Jeffrey Robert Bagwell (born May 27, 1968) is an
American Major League Baseball player for the
Houston Astros. He was born on the same day as the
Chicago White Sox player Frank Thomas.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bagwell went to the
University of Hartford.

Originally drafted in 1989 by the Boston Red Sox,
the next year he was traded to the Houston Astros
for relief pitcher Larry Andersen; a trade
regarded as one of the most one-sided of all time
as Andersen subsequently became a free agent and
left the Red Sox, while Bagwell became one of the
most respected players in the Astros\' history.
Bagwell has been with Houston ever since, and
along with teammate Craig Biggio, was virtually
synonymous with the Astros in the 1990s.

Developed as a third baseman, Bagwell was shifted
to first base during 1991 spring training as the
Astros already had an established third baseman in
Ken Caminiti. He enjoyed his major league debut on
opening day and was named the 1991 National League
Rookie of the Year. His peak year may have been
1994, when he was unanimously named National
League MVP, after batting for .368, with 39 home
runs, 116 runs batted in and 104 runs scored, in a
strike-shortened season. He also enjoyed notable
seasons between 1996 and 2002, batting for .278,
43, 135 in 2003.

Jeff Bagwell throws and hits right-handed, and has
had 14 years of experience. He is considered one
of the more powerful hitters in the major leagues,
having hit at least 31 home runs every year from
1996 through 2003. As of the end of the 2004
season, his career batting average is .297, with
446 homers, 1510 RBI, and a slugging percentage of
.542.


Salary

During the 2005 season, Jeff Bagwell is the 7th
highest paid player at $18 million.