Well, the Baggy Saga is getting some play in the national press – a few lines on ESPN. But us being a thousand miles away from Bristol, Conneticut, the center of the Sports Universe means that the Saga is on like the local public access channel instead of prime time.
So let me bring you up to speed.
How’s that ol song go? (apologies to Ray Charles)
Hit the road, Bags
And dontchu come bag no more no more no more no more
Hit the road, Bags
And dontchu come back no moreeeeeeeee
Here is Jose de Jesus Ortiz’ column from the Chronicle:
Here are the first three sentences:
“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.
- Just great. Purpura tries to kinda sorta a little smooth things over by saying that well, they gotta submit documents to the insurance company by a deadline you know how that is gee we wish Baggy could play like the old Baggy, blah, blah, blah. Uh hunh.
Baggy is not THAT stupid. And Baggy has had 17 years of practice of saying a lot of words that don’t say anything, you know. And a lot of the – just gonna go out and win one for the gipper – sort of stuff.
Now he says this – IN QUOTES, mind you :
“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.”
- Apparently the team doctor has concluded from Dr. Andrews tests that Baggy has a bad shoulder. I’m shocked, SHOCKED.
At what, you ask?
Why, that the team doctor says JUST what the team wants to hear. And of course, that Baggy has a bad shoulder.
And of course that apparently nobody from the Organization got around to telling Baggy about the January 31 deadline for the insurance company. And humiliated him like this in the press.
Of course, then CAN put him on the DL with or without his say so and force him to sit out the year. Like I said before, the question is – will Baggy go along like a lamb to the slaughter?
I don’t THINK so.
“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.
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.”
- pushed out the door? Well, I would have called it something a LOT more like being grabbed when you are asleep and flung out on the dump.
I am really surprised and disappointed how many people have said something like, well, he should just give up the 17 mill. Seriously. (Like THEY would.) Or even worse, he should just be glad to take 17 mill to sit home. Amazing.
I mean, the guy wants to WORK for his money and there are people out there who just want him to go away, like a nightmare.
If you were in his shoes, wouldn’t YOU want the opportunity to prove yourself?
But OK you think athletes are all overpaid greedy pigs who should be getting minimum wage to do something yall would do for free (assuming you even COULD do what they do, which of course you can’t. Get real.)
But you DO wanna watch quality major league baseball, right?
Then I want you to re-read Baggy’s last comments:
“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.”
Now ask yourselves this – even if you couldn’t care less if Baggy takes his 17 mill, leaves town on bad terms with the Astros and refuses to have anything ever to do with the Astros ever again (remember Nolan Ryan going into the Hall of Fame in a Rangers uni???!!!)
WHAT sort of impression do you think this made on Roy Oswalt?
You think he gonna think – oh, but that would never happen to me? He might be a small town southern boy but he AIN’T that dumb. And neither is his agent.
And I am NOT forgetting – Roger Clemens. Yep, that’s right. You see, IF Roger happens to decide to play, IF Baggy didn’t agree to flush hisself down the toilet of McLane’s memory, why then Drayton has a nice ready made excuse to not sign Roger (or any other available, needed FA at the trade deadline) – it’s all Baggy’s fault – if he had just gone along for the team, we woulda had 15.6 mill to spend on needed players, but that’s how things went. Blame Baggy.
One last thing – just WHERE is that 15.6 mill gonna go IF we don’t sign Roger or anyone else?
Any guesses?????
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
I don’t need to guess where that money would go.
Like you, I’m totally floored by the people who want Bagwell to just walk away from the money because he’s a “team player”.
Ok just for a couple of pointers:
1.) Bagwell gets his money no matter what… whether that’s from the Insurance Company or the Astros, they don’t know yet.
2.) If Clemens decides to return, I don’t believe that has anything to do with whether or not Bagwell plays. Of course, Drayton McLane doesn’t like spending anymore money than he has to. That makes sense, but as I’ve read before, it’s almost as if Clemens is to play they’d probably have an “Astros’ salary” and a “Clemen’s salary.’
