Chicago – He did everything he could. He took batting practice. Kept order in the clubhouse. Grew a gnarly pirate beard.
Jeff Bagwell remained part of the Houston Astros’ magical story even as he lived in the margins. To hear manager Phil Garner tell it, the only thing more important than Roy Oswalt’s pitching during Game 6 of the NLCS was Bagwell’s speech before it.
“It set the tone,” said Garner, refusing to divulge specifics. “It put guys in the right frame of mind. It helped relax them.”
Bagwell refused to take any credit, other than acknowledge he spoke. The reality, however, was sobering as the Astros’ hangovers wore off: It wasn’t going to feel the same if Bagwell could not play in the game.
So on Saturday, Garner did the right thing: When he walked out to the plate to exchange lineup cards with Chicago’s Ozzie Guillen, Bagwell’s name was stenciled into the sixth spot as DH. He was hit in his first at-bat and flew out to deep left field in the fourth inning.
This was not a gift, but another example of Garner making a decision from the gut.
“I think with Jeff, the great measure of a human being is that he wants nothing handed to him,” said Garner of Bagwell, whose season was sabotaged by shoulder surgery. “He wanted to make sure I felt he was the right guy, and he definitely was.”
Garner need not apologize for including Bagwell, who is, in many ways, the Astros’ John Elway. He has grinded through 15 years with a franchise that for so long was a colorless blot. Garner didn’t deny that sentiment played a role. But it made sense on two levels.
There wasn’t a better option – unlikely star Chris Burke scooted off the Bunsen burner a few days ago. And his teammates wanted Bagwell out there.
“He’s our leader,” closer Brad Lidge said.
That Bagwell craved this opportunity had less to do with him and more to do with this team. Bagwell loves the old-school mentality, the frat-house camaraderie of this bunch, traits so often lost in a statistics-based sport that breeds selfishness.
“The progression in baseball goes like this: When you’re a young kid, all you want to do is stay in the big leagues. Then all of sudden all you want to do is make money,” Bagwell said.
“And then by the time seven or eight years rolls around, you want to win. And you know what, it’s perfectly normal. Every kid goes through it. The difference with this team (is that) these guys love baseball and have each other’s back.”
Footnotes
Astros starter Roger Clemens exited after just two innings and 54 pitches, betrayed by a strained left hamstring. Clemens appeared to have problems getting comfortable on the mound in the first inning, kicking his leg repeatedly as if to stretch it. He has been bothered by hamstring and groin problems for the past month. It’s unclear how much, if any, the 53-degree weather bothered him. …
Members of the 1959 White Sox team, the last South Side team to appear in the World Series, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Luis Aparicio was included after attending a press conference with Ozzie Guillen. He didn’t hide his allegiance. “I’m very happy for the ballclub, for the White Sox fans, for the city, for Ozzie. He’s got Venezuelan people crazy. Everybody was asking if he had a chance, if he’s going to win, and he’s got the team. He’s got the team.” …
Former Rockies and current Nationals third baseman Vinny Castilla is working as a TV analyst for a Mexican network for the first three games of the series. …
Even in a city with divided loyalties – North Side Cubs, South Side Sox – Chicago is going predictably bonkers for the World Series.
A Picasso exhibit was tweaked to include a White Sox touch. A giant inflatable pumpkin, in view of the blue line train from O’Hare International Airport, was fitted with a White Sox cap. …
So much for the conventional wisdom of avoiding distractions. Mark Buehrle, today’s starter for Chicago, had 10 members of his family stay over last night. He is referring to his home as Hotel Buehrle.
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
