The Bags Under Our Eyes
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by Tyduffy
The Houston Astros retired Jeff Bagwell's #5 in a ceremony before today's game at Minute Maid Park. His relatively brief, but brilliant career places him as perhaps the greatest player ever to don an Astros' uniform.
During his 15-year career, Baggs won a Rookie of the Year (1991), an MVP (1994) and was an all-star four times (due to the crowded position he played and lack of notoriety in Houston). He finished with a .297 career average, along with a .408 OBP and 449 HR. He had five seasons with an OPS over 1.000, nine seasons with 30 or more home runs, and eight 100+ RBI seasons. He also won one Gold Glove at first base.
Pundits unhealthily obsessed with career numbers will point out that Jeff failed to reach the magical 500 HR mark, more due to his career being cut short by injury than a lack of ability. Numbers alone, his sustained period of excellence as one of the best first basemen in the game would likely make him a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Despite being a fan-favorite and generally likeable fellow, Bagwell has not escaped the steroid bug entirely. In 2004, Asher B. Chancey of Baseball Evolution accuses, with little firm and corroborating evidence of course, that Jeff was not just a user of steroids but the harbinger of steroids into baseball, through his juicing and subsequent success.
Though Bags has not been linked to the use of any steroids. There is some circumstantial evidence. He was weight-lifting in order to get bigger, which like it or not arouses suspicion. In 1991-3, he had home run totals of 15, 18, and 20 respectively. However, in 1994 he exploded for 39 HR despite playing only 110 games, and put up similar numbers for essentially the rest of the 1990's. He was friends and long-time teammates with Ken Caminiti who admitted steroid use. He also experienced a pre-mature breakdown of his body, with a deteriorating arthritic condition in his shoulder. For anyone searching for evidence of steroid use, those facts may be enough to brand him a cheat.
Even a Bagwell defender like Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle felt compelled to address the steroid issue in his blog in February 2006, relying upon the now aged maxim among the delusional and the romantic "as far as I know, he never tested positive for steroid use." Though he does acknowledge that Bagwell was "hitting the weights," much like a lot of other players were during that period as well.
There is no substantiated evidence that Jeff Bagwell achieved his great career through steroid use. Yet, insinuation, imagination, and our eyes still cast a skeptical glance over his numbers. Baseball writers continue to insist that Mark McGwire's and Barry Bonds' Hall of Fame voting will cast the legacy of the era. However, the true test will be a guy like Bagwell, with no explicit evidence except our own wildest imaginations.
Originally published here.
No way a uniform this UGLY gets into Cooperstown. Ever. If Bagwell wanted to get into the HOF, he should've requested a trade. Damn idiot!