In the end, both the Astros and Bagwell are right. Bagwell should get a chance to play, and he’s probably in no worse shape now than he was at this time for the past five years. However, whatever he does now will not help his own career at all and only the team’s, which is very honorable and I think he realizes this. Then again, the Astros’ need to put together the best team possible, and at this moment they don’t think Jeff Bagwell is their best option. This could change, but they don’t have any other choice but to file this claim (which they probably won’t receive any money on anyway because insurance companies are about a thousand times stingier than Drayton when it comes to cash.)
And I want all the fans to think about this for a moment… If we’re at 10-35 with Bagwell in the field and he has trouble throwing to third plate, do you think it was alright for management to let him play? I know that sounds harsh, but I want you to put that in perspective for a moment before crying foulplay on the Astros. They’re doing what they have to do…it’s not easy, but they need to prepare for the worst.
In the end, it doesn’t matter… The Astros will get to the postseason for the third straight year, with or without Bagwell, and no fan will remember what transgressed over january or february.
P.S. – I wish the best for Jeff Bagwell and I hope to see him on Opening Day in the lineup. I foresee a Comeback Player of the Year award for him in the 2006 Championship Season.
No, Bagwell does not get the money no matter what. If he retires, he gets nothing.
It’s the idea that he should retire for the good of the team that I disagree with.
I don’t think I ever used the word “retire”… The one thing I am absolutely sure of is that Bagwell is not going to retire, at least this season- he will get his money, whether its playing the field or staying on the DL… and I also sympathize with your comment about the good of the team- its a tough pill to swallow. Growing up in Houston, I don’t remember an Astros’ team without Biggio or Bagwell. Let’s just pray this business is settled quickly without further damage.
No, you didn’t mention retiring. But you did say he gets the money no matter what, and that’s not true.
It’s not you I’m disagreeing with, as you think he should have a chance. It’s the people who think he should just walk away now to avoid “embarrassment” and to free up the money for the team.
well,
i SURE do NOT want to see baggy in the lineup if he can’t throw and i DO want to see him on the DL if he “hits” like he did in the Series.
but IF he can hit like the old baggy (even if he can’t throw) then i DO want him on the bench as a PH – and remember, he doesn’t always have to be pinch run for – it’s not like he’s mo vaughn.
and i am REAL sure, like POSITIVE sure that the team said exactly ZERO to baggy after the series about the jan 31 deadline – it would have been a smart thing to tell baggy then that they didn’t want him back because
1 – baggy wouldn’t be humiliated when they suddenly sprung it on him in mid january
2 – the Organization could have told the press back in nov that they told baggy bout how he would have to be ready to play and throw by jan 31 because that was the ins deadline
3 – the Organization would be telling the Press NOW that they told baggy this back in nov – it would make them look better
but even though drayton mclane is a billionaire, he is up against an insurance company and they got even MORE billions than drayton do and you bet that the FIRST interest of an ins co is to pay out as little money as possible.
so you best believe that they are most likely not only going to ask baggy if he can play, but run him by THEIR doctors too.
- by the way for yall who don’t know
retire = player quits – which means the Organization doesn’t have to pay him any money from then on
- when people say “retire” they should say “agree to go on the DL”
except for those folks who really think that if an organization agrees to pay out so much money over 5 years, they should be able to not have to pay all of it if they don’t want to.
Lisa,
Hate the ‘business’ aspect of this. And I’m confused.
Do we know what January 31 means in this mess? Is it only a filing deadline? or is a final medical determination necessary? or something in the middle?
What happens if Baggy goes to ST, gives it his best shot, then ‘agrees to go on the DL’ for the year, before opening day? No insurance pay out?
What if he goes to ST and is injured in another way and cannot play the year? no insurance?
What happens if the Astros file and claim Baggy is disabled, against his will? Baggy is under contract, so I assume he can’t play elsewhere. If Baggy goes to Kissimee, as he has stated, will the Astros security prevent him from entering the facility? or does the claim of disability allow Baggy to go to another club?
The guy is only a first class citizen, potential HOFer, long-time fan favorite who deferred income to help the team / business field a competive product, who is working out diligently to rehab his shoulder. First, pay the man. Don’t screw with his earnings. Next, find a way to give him a chance to find out if he can play up to his standards. Baggy has earned enough trust to know when it’s over. He should be allowed some input into when its time to go.
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]
[...] Lisa Gray, MVN’s Astros blogger, chimes in with an Astros fan’s take on the Bagwell saga. [...]