1968
Born May 27, 1968
Boston, MA, USA
Jeff Bagwell Marquee Hall of Fame 2017
b. May 27, 1968 · Houston Astros 1991–2005
Boston traded him to Houston for a relief pitcher while he was still in the minors, and he won National League Rookie of the Year in his first season there. He hit .297 with 2,314 hits, 449 home runs, 1,529 runs batted in and 1,517 runs, and led the league in runs three times.
The 1994 season was his best and his shortest. In 110 games he hit 39 home runs and led the National League with 116 runs batted in and 104 runs, took the Most Valuable Player award and a Gold Glove, and was hit by a pitch that broke his hand days before the strike ended the season.
An arthritic right shoulder cut his final season to 39 games, the year Houston reached its first World Series. He never played for another club. Steroid-era suspicion, unsupported by any finding against him, kept him on the ballot seven years; the writers elected him in 2017 with 381 of 442 votes.
Honors
| Award | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| All-Star selection | 4 | 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 |
| Player of the Month | 4 | 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001 |
| Player of the Week | 4 | 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000 |
| The Sporting News All-Star | 4 | 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 |
| Silver Slugger | 3 | 1994, 1997, 1999 |
| Gold Glove | 1 | 1994 |
| MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player | 1 | 1994 |
| Most Valuable Player | 1 | 1994 |
| Rookie of the Year | 1 | 1991 |
| The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year | 1 | 1994 |
| The Sporting News Rookie Player of the Year | 1 | 1991 |
Batting, season by season
| Year | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | HOU | 156 | 554 | 79 | 163 | 26 | 4 | 15 | 82 | 75 | 116 | 7 | .294 |
| 1992 | HOU | 162 | 586 | 87 | 160 | 34 | 6 | 18 | 96 | 84 | 97 | 10 | .273 |
| 1993 | HOU | 142 | 535 | 76 | 171 | 37 | 4 | 20 | 88 | 62 | 73 | 13 | .320 |
| 1994 | HOU | 110 | 400 | 104 | 147 | 32 | 2 | 39 | 116 | 65 | 65 | 15 | .367 |
| 1995 | HOU | 114 | 448 | 88 | 130 | 29 | 0 | 21 | 87 | 79 | 102 | 12 | .290 |
| 1996 | HOU | 162 | 568 | 111 | 179 | 48 | 2 | 31 | 120 | 135 | 114 | 21 | .315 |
| 1997 | HOU | 162 | 566 | 109 | 162 | 40 | 2 | 43 | 135 | 127 | 122 | 31 | .286 |
| 1998 | HOU | 147 | 540 | 124 | 164 | 33 | 1 | 34 | 111 | 109 | 90 | 19 | .304 |
| 1999 | HOU | 162 | 562 | 143 | 171 | 35 | 0 | 42 | 126 | 149 | 127 | 30 | .304 |
| 2000 | HOU | 159 | 590 | 152 | 183 | 37 | 1 | 47 | 132 | 107 | 116 | 9 | .310 |
| 2001 | HOU | 161 | 600 | 126 | 173 | 43 | 4 | 39 | 130 | 106 | 135 | 11 | .288 |
| 2002 | HOU | 158 | 571 | 94 | 166 | 33 | 2 | 31 | 98 | 101 | 130 | 7 | .291 |
| 2003 | HOU | 160 | 605 | 109 | 168 | 28 | 2 | 39 | 100 | 88 | 119 | 11 | .278 |
| 2004 | HOU | 156 | 572 | 104 | 152 | 29 | 2 | 27 | 89 | 96 | 131 | 6 | .266 |
| 2005 | HOU | 39 | 100 | 11 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 0 | .250 |
| Career | — | 2150 | 7797 | 1517 | 2314 | 488 | 32 | 449 | 1529 | 1401 | 1558 | 202 | .297 |
On this day & linked events
1991
Major-league debut: Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell made a major-league debut on April 8, 1991.
1994
Jeff Bagwell's Three-Home-Run Game, 1994
Jeff Bagwell hit three home runs for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 24, 1994.
1998
Kerry Wood's 20-Strikeout Game
In just his fifth major league start, 20-year-old Cubs rookie Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros, tying the single-game record, while allowing only one hit and no walks.
1999
Jeff Bagwell's Three-Home-Run Game, 1999
Jeff Bagwell hit three home runs for the Houston Astros against the Chicago Cubs on April 21, 1999.
1999
Jeff Bagwell's Three-Home-Run Game, 1999
Jeff Bagwell hit three home runs for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox on June 9, 1999.
2001
Jeff Bagwell Hits for the Cycle, 2001
Jeff Bagwell hit for the cycle for the Houston Astros against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 18, 2001.
2005
Final major-league game: Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell played a final major-league game on October 2, 2005.
Image: Mojo, CC BY 2.0