The greatest Astro enters the Hall of Fame

That was a tough title to write. I love Craig Biggio. I do. He was everything you could ask for in a ballplayer. But he was not as great as the man who enters the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday, Jeff Bagwell.

Stats

Look at the Astro single season records held by Bagwell:

  • Highest BA – .368 (1994)
  • Highest OBP – .454 (1999)

  • Highest SLG – .750 (1994)
  • Highest OPS – 1.201 (1994)
  • Most Runs scored – 152
  • Most Home runs –  47 in a season (1994)/13 in a month (June 1994) – Including most in one season at Minute Maid – 28 (2000) in the Astrodome 23 (1994) and on the road – 30 (1999)

Career-wise?

  • His 449 HRs are 123 (38% more) than second place Lance Berkman
  • His 1529 RBIs are 354 (30% more) than second place Biggio
  • Most walks with 1401
  • He trails Biggio in hits, 2Bs, runs, because injuries cut short his career and he played in 700+ less games and had 3100+ less ABs than his buddy
  • His career .297 BA is behind Altuve and his .408 OBP, .540 SLG and .948 OPS are a tad behind Lance Berkman. Of course his numbers were over a much longer time and included his late decline

Intangibles and others

  • Rookie of the year – 1991
  • MVP -1994
  • Was an All-Star 4 times, though he failed to make the All-Star team in two seasons when he was top 10 MVP and one year when he finished with 124 runs, 34 HRs and 111 RBIs
  • Just by the eyeball test, even though he was not the swiftest Astro by a long shot he was one of the best  base runners in the game, rarely making a mistake on the bases, taking extra bases often and he stole more than 30 bases as a 1B twice in his career.
  • Again by eyeball he was one of the best right handed fielding 1Bs in the game due to his roots as a 3B and he perfected the art of charging the bunt and gunning the lead runners down.

Great Core Years

They often talk about how true Hall of Famers have a big core of years when they were truly great.

If you look at Jeff Bagwell’s core 10 seasons from 1994-2003, here are his numbers.

He averaged 116 runs scored, 36 doubles, 37 HRs, and 115 RBIs. Remember that 9 of his 15 seasons were in the cavernous Astrodome. He also would have had even higher numbers, if he had not lost about 100 games in 1994 and 1995 to two HBPs to his hands.

During those 10 seasons he averaged .301 BA/,419 OBP/.574 SLG/.993 OPS. One season like that would have been what most players would love to have on their resume.

Conclusion

Bags was the greatest Astro to play for the team. He did not have the longevity of the man he will always be linked to Craig Biggio. He did not have the playoff success of the only other man who was a great hitter and power hitter for the team. Lance Berkman. And he may one day get displaced by a Jose Altuve or Carlos Correa for greatest Astro ever.

But as he enters the Hall of Fame Jeff Bagwell can proudly wear the cap of the Astros as the greatest player to ever wear that cap to date.

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131 responses to “The greatest Astro enters the Hall of Fame”

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  1. I agree with you. My son grew up loving the Astros, and Bagwell was his guy. When I grew up loving the Astros, we never kept a player long enough to be able to compare with Bags.

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  3. Will Harris could not pitch yesterday and was placed back on the DL last night. Reymin Guduan has been recalled.

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    • Ouch – well that explains why he wasn’t brought in late.
      Note – the Astros were mentioned as kicking the tires on Cards Lynn – would they ask for their draft picks back?

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  4. I always thought it was unfair that Frank Thomas (who shares a birthday and a 1991 ROY trophy with Bagwell) went straight in while Bags waited.
    I know Thomas was looked at as “naturally” a big man – Bags grew bigger along the way. I know that Thomas though very close in BA/OBP/OPS hit more dingers and had more RBIs. But Thomas had the luxury of playing about 60% of his games as a DH. He was never the fielder nor the baserunner that Bagwell was.
    Well it does not matter today as they are both among the baseball immortals.

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  8. So if Harris is out an extended period do they try to use Peacock in that role? Is he able to go multiple games in a row?

