Houston Astros Jeff Bagwell: The trade that changed a franchise forever

This Sunday, Houston Astros legend Jeff Bagwell will be officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He joins fellow teammate Craig Biggio to receive the honor of being enshrined in the hall.

But how did Jeff Bagwell come to the Houston Astros to join teammate Craig Biggio?

It is considered one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. Veteran pitcher Larry Andersen of the Houston Astros was sent to the Boston Red Sox for rookie Jeff Bagwell. MLB.com writer, Alyson Footer recalls the trade in a 2013 article titled “Astros All Time Top 5 In Season Trades”. 

"A New England native and lifelong Red Sox fan, Bagwell, along with his mom and grandmother, was devastated when he was traded. But his dad said, “I looked at this team. They’re young. They’re building. I think you have a good chance to get to the big leagues.”Pops was right. Although Bagwell was stuck behind Ken Caminiti on the third-base depth chart, the Astros watched him tear through pitching during Spring Training in 1991 and decided they needed to figure out a way to work him onto the roster. They called him in the manager’s office, threw him a first baseman’s glove and said, “Would you like to play third base in [Triple-A] Tucson or first base in Houston?”Bagwell went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year in 1991 and NL MVP Award in ’94."

The rest they say is history.  Bagwell went on to have a hall of fame career with the Houston Astros, hitting .297, 449 Home Runs and 1,529 RBI’s in his 15 seasons and becoming a fan favorite and cornerstone of the Houston Astros franchise.

Former Astros general manage Bill Wood, the man who orchestrated the trade, had this to say about Jeff Bagwell and the trade during the Hall of Fame celebration this weekend:

It wasn’t just the great stats and offensive firepower that Bagwell brought to the team that made him a fan favorite, but it was also his work ethic and tenacity to get better every day. This quality work ethic and tenacity made fans love Jeff Bagwell even more.

Here’s what former Astros TV play-by-play man Bill Brown said about “Baggy’s” ability:

Next: The peculiar path to the Hall of Fame for Jeff Bagwell

Congratulations to Bags on your moment in the sun!

One trade did indeed change the Houston Astros franchise forever.  Our fans will be forever grateful for that one trade.