Eugene Torre

Eugenio "Eugene" Torre (born November 4, 1951) is a Filipino chess player. In 1974, at 22 years old, he became the first Asian to qualify for the title Grandmaster by winning the silver medal in the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice, France. He is considered the strongest chess player the Philippines produced during the 1980s and 1990s, and played for the Philippines on board 1 in seventeen Chess Olympiads.
In a tournament in Manila in 1976, Torre was then the only one to beat the then-reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a game that has become part of Filipino chess history. In 1982 he gained a spot in the World Chess Championship candidates matches, where he lost to Zoltan Ribli. He served as Bobby Fischer's second in the 1992 match against Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia.
He currently plays for the Rizal Towers of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines.
Chess career.
1969-1973.
Eugene Torre participated in the 1969 (10th) and 1971 (11th) editions of the Junior World Chess Championship, an under-20 chess tournament (players must have been under 20 years old on 1 January in the year of competition) organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). It was the brainchild of William Ritson-Morry who organized the inaugural event in 1951 in Birmingham, England.
In the 1969 edition held at Stockholm, Sweden in August, thirty-eight players played in six preliminary sections, with the top two in each advancing to Final A. Among those who did not qualify for Final A was future World Championship candidate Eugenio Torre of the Philippines, who won Final B with 9/11 including a 4-game winning streak in rounds 8-11. Final A was dominated by the rising young Soviet junior Anatoly Karpov (who would become World Champion just six years later), who gave up only two draws (10/11). Andras Adorjan (Hungary) and Aurel Urzica (Romania) finished three points behind. The strength of the field is shown by the fact that former (1967) Champion Julio Kaplan could only finish fourth with 6.5/11.
In the 1971 edition held in Athens, Greece in July–August, a record forty-four players from forty-three countries participated in six preliminary groups. Werner Hug of Switzerland was the surprise winner, scoring 8.5/11. Two years before, he had only finished fifth in Final C. More highly touted players finished lower like Hungarian Chess Olympiad team member and future World Championship candidate Zoltán Ribli who finished second (8/11); the strong American player Kenneth Rogoff finished third (7.5/11); and Torre and the Soviet Grandmaster Rafael Vaganian, who were among three players (Renê Borngässer) that scored 6.5/11 finishing in a tie for fourth to sixth places. with Torre finishing in 4th place after the Sonneborn Berger (SB) tie-break system was employed.
In 1972, Torre won the Asian Zonal Championship and became an International Master (IM), becoming the Philippines' third IM after IM Rodolfo Tan Cardoso who gained his title after winning the silver medal in the 1956 Chess Olympiad and IM Renato Naranja who achieved his IM title in 1969 when he won the Asian Zonal in Singapore. In September 1972, a Torre – Cardoso showdown was held to determine the Philippines' best player with the winner playing the top board for Team Philippines in the Skopje Olympiad to be held later that month. It was supposed to be a six-game match but after Torre opened up an unassailable two-point lead (3.5–1.5) with 2 wins and 3 draws, the 6th and last game was no longer played.
In 1972/1973, Torre tied for 1st place with Hungarian GM Levente Lengyel and International Master Ljuben Popow, also known as Luben Popov of Bulgaria, in the Reggio Emilia series known as the Torneo di Capodanno with a score of 7/11. This tournament was held annually from 1958 to 2012, a grand total of 54 editions without any interruptions.
In 1973, Torre participated in the 1973 Leningrad Interzonal Tournament where he played against the world's top players such as future World Champion Karpov, Mikhail Tal, Viktor Korchnoi, Bent Larsen and Robert Eugene Byrne, among others. He ended up in a tie for 13th-14th places in the 18-man round-robin tournament where he finished with 4 wins, 7 losses and 6 draws (7/17) but scored big wins over Tal and Larsen.
1976–1991.
Torre shot to prominence in 1976 as a possible future title challenger after winning a strong four-man tournament in Manila ahead of World Champion Anatoly Karpov – thus becoming the first player to finish ahead of Karpov in a tournament since the latter became world champion. In the summer of 1976, three grandmasters traveled to Manila, Philippines to participate in the Marlboro-Loyola Kings Challenge chess tournament. They were (in order by Elo): World Champion Anatoly Karpov (2695) from the Soviet Union, Ljubomir Ljubojević (2620) from Yugoslavia, and Walter Browne (2585) from the United States. They were joined by grandmaster Eugenio Torre (2505) from the Philippines for a double-round robin event. The average rating of the players qualified the tournament as a category XV event.
Torre defeated the world champion in the second round, and went on to finish clear first ahead of Karpov, a feat no one had yet accomplished since the latter had become world champion. The final standings and crosstable are as follows:
Later in the same year 1976, Torre topped the 2nd Asian Masters held from 23 August to 10 September at Jakarta, Indonesia. The event qualified as a Category III event with an average ELO rating of 2304. At that time, this was only the 2nd international tournament held in Jakarta the first being the FIDE Zonal 10 Tournament in 1963. Torre scored a whopping 12/14, going undefeated with 10 wins and 4 draws. Compatriot Rico Mascariñas earned an IM norm in the same event where he tied for 3rd place with 10/14 (+8, =4, -2).
In 1977, Torre (2550) finished tied for 5th-6th places at the strong Geneva Tournament held from March 26 - April 11, 1977 with GM Ludek Pachman where he recorded 4 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses (7.0/13) but ended up 6th after the SB tiebreaks were applied losing out to Pachman, 47-43.
At the 1st Burroughs Computers Grandmaster Tournament held on April 5–19, 1978, Torre copped second place finishing with a score of 8/12 on the strength of 6 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses just behind winner Miguel Quinteros. This tournament held in New Zealand was the second leg of the Asian Grandmasters Circuit which was the brainchild of then FIDE Deputy President Florencio Campomanes of the Philippines to help Asian area players gain experience and title norms. The first leg was held in Baguio City, Philippines, the third leg in Jakarta, Indonesia and the fourth leg in Penang, Malaysia.
In 1979, Torre topped the 7th Marlboro Classic, a 14-man tournament held in Manila in January 1979 finishing clear first, a point ahead of GM Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland and 2 points ahead of top seed Josif Dorfman, a Soviet-French Grandmaster, with a score of 10/13. Also in 1979, Torre tied for 1st place in the 2nd Asian GMs Circuit 1st Leg held in Jakarta from 26 May to 6 June alongside Dorfman and GM Yuri Averbakh all with 6.5/11 recording 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses. Coincidentally, they were the top 3 seeds in the tournament with GM Dorfman having a 2595 ELO rating, Torre with 2520 and Averbakh with 2515.
The high point of his career came in the early 1980s when he was ranked world No.17; successfully going on to qualify as a candidate for the world championship after tying for first with Lajos Portisch during the 1982 Toluca Interzonal, thereby becoming the very first Asian ever to qualify in the Candidates. By qualifying in the Candidates, Torre's feat was considered "a vindication of FIDE's democratic world-wide qualifying system". At that time, Torre was viewed as a serious rival to the Soviet grandmasters in the 1984 Candidates Matches considering his head-to-head record with some of the finest Soviet GMs at that time: 2.5–1.5 against Tal, 2–2 opposite Tigran Petrosian, 1.5–2.5 versus Vassily Smyslov and 3.5–5.5 contra Karpov.
Torre finished clear second in the 56th Hastings Premier Tournament, a Category 10 tournament (average ELO 2476) organized by William Ritson-Morry held from 29 December 1980 to 15 January 1981, with a score of 10/15 just half-a-point behind winner Ulf Andersson. Torre won his last game to gain undivided second place in great style with a Queen sacrifice, whilst GM Anatoly Lein, although having the white pieces, chose to play for a quick and blood less draw in 13 moves against Andersson to be certain of the third prize. By virtue of this Queen sacrifice in his last game against IM John A. Peters Torre won the brilliancy prize in the last round.
Torre has the distinction of being the first Asian player to earn the title of International Grandmaster. He qualified for the Candidates Matches for the 1984 World Championship. In that preliminary stage, the contenders play matches against each other to determine who will challenge the world champion. Torre was eliminated when he lost his match against Zoltán Ribli by a score of 6–4.
After losing his quarterfinal candidates match to Ribli in 1983, Torre became disillusioned with chess and more or less went into semi-retirement. He went on to become a minor celebrity due to his daily one-hour TV programme "Chess Today".
In May 1984, Torre participated in the 4th International Bugojno Chess Tournament, a Category 14 event held in Yugoslavia where he finished clear third with a score of 7.5/13 (4 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses) just behind winner Jan Timman who inflicted one of his losses in Round 2 and Zoltan Ribli, the one who defeated him in the quarterfinals of the 1983/84 Candidates Tournament but ahead of such chess greats like Boris Spassky, Mikhail Tal, Vasily Smyslov, Alexander Beliavsky and Bent Larsen.
In 1984, Torre was selected to play in the second USSR vs. the Rest of the World competition billed as the Match of the Century of 1984 held in London, England. The USSR team was led by the world's two highest ranked players at that time, Garry Kasparov (2710 Elo) and Karpov (2700 Elo) while the Rest of the World was led by Viktor Korchnoi and Ljubomir Ljubojević both with 2635 Elo rating. Torre had an Elo rating of 2565 for this tournament where he contributed 2 points in 3 games, all against Andrei Sokolov, winning 2 and losing once finishing with a performance rating of 2620. He was among the team's high scorers only eclipsed by Korchnoi, Ribli and GM Anthony John Miles who all ended up with 2.5/4 but in terms of winning percentage was the high scorer with 66.7%
Torre finished in a tie for 3rd at the 1986 Brussels SWIFT Tournament, a Category 13 event held in April 1986, alongside Timman and Miles posting 3 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss (6.5/11) but behind Karpov (9/11) and Korchnoi (7/11). Surprisingly, Torre's lone loss was inflicted by International Master Michel Jadoul who ended up dead last in the tournament with 2.5/11 (+2,−8,=1).
