Posted on 03/26/2006 10:40:10 AM PST by Cyclopean Squid
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Conceding that it might take "a miracle" for him to play again, Houston Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell went on the disabled list today in a move that could signal the end of his major-league career.
The franchise's all-time leader in home runs and RBIs is considering surgery to remove the bone spurs in his shoulder in a last-ditch effort to salvage his career, and the Astros will start a season without him on the roster for the first time in 16 years.
"I said I wasn't going to embarrass myself," said Bagwell, 37. "I felt like this was a joke. I couldn't throw it to the infield. I could not get the ball to the infielders, and they were on the grass. And God bless my teammates. I mean, even (when he had to throw the ball back to the pitcher), they come to get the ball from me. It's amazing how great they've been through this.
"I just could not get it to them. I said, 'This is not what I want. I'm not going to continue to do this.' We're defending our National League championship this year. ... And I'm not going to be this kind of distraction and this broken-down first baseman over here that can't throw it to the infielders. I said, 'That's enough, and I have to go in a different direction.' "
Bagwell, who has been plagued by the right shoulder problems since the 2001 season, hit .219 with one double, two RBIs and six walks in 14 games this spring. A career .297 hitter, he hit .250 with three home runs and 19 RBIs over 39 games last season.
He played in the field for the first time on March 11, going four innings at first base while manning the position for the first time since May 3, 2005. He returned to the field on March 14 against the Atlanta Braves and had to leave after only two of his scheduled four innings because of right shoulder soreness.
Bagwellwas scheduled to play five innings at first base on March 21 against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. He exited that game after only two innings because of soreness, prompting the realization that his pain might not let him start the season.
"What led me to this (decision) was the tremendous amount of pain that I just couldn't deal with anymore," Bagwell said. "I played a couple of days in a row. I came out that first game. Then I played a couple days and I got through it. And I was like, 'All right, let's see what's happening here.' I had to come out of the game in Detroit."
Bagwell, a Boston native who grew up in Connecticut, was acquired from the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 31, 1990, in exchange for reliever Larry Andersen. Stuck in the Boston farm system's depth chart as a third baseman, he found the third base job filled by Ken Caminiti when he landed in Houston.
With the help of coach Matt Galante, Bagwell learned to play first base in the spring of 1991 and earned a spot on the opening-day roster that season. He hit .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.
In 1994, he hit .368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBIs in a strike-shortened season, becoming the first Astro to win the NL Most Valuable Player award. But his legacy extends beyond 449 home runs (28th on the all-time list) and 1,529 RBIs (40th).
"I don't think you can encapsulate Jeff Bagwell's legacy with a paragraph or three or four words," teammate Lance Berkman said. "I think that you can't measure his contributions to the organization. Obviously in my opinion he's a Hall of Famer for what he's done on the field. He's also a Hall of Famer for the impact that he has had off the field in the clubhouse."
The Astros deemed Bagwell a disabled player in January and filed an insurance claim to recoup $15.6 million of his $17 million salary for this season after consulting with orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, who examined Bagwell in January, and Astros physician Dr. David Lintner.
Bagwell chafed at the Astros' move two months ago, saying he was the only one who could determine if he could play again.
For the purpose of cashing in on the claim, Astros owner Drayton McLane had hoped Bagwell would go on the disabled list and not show up for spring training. It remains unclear how Bagwell's presence in camp will hinder the claim with Connecticut General Insurance.
"You've heard of re-insurance," McLane said when asked how many companies hold Bagwell's policy along with Connecticut General. "There's a lot of other companies that are involved in it. So it's just something that we have to work through the process here. It will not be easy, because we made it more complicated in allowing him to do the playoffs (last season).
"I clearly said he earned the right to be in the playoffs, earned the right to be in the World Series. Remember he said how meaningful that was to him? I knew that, so we made it more complicated by that. We made it more complicated by allowing him to come to spring training, so we have to deal with that."
McLane withheld further comment because he realizes the Astros might end up in court when they try to recoup on the insurance policy, which can only be claimed if Bagwell misses the entire season.
With pain-killing cortisone shots every six weeks, Bagwell had played through the shoulder problems from the 2001 season until last year. He landed on the disabled list last May, had capsular release surgery in the shoulder in June and missed 115 games in the longest injury layoff of his career.
