Bagwell's size at Spring Training

Are you people serious? The fact that he is that thin does not have anything to do with steroids. His body is not falling apart. He injured his shoulder in 2001, an injury only completely fixed by career ending surgery. Therefore, a guy that was a workout king was not able to workout anymore. You don't lift weights, you lose muscle mass. The only nagging injuries he's had in his career are the multiple broken wrists from being hit by pitches.

 

Bagwell has always been known to wear baggy uniforms...one of his distinct trademarks.

 

Aren't they, Bags and Bidge, the reason MLB came up with the rule a few years ago that players can't wear shirts more than 2 sizes too big?

Even though I never admitted it to non Astros fans, I knew that extra half yard of material on their shirts was the reason they got on base sometimes.

 

bags has lost a little weight but he's far from "skinny" or "thin". he's still bigger then he was as a rookie.

one-hopping the ball to home doesn't sound great but didn't he say even a few years back he couldn't throw this early in spring training?
i just want to be optimistic, this guy is one of my baseball heroes and one of the two greatest astros in history.

 

My fear is that even if he shows improvement over last year, they will still DL him, just for spite...

 

Really? Wow, thanks for the info.

Steroids and GH don't magically add muscle mass, they work in conjunction with lifting and working out to do so. The probative value of "it's not because he's using steroids, he's lifting weights" = zero.

 

The working theory is that it could have been steriods that allowed him to keep up such a ruthless workout schedule... one that was so demanding, that it was impossible for his body to hold up to (hence, the degernation of his shoulder due to the heavy lifting).

It wasn't like a rotator-cuff tear, or a torn ACL... this injury was due to a constant/repetitive wear and tear over many years, and it was finally "revealed" in 2001 that he had a problem. He didn't just injure it one day, and say "Ow... I'm hurt".... he likely had the problem lingering from a couple of years before, and he just couldn't hide it anymore.

I'm not, in any way, saying that Bags should be villified or investigated for his possible steriod use. Hell, I'm still a big Baggy fan even if it is ultimately proved to be true (much like the Mark McGwire fans that are still out there).

But, to approach the situation in such absolute denial as you are doing (without even considering the remote possibility) is just a poor assessment of all the factors at play.

 

You are right. I was just amazed to see everyone's knee jerk reaction saying Bags must be off the juice based on a picture of him in a baggy shirt.

Some people are able to keep a ruthless workout schedule without steroids. Some people are simply able to recover quickly. I have had many friends through out my athletic life like this. They seem to be able to avoid the lactic acid build up in their muscles and were able to be back in the weight room or back on the field a lot quicker than the rest of us. I'm not saying that Bagwell has this ability. I don't know. Neither do any of you. I'm tired of hearing that the fact that someone works out a lot and eventually gets injured must have been on steroids.

 

Bagwell is a local Fav . . another. . uhm . . .'FACE' of the team
so . . . 'FACES' will always get .. uhm . the benefit of the doubt

besides he seems a decent dude. . . if he were an *SSH*LE
he'd be convicted without evidence. . or d*mn little [See Bonds]

Rocket River

 

Yes,he was a workout freak but after he had that shoulder surgery the arthritis kicked in and he hasn't been able to lift since then.Its pretty amazing the power numbers he has been able to produce since then seeing he is basically hitting with one good shoulder.Its funny hearing all the people wanting Bagwell to retire so Drayton can get the insurance money when everyone knows if this happens its not like he is going to spend it on players.If he really wanted to do this why didn't it come out soon as the world series was over and not after christmas when all the good players had already signed.Its just Mclane and his talking about winning and not stepping up and doing his part.

 

If you really think that's the only thing it's based on, you should re-read the thread.

 

Didn't Larry Dierker say that Baggy hurt his shoulder in Spring Training one year, and played with it all year long. It was only after a playoff series loss to the Braves that Dierk told the media Bagwell has been playing hurt all year. That was the year of his first off-season shoulder surgery. When they went in for the procedure, they found the extent of the degeneration in his shoulder. If I'm not mistaken, they had to like screw his shoulder muscle to his shoulder blade or something like that and that's what led to his loss of plate coverage. I'm not saying that he's never been on the roids, but the fact that he is said to have been hurt before the decline in his numbers leaves me some hope that he did it the "right way."

 

Goodness, SamFisher... you really want Bags to be a roid user don't you?

As someone who has had the same shoulder go out of socket (as in fullout dislocation, ligament damage, rotator cuff scar tissue -the whole nine) about 6 times, I can tell you... once it gets arthritic, you have to slowly, slowly, slowly get back up to pre-injury speed on workoputs and throwing a ball. Or else you'll re-injur the thing... about 5 times too many.

This has been going on since '01 for bags, and since '98 for me. I feel his pain. In more ways than one. Shoot, getting out of bed can be like a whole fresh strain injury if you don't watch it.

My injury is not exactly like his, but a shoulder injury is extremely hard to recover from, much like a hip dislocation or injury (Bo Jackson anyone?).

 

So you had the same injury - so?

Does this anectdote make it more or less likely that you used steroids, or he used steroids?

Not that I can tell.

I bet your recovery would have been quicker had you used them though.

 

I love the guy to death, but the writing's on the wall. I know he doesn't want to go out with 2005 as the ending to his story, but he can't go yard or turn a play anymore. He wants to have a mini-comeback, restore his pride, and be able to walk away from the game with his head high, but he needs to understand that it's almost certainly a pipe dream. One that is preventing the Astros from making a final run at the title.

Evan

 

when bags put on a normal size jersey he looks as big as ever.

i hope he makes it.

 

Hell, he can't do anything with his shoulder, so he can't lift or throw...How the hell can he hit for power...I luv ya Bags, but man, hang them up...

 

It's just infield practice...catch the ball, lob it back to the coach's feet, repeat.

 

Ah....