At the 1988 Biel Tournament held in July, Torre tied for 3rd together with GM Vladimir Tukmakov with a score of 6.5/11, just half a point behind tournament joint 1st placers GM Boris Gulko and GM Ivan Sokolov. Also in 1988 a 6-game Nigel Short vs. Eugenio Torre one-on-one match was held in Manila sponsored by Carlsberg Beer. Torre won the 1st game but Short evened up the match with a win in the 4th game with all the other games ending up in draws as the match ended in a 3–3 tie.
In 1991, Torre was invited to play in the Pan Pacific Grandmaster Tournament, a first-rate, Category 12 invitational round-robin competition, which was underwritten by the Mechanics Institute, a non-profit club that supports chess events. Torre took first place with an 8/11 score (+5−0=6). GM Patrick Wolff of the USA was 2nd with 7/11 with GM Mikhail Tal of Latvia, GM Larry Christiansen and GM Joel Benjamin both of the US and Australian GM Ian Rogers, all tying for 3rd with 6/11. It would be noted that Torre was the second-lowest ranked participant in this tournament with an ELO rating of 2552 only ahead of the sole International Master invited to play, American John Grefe who had a 2400 ELO rating. This was a 12-man tournament with GM Benjamin the top seed (based on ELO) with an ELO rating of 2662, followed by Tal (2645), GM John Fedorowicz (2634) also of the US and GM Utut Adianto (2634) of Indonesia rounding up the 2600-rated players.
2020–present.
In late 2020, Torre joined the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines, the first professional domestic chess league in the Philippines. He was drafted into the Rizal Towers as the league's top pick in its inaugural draft. However he sat out the All Filipino Conference for the inaugural 2021 season, and served as the team's head coach instead.
Interzonals.
Torre participated in 7 FIDE Interzonals where he:
Olympiads, Team Championships and Asian Games.
Olympiads.
From 1970 to 2016, the former business administration undergraduate from Mapúa Institute of Technology donned the national colors a record 23 times in the World Chess Olympiad, 19 of which were consecutively, to break the old record of 18 consecutive held by Heikki Westerinen. His 23 non-consecutive appearances broke the previous record of 20 appearances set by Hungary's Lajos Portisch. During that 46-year period, he manned the top board for Team Philippines a record 17 times except in the 1970 (Siegen, Germany), 2006 (Turin, Italy), 2010 (Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia), 2012 (Istanbul, Turkey), 2014 (Tromso, Norway) and 2016 (Baku, Azerbaijan) editions. In that stretch, Torre had played in 270 games winning 103, drawing 124 and losing 43 games for a grand total of 165 points.
The high points of his Olympiad career were winning the:
In 1988, Torre captained the Philippine team to its best-ever 7th-place finish in the 28th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece. breaking the previous high of 11th-place finish at the 21st Chess Olympiad. Torre finished with 9 points on 6 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses manning Board 1 with a high performance rating of 2620 as compared to his Elo rating of 2555. His teammates then included International Masters (IMs) Rico Mascariñas and Ruben Rodriguez who played Boards 2 and 3, and then 3 untitled players namely Rogelio Antonio (Board 4), Eric Gloria (Reserve Board 1) and Rogelio Barcenilla (Reserve Board 2).
At the 39th Chess Olympiad held at Khanty-Mansiysk in 2010, Torre manned Board 4 for the Philippines and played 7 games where he scored 4½ points with 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss with a performance rating of 2460 which was a shade below his Elo rating of 2489. In 2012, Torre participated in his record 21st Olympiad appearance at the 40th Chess Olympiad breaking his tie with Lajos Portisch held at Istanbul, Turkey. He manned Board 3 in this edition of the Olympiad. He scored 3½ points in 7 games on the strength of 2 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses. He recorded a very high performance rating of 2611 in this Olympiad, higher than his 2469 Elo rating. In 2014, Torre again manned Board 3 for Team Philippines in the 2014 Tromso Olympiad for his record-setting 22nd appearance in the said tournament. He scored 5½ points in 9 games posting 3 wins, 5 draws against a solitary loss. He recorded a performance rating of 2527 and gained 9.9 Elo points in the said Olympiad. His Elo rating then was 2438.
In the 2016 42nd Chess Olympiad held at Baku, Azerbaijan, Torre played in his 23rd Olympiad, further extending his record, where he played on Board 3 for the Philippines. He played in all 11 games, the only Philippine player to do so, winning 9 games and drawing 2. He had a very high performance rating of 2836 and won the bronze medal for Board 3 just behind former teammate Wesley So of the United States and Zoltan Almasi of Hungary. He gained 46.9 Elo rating points increasing his Elo rating from 2447 to 2494. At the conclusion of the 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, Torre had already played 270 games with 103 wins, 124 draws and 43 losses for a grand total of 165 points (61.1% winning percentage).
Asian Team Chess Championship.
He also has taken part in six Asian Team Chess Championship (1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1993). Torre has an outstanding record at this tournament where he won the gold medal 4 times: for his score in the 1977 (Auckland, New Zealand), 1979 (Singapore), 1981 (Hangzhou, China) and 1983 (New Delhi, India) editions. He also won the bronze in the 1993 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) competition. In all six team championships, Torre manned the top board for Team Philippines. He has played 43 games scoring 35½ points built around 29 wins, 13 draws and a solitary loss for a winning percentage of 82.6%.
Asian Cities Chess Championships.
In 2002 and 2004, Torre also manned the top board for Team Philippines in the 13th (Aden 2002) and 14th (Manila 2004) editions of the Asian Cities Chess Championship.
He has scored 10½ points in 17 games on 7 wins, 7 draws and 3 losses for a winning percentage of 61.8% winning bronze and gold medals in the team category.
Asian Games.
In the 16th Asian Games, Torre helped the Philippines finished second behind China, beating the Indian team in the semifinals to secure the silver medal. He played 8 games as a reserve scoring 5½ points on the strength of 4 wins, 3 draws and a solitary loss for a winning percentage of 68.8% and a TPR of 2470.
World Student Chess Team Championships.
Torre also played Board 3 in the World Student Chess Team Championships in 1969 although he lost his one and only game in the said tournament against William Roland Hartston.
Later career.
In 2003, Torre won the 15th Leuven Open, Belgium held on November 7–11, 2003 that attracted 112 participants. He ended up with an unbeaten 8.0/9 record with an outstanding 2618 TPR as compared to his ELO then of 2508.
In 2006, Torre participated in the 2nd San Marino International Open where he tied for fourth through eleventh places with 6½ points in nine rounds where he eventually placed seventh after the tie-breaks becoming the highest-placed Filipino in the tournament. He had a performance rating of 2612 and won €1,000 for his seventh-place finish.
In 2010, Torre competed in the 3rd Calgary International Chess Classic held at Alberta, Canada where he flashed his vintage form by finishing in a tie for second through fourth places on the strength of four wins, four draws and a solitary loss against winner GM Victor Mikhalevski, the tournament top seed with Elo Rating of 2614. Torre had an Elo Rating of 2506 during the said tournament.
In 2011, Torre joined two prestigious international chess championships in the Philippines, the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships and the 2nd Chairman Prospero A. Pichay, Jr. Cup International Open Chess Championships. He finished in a tie for 15th–21st places in the Asian Zonals eventually placing 18th after tiebreaks (5 points out of nine games on four wins, three losses, and two draws). It was a poor finish for Torre as he had a four-game winning streak from rounds 2 to 5 after an opening round loss to FM Haridas Pascua to take the lead after five rounds but faltered in the last four rounds where he scored only 1 point (two draws and two losses). He had a low performance rating of 2344 in this tournament. In the 2nd Pichay Cup, he improved a little bit by scoring 6½ points in 10 games to finish in a tie for 11th–18th places eventually finishing in 14th place (four wins, five draws, and one loss). This is another heartbreaker as he was stalled by five draws despite losing only one game to Chinese Lu Shanglei. In this tournament he had a performance rating of 2496.
In June 2014, Torre won the prestigious National Chess Championships – Battle of GMs held at the function room of the Philippine Sports Commission in Vito Cruz, Manila. In so doing, Torre became the oldest Filipino chess player to win a national championships at the age of 62 by scoring 23 points under the Pichay–Torre system or 4½ points under the standard system. He won the title via tiebreak over fellow GM John Paul Gomez. The tournament also served as the qualifying tournament for the 2014 Olympiad to be held in Tromso, Norway in August. This is Torre's record 22nd appearance in the Olympiad.
In 2016, Torre was part of the 2nd batch of inductees of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame cited by the Philippine Sports Commission. In the 42nd Chess Olympiad held at Baku, Azerbaijan he scored an undefeated 10/11, with a performance rating of 2836, thanks to which he won the individual bronze medal on board three.
In 2017, Torre was invited to the prestigious Reykjavik Open by virtue of his strong performance in the 2016 Olympiad. He acquitted himself well in this tournament (won by Anish Giri), scoring 7 out of 10 (7 wins 3 losses) and tying for 11th to 29th places eventually settling for 13th after the tiebreaks. His strong performance in this tournament belied his starting rank of No. 36 with an ELO of 2455 as he recorded a TPR of 2464 and gained 3.2 rating points.
Seniors Chess Championship.
In October 2017, Torre won the 8th edition of the Asian Senior Chess Championship, held in Auckland, New Zealand, in the 65+ category, scoring 9/9 points, a clear 2.5 points from joint 2nd placers Kiwi FM Ewen Green and fellow Filipino Edmundo Legaspi.
By virtue of this victory, he represented the Philippines in the 27th World Senior Chess Championship 2017 Open 65+ where he tied for 2nd-10th places eventually placing 7th after applying the Buchholz tiebreaks scoring 8.0/11 (+7 =2 -1).
One year later in 2018, he retained his title by winning the 9th edition of the Asian Senior Chess Championship in the same category in Tagaytay, Philippines where fellow Filipino IM Chito Garma won the 50+ category.
Friendship with Bobby Fischer.
Torre was a friend of Bobby Fischer. He worked on Fischer's team in the 1992 rematch with Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia. Much later, Torre conducted interviews with Fischer on Filipino radio dzRH MBC Sports Center. Those interviews gained notoriety for Fischer and despair for his fans as he believed he would be killed in the United States after being deported from Japan. Torre was involved in 1996 when Fischer Random Chess was launched.
Notable games.
In a tournament in Manila in 1976, Torre beat then-reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a game that has become part of Filipino chess history:
References.
Bibliography