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  11. I find it interesting that Robert Ford, says McCann has to go to the mound to settle McCullers down when things start to go a wry. Indeed McCullers problems are between his ears. I’m wondering if Hinch pulls him out of the rotation, and let’s him pitch out of the pen for awhile. Think he would go ballistic if Hinch does that???
    Musgrove isn’t much better today…..looks like it isn’t our day today.

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    • He has the stuff (his arm not between the ears). Seems to too easily let his personality throw his mechanics off.

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  15. Got to hear Bagwell at the induction (790 am)…….and I cried like a baby. I sat and thought of ALL those games in the Dome, and how exciting it was to see those guys play!! For all of his personal demons he will remain one of my favorite players❤

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  16. I’m not trying to be hateful, or angry I’m totally serious. Something has gone south with McCullers, and I’m worried about the kiddo. Losing grates on your nerves something fierce……and most guys can work through it, but as high strung as Lance is, I’m not sure putting him out every 5th day is a good idea. It seems to most of us, it’s not his “stuff” but more mental. Could he be having trouble at home? It’s something gang, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon. I remember when Gregersen had to leave for a few days last year, in fact he did that twice. I’m worried about McCullars….I really am.
    Keuchel is gonna be fine, it might take another start or two to get back in the game for him, but I’m not worried.
    When you have 2 out of your 3 core players on the DL……it leaves a glaring hole. Boy have these guys missed Springer and Correa!!
    Sandy…..you are absolutely correct WE. NEED. ANOTHER. STARTING. PITCHER.

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    • We really do. If nothing else, it will take some of the pressure off McCullers and Keuchel. They need to do some housecleaning in the bullpen as well. Sipp has to go. Period.

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    • Mrs. Sarge stated that, during the telecast of the game today, Steve Sparks was piped into the television portion and he was asked about McCullers. Sparks stated that McCullers has lowered his arm as he pitches. So, I ask, why does Strom not see this in videos and make the corrections?

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      • I heard that too and for awhile it looked as if he was better at finding the plates but was getting hit hard, Inevitability finally set in. I’m not sure what is happening but the situation concerns me. 1 for 6 with RISP and 9 LOB with 6 of those coming in the 1st 3 innings. We definitely need Correa and Springer back. Yes I know Correa is out for 6 – 8 weeks but still. Now Harrris on the DL. I believe that we’re going to need BP help. We may be starting to see some tired arms out there. If nothing else we need to be “Sippless”.

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  17. So, what do the Rangers get in trade for a guy they gave up Lewis Brinson and a good pitching prospect for last year? Lucroy to the Rockies for a PTBNL.

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  18. If “sources” are accurate, Lance Lynn is on his way to Houston. Being a rental, it should not hurt nearly as much as Gray would.

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    • Where did you see THAT???? Why on God’s green earth would they sign him??
      Heck Peacock is better than Lance Lynn PLUS he’s just coming off Tommy John surg. Lord….I hope you’re wrong. Really I do.

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      • Becky – Lynn is a darned good pitcher. Yes, his 3.20 ERA is a bit higher than Peacock’s current ERA but it is in alignment with his career ERA of 3.34, which really is a very good number. Peacock has only this one year of good numbers in comparison.
        My bigger complaint is he has been pretty up and down in the playoffs and that should be the focus.
        I don’t know what the front office is thinking right now – would they go after Verlander and his huge salary even if the Tigers don’t want to pay it down much? Would they go after Lynn on a rental? Is Sonny G still on their radar? (Lynn is a bit better than Gray this season, but would be one and done.)
        And the bullpen is leaking like a sieve – what are their plans for that?

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  21. Well as I have stataed100 times in last month make the trades, otherwise I fear a short playoff run. The playoffs Pitching , Pitching, and Pitching.

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    • Question what would hurt more loosing some good young prospects or not getting past The LDS? We will still have our core for 2018.

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      • I was wondering the same thing. I thought one of the reasons for all those terrible years was to stock prospects to help acquire top tier players.
        There’s going to be a lot of disappointed fans if they don’t go deep into the playoffs.

