolen bases and 400+ home runs.
    career OB % is .408
    297 career average
    average over 100 RBI's a year during his career.

  2. #2
    Willie Bee
    Willie Bee's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 02-14-06
    Posts: 15,726
    Betpoints: 305

    Yeah, the official announcement was this morning but the buzz had been going on all week. No other first baseman ranks above him on my list during his tenure in the bigs. Would take Bags over Mark McGwire, Frank Thomas, Rafael Palmeiro, all of them. Underrated on defense without a doubt. And while there have been faster Astros over the years, I'd rather be counting on Bagwell scoring from first on a double than any of them, including names like Cesar Cedeņo and Craig Biggio.

    Plus, after so many times that I came close to seeing someone hit for the cycle, Bagwell is the only one I ever saw live and in person at a game do it, accomplishing the feat in July 2001 in a very wild and wooly contest in Houston against the Cardinals.

    I gave up caring a long time ago about whether or not the hypocrites and dumbasses in the BBWAA think a player does or doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Any group that has members who can't even ALL agree that players like Willie Mays deserve to be in Cooperstown or that make Joe DiMaggio wait until his third effin' ballot, well, they ain't worth spit. Bagwell deserves to be enshrined as one of the very best ever, but I'm pessimistic about his chances with the hypocrites and loons better known as the BBWAA.

  3. #3
    Stumpage
    Update your status
    Stumpage's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 09-21-05
    Posts: 2,905
    Betpoints: 13586

    I'm STILL pissed that the RedSox traded him away for Larry Andersen.....

  4. #4
    Willie Bee
    Willie Bee's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 02-14-06
    Posts: 15,726
    Betpoints: 305

    To be honest, stumpage, at the time of that deal I was sort of pissed that Houston dealt Andersen away. Didn't know too much about Bagwell other than he was, according to the scouting, a line drive, gap hitter who might be good for 15-20 homers and a decent average. Nobody ever expected to get the mileage out of Bags that ended up happening.

    Andersen, on the other hand, was one of the most approachable players I've ever met. He was great to talk to either at the stadium or if you happened to run into him out and about. A very funny, genuine person who also had a solid bullpen arm.

  5. #5
    Stumpage
    Update your status
    Stumpage's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 09-21-05
    Posts: 2,905
    Betpoints: 13586

    Yeah Bee, to be fair to Andersen, he did pretty good with the RedSox in limited duty, 1.50 era or something in 1990. But his playoffs were less than stellar against Oakland if I recall...Plus, I think all the talk at that time regarding Pawtucket was centering around Mo Vaughn, and how the 'Sox would hang on to him at any cost. Still though, I've wondered many, many times what kind of career numbers Bags would have put up at Fenway, his tremendous 'Stros career notwithstanding.....

  6. #6
    tacomax
    SBR Problem Poster 2007-08
    tacomax's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 08-10-05
    Posts: 9,619
    Betpoints: 1167

    Any batter who has a stance which is akin to him sitting on the crapper should get an automatic HOF entry, irrelevant of his numbers.

  7. #7
    Willie Bee
    Willie Bee's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 02-14-06
    Posts: 15,726
    Betpoints: 305

    Quote Originally Posted by Stumpage
    Plus, I think all the talk at that time regarding Pawtucket was centering around Mo Vaughn, and how the 'Sox would hang on to him at any cost. Still though, I've wondered many, many times what kind of career numbers Bags would have put up at Fenway, his tremendous 'Stros career notwithstanding.....
    I don't blame you for being pissed or wondering what if? I'm still mad at some of the players Houston dealt away while young (Staub-Cuellar-Morgan). Bagwell was behind Boggs at 3B and they probably never even thought much about moving him ahead of Mo Fat over on the other side of the diamond. Houston reportedly wanted Vaughn to begin with since they were willing to upgrade offensively at either infield corner.

    The flip side is Bagwell had a strange mental part of the game, in my opinion, believe the boy to be the only one who can put pressure on himself. Both he and Biggio let pressure get to them early on when the Astros were making the playoffs, again, in my opinion. If Bags stays with the Sawks, maybe he melts down and doesn't pan out, especially if he's expected to play third. Maybe his shoulder gives out way early in his career somehow, just throwing more what if's out there.

    Kinda' wish he'd have hit just three more homers to at least tie Yaz on the charts
    Last edited by Willie Bee; 12-15-06 at 07:56 PM.

  8. #8
    Stumpage
    Update your status
    Stumpage's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 09-21-05
    Posts: 2,905
    Betpoints: 13586

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie Bee
    Bagwell was behind Boggs at 3B and they probably never even thought much about moving him ahead of Mo Fat over on the other side of the diamond. Houston reportedly wanted Vaughn to begin with since they were willing to upgrade offensively at either infield corner.
    Bee, hindsight is truly 20-20, but the absolutely amazing thing looking back on that time is that there was some controversey as to whether Bagwell was the heir apparent to Boggs at 3B at the time. His career ended suddenly, but back in the early '90's you might recall that Tim Naehring was considered the next "can't miss" propspect of out Pawtucket. 'Sox brass just simply couldn't decide whether he should be 2B, SS or 3B, and played him at all those positions. So it figures that the RedSox felt with Mo, Bags and Naehring, they could deal one of those guys and still reap great benefits...Too bad they ended up dealing the future Cooperstown Guy.

  9. #9
    Willie Bee
    Willie Bee's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 02-14-06
    Posts: 15,726
    Betpoints: 305

    Yeah, I remember Tim Naehring for sure. Dude looked like he was finally going to develop into the player they thought then just fell off the map.

    The Red Sox actually drafted John Valentin ahead of Naehring in that 1988 draft and Valentin had high potential. That must have been one helluva' baseball team at Seton Hall in the 1987-89 time span with Biggio (1st round, #22 in 1987) Mo Vaughn (1st round, #23 in 1989) and Valentin (5th round, 1988).

Top