Michael Katz (journalist)

Michael Katz (born December 2, 1939) is an American sportswriter.
History.
Katz was born in the Bronx in New York in 1939. After leaving high school he was accepted into City College of New York and while there wrote for the college newspaper, "The Campus", becoming sports editor.
Katz later acted as a stringer for "The New York Times" covering City College sports. He became a copy boy for "The New York Times" and worked his way up to the sportsdesk. In 1966 he moved to Europe to work for "The New York Times" international edition and in 1968 he covered the Floyd Patterson vs Jimmy Ellis heavyweight title fight in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1970 he went freelance and wrote for several publications before returning to the United States in 1972 where he also re-joined "The New York Times". In 1979 Katz was covering boxing full-time for the "Times".
In 1985 he switched to the "New York Daily News". In 2012 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.


Dave McCann (Canadian football)

Dave McCann (Feb 5, 1889 – March 27, 1959) was a Canadian Football League player, official, coach, and executive who was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
Born in Ottawa, McCann quarterbacked the Ottawa Rough Riders football team from 1907 until the outbreak of World War I. Upon his return, he was an official and then coached the Ottawa team to their first Grey Cup championships in 1925 and 1926. McCann also played an important role in the development of Canadian Football as President of the Canadian Rugby Union and long-time Chairman of the Rules Committee. It was during McCann's tenure that the forward pass was introduced to Canadian Football and the 12th man added. McCann remained on the Rules Committee as late as 1958.
He was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1966.


