Ok I'll admit my words twords bagwell were a little harsh but the reason I want him gone is that this team will be so much better with Berkman at first and an everyday outfield of Willy T, Lane and Wilson. Bagwell is a class guy and he has represented this organization well for 15+ years now but it is time for him to go. I was in the ATL the last two years during the playoffs and my favorite moment from those two trips is in game one (2004) when he exercised all those post season demons and started hitting. I am a win at all costs kind of guy though and right now 2006 he should not be on this roster period. I certainly don't care about Drayton saving money I hate that guy he is making money hand over fist. I just want to be objetive and call a spade a spade and Jeff Bagwell is not an everyday player in the big leagues anymore. I will remember him for a great career but what will stand out to me is that this guy time after time (I am not talking about playoffs) came up in key situations and did not produce. I mean if we needed a three run home run to go up by 11 he was the guy if we needed a solo shot to bring us within 6 of the opponent thats bags again. When I think Biggio-Bagwell era I think mostley good thoughts I think man Astros baseball was really put on the map I also think about blown chances. To me Biggio is a first ballot guy Bags well he might get in but no way it's first ballot. I also want to add that I am not a hater if he plays this year I hope he brings it and finishes off what is really a great career with the bat and despite his shoulder problems a very good career at first. I am just not holding my breath.
If Berkman is better at this point than Bags, then you have to go with whichever player makes your team better. DD
But it's not a Berk vs. Bags situation. It's Bags at 1st and Berkman/Wilson/Lane in the OF versus Berk at 1B and Wilson/Taveras/Lane in the OF. The downside is you're sacrificing offense for defense in CF Stros want Taveras to play everyday, so if Bags is on the OD roster look for Willy to be in Round Rock.
Bagwell's career is over... and I think he will realize that in the next couple of days if he hasn't already.
What if you put Bagwell in LF? I could imagine his whole arm might come flying off at some point, while trying to hit the cutoff man after a routine base hit.
Bagwell is done sometime you just need to know when to leave Like Kenny Smith said last week about Penny Hardaway he's mind is there but he's body cant do the things he wants to. We all know Penny is done too.
Even worse than with Biggio, guys would run on that arm. Lots of doubles that should have been singles. Triples that should be doubles. Guys taking a base on shallow fly balls. A pop-up just 40 feet behind the SS would be good enough to drive in a run.
Bagwell's only option left is too try and get well enough to hit for power and then DH. Sadly, that won't be with the Astros, but if he wants to try and continue to play it should be in the American League. The Astros are hurting the present and the future if they keep Jeff around.
1st base is about the only position on the diamond where you can play without having to throw. We're just not going to see any of those Baggy double plays that almost no other 1st baseman could convert. If he can hit like his old self, he a big upgrade over Taveras. That's a big if though.
Right! How come more people don't bring these types of things up? Do folks just not remember? Also, how he'd charge bunts so aggressively and deal with them so accurately that teams actually bunted *less* against the Astros. Coming off the bag for a semi-wild throw, instead of stretching and risking missing the throw, and then applying the tag. Dude was a pleasure to watch. His defense was, dare I say it, electric.
Good luck pitching that to him. Hey, we know you already hit .280 in the pros and you almost one the ROY, but you need to goto Round Rock I don't think you can describe any first baseman's defense as electric,certainly not Bagwell's. I don't think you can use that word in the same sentence as Bagwell, unless the phrase "opposite of" was included.
of course not. In the context of the thread, I was employing a little irony. Have you only been watching for the last two years? Bagwell absolutely defined "good defensive first baseman" for years. While "electric" is not a good word, there's always, "best in the NL", or "best of his generation", or "an intimidating presence". It amazes me how people can speak of Bagwell's career only in light of the last few years. How soon some of us forget. Or perhaps we never watched, were too young, or didn't follow the Astros back then, or were "bored" because nobody on the team showboats ? Here's what you can describe as electric: the atmosphere in the ballpark almost every time that man came to bat between 1991 and 2001. It was the same as when Nolie took the hill at the beginning of each inning. The atmosphere was also electrified every time they tried to bunt the runner over, it seemed routine, and Bags came out of *nowhere* and cut the runner down at 2nd. Man, how we'd all get on our feet! Or those bang-bang 3-6-3 double plays that nobody else could do. His footwork, his throws, his timing, all perfect. Damn, those were exciting defensive plays. Good Lord, am I the *only* guy who remembers this? Tell ya what, when Bags gets elected into Hall in his 2nd or 3rd year of eligibility, can I come and arrogantly rub it in the face of all the haters?
i agree, msn. i would absolutely use electric to describe Bagwell's 1994 season, in particular. i remember heading out to the ballpark a couple of times a week to watch that guy. he was unreal. was at a game where he hit two homeruns in the same inning...IN THE ASTRODOME.
He has no say in the matter. The Stros want him to play every day & work on several glaring weaknesses in his game: shortening his swing, making more contact, and better plate discipline. They may even revive the switch hitting experiment, who knows?
