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Bagwell Retires |
The heartbeat of the Houston Astros", as Astros owner Drayton McLane once put it,
has retired. Jeff Bagwell, 38, officially retired from baseball Friday. Bagwell played 15 seasons with the Astros, and retires as the club leader in home runs (449), RBIs (1529), walks (1401), and extra basehits (969). The 1994 NL MVP (the strike-shortened-season in which he hit .368 with 39 HRs and 119 RBIs) has been battling with an arthritic shoulder since 2005, when he only played 39 games. This forced Bagwell to have surgery on the shoulder, hoping to make a comeback in 2006. However, it was clear in spring training that Bagwell's playing days were over. His final official at-bat was in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, when he pinch-hit for Brandon Backe and grounded out. All in all, Bagwell won three Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove while being named to four All Star teams. He also led the Astros to their first NL pennant in 2005. "I had a tough time in those last four or five years in my shoulder. It took a lot out of me both on the field and off the field," he said. "This is a day that I knew was coming. I'm OK with it. I feel blessed to have known all of you." |