Former National League MVP Jeff Bagwell to Receive Bill Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award
PrintMr. Bagwell debuted with the Astros on April 8, 1991, moving from his natural third base position to first base. In his rookie season, he hit .294 with a team-high 15 home runs, 82 runs batted in, and was named the club’s MVP. Later that season, he received 23-of-24 first place votes and became the first Houston player to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
In 1994, his fourth Major League season, Mr. Bagwell’s statistics continued to impress. He won his only Gold Glove, and in earning the National League Most Valuable Player Award, became the first National Leaguer since Hall of Famer Willie Mays in 1955, to finish the season first or second in batting average (.368), runs scored (104), runs batted in (116) and home runs (39). Mr. Bagwell played only 110 games that year due to injury and the Major League Baseball players’ strike.
“My parents taught me that if you start something, don’t ever quit, and Little League taught me about sportsmanship and being a good teammate,” Mr. Bagwell said. “When I was with the Astros, we never shook hands with the other team, but I remember after our Little League games, we’d go shake hands. I learned about sportsmanship from those times.”
Injury limited Mr. Bagwell’s availability over the next three seasons, but not his productivity. In 1995, he hit .290, with 21 home runs, and 87 runs batted in. The following season (1996), he posted career highs in runs scored (111); runs batted in (120); and collected a league-leading 48 doubles, to achieve his second career season with a better than .300 batting average; 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Mr. Bagwell’s 1997 season saw him just miss out on his second NL MVP award, as he hit 43 home runs, stole 31 bases and drove in 135. Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies was the league’s most valuable player that season. He did win the second of his three Silver Slugger awards, and made his third of four National League All-Star teams in 1997.
Dismissing any concerns about his durability, Mr. Bagwell proceeded to become a decade-long fixture at first base for the Astros. At one point during his career he played nearly 400 consecutive games.
In 2005, Bagwell’s Astros reached the World Series, losing in four games to the Chicago White Sox. In the Series, he was 1-for-8 with a single and a run scored. In 33 postseason games, Mr. Bagwell amassed a .226 batting average, with 24 hits, including four doubles, two home runs and 13 runs batted in.
During his Major League career (1991-2005), all with the Astros, Mr. Bagwell played in 2,150 games. His career offensive totals include 2,314 hits, 449 home runs, 488 doubles, 32 triples, 1,529 runs batted and 1,517 runs scored. On five occasions, Mr. Bagwell finished in the top 10 in MVP balloting.
Mr. Bagwell and his wife Ericka, live in Houston with daughters, Bryce (8) and Blake (6).
The Distinguished Little League Graduate Award was established in honor of the many contributions made to Little League Baseball by Bill Shea, former President of the Little League Foundation. Mr. Shea is credited with bringing National League Baseball back to New York in the early 1960s, while also working diligently for the advancement of Little League Baseball.
Past recipients of the award include: 2008 – Kent Tekulve, Lindenwald Little League, Hamilton, Ohio; 2007 – Torii Hunter, National Little League, Pine Bluff, Ark.; 2006 – Mike Flanagan, South Little League, Manchester, N.H.; 2005 – Larry Bowa, Land Park Little League, Sacramento, Calif.; 2004 – Billy Connors, National Little League, Schenectady, N.Y.; 2003 – Shawon Dunston, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Youth Services Little League; 2002 – Tommy John, Terre Haute (Ind.) Little League; 2001 – Orel Hershiser, Southfield (Mich.) Little League and Cherry Hill (N.J.) Little League; 2000 – George Brett, El Segundo (Calif.) American Little League; 1999 – Robin Yount, Woodland Hills (Calif.) Sunrise Little League; 1998 – Don Sutton, Cantonement (Fla.) Little League; 1997 – Ken Griffey, Sr., Donora (Pa.) Little League; 1996 – No award; 1995 – Rick Monday, Sunset Little League, Santa Monica, Calif.; 1994 – Len Coleman, Montclair (N.J.) Little League; 1993 – Gary Carter, West Fullerton (Calif.) Little League; 1992 – Steve Palermo, Oxford (Mass.) Little League; 1991 – Dave Dravecky, South Youngstown Optimist Little League, Boardman, Ohio; 1990 – Jim Palmer, Beverly Hills (Calif.) Little League; 1989 – Tom Seaver, Spartan Little League, Fresno, Calif.; 1988—Steve Garvey, Drew Park Little League, Tampa, Fla.; 1987 – Bobby Valentine, Mickey Lione Little League, Stamford, Conn.
The Little League Baseball World Series is the culmination of the world’s largest sports tournament, with more than 16,000 games played in six weeks on six continents. The Little League International Tournament ends with 16 teams advancing to Williamsport for the World Series. Information for the public on attending the Little League Baseball World Series is available at: http://www.littleleague.org.
Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.6 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.
