Home› Sports Talk

Jeff Bagwell retires

kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Not a big shocker as he missed all of last season, but he was always one of my favorites.

Bagwell
Travis

Comments

  • MajorDanbyMajorDanby Posts: 1,343
    along with tony phillips, ken griffey jr and cal ripken...one of the greatest batting stances in the past 30 years.
    My Auctions

  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    It was an unfortunate turn of events last year with his "disability". However, by accepting a personal service contract with the 'Stros, guess he finally realized they were right all along.

    I'm sure he isn't a first ballot HOFer for most but he is in my book image

    Edited to add Chronicle story --> here.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • dallasactuarydallasactuary Posts: 4,336 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I'm sure he isn't a first ballot HOFer for most but he is in my book image >>


    If there were no cloud of steroids hanging over him (and others) he would be on the first ballot of everyone who knew anything about baseball. Bagwell was truly a great player.
    This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
  • reiny81reiny81 Posts: 53
    In regards to him having one of the all-time great stances, which is true, which Cal stance are you referencing? I am pretty sure Cal holds the MLB record for most career batting stances.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,656 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Congrats to Bagwell on a great career. image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>I'm sure he isn't a first ballot HOFer for most but he is in my book image >>


    If there were no cloud of steroids hanging over him (and others) he would be on the first ballot of everyone who knew anything about baseball. Bagwell was truly a great player. >>



    Funny you mention that. Obviously it's been discussed locally but the biased concensus is he didn't.

    His shoulder was a genetic issue and steroids couldn't have helped nor worsened the condition. He's always been about the same size and his head was always proportional to his body. The only thing was he worked out relgiously...

    But I could just be a Homer, so what do I know image
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • Bosox1976Bosox1976 Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Check his stats in the Minors. He went from no power to MVP power numbers awfully fast - hence the suspicion. He couldn't crack AAA in the Boston organization (Boggs and Scott Cooper ahead of him), hence the trade for Larry Andersen. There was nothing in his high school or minor league history to predict power, then Boom!
    Mike
    Bosox1976
  • MajorDanbyMajorDanby Posts: 1,343


    << <i>In regards to him having one of the all-time great stances, which is true, which Cal stance are you referencing? I am pretty sure Cal holds the MLB record for most career batting stances. >>



    youre right! He had like 18 of em. one of his best stances was lying his bat on his forearm, legs not spread.
    My Auctions

  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Check his stats in the Minors. He went from no power to MVP power numbers awfully fast - hence the suspicion. He couldn't crack AAA in the Boston organization (Boggs and Scott Cooper ahead of him), hence the trade for Larry Andersen. There was nothing in his high school or minor league history to predict power, then Boom! >>

    Hmm. I guess Davey Johnson must have been using in 1973?
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,694 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you take his numbers at face value, he should be a first ballot HOFer for sure, but the steroids cloud hangs heavy over a lot of these guys right now. Was Bags ever linked to Caminniti & steroids?


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Check his stats in the Minors. He went from no power to MVP power numbers awfully fast - hence the suspicion. He couldn't crack AAA in the Boston organization (Boggs and Scott Cooper ahead of him), hence the trade for Larry Andersen. There was nothing in his high school or minor league history to predict power, then Boom! >>



    He was a late bloomer image
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • zef204zef204 Posts: 4,742 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Check his stats in the Minors. He went from no power to MVP power numbers awfully fast - hence the suspicion. He couldn't crack AAA in the Boston organization (Boggs and Scott Cooper ahead of him), hence the trade for Larry Andersen. There was nothing in his high school or minor league history to predict power, then Boom! >>



    He was a late bloomer image >>



    So was Sammy Sosa!
    EAMUS CATULI!

    My Auctions
  • dirtmonkeydirtmonkey Posts: 3,048 ✭✭
    Concerning steroids, people need to either supply proof on a particular player or just drop the discussion about them. Whether a player used them once or one hundred times, it's wrong... The problem is that we'll never know the truth about most players who used them. We don't suspect a large number of players simply because they don't have a hulking physique, but many of the players could have used them for a stretch and then stopped for one reason or another. How do we know that Ripken or Maddux never used them? Shall we just suspect everyone who played in "the steroid era"?

    I quit watching baseball in the early 90's after the Tigers continual struggles. But during that time, I began to follow Bagwell and continued to collect him for quite a while. I still have a wad of his cards and probably will just keep them. I liked his attitude, he was fun to watch and always looked like he was giving the game everything he had IMO. Steroids or not, baseball (& sports in general) needs more guys like Bags. "Salute, big fella." You'll be sorely missed by this sports fan.
    image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    Good articles from the hometown here and here
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • bags05bags05 Posts: 93


    << <i>Check his stats in the Minors. He went from no power to MVP power numbers awfully fast - hence the suspicion. He couldn't crack AAA in the Boston organization (Boggs and Scott Cooper ahead of him), hence the trade for Larry Andersen. There was nothing in his high school or minor league history to predict power, then Boom! >>



    You can credit his dramatic change in batting stance in 1993 for the change in power. In the minors and his first 2 years in Houston, his stance was similar to a right-handed Mattingly. He created tremendous top-spin off the bat and would drop balls in the gaps and in front of outfielders. Once he changed his stance into that deep squat, the top-spin turned into a backspin and the ball really started jumping off of his bat.
Sign In or Register to comment.