Jeff Bagwell

Jeffrey Robert Bagwell (born May 27, 1968) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and coach who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career with the Houston Astros. Originally a Boston Red Sox fourth-round selection from the University of Hartford as a third baseman in the 1989 amateur draft, he was then traded to the Astros in 1990. The National League (NL) Rookie of the Year in 1991, Bagwell then won the NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 1994, was a four-time MLB All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner and a Gold Glove recipient. Forming a core part of Astros lineups with Craig Biggio given the epithet "Killer B's", Houston finished in first or second place in the NL Central division in 11 of 12 seasons from 1994 to 2005. They qualified for the playoffs six times, culminating in Bagwell's lone World Series appearance in 2005. He was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bagwell was part of the trade that sent relief pitcher Larry Andersen to the Red Sox, now regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in sports history. Andersen pitched just 22 innings for Boston while Bagwell hit 449 home runs for the Astros, the most in club history, among setting numerous other franchise career and single-season records. He excelled at every major aspect of the game, including hitting, on-base ability, running, defense, and throwing. One of the most consistent players of his generation, in each of his first 11 seasons, he produced no fewer than 4.7 wins above replacement (WAR) per Baseball-Reference.com. His 1994 season was perhaps his finest. As the fourth unanimous NL MVP in history, he set the record for fewest plate appearances to reach both 100 runs scored and 100 runs batted in (RBIs), produced a .750 slugging percentage − the highest in the NL since 1925 − while batting a career-high .368. In 1999, he finished second in the MVP voting, producing his second career 30–30 season.
The only player in MLB history to have six consecutive seasons (1996–2001) with 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks, Bagwell is just the fifth to achieve 300 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, and 1,000 runs scored in his first 10 seasons. He is one of 12 players in history to hit 400 home runs and record an on-base percentage (OBP) of .400, and the only first baseman with at least 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Overall, Bagwell batted over .300 six times, had a career OBP of .408 (39th all time) and a slugging percentage of .540 (32nd all time). He is the only first baseman to achieve the 30–30 club more than once. His 79.6 career WAR per Baseball-Reference.com ranks sixth all time among first basemen.
Early life.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, as the only son of Janice (née Hare) and Robert Bagwell, Jeff Bagwell and his family moved to Killingworth, Connecticut, when he was one year old. Much of Bagwell's family is from the Greater Boston area, including both his parents, and are avid fans of the Boston Red Sox. His favorite player, Carl Yastrzemski, was a longtime left fielder for the Red Sox. Robert, from Watertown, pitched college baseball at Northwestern University and as a semi-professional. Janice, a police officer, grew up in Newton and played softball in local Boston leagues until her 20s. Bagwell's parents divorced when he was 11. Precocious and demonstrating much athletic ability early in life, he played a wide variety of sports as a youth. Recalled Janice, Jeff "could throw a ball before he could walk. When he was six months old, we’d throw a ball to him and he would throw it back."
Bagwell graduated from Xavier High School, a private all-male Catholic school located in Middletown, Connecticut. A versatile athlete, he excelled at soccer, setting the school goal-scoring mark, played shortstop, and lettered in basketball. In early 1989, Bagwell was honored by Xavier for his character and generosity. He also excelled in American Legion Baseball under coach Fred Tremalgia for Post 75 in Middletown and went on to be named the 2003 American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year.
Bill Denehy head coach of the University of Hartford, offered Bagwell a scholarship in spite of baseball not being his primary sport. Bagwell's acceptance of Hartford's baseball scholarship was based at least in part on the lack of a professional soccer league in the United States at the time. At Hartford, Denehy switched Bagwell to third base. Over three seasons playing for Hartford, he batted .413 in 400 at bats, a school record, and, for a time, a New England collegiate record. He also was the school's career home run (31) and run batted in (126) leader when he was drafted, and a two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference player of the year.
In 1987 and 1988, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and in 1988 was named the starting third baseman for the East Division in the league's annual all-star game.
Playing career.
Boston Red Sox prospect.
The Red Sox selected Jeff Bagwell in the fourth round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft. Throughout his career, Barry Axelrod served as his agent. For his first professional assignment, the Red Sox appointed Bagwell to the Winter Haven Red Sox of the Florida State League in , where he batted .310 with two home runs. In , while playing for the AA New Britain Red Sox, Bagwell won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. In 136 games with New Britain, he batted .333 with 160 hits, four home runs (HR), 61 runs batted in (RBI), 34 doubles, seven triples, 73 bases on balls (BB or walks), 57 strikeouts (SO), .422 on-base percentage (OBP), .457 slugging percentage (SLG) and .880 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). He finished first in the league in hits and doubles, second in batting, OBP and OPS, fourth in walks, fifth in SLG, ninth in runs scored and tenth in RBI.
Late in the 1990 season, the Red Sox, who were in search of relief pitching to improve their chances of making the playoffs, contacted the Houston Astros about Larry Andersen. Stan Benjamin, who scouted the New England region for the Astros, recommended that they ask for Bagwell in return. The Astros initially hesitated owing to his sparse home run production, but Benjamin persuaded them, quipping that New Britain's Beehive Field was so large that "Babe Ruth couldn’t hit home runs in that ballpark." On August 30, 1990, the Red Sox took the Astros' offer. The trade is now considered one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history; in 2001, ESPN's readers named it the second-worst trade in sports history, behind only the Red Sox trading Ruth to the New York Yankees. Although Andersen pitched well down the stretch in 1990—he allowed three runs in 22 innings—to help the Red Sox secure the American League East division title on the final day of the season, the Oakland Athletics swept them out of the American League Championship Series (ALCS). They then lost Andersen after the season when he was declared a "new-look" free agent due to the third collusion settlement.
According to the Red Sox' then-general manager, Lou Gorman, the trade made sense at the time. Gorman spent the ensuing years defending the decision-making process that led up to the Bagwell trade. In his 2005 autobiography, "One Pitch from Glory", Gorman noted that Boston already had Wade Boggs at the major league level at third base, and had rated prospects Tim Naehring and Scott Cooper higher than Bagwell on the organization's depth chart. Bagwell had seen some time in the minors at first base, but he was blocked from that position by Mo Vaughn. Gordon pursued Andersen only after receiving assurances from MLB's player relations committee that Andersen would not be lost to the new-look free agency. Nevertheless, the trade is considered one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. Not only did the Red Sox lose Andersen to free agency after one month, but Naehring and Cooper were both out of baseball by 1997.
The disproportionate results of the trade notwithstanding, Bagwell eventually became acquainted with Andersen and they formed a friendship. “I knew LA and I love him,” Bagwell asserted. “He used to make fun of me when I was playing bad. He said, 'you’re making me look bad, you have to step it up.' Look up his numbers. He was pretty good at what he did.”
Houston Astros.
In spite of the unexpected detour early in Bagwell's professional baseball career, he blossomed in Houston, becoming one of the most accomplished players in Astros franchise history. He spent his entire major league career in a Houston uniform and, along with teammate Craig Biggio in their 15 seasons playing together, were a prodigious offensive and defensive unit known as the "Killer B's", synonymous with the Astros throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. During their 10 peak seasons from 1994 to 2003, they appeared in nine All-Star Games, won five Gold Gloves, ranked in the top five of the Most Valuable Player Award voting five times and averaged 226 runs scored. They totaled 689 home runs, 2,485 RBI and 3,083 runs scored while the Astros advanced to the postseason six times.
With an exaggerated and unusual batting style, Bagwell waited for each pitch in a low crouch, with legs wide open and knees bent nearly 90 degrees, appearing as if he was sitting on an invisible bench. He stepped "back" with his front foot as he began his swing. Next, he would rise from his stance and rotate his hands with the bat forward into his powerful, uppercut swing. "That wide stance keeps him from over striding", Joe Torre observed, "which can be your biggest problem when you’re trying to hit for power." The low crouch also shrunk his strike zone, allowing him to walk more often. Standing 6 feet tall () and weighing , he did not present the image of an imposing, home run-hitting giant that would cause pitchers to be very careful when he batted after he began his major league career.
Rookie of the Year Award and early career (1991–1993).
The Astros invited Bagwell to major league camp in spring training of 1991. Bagwell, expecting for the club to assign him to their AAA affiliate Tucson, enthused them with his play. Because they, too, already had an established major leaguer at third base in Ken Caminiti, they approached Bagwell about shifting to first base, which he accepted. Having not previously played the position as a regular, Bagwell received a crash course, playing minor league games in the morning and Astros games in the afternoon until Opening Day. Observed "The Sporting News": "Rookie Jeff Bagwell never played first base before this spring, but the position is his to lose. It's up to his bat." Thus, Bagwell made the major league club without an assignment to AAA, making the uncommon jump from AA to the major leagues, and made his major league debut on Opening Day. On May 6, he hit the ninth-ever upper-deck home run at Three Rivers Stadium off Bob Kipper in a seventh-inning pinch hit appearance, estimated at . Bagwell hit .350 in September. He finished the year hitting .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI while leading the Astros in several offensive categories. He was named the 1991 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, the first Astros player to win the award, "Baseball America"'s Rookie of the Year, "The Sporting News" Rookie of the Year and post-season All-Star and on the Topps' Rookie All-Star Team.
Bagwell's power hike piqued the curiosity of many baseball observers. In two minor league seasons from 1989 to 1990, he had managed six home runs in 932 at bats–a ratio of 155 at bats per home run (AB/HR). With 15 home runs in his first year in Houston, that average shrunk to 36.9. He also exhibited extraordinary plate discipline for a rookie: while ranking tenth in the league in walks with 75, his OBP placed fifth at .387. Of the power surge, commented Bagwell to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, "That's awesome", to which he reacted, "Awesome? We can get more out of you than that." By altering an approach to contact the pitch with topspin as he did when he arriving to Houston, Jaramillo taught Bagwell to hit with backspin, resulting in a soaring trajectory rather than nose diving. He also habituated Bagwell to manipulate the count, waiting for a pitch to drive instead of indiscriminately swinging at any pitch that appeared to be a strike. Accounted Bagwell of the newfound advantage, "I didn’t hit many home runs in the minor leagues, but when I hit one, when I got backspin on it, it went a long way."
Although firmly established as the Astros' first baseman from Opening Day in 1991, Bagwell remarked years later that transitioning from third base was not automatic. First basemen approach fielding plays from their right side, which is opposite to playing third base. He recounted one conversation that occurred during an Astros pitching change in a game against St. Louis. Shortstop Ozzie Smith was on first and asked Bagwell, "How's it going?" Bagwell responded, "I'm really struggling with my backhand." Smith replied, "Well, here's what you do. You can't field the ball deep. You have to get out in front of it." Remarked Bagwell, "I was basically being given a lesson from Ozzie Smith at first base during a pitching change. It's pretty cool."
