Thank You, Jeff Bagwell

In a move that surprised absolutely no one, the Houston Astros declined to pick up Jeff Bagwell's $17 million option for 2007 and bought out the remainder of his contract for $7 million yesterday, effectively ending his playing career with the only major league team he's ever known. As it should be, today's Chronicle is replete with stories (here, here, here and here) about Bagwell the player, Bagwell the man, and Bagwell's impact on the organization throughout his fifteen (15) seasons as an Astro.

At the risk of getting emotional, let me say that today is a sad day for all fans of the Houston Astros. Bagwell and Biggio have been the franchise for the better part of many of our lives, and it's not easy to see them ride off into the sunset. All of the talk we hear these days about how smoothly the Houston clubhouse operates is a direct result of their influence. There's little doubt that Bags left an indelible mark on the organization. That's fitting, too, from a guy who may go down as the best player to ever wear an Astros uniform.

Despite the messy way his tenure ended with the 'Stros, I am confident Uncle Drayton will do what it takes to make sure the hatchet gets buried. I hope that Jeff Bagwell's plaque in Cooperstown (.297 BA, 449 HR, 1,529 RBI with ROY and MVP awards--ridiculous), likely the first to ever feature a player in an Astros hat, leaves space for mention of what many pundits consider to be the worst trade in the history of baseball (traded from Boston for Larry Andersen in 1990). I know that I'll be stopping by to pay my respects.