Jeff Bagwell’s situation looks like it could get a lot worse before it gets better. And Bagwell’s “situation” isn’t a reference to his shredded shoulder — it’s a reference to the contractual conundrum and public relations fiasco Bagwell, the Astros and the Astros’ insurer are in.
At the very least, Houston’s signing of Preston Wilson should help quiet the do-something crowd of Astros fans clamoring for a big-time move this offseason. Wilson may not be a grade-A free agent, but given the market, signing him for $4 million seems reasonable.
In the middle of the 18th inning Sunday, after watching eight-and-a-half scoreless frames from behind the right field foul pole in Minute Maid Park, my dad told me that he felt like something was about to happen. I asked him, “good or bad.” He wasn’t sure.
It is rare for a player to collect 500 home runs or 3,000 hits. It is even more unusual for a player to surpass both milestones. But it would be unique for a player with that pair of achievements to fail to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. That is a prospect Rafael Palmeiro may face, however, when his entry to Cooperstown comes to a vote.
A question was recently posted about Dunn’s propensity to hit sacrifice flies. After all, somebody with Dunn’s power should be able to drive the ball deep when the need arises. Yet Dunn has just one sacrifice fly this season. Is this simply a matter of having few opportunities or not being able to adapt to the situation?
In the market for big-league hitters leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, perhaps the most popular player supposedly for sale is Reds slugger Adam Dunn. This 25-year-old native Houstonian busted his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame into baseball stardom by finishing tied for runner-up for the home run crown with 46 long balls in 2004, his fourth season in the league. Dunn also gained notoriety by fanning 195 times, breaking Bobby Bonds’ 1970 record of 189 strikeouts.