The next year, Bagwell hit .273, driving in 96 runs with 18 home runs. In 1993, the Astros improved to a third-place finish in the National League West division, and in mid-September, Bagwell was batting .320 with 20 home runs and 88 RBI. However, a pitch from the Philadelphia Phillies' Ben Rivera broke the fourth metacarpal bone in Bagwell's left hand, ending his season prematurely. It was the first of three successive seasons that ended early or was interrupted due to an incoming pitch breaking the same bone in that hand. His tendency to dip just before starting to swing made his hand more vulnerable to being hit by inside pitches. His .320 average was sixth in the NL. In February 1994, Bagwell and the Astros agreed to a one-year contact with a $2.4 million base salary (USD, $ million today).
Unanimous selection for Most Valuable Player Award (1994).
The most productive season in Bagwell's professional career was the strike-shortened 1994 season which set several franchise records. On Opening Day, April 4, against the Montreal Expos, Bagwell hit the game-tying home run while going 3-for-6 as the Astros won in a 12-inning walk-off. For the month of April, he batted .360 with six home runs and added another six home runs in May. In June, he hit 13 home runs, establishing an Astros' franchise record for one month, while batting .394, 11 doubles, .455 OBP, .899 SLG, and 1.354 OPS. On June 24, he hit three home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome – two in the same inning – in a 16–4 rout, becoming the first Astro since Glenn Davis in 1990 to do so. He was the NL Player of the Week for consecutive weeks on June 19 and June 26 and the NL Player of the Month for June, his second career monthly award.
Selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve, Bagwell had tied Kirby Puckett for the major league RBI lead at 81 going into the All-Star break, and batted .348 with 27 home runs and 74 runs scored. In the All-Star Game, Bagwell entered as a pinch hitter for starting pitcher Greg Maddux, singling off David Cone, and wound up collecting two hits in four at bats. The first player in the majors to reach 100 RBI on July 27, Bagwell homered off José Rijo in a 6–5 win over Cincinnati to give him 101 RBI in his first 101 games. In July, he tied a club record for RBI in any month with 29, which José Cruz and Jimmy Wynn shared. and hit .409 with 11 home runs, 20 walks and 1.384 OPS and collected his second consecutive Player of the Month award. He would hit another three home runs with six walks in nine August games before a pitch from Andy Benes fractured his left hand on August 10 and ended his season in the same manner the season before. Entering that game, Bagwell carried an 18-game hitting streak. Two days later, the strike ended the season for all the major leagues. His production accelerated in 26 games after the All-Star break, batting .432, .530 OBP, .916 SLG, 1.446 OPS, 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 34 RBI and 30 runs scored. The Astros finished one-half game out of first place in the inaugural season of the National League Central division, a product of MLB's division realignment.
Bagwell played in 110 games in the 1994 season, batting .368 with a .750 SLG, 1.201 OPS, 39 home runs, 116 RBI, 104 runs scored, 300 total bases and 213 adjusted OPS (OPS+) in 400 at bats. He led the major leagues in SLG, OPS+, RBI, and total bases, and the NL in runs scored and OPS, but fell short of winning the batting Triple Crown, finishing second for the batting title to Tony Gwynn, who, after batting .394, had the highest average in the major leagues since Ted Williams in 1941. Bagwell finished second in home runs to Matt Williams, who hit 43.
Bagwell set the record for the fewest plate appearances in a season reaching 100 of both runs scored and runs driven in and became the first National Leaguer to finish first or second in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored since Willie Mays in . His .750 SLG at the time ranked as the seventh-best ever and was the highest by a National Leaguer since Rogers Hornsby in 1925 (.756). Further, at the time in National League history, the 213 OPS+ trailed only Hornsby's 1924 season (222 OPS+) for the second-highest ever. The 116 RBI in 110 games qualified for the 13th-highest ratio in history. He also hit 23 home runs in 56 games at the Astrodome, setting a record that stood for the stadium that was famed to be pitcher-friendly until the Astros moved out following the 1999 season. He set single-season club records for batting average, SLG, OPS, OPS+, AB/HR, and offensive win percentage (.858), and also for home runs, breaking Wynn's 27-year-old record, and RBI, breaking Bob Watson's record he had set 17 years earlier – later which he again both subsequently broke.
The unanimous winner of the NL Most Valuable Player Award, he became the fourth player in National League history to win by this distinction, and the first Astros player to win the award. Bagwell also won his first Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, and Player of the Year Awards from "The Sporting News", Associated Press, "Baseball Digest", and "USA Today" "Baseball Weekly." "Crazy stuff happened that year", Bagwell recalled of his 1994 season. "Every pitch that I was looking for, I got. And when I got it, I didn't miss it." The Astros and Bagwell agreed to a four-year contract on November 23, 1994, worth $27.5 million (USD, $ million today) with the three option years. The average annual value of $6.875 million ($ million today) made him the fifth-highest paid player in the majors.
Continued peak (1995–96).
The 1995 season was shortened by 18 games due to the players' strike that commenced the year before. Bagwell endured a slump through the month of May in which he batted .183. In June, his results started to improve as he batted .339 and followed up in July by driving in 31 runs. Both Bagwell and Derek Bell − included as a "Killer B" − registered 31 RBI that month, breaking the monthly club RBI record. Bagwell had tied the previous record one year earlier to the month. He hit his first two career home runs against Maddux of the Atlanta Braves within a week – on May 28 and June 3 – who ceded eight over the entire season. On July 28 against the Colorado Rockies, Bagwell's 10th-inning home run tied the score and two innings later he scored the winning run for a 5–4 final score.
For the third time in three seasons, an incoming pitch broke a bone in Bagwell's left hand: on this occasion, it was on July 30 from the Padres' Brian Williams. Rather than change his successful style, Bagwell resorted to wearing a heavily padded protective batting glove. He returned in September to bat .313 with five home runs and 21 RBI as Houston finished one game behind the Rockies for the NL wild card. Bagwell missed a total of 30 games, appearing in 114 and batted .290 with 21 home runs. He won the 1995 ESPY Awards for Best Breakthrough Athlete and Outstanding Baseball Performer (later renamed "Best Major League Baseball Player"). After the season, he commenced a rigorous training program that enabled him to gain 20 pounds and increased his endurance for the long season. Activities of focus included concentrated weight lifting, change of diet, and the use of creatine and androstenedione.
By the start of the 1996 season, Bagwell and Biggio had gained seniority – even if not necessarily by age – within the Astros clubhouse as well as status as superstars. According to journalist Dayn Perry, the earliest recorded reference to an Astros version of the nickname "Killer B's" encountered via a Google Search occurred that year. Bagwell enforced accountability and preparation which fostered camaraderie and incorporated all players as instrumental to the success of the team. Thus, the Astros raised their level of play, and a new string of playoff appearances followed. In time, all who entered the Astros gym were greeted with a banner that read: "Bagwell's Gym. Work Hard. Play Hard. Or Leave."
On May 7 against Philadelphia, Bagwell reached the 500th RBI of his career with two home runs and four RBI. By hitting his second upper-deck home run at Three Rivers Stadium on May 29 – it travelled – Bagwell joined longtime Pirate Willie Stargell as the only players to homer twice into the stadium's upper deck. For the month of May, he batted .360 with .740 SLG, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, 22 runs scored, and four stolen bases. He was named NL Player of the Month, his fourth career monthly award. On June 14, Bagwell tied a major league record with four doubles in one game against San Francisco. He played all 162 games that year, batting .315 with a 1.021 OPS, 31 home runs, 120 RBIs, 111 runs scored, and 135 walks. With 21 successful stolen bases in 28 attempts, it was his first season in the 20–20 club, that is, to steal 20 bases while hitting 20 home runs in the same season. Bagwell reached base 324 total times and in all but 11 games. He led the NL in doubles with 48 while earning his second All-Star selection and finishing ninth in the MVP voting.
Rumors had surfaced during the 1996 season that manager Terry Collins did not get along well with Bagwell and Biggio, largely contributing to his dismissal. The Astros hired team color commentator Larry Dierker after the season to replace him. According to his autobiography, "This Ain't Brain Surgery", Dierker was asked during the interview how he would handle the players. His response: "'Look, I'm tired of this Bagwell and Biggio s---,' I said. 'Bagwell and Biggio will not be a problem, believe me.' I now believe that this statement is the one that got me the job." The Astros won division titles in four of five seasons with Dierker as manager; however, in each instance, they did not advance past the first round of the playoffs, and 2001 was Dierker's last season as the club's manager.
First two playoff appearances (1997–98).
The 1,000th hit of Bagwell's career was a home run on May 20, 1997, off Calvin Maduro, one of his two that game, in a 9–5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He was selected to the play in the All-Star Game. Exhibiting above-average speed and baserunning skills for a first baseman, Bagwell became the first full-time first baseman to join the 30–30 club, capping the 1997 season with 31 steals in 41 attempts. The only other first baseman to accomplish the 30–30 club is Joe Carter. Bagwell batted .286 and scored 109 runs. He finished second in the league with both 43 home runs and 135 RBI − the RBI total was a career high − and was third in the MVP balloting. He made the playoffs for the first time in 1997 when the Astros won the National League Central division, the club's first appearance in 11 years. The Astros faced the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series (NLDS), who swept them in three games. Bagwell, Biggio and Bell combined for two hits in 37 at bats.
In 1998, Bagwell informed a "Houston Chronicle" reporter that he was using androstenedione (commonly referred to as "andro"), which at the time the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as a nutritional dietary supplement, finding it benign and authorized for non-medicinal purposes. It was considered a "weak" androgen steroid hormone and allegedly in widespread use around the sport at the time. Bagwell hit his first career grand slam while tying a career-high six RBI against Cincinnati on September 8 in a 13–7 victory. It was his 218th career home run, making his streak the then-longest among active players without a grand slam.
Bagwell finished the 1998 season batting .304 with 34 home runs, 111 RBI, 124 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 109 walks, .424 OBP, .557 SLG, .981 OPS. He ranked third in the league in runs scored and walks, fifth in OPS+, sixth in OBP, and eighth in OPS. The Astros won a franchise-best 102 games while winning the NL Central division title, leading the league in runs scored. Their season ended by defeat to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, including losing two starts against Kevin Brown – both by a 2–1 score. Bagwell, Bell, and Biggio combined for six hits in 51 at bats in this series.
MVP runner-up and second player with multiple 40–30 seasons (1999).
The high school which ruminated Bagwell, Xavier, officially retired his uniform number 9 in a commemoration on January 30, 1999. As the "Killer B's" brand gained increased national attention, journalist Dayn Perry jocosely noted that in 1999 the Astros, "in pursuit of arcane history, used eight players whose last names began with 'B'", including Bagwell, Paul Bako, Glen Barker, Bell, Sean Bergman, Lance Berkman, Biggio, and Tim Bogar. On April 21, Bagwell hit three home runs in a 10–3 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, his second career three-home run game. The second home run allowed him to overtake Wynn as the Astros' all-time home run leader at 224 and he tied a career-high with six RBI in one game. Bagwell produced another three-home run game on June 9 against the Chicago White Sox that was a grand slam short of the "home run cycle", accounted with a solo home run, a three-run home run, and a two-run home run, respectively. The two three-home run games made him the only player to accomplish this feat at two different stadiums in Chicago in the same season.
