Guilty By Association; Jeff Bagwell and the Hall of Fame
Jeff Bagwell will continue to struggle in his years of Hall of Fame eligibility. Not because he lacks the numbers, not because he lacks the name recognition, but because he played in a scandal-laden time. This upcoming Hall of Fame ballot will be Bagwell’s second time on the ballot. Last year, he failed to crack 48% of the vote (75% is needed to make it in). Jeff Bagwell has already been indicted for steroid use by many within the Baseball Writers of America based on no evidence whatsoever. And that’s a shame.
Bagwell played 15 seasons, all of which were with the Houston Astros. He exhibited a loyalty to that franchise we rarely see anymore. And in his time there, Bagwell simply shined. He racked up 2,314 hits, smashed 439 home runs, drove in 1,529 runs, and never had an OBP under .358. In fact, Bagwell’s career line is an impressive .297/.408.540. He was Rookie of the Year, League MVP, a four-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and a three-time Silver Slugger winner. Bagwell was great, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t even sniff the Hall in next few years.
Lew gave us a good break down of why Bagwell may not be a fit for the Hall just yet, and it had absolutely nothing to do with steroids. I’m perfectly fine with that. However, there have been enough rumors and whispers and writers flat out accessing Bagwell of using steroids, that no matter his numbers he will struggle.
If we look at numbers alone, Bagwell is right there. According to Baseball-Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor, Bagwell rates at 150, and anyone 100 or above is a likely Hall of Famer. Bagwell accumulated just under 80 WAR (79.9) for his career and ranks as one of the better first basemen of all-time. Yet, he will struggle.
A case can be made either way for Bagwell’s Hall candidacy based on purely analytic research. However, many within the BBWA have deemed Bagwell guilty by association and no amount of objective research will sway that opinion. To convict someone with no evidence is wholly in-American, but I fear that’s what many of the Hall of Famer voters are doing and will continue to do. I hope for a day when we can discuss Bagwell’s merits without unfounded accusations of steroid use creeping into the conversation. Until then, I’ll say Bagwell has my vote. He earned it.
Be sure to check out our other Hall of Fame profiles.