Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411030114
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bagwell, recently chosen as only the third unanimous MVP in National League history, batted .368 with 39 home runs and a major league-leading 116 RBI.
He was on an 18-game hitting streak when he broke his left hand, hit by a pitch from San Diego's Andy Benes on Aug.10 - two days before the players' strike began. The injury was expected to sideline Bagwell from three to five weeks.
The 26-year-old first baseman received 31 votes in a nationwide poll of 58 sportswriters and broadcasters. Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas, a two-time American League MVP who hit .353 with 38 home runs and 101 RBI, was runner-up with 16 votes and San Francisco's Matt Williams, who led the majors with 43 home runs, was third with three.
Bagwell set team records for home runs, RBI and extra-base hits (72) despite his shortened season of 110 games. His .368 average also was the best in Houston history.
Bagwell led the majors in slugging percentage (.750), led the NL in runs (104) and was second in the league in batting.
Most surprising was his home run total; he'd hit only 20 in 1993 and 18 in '92. He finished second to Williams in the NL this season despite playing half of his games in the Astrodome, one of baseball's worst parks for power hitters.
``I just learned how to hit with more backspin on the ball,'' Bagwell said. ``But turning from 20 homers to 39, I'm not going to try to figure that out.
``I'm almost worried about if I could do it again. I hit 39 home runs. That's scary.''
Bagwell was a top prospect from the day the Boston Red Sox drafted him in 1989. He was MVP for Class AA New Britain (Conn.) in 1990, but the Red Sox traded him to Houston on Aug.31 of that season for reliever Larry Andersen in a deal designed to help Boston's late pennant push.
Andersen left the Red Sox as a free agent less than two months later, and Bagwell became the NL's rookie of the year in 1991.
Bagwell, who hit six homers in 711 at-bats as a minor-leaguer, has improved his home run total in each of his pro seasons. He had 20 homers in 1993 and was batting .320 when his season ended Sept.12 because - coincidentally - he broke another bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch from Philadelphia's Ben Rivera.
``I'm becoming an all-pro at breaking my hand,'' Bagwell said. ``I seem to learn things the hard way, but now I'm having a pad put on my batting glove so, hopefully, this won't happen again.''
Behind Bagwell this year, the Astros were a half-game behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central Division when the players went on strike. Houston has not reached the postseason since 1986.
``I don't think I could have played much better than I did,'' Bagwell said. ``It feels great, but it still feels strange, too, not having the World Series.''
by CNB