Nominated to his fourth career All-Star Game, Bagwell to that point in the season had scored or driven in 28.6% of the Astros' runs, the highest portion of a team's offense for which any one player in MLB accounted. He was stationed first in the NL in walks (83), runs scored (81) and OBP (.464), second in home runs (28), RBI (78) and SLG (.648) and stole 17 bases while Houston tenanted percentage points behind Cincinnati for first in the division. On August 20, 1999, he walked a major-league record six times in a 16-inning battle against the Florida Marlins.
Bagwell's aggregate output in 1999 included leading the major leagues in runs scored (143), bases on balls (149), and games played (162). He also batted .304, hit 42 home runs, 126 RBI, and .591 SLG and stole 30 bases, giving him his second 30–30 season. Further, he paired with Barry Bonds as the only major leaguers to obtain the 40–30 mark (40 home runs and 30 stolen bases) twice. The Astros engulfed the Reds to clinch the NL Central division title in 1999, their third consecutive. They faced Atlanta in an NLDS rematch of two years prior but were defeated in four games. The NL MVP balloting materialized with Bagwell scaled second to the Braves' Chipper Jones. Bagwell was honored with the third Silver Slugger Award of his career.
National League runs scored record (2000).
In a presentation of rankings of active major leaguers prior to the 2000 season, "Sports Illustrated" slotted Bagwell second among position players behind Ken Griffey Jr., and "The Sporting News" placed him sixth among all players, including pitchers. Bagwell christened the team's 2000 move to Enron Field (later renamed Minute Maid Park) with the stadium's first-ever hit and first two runs driven in, in a 6–5 exhibition victory over the New York Yankees on March 30. His two-run, ninth-inning home run against Trevor Hoffman in San Diego on June 10 won the contest for Houston, 7–6, and stopped a 10-game road losing streak. On August 14 in Philadelphia, he homered twice and tied a club record with seven RBI in a 14–7 win, shared by Rafael Ramírez and Pete Incaviglia. Five days later against Milwaukee, Bagwell again homered twice for the 299th and 300th of his career; the second home run broke an eighth-inning tie to give Houston a 10–8 win. He joined Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Robinson and Ted Williams as the fifth player in major league history to record 300 home runs, 1,000 RBI and 1,000 runs scored in his first ten seasons.
Bagwell finished the 2000 season with a career-high 47 home runs, .310 average, .424 OBP, .615 SLG – the second-best mark of his career – for a 152 OPS+. His 152 runs scored was the highest total in a season since Lou Gehrig in 1936, and his 295 runs scored from 1999 to 2000 set a National League two-season record. His pair of cleats from the 2000 season were turned in for display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The following December, Bagwell and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $85 million (USD, $ million today) contract extension. With an average annual value of $17 million, he became the third-highest paid player in the sport at the time. By 2005, he was the seventh-highest paid player in the sport, receiving $18 million in the fourth year of the deal.
Sixth consecutive season of 30 HR, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored and 100 BB (2001).
With a triple on May 7, 2001, against Chicago, Bagwell achieved the 700th extra base hit of his career. For the second time in his career, he reached seven RBI in a game – again tying a club record – at Kansas City on July 7. Over four successive games from July 8–13, Bagwell homered and totaled five home runs in that span. In a contest at Enron Field against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 18, he hit for the cycle. He went 4-for-5 with five RBI as the Astros won, 17–11. He was the NL Player of the Month that July after batting .333 with nine home runs, and breaking his own club record with 36 RBI in a month, exceeding the 34 RBI in the previous August.
While hitting his 32nd home run on August 19, 2001, against Pittsburgh, Bagwell collected his 100th RBI. It was the sixth consecutive season he reached at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI, making him the eighth player in MLB history to achieve such a streak, and the only Houston player to do so. Five days later, also against Pittsburgh, he scored his 100th run, joining Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history with six consecutive seasons of 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. On September 30 at Chicago, Bagwell walked for his 100th of the season, thus making him the only player in MLB history to register six consecutive seasons of at least 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks. The Astros won the NL Central division title and faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. In spite of Bagwell reaching base in eight of 12 plate appearances by single or by walk, he did not score any runs, and the Braves swept the Astros in three games.
Playing with sound health until 2001, an explosive pain started to progress in his left shoulder during the season. Bagwell underwent surgery to remove bone spurs and to reconstruct a partially torn labrum on October 26, 2001. He had also began to develop arthritis in his right shoulder, which gradually worsened and diminished his playing ability.
Other milestones (2002–03).
For the first three months of the 2002 season, Bagwell labored greatly with throwing; he still had not fully recovered from the shoulder surgery of the previous offseason. Even after it improved, it was noticeably less strong than two years prior. In July, he batted .349 with six home runs and 23 RBI. Before a game against the San Diego Padres on August 27, he met with an 11-year-old bone cancer patient named Stephen Rael who asked him to hit a home run for him. Bagwell replied, "I'm going to try, but I'm not Babe Ruth." In the fifth inning, he hit a pitch from Mike Bynum over the left field wall and pointed to the child in the stands as he rounded third base. He later said, "I hit the home run, and he felt it was for him. I'm glad for that. It made it special." From August 10–24, Bagwell produced a season-high 15-game hitting streak, marking the 12th consecutive season with at least one double-digit hit streak, a club record, and second to Roberto Alomar with 14 among all then-active players. In September, he batted .343 with 11 multiple-hit games.
During a 3–2 loss to the Montreal Expos on April 26, 2003, Bagwell's infield single gave him 2,000 hits for his career, joining Biggio as the only Astro to achieve this mark. Bagwell collected the assist for the final out of a combined no-hitter and 8–0 win over the Yankees on June 11. He scooped a ground ball batted from Hideki Matsui and relayed it to Billy Wagner covering first base, the final of a record six pitchers participating in the feat. Playing the Cincinnati Reds on July 20, 2003, Bagwell hit two home runs for the 400th of his career off Danny Graves, becoming the 35th player in MLB history to do so. ESPN's "The List" ranked Bagwell as the second-most underrated athlete of the top four North American professional sports leagues in August 2003, and Biggio third.
Milestones of 1,500 RBI, 1,500 runs scored and 200 stolen bases (2004).
When he hit his sixth career grand slam against Milwaukee on April 9, 2004, Bagwell tied a club record. He recorded his 200th career stolen base on August 30 against Cincinnati to become the tenth player in MLB history to reach that plateau while hitting 400 home runs. On September 18, 2004, Bagwell collected his 1,500th career RBI with a single in the third inning against the Brewers. Two innings later, he homered for his 1,500th run scored, becoming just the 29th player in MLB history and the first Astro to reach both milestones. Bagwell finished with 27 home runs, stopping a streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least 30, but extending a streak of 12 with at least 20.
The Astros faced the Braves in the playoffs for the fourth time in Bagwell's career in the 2004 NLDS. In Game 3, on October 7, he hit his first career postseason home run off Mike Hampton in the first inning in a 4–2 extra-inning loss. After three failed attempts to advance past the first round of the playoffs earlier in Bagwell's career – all to the Braves (1997, 1999, and 2001) – and seven overall in 43 years of franchise history, the Astros defeated the Braves for their first-ever playoff series win. The quartet dubbed the "Killer B's" – this time with the additions of Carlos Beltrán and Lance Berkman – ignited the Astros' offense, batting .395 (34-for-86) with eight home runs, 21 RBI and 24 runs scored. The Astros scored an NLDS-record 36 runs in all and Bagwell batted .318 with two home runs and five RBI. They advanced to Bagwell's first National League Championship Series (NLCS) to face the Cardinals. St. Louis defeated Houston in seven games to advance to the World Series.
Health issues and World Series drive (2005).
In February 2005, Bagwell and Biggio were jointly inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Shortly after the 2005 season began, the chronic arthritic condition in his shoulder that had begun in 2001 finally sidelined him, rendering him inactive for three-quarters of the season. The former Gold Glove winner was now subjugated into a defensive liability with severely restricted throwing ability, forcing him to "push" the ball instead of throwing it. Teams began taking advantage of his defensive increased weakness. Once possessing great ability to throw out the lead runner at third base ahead on bunt plays, Bagwell found it difficult to practice with the other infielders between innings.
Concurrently, Bagwell's offensive production suffered, and pressure mounted on Astros management to bench the perennial All-Star; the club had started the season with a 15–30 won–loss record. He hit his last major league home run against Maddux on April 29, tying him for the most against any pitcher with seven. Bagwell continued to play through the pain until, after going 0-for-5 in a loss to the Pirates on May 4, it became so unbearable that he asked manager Phil Garner to remove him from the lineup the following day. He had hit just .250 with three home runs in 88 at bats. The Astros placed him on the disabled list a few days later and shoulder surgery followed.
The Astros dramatically improved after the poor start to finish 74–43 over their final 117 games and capture the NL wild card. Rendered unable to throw from the surgery, the club activated Bagwell in September as a pinch hitter, and he played a symbolic role in the successful drive to capture their first-ever National League pennant and World Series appearance. Moreover, the Astros secured the pennant against their division rival St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, reversing the outcome from the year prior against the same club.
After having played 4,714 games and their entire major league careers together in Houston, Bagwell and Biggio appeared in their first World Series in 2005. Bagwell was the Astros' designated hitter in the first two games against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, and a pinch hitter in the two games played in Houston at Minute Maid Park. His last official major league plate appearance was in the seventh inning of Game 4, when he pinch hit for pitcher Brandon Backe and grounded out. The White Sox won this contest to sweep the Astros and secure the championship. With contributions of only a partially healthy Bagwell, the White Sox outscored the Astros by a combined six runs, the lowest scoring differential in World Series history. Together with Biggio, Bagwell received "Baseball America"'s Lifetime Achievement Award after the 2005 season.
Comeback attempt and retirement (2006).
On January 23, 2006, the Astros indicated that they would file a claim on an insurance policy on Bagwell's health to collect approximately $15.6 million of the $17 million in salary owed to him for the 2006 season. Days earlier, orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews had performed a physical examination on Bagwell and determined that he had become "completely disabled" in terms of ability to play baseball again, including a maximum ability to throw a baseball for short distances. Because of the language of the policy, the Astros could not release him without losing their settlement, nor could he take the field. The decision effectively eliminated his chances of playing again in the Major Leagues. On March 28, Cigna rejected the claim, contending that because Bagwell had played during 2005 World Series he could not have become more disabled during the period of baseball inactivity characteristic of the offseason.
