This situation is such a bummer, and I really needed to laugh. So, thanks!! FADE LIKE A FART!!! Brilliant!!!!
Well, this doesn't sound good. Bagwell says he'll report for spring training By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Just in case there’s any doubt, Jeff Bagwell is adamant that he will be at Osceola County Stadium for the first full-squad workout at spring training on Feb. 24. It also appears that the franchise’s relationship with their veteran first baseman is irreparably damaged or, at least, in need of severe mending. “It probably will never be fixed between me and the Astros,” Bagwell said Tuesday morning in his first public comments since general manager Tim Purpura declared Monday that Bagwell “from a technical point of view right now he is a disabled player. He can’t play professional baseball -- certainly not at the National League at this point.” Bagwell agrees with Purpura’s assessment that it is a mere formality that the Astros will beat the Jan. 31 deadline for the team to file an insurance claim to recoup $15.6 million of the $17 million he will earn for the 2006 season. “Well, it’s really not that disheartening for the simple fact they have to do this in order for them to protect themselves,” Bagwell said. On Monday night, Bagwell told his longtime agent Barry Axelrod that he didn’t want to comment at that point because he was rushing out to attend the Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith concert. By Tuesday morning, he was more willing to discuss his feelings. “To me more than anything else, it’s just amazing how bad they don’t want me to play,” said the Astros’ all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. “Anything else said it’s just not the truth. They just want to collect their money. It’s an awkward situation. It’s just amazing to me how much they don’t want me to play.” Even if the Astros file the claim by the Jan. 31 deadline, Purpura acknowledges that there’s no guarantee the insurance company will agree with the Astros’ findings. Bagwell has suffered from an arthritic right shoulder condition since 2001, but he avoided the disabled list until May 2005. He was unable to start from May 4, 2005, until the first game of the World Series in late October, when he was the Astros’ designated hitter for Games 1 and 2 at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox. He underwent capsular release surgery on his right shoulder on June 7 and rushed his rehab to come off the disabled list in September. He has been working out and undergoing physical therapy this winter in hopes of playing in 2006, the final year of his contract. Although the Astros may not be able to recoup on the insurance if Bagwell practices this spring, Bagwell is committed to going to spring training. He adamantly plans to be at Osceola County Stadium next month with his teammates. “I sure do,” he says. “Formalities or whatever, the thing to me is I am a under contract for 2006. No matter whatever is said or not, it should be no matter. I know I have a bad shoulder. I know I’m coming off surgery. I just want to have an opportunity to see if I can play.” Bagwell has been a crowd favorite in Houston since his Rookie of the Year season in 1991. The 1994 National League Most Valuable Player has been appreciative of the support he has received from Astros fans across town recently. “Obviously it makes me feel good,” he said. “Wherever I go people are not going to tell me I stink, obviously. But they’ve been great. More than anything else, they just say, ‘I hope you get a chance.’ They feel bad for the situation. That’s great. The fans here for my 15 years have been nothing but special to me. I appreciate that.” Bagwell hopes this situation serves to teach his teammates and fans that baseball is a business above all else. “I tell you what, I didn’t script this,” he said. “I did not script the end of my career to end it when you’re pushed out the door. It all comes down to the same fact. It’s a business. And when you think it’s not a business, you’re reminded it’s a business. “My teammates, now they know how much of a business it is. And for certainly I know how much of a business it is. As I reiterate, now I hope fans understand how much of a business it is. I’m not looking for handout. I’m not looking for sympathy. It’s just a business.”
wait a second...so that guy who assaulted antonio davis' wife is BAGS agent???? nevermind, i change my opinion on the guy.
i feel sorry for bagwell. but if he thinks they wouldn't LOVE to have his production, he's crazy. they already have to pay his contract...so why not give him a chance unless you TRULY believe he's entirely incapable of making a difference for them. they've had doctors look at the guy..and they say he can't play. bagwell himself says he can't make a throw from first to third.
of course he doesn't want to see the team doctors. they are going to tell the astros what they want to hear, and if a team doctor does say bags is okay to play, they probably fire him and hire a new one to until they hear what they want from the doctor. if mclane wants his money , he'll find a way to get it, as do most owners. and i know bags get's paid full salary, but when restructured his contract before he did lose money in doing so.
That's what I'm not understanding. He even acknowledges that they have to file the claim to protect themselves. I love Bagwell. He's always been my favorite player, but this sounds like a guy who can't accept the fact that he's not the same player he was. I really hope his relationship with the organization isn't damaged beyond repair.
Is there any way that we can get Jeff a bionic arm installed in time for spring training? Either way look forward to the following: - a pinch hitter for the late innings - someone who can't play the infield - lots of towering pop ups to infield or foul territory for easy outs - lots of "windmill" strikeouts where he swings so hard that he turns around completely - lots of strikeouts where he swings and misses at the slider low and away - about 5-7 homers
Bags, regrettably, hasn't been able to throw to 2nd in a couple of years. I hate this script for his ending, but who can possibly rewrite it for a prettier sunset ride?
I'm sorry...but I feel NO sympathy for Bags. How can anyone feel bad for a guy ready to make $17mil??? He's not even 40 yet and has his whole life in front of him. He'll probably stay in baseball in some facet or just travel the world until he dies. He ought to face up that he's done. I also wish he would be honest with himself.
I think Astros management is handling the situation poorly if Bagwell's interpretation of the situation is "they don't want me to play". This guy is working his ass off to try to come back and play well enough to help our team. Then, you have Purpura sitting there saying all this crap based on a doctor's visit. We all know Bagwell has been battling the arthritic shoulder for years. He has shown he can play through intense pain and I'm sure doctors were saying the same crap about his shoulder then. Bagwell is not your regular ball player. His passion for the game allows him to overcome the odds. That is one of the reasons he has been so special. I don't want to see him go out in a situation where management is on his ass and there is a war of words leading to harsh feelings. That's no way for our star player to go into retirement...if it comes to that.
What have I got to do to make you love me What have I got to do to make you care What do I do when lightning strikes me And I wake to find that you’re not there What do I do to make you want me What have I got to do to be heard What do I say when it’s all over And sorry seems to be the hardest word It’s sad, so sad It’s a sad, sad situation And it’s getting more and more absurd It’s sad, so sad Why can’t we talk it over Oh it seems to me That sorry seems to be the hardest word What do I do to make you love me What have I got to do to be heard What do I do when lightning strikes me What have I got to do What have I got to do When sorry seems to be the hardest word
i'm talking about money that on his previous contract to 2002 where he reconstructed money out of his contract to help bring in other players. if i'm incorrect i apologize but i remember reports of him restructuring his contract (previous to 2002) where he took a pay cut to help bring in other players.
what he did was defer money to the back end ......with interest he did the Stros a favor, but he didn't lose money or take a pay cut
i know it happens in the NFL, because the cowboys (troy aikman inparticular) had players do it during their title runs to keep all the guys together as long as possible.
I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt any player in any of the major sports has signed a contract and then voluntarily took money off that contract. The NFLPA, NHLPA, NBAPA and the MLBPA would not allow that to happen. It wouldn't set a good precedent.
okay, thanks for clearing that up. but still the astros agreed to it and owe him the money he earned during his prime years. i just think the astros are being cheap again, worrying about the bottom line and not worrying about doing the right thing with one of the faces of the houston astros franchise.
He is going to get his money regardless. Quit worrying about his financial security. If he can't play his position and the Astros have been making payments on the premium (which is done by all teams), why shouldn't they try to make a claim?
