August 26, 2007
Five Forever
The Houston Astros retired Jeff Bagwell's number today.
His closest friend on the team, Brad Ausmus, seemed to speak for an entire clubhouse and perhaps an entire city.
''He was the quintessential teammate,'' Brad Ausmus told fans. ''He was a superstar who always put the team before himself. Between he and (Biggio), they always shouldered the blame when he struggled and deflected the credit when we won.
Bagwell entered the peak years of his career just as offense was exploding in the major leagues. He came close to being a .300-.400-.500 player, missing only in batting average with a career mark of .297. And he did this despite the early part of his career in the Astrodome. While his career ended early, it's certainly a career worth celebrating.
Great career. Probably only a couple of hand injuries short of Hall of Fame caliber.