Nonetheless, Bagwell still reported to spring training hoping he could contribute in some way during the upcoming 2006 campaign, and to test the injured shoulder. His mere presence in camp put the Astros' insurance claim into further question, creating an awkward situation between the player and the team. He appeared in several games, batting .219 with two RBI. He never had to make any difficult throws that would place notable stress on his shoulder as the other infielders shifted toward him. As expected, the Astros put him on the 15-day disabled list in late March with bone spurs in the shoulder. Bagwell disclosed that he was only in good enough condition to play every several days, rather than every day. He was eventually paid the full amount of his contract. The Astros and the insurance company settled the claim in a confidential arrangement the same day he announced his retirement.
The Astros declined to pick up Bagwell's $18 million club option for 2007, instead buying it out for $7 million. He filed for free agency in November 2006 but announced his retirement one month later. Owner Drayton McLane and general manager Tim Purpura stated that he would remain in player development department of the Astros organization, as one of the assistants to the general manager.
After retirement.
Bagwell made his first public appearance at Minute Maid Park since the end of his career on June 28, 2007. Former teammate and long-time friend Biggio had just logged his 3,000th career hit in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies. Bagwell, who was in the dugout, emerged to congratulate him. The Astros fans, who had momentarily quieted after cheering Biggio for his achievement, erupted into cheers again the moment Biggio dragged Bagwell onto the playing field and to the first-base line. "The thing with Baggy is that he and I worked so hard here for this city and for this organization," Biggio remarked. "We made so many sacrifices as far as playing the game and giving your body to a city, a team." Together, they bowed to the crowd as Bagwell raised Biggio's arm, and returned to the dugout. Biggio was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Houston Astros officially retired Bagwell's jersey number 5 on August 26, 2007, prior to the start of a game versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the eighth player in Astros history to have his number retired. Two of Bagwell's closest friends and former teammates, Biggio and Brad Ausmus, spoke on his behalf. Said Ausmus, "He was the quintessential teammate. He was a superstar who always put the team before himself. And between he and Bidge (Biggio), they always shouldered the blame we struggled and tried to deflect the credit when we won." Yastrzemski, Bagwell's childhood hero, delivered a special message: "Congratulations, Jeff, on your number being retired. I begged the Red Sox not to trade you when you were in the minors with us. Boston's loss was Houston's gain. See you in Cooperstown." Three first bases were used in the game, each embossed with a commemorative insignia and inscription, "No. 5, Jeff Bagwell jersey retirement, Aug. 26, 2007." One was given to Bagwell and the other two were auctioned to raise funds on behalf of the Astros in Action Foundation.
In 2009, Bagwell received the Bill Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award.
Bagwell, along with Craig Biggio were on hand to witness the Astros win their first-ever World Series championship at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2017. Both were elated at their franchise's first championship with Bagwell saying, "I'm ecstatic. They're great kids, they play hard, they never gave up. To see them win, the celebration, excitement, relief...the city of Houston, I'm sure, is going crazy right now. I couldn't be more proud of the guys that represent the Houston Astros right now." Both Bagwell and Biggio received World Series rings from the Astros during the World Series ring ceremony before an April 3, 2018 game against the Baltimore Orioles.
As hitting coach and instructor.
As part of a personal services contract Bagwell signed with the Astros, he served as a coach in spring training of 2007.
On July 11, 2010, the Astros hired Bagwell to be their , replacing Sean Berry. At the time of the switch, the Astros had the second-worst average (.237) in the majors and the worst OBP (.295). At the end of the season, the team marginally improved, but was still last in the league in OBP (.303) and SLG (.362) and Bagwell announced he would not return as hitting coach.
After a five-year gap in contact with the Astros organization, Bagwell accepted a formal invitation from manager A. J. Hinch to be a guest instructor in spring training of 2015.
Allegations of Steroid Use and Hall of Fame consideration.
Eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time in 2011, speculation abounded that some baseball writers initially refrained from voting for Bagwell on the premise that he used performance-enhancing drugs, since most of his playing career took place during what is commonly referred to as "the steroid era." In spite of the speculation, no concrete evidence has surfaced linking him to the use of performance-enhancing drugs; the closest to evidence that exists is a report that surfaced that he disclosed use of androstenedione to a "Houston Chronicle" reporter in 1998. At that time, neither the FDA nor MLB had banned its use, which apparently had already become widespread around the game. Bagwell has not been connected with any of the 104 positive samples in the 2003 survey tests that were leaked. Neither was he summoned for interview nor among the 89 players named in the "Mitchell Report" released in 2007.
Commented longtime Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox on Bagwell – who opposed him from the dugout for the entirety of his career, including numerous times in the playoffs: "Jeff Bagwell was [in Houston] for so long and starred every year. For me a guy that dominated like that for one team, even in the league stats through the years. His are up there with anybody's. I would put him in right away. So he would get my vote on the first ballot." Still, in spite of the speculation that Bagwell used performance-enhancing drugs, "San Francisco Chronicle" sportswriter Bruce Jenkins opined that Bagwell did not have the credentials to be in the Hall of Fame. In July 2015, he acknowledged "that many are suspicious of Bagwell—without proof, as you say. I've always voted for the best players—Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, etc.—so that's not a factor for me. I always found Bagwell just a bit short of Hall of Fame material."
In 2011, Bagwell received 242 votes, or 41.7% of total ballots cast; the threshold for entry is 75%. In his second year on the ballot, he received 321 votes, or 56.0% of the ballots cast. In 2016, he received his highest percentage of the vote to that time, 71.6%. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2017, his seventh year of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot, with 86.2% of the vote and was inducted on July 30, 2017.
Highlights.
Per Baseball-Reference.com, Bagwell's 79.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rank sixth-most all-time among first basemen, trailing only Lou Gehrig, Albert Pujols, Jimmie Foxx, Cap Anson, and Roger Connor. Bagwell is fourth among those who have played since 1900, and the only first baseman with a higher WAR since World War II is Pujols. In the final 12 seasons of Bagwell's career, Houston finished in first or second place in the National League Central division 11 times, winning four division titles and qualifying for the playoffs six times, culminating in his lone World Series appearance in 2005. One of the most consistent players in history, he produced at least 4.7 WAR per season in each of his first 11 seasons, and no fewer than 3.7 in all except his final and 15th, which was abruptly cut short by shoulder injury. He spent the first nine of seasons of his career (1991–99) playing home games at the Astrodome, notorious for its reputation as the toughest park in which to hit when baseball was still played there. However, during those nine years, his production was nearly identical at home (.303 average/.421 OBP/.546 SLG) as it was on the road (.305 average/.412 OBP/.544 SLG). In that same period of time, his 160 OPS+ was fourth behind Bonds, McGwire, and Frank Thomas; his 56.7 WAR third to Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. From 1994 to 2000, a span including his age-26 through age-32 seasons, he averaged 41 home runs and 41 doubles per 162 games while batting .309, .433 OBP, and .593 SLG for a 167 OPS+.
Over his career, Bagwell batted at least .300 six times, amassed a 1.000 OPS five times, collected at least 30 home runs eight times, 100 RBI eight times, 100 runs scored nine times, and 100 walks seven times. He is the only player in history to achieve six consecutive seasons (1996–2001) with each of 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks. Except for the 100 walks, only five other players in history have achieved the other three benchmarks in six consecutive seasons: Foxx, Gehrig, Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Pujols. Bagwell had seven seasons with 30 home runs and 100 walks; the only players with more are Gehrig, Ruth, Williams, Jim Thome, and Thomas.
As of 2016, Bagwell's .948 OPS ranked 21st all-time and 10th among right-handed hitters. His .408 career OBP was ranked 39th all-time, tied for 11th among right-handed hitters, 10th among first basemen, and fourth among right-handed first basemen. He is one of 12 players in MLB history to hit at 400 home runs and attain an OBP of at least .400. The only National League first baseman to reach the 30–30 club, he is the only first baseman in history to do it twice, and is the only first baseman to reach both 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. He is just one of 21 players in history to win both a Rookie of the Year Award and an MVP. His 1,529 RBI during the span of his playing career ranked second in the Majors and first among right-handed hitters, 1,517 runs scored ranked second, 449 home runs and 2,150 games played ranked fifth. He was in the top 10 in the MVP voting five times. From 1994 to 2003, he led his position in stolen bases, doubles, hits, runs, walks, and extra-base hits, was second in games and RBI, and third in home runs. He is the Astros' all-time leader in home runs and RBI and the first Astro to win an MVP.
In addition to stealing over 200 bases in his career, Bagwell contributed significantly around the field as a whole. During one series against Pittsburgh in 1994, the Pirates shifted while he batted, and Bagwell responded with seven opposite-field hits. A standout defender at first base, he won the 1994 Gold Glove award and developed a reputation as such with through the eye-test and advanced metrics. Remarked "The Sporting News", "he's an extraordinary fielder who excels at charging bunts and throwing runners out at second and third. Although he has average speed, he's one of the game's smartest baserunners. ..." According to Baseball-Reference, he contributed 54 runs higher than the average first baseman over the course of his career. On the basepaths, he was a plus base-runner, with 31 runs above average per Baseball-Reference, a 72.1% stolen-base success rate, and he took the extra base almost half the time. From 1999 to 2000, his 295 runs scored led the major leagues and set a National League two-season record.
Personal life.
After his playing career, Jeff Bagwell has spent much of his time with his family while sporadically taking coaching and special assignment positions for the Astros. He is married to Rachel Bagwell, his third wife, with whom he has five children in a blended family. Rachel had three children prior to meeting Jeff. Before his marriage to Rachel, Jeff had two daughters, Blake and Bryce. Jeff was formerly married first to model Shaune Bagwell (née Stauffer) in 1992, and then to Ericka Bagwell, with whom he had his two daughters. Rachel is the widow of Greater Houston-area hand surgeon Dr. Michael Brown, the owner and founder of Brown Hand Center. The Browns had two children from their marriage. Legal issues plagued Dr. Brown, including his being acquitted of felony assault in 2011 in connection with a 2010 domestic quarrel at their home.
In spite of his professional success, Bagwell has stated that he "doesn't enjoy too much of the spotlight" that follows. While giving a tribute to him during the retirement ceremony of his uniform number, longtime friend and former teammate Brad Ausmus noted several little-known facts. "He liked soccer as much as ... baseball" while growing up in Connecticut. He hit three fewer home runs than his boyhood idol, Carl Yastrzemski − 452 to 449. "His baseball card says he's six feet tall. He's closer to 5-10." Both Bagwell and Ausmus hit 32 triples in their careers. After his playing career, Bagwell was seen with significantly longer hair. Remarked Ausmus, "I want to confirm he does not have hair extensions."
In January 2015, Bagwell reportedly sold his home in the Memorial neighborhood of Houston.
Darryl Kile, a former teammate with the Astros, died of a heart attack on June 22, 2002, while an active player for the Cardinals, before a game against the Cubs. The Darryl Kile Good Guy Award was established in his honor, annually for one player on both the Cardinals and the Astros. Bagwell was the first recipient for the Astros in 2003. Ken Caminiti, another former teammate of Bagwell's, died on October 10, 2004. Bagwell delivered a eulogy at his funeral.