Bagwell came off the disabled list on Sept. 9 and hit well enough to earn a spot on the Astros' postseason roster. He served as the designated hitter in the first two games of the World Series against the Chicago White Sox and underwent extensive rehab this winter to prepare for the final guaranteed year of his contract.
Astros general manager Tim Purpura guarded against Bagwell's absence this winter by signing free agent slugger Preston Wilson, an outfielder who gives manager Phil Garner the luxury of moving Berkman from left field to first base.
"Our ballclub is primed to go forward," Garner said. "You asked about the Jeff Bagwell legacy, and that's part of his legacy. I think his role as a leader on this ballclub has helped other players, and I would expect some other players to step in and fill that void, both in terms of what they do numbers-wise — the home runs, the RBIs, the defensive plays — and also what he brought with the other tangibles as a leader.
"We're prepared for that. I think Lance Berkman becomes more prominent on the club. I think Adam Everett and Morgan Ensberg, the young guys are going to have to step up. This part of our tradition is being passed on to them, and now it's up to them to carry it."
Another steroids abuser.
The Mets and the 'Stros have some history together. I hope Bags and Bidge get in together on the first ballot too. I'm pretty sure Biggio will, Bags most likely will but you never know.
In other news, the Mets will be a real force this year. Beltran will wake up from his slumber. I'm still ticked off about losing him, not that he left, just the way that he left. He'll have a huge year, and Billy "Mouth" Wagner will be a major contributer. Maybe when it's all said and done we'll have a rematch of '86.
"Maybe when it's all said and done we'll have a rematch of '86."
Complete with a 16 inning series clincher? That would be cool... as long as it goes the same way. :)
"Another steroids abuser."
Any evidence to back that up?
He lost many pounds and bulked way down before the start of last year's spring training.
"He lost many pounds and bulked way down before the start of last year's spring training."
You mean when he couldn't train with heavy weights because of his shoulder injury? You're going to have to a LOT better than that.
Nooooooo! No repeats of 86. We almost had that this past season--we made it into the Series, but our team was broken by then.
One thing about the 'Stros--they've had more than their fair share of classic playoff games. Just from the past 2 seasons, Games 5 and 6 of the 2004 NLCS, Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS, Games 4 and 5 of the 2005 NLCS, Games 2, 3 and 4 of the 2005 World Series. I can say with some pride that I was at 4 of the above games (that may influence me putting them on the list).
You don't lose that much weight and muscle mass in a short period of time for not lifting weights.
You're going to have to a LOT better than that.
Not really. Just look at Barry Bonds enormous head to know he did the stuff.
20+ pounds according to baseball scouts last year and he was much smaller.
We are talking about Bagwell. You have shown no evidence he ever used steroids, yet you have no problem throwing around the accusation.
If that's the case, there's no evidence that Mark McGwuire, Sammy Sosa, Palmeiro, Giambi, Bonds, etc. toom steroids.
I don't know about McGuire and Sosa, but Bonds and Giambi both had Grand Jury testimony that they took steroids leaked, and Palmeiro tested positive. McGuire did have the really awkward testimony before Congress ("I'm here to talk about the future, not the past") and Sosa became horrible overnight.
What you claim is not anything new. There are always rumors about 'roids, and that's to be expected in the age of offense. I really don't know. Bagwell's numbers were huge in the strike-shortened '94 season, especially when you consider that he played in the dead-air Astrodome. There will always be doubts about most power hitters, unfortunately. But the players brought it on themselves.
Can't remember which one of you is an Astros fan - so, I'm pinging you both.
I guess Bagwell wasn't a steroid abuser. My bad.
Not sure what changed your mind, but no worries. It's just a shame Bagwell had to fade away instead of leaving Stros fans with a final stirring heroic image.
Yeah, I resurrected this thread because I just read another article about Biggio and it mentioned this topic.
Was it the one about his quest for 3000 hits? Knock on wood, he'll make it next season, and then he can retire in the glow of his accomplishments. Not that I'm complaining--he's been remarkably productive at the plate. A doubles machine. The only part of his game that has suffered with his age is his defense, but he's still very much an asset to the team.
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