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  22. Bagwell’s 1994 season is the most incredible I’ve ever witnessed. Every time I turned on the radio or TV, Bagwell was on base, or rounding the bases , or clearing the bases. A thing of beauty is what it was. The numbers he would have put up had it been a full season and he had not been injured just boggles the mind.

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    • It is one of those maddening things roadthriller. If…..you extend his 110 games worth of production in 1994 to 162 games it would have looked like this
      153 runs scored, 47 doubles, 57 HRs, 171 RBIs, 442 total bases……maybe those PED concerns have some basis??

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  23. It’s beginning to look like we do need some help. Lynn might not be a bad addition if the price isn’t too high given he’s a free agent next year. We definitely need a LH reliever, no if’s, and’s or buts about it. This all about getting us through the ALDS playoffs because right now we appear to be somewhat suspect.

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  24. Smart ownership and a GM can Balance both World Championships and the future .
    We need to become the New England Patriots of baseball. Make the deal Uncle Jeff…

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    • I would like to point out that the Patriots rarely trade for players at the trade deadline – they tend to trade players who will be free agents for draft picks like they did with their starting LB Jamie Collins last season.

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      • Its was meant to be more about their success of long term winning, balancing the art of that., not a specific comparison to the differences of player transactions of MLB and the NFL,

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      • I understand – the key you are saying is that they maximize the present and the future. It helps to have the greatest QB in charge.

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  30. So….does sending Aoki to the Jay’s, mean Fisher stays up with the Astros? Boy, I sure hope so!!! Can’t wait to see what else Luhnow has up his sleeve!!!

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  34. And the prospect going to the Blue Jays is Teoscar Hernandez who has been passed up by Fisher and Tucker in the pecking order

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  36. If the Yankees really got Sonny Gray for the three prospects mentioned, seems we could have offered a sweeter deal and still not done much damage to our minor league depth.

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  39. If this trading day was supposed to impress us…….I can tell you RIGHT NOW Jeff Luhnow failed this team, and these fans. It’s telling me that Brad Peacock now has a permanent spot in the rotation……and I’m glad. With the way McCullers has been pitching, I would NOT be surprised to see him go on the DL again, so the kid can get his mind straight. I’m pi$$ed.

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    • I think you summed it pretty good there Becky we get a D, LMJ now on the DL reed and reed coming up , DK could be next back on the DL

      Not getting a warm and fuzzy some playoff teams got way better and we are suddenly leading the league in the DL

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  46. I wrote four starts ago that Lance McCullers told Brian McCann, “my back” after he retired the side and grimacing 1st inning…

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  47. I guess we’ll find out the story eventually. At this point I’m disappointed but not downtrodden. Lets see what happens in the next series or two. I want to get our hitting back on track for sure.

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  48. Keuchel was not happy last year’s trading deadline, and he made his feelings pretty clear. Look for him to voice his displeasure again……and I DON’T BLAME HIM IF HE DOES. I’m done ranting on about this, good luck to the AL team that faces the Dogers in the Word Series, because it doesn’t look like it will be the Astros.😠

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  49. Our pitching has been giving up a lot of runs – and I fully expect that to continue. We are going to need a whole lot more offensive punch from Reddick, Gurriel, Beltran and Gat-Can if we are going to play .500 ball the rest of the way.

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    • We should get Springer back at the end of the week – that will help unless he flounders for a bit
      I don’t see Reddick doing more than he has done
      Beltran looks incapable of turning it on anymore
      We should get more out of Fisher than we have been getting from Aoki
      Gurriel has been slumping – needs to turn it around
      Need Bregman to get on a bigger roll – he has been hitting better lately – needs to do it in more of a clutch way
      What happens when Altuve comes back down to this planet?

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  50. OK – we have two guys coming off the 25 man (Aoki and McCullers) and two guys coming on the 25 man (Reed and Feliz) ….who comes off for Liriano or did I miss something?

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