Jack Kyle

John Wilson Kyle, (10 February 1926 – 27 November 2014), commonly referred to as Jack Kyle or Jackie Kyle, was a rugby union player who played for Ireland, the British Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s. Kyle is best known for leading Ireland to a grand slam in the 1948 Five Nations Championship. In 1950, Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the "New Zealand Rugby Almanac". Kyle is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame before the two halls merged to form the current World Rugby Hall of Fame. He was named the "Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player" by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002.
Kyle was educated at Belfast Royal Academy and studied medicine at Queen's University, Belfast. He graduated in 1951 and in 1991, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University. In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the "Irish Journal of Medical Science" and the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. He was awarded an OBE in 1959.
Rugby international.
Ireland.
Kyle first played for Ireland during the Second World War in a friendly against a British Army XV. However, no caps were awarded.
He made his official debut for Ireland on 25 January 1947 against France in the 1947 Five Nations Championship in an 8–12 defeat Lansdowne Road.
Between 1947 and 1958, while playing for Ireland, he went on to make 46 full appearances and score 24 points, including 7 tries.
The highlight of his Ireland career came during the 1948 Five Nations Championship when, together with Karl Mullen and Mick O'Flanagan, he helped Ireland win a grand slam. Kyle played in all four games and he is often credited with masterminding Ireland's success. In 1949, he also helped Ireland win the Triple Crown and in 1951, they won the title again. Kyle made his last appearance for Ireland against Scotland on 1 March 1958. Following a solo try against France at Ravenhill in 1953, an impressed newspaper journalist parodied "The Scarlet Pimpernel" with the lines:
"They seek him here, they seek him there"
"Those Frenchies seek him everywhere".
"That paragon of pace and guile",
"That damned elusive Jackie Kyle".
British and Irish Lions.
In 1950, Kyle also played for the British Lions on their tour to New Zealand and Australia. He played in 20 of the 29 games, including all six Tests. Among his tour highlights was a display that came in the first Test, a 9–9 draw with New Zealand. Of the Lions' nine points, Kyle scored a try, created another for Ken Jones and won a penalty that was converted by John Robins. During the tour, he also scored a try in the 24–3 defeat of Australia.
Barbarians.
Kyle made eight appearances for the Barbarian F.C.'s between 1948 and 1954, scoring three points in total.
Later years.
After retiring from club rugby in 1963, Kyle embarked on humanitarian work in Sumatra and Indonesia. Between 1966 and 2000, he worked as a consultant surgeon in Chingola, Zambia. He then returned to Northern Ireland and settled in County Down. He remained involved in rugby and in 2001, established the Jack Kyle Bursary Fund in support of the Queen's University RFC Rugby Academy.
Kyle died on 28 November 2014 after a prolonged illness and is survived by his son Caleb and daughter Justine.
Honours.
Ireland


Colin Jillings

Colin Jillings (born 11 March 1931, in Auckland) was a leading trainer in thoroughbred horse racing in New Zealand from the early 1950s through until his retirement in September 2005.
Jillings was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2008.
Early career.
An "Ellerslie boy", Colin Jillings became an apprentice jockey at the age of 12 (1943). He would catch the train to school St Peter's College, Auckland each day after earlier riding trackwork at the Ellerslie Racecourse.
He was a successful apprentice jockey before increasing weight brought a premature end to a promising career. His biggest success as an apprentice was the 1946 Railway Stakes aboard Royal Scot, (a race he would later win 3 times as a trainer).
Career Highlights.
When he retired he had amassed a total of 1327 NZ winners, 703 of those with long time training partner Richard Yuill.
When asked to name the best horse he ever trained Jillings had no hesitation in labelling Stipulate, the champion stayer of his era in the early 1960s. The fact that he had no hesitation in labelling Stipulate speaks volumes for the regard Jillings had for the horse given that he also trained the super little horse of the early 1980's - McGinty.
Jillings biggest success came when he trained The Phantom Chance to win the 1993 W.S. Cox Plate. Although operating with a smaller team, than most other trainers, Jillings managed to keep producing top horses year after year.
He trained the first of 4 Auckland Cup winners in 1956 Yemen, followed by Stipulate (1963), Perhaps (1976) and Irish Chance (in partnership with Richard Yuill) in 1999. He also achieved the unique record of training a Derby winner in each of the last 5 decades of the 20th Century: his first Derby winner being Lawful (1958) followed by Stipulate (1960), Uncle Remus (1977), I'm Henry (1983) and The Phantom Chance (1992).
Notable horses.
Notable horses he trained included:
McGinty.
The son of One Pound Sterling was the winner of six Group One races and a total of 14 races, McGinty was trained by Colin Jillings for race commentator Keith Haub and co-owner Barney McCahill.
He was the top-weighted horse on the NZ 1981-82 Two-Year-Old Free Handicap and was top colt on the 1982-83 NZ Three Year Old Free Handicap. His Group One wins came in the Air New Zealand Stakes (twice), Rawson Stakes, Canterbury Guineas, Caulfield Stakes and George Adams Handicap.
He began stud duties in 1984 and his leading progeny included Auckland Cup/BMW Stakes winner Miltak, New Zealand Derby/Air New Zealand Stakes winner The Gentry, Adelaide Cup winner The Hind and Australian Guineas winner Jolly Old Mac. For all of his Group One success as a racehorse, and then as a stallion, his standout moment was when he beat the champion Australian 2YO Marscay in the Todman Slipper Trial. Not only did he beat Marscay, who went on to win the Golden Slipper and was subsequently crowned Australia's Champion 2YO, he beat him on 3 legs, having cracked his cannon bone at the top of the straight.
Jumping.
In his earlier years from limited runners, he was also a noted trainer of jumpers, winning 1959 Grand National Hurdles with Armed (owned by himself); the 1971 Great Northern Hurdles/Steeples double, and 1972 Great Northern Steeplechase, with Brockton (for great friend, Wellington businessman, Doug Tse) and the 1987 Great Northern Steeples with DeductAble, in partnership with Richard Yuill (with both sharing the ownership).
Apprentices.
Jillings was also a noted mentor of apprentices the best being his long time stable jockey Bob Vance who was the rider of:
In addition to his 3 Derby winners for Jillings, Vance also won the race on Isle of Man. Vance won the NZ Jockeys Premiership, as an apprentice (1977/78) and had a successful career riding internationally in Hong Kong and Macau.
One of NZ's most successful female riders of the 2000s, Samantha Spratt, was also a graduate of the Jillings academy as were Mark Sweeney (2 Auckland Cup wins) and Daniel Southworth (New Zealand 1000 Guineas, Railway Stakes).


Jimmy Cannon

Jimmy Cannon (April 10, 1909 – December 5, 1973) was a sports journalist inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his coverage of the sport.
Early career.
Born in New York City, Cannon started at the New York Daily News when he was 17. He later wrote for the New York Post, New York Journal-American and King Features Syndicate. He was a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes during World War II. He also wrote a column for Newsday during the 1950s.
Boxing.
A long-time boxing writer, Cannon once wrote that "boxing is the red light district of sports".
When Sugar Ray Robinson was making his famous comeback, Cannon told him not to return to the ring. He wrote about this several times in his column.
He famously said of Joe Louis that "he is a credit to his race, the human race" and was one of the first sportswriters to see the importance of the black athlete. A contemporary of Ernest Hemingway, he much admired Hemingway's writing, and the admiration was mutual.
Writing style.
On frequent occasions, when Cannon had no particular sports news to report, he would still manage to fill his daily column space by starting off with the phrase "Nobody asked me, but..." and then filling the rest of the column with his random opinions on any and every subject outside of the sports world. This gambit has been eagerly seized upon by newspaper columnists ever since, not only on the sports page but in every other section. Columnists who "borrow" this device will typically lead off with some lip-service tribute to its originator, such as "In the words of the immortal Jimmy Cannon: Nobody asked me, but..." and then they're off.
In popular culture.
Cannon is mentioned in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, "Diamonds Are Forever", in which Fleming describes Cannon's prose as "muscular" and "craftsmanlike". Felix Leiter hands Bond a cutting on the horse-racing in Saratoga Springs from the New York Post, telling him, "This Jimmy Cannon is their sports columnist. Good writer. Knows what he's talking about."
Cannon is described as "an attractive young man with wide, straight eyes and a rather thin-lipped smile."


Hugh Gall

Hugh Gall (c. 1888 – May 19, 1938) was a Canadian football player considered to be one of the best runners and punters of his era.
After playing half-back in Toronto for Parkdale Collegiate, Gall joined the University of Toronto varsity team in 1907 and played there for four seasons. He led the team to Grey Cup victories in 1909 and 1910, becoming the first team to win the new trophy presented to the Canadian Rugby Union champions. Gall set a record for most singles (single point kicks, also known as "rouges") in a Grey Cup game with eight in 1909, a record that still stands (though somewhat asterisked, because he accomplished the feat before end zones were invented and as such as soon as the ball crossed the goal line it was dead and could not be returned). He was team captain for the 1910 season.
Gall also played in the Ontario Hockey Association for the Parkdale Canoe Club hockey team. In addition, he competed in several track meets in the Toronto area.
Gall was elected vice-commodore of the Parkdale Canoe Club in 1911 and then became a football referee. He returned to action in 1913, playing for the Parkdale team that lost in the Grey Cup final. Gall coached U of T to the intercollegiate championship in 1914 and graduated in 1915 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
He became secretary of the Canadian Rugby Union (now Football Canada) in 1914, and served a one-year term as president of the organization in 1920-1921. He died in Toronto at age 49 from pneumonia.
Gall was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, and the U of T Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.