• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Thanks for the memories

    Jeff Bagwell finally gets his Hollywood ending: Astros star joins Craig Biggio in Baseball Hall of Fame

    Craig Larson Jr.
    Jan 18, 2017 | 5:02 pm

    The call of a lifetime has come: Jeffrey Robert Bagwell you've finally reached baseball immortality! On a day when you finally "got the call" we're left to ponder "why" did it take so long to come?

     

    If Hollywood had its hands on the perfect script, Jeff Bagwell would've joined Craig Biggio two years ago for joint enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame. You see, Biggio & Bagwell are as joined at the hip as Hall & Oates, or as Chicken & Waffles.....they're that good!

     

    Now, it's only fitting (even with a short delay) that "Bags" takes his final place where he belongs. Fifteen years, 449 HR's, 488 doubles, 2,314 hits, 1,529 RBI's, 1,517 runs, 1401 walks, and 202 stolen bases. And now Bagwell & Biggio are reunited.

     

    You cannot separate the two. A pair of dynamic stars who complemented each other so well. Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax only overlapped one season of a extended 20-year stretch with the Dodgers. Biggio & Bagwell landed on a lineup card in 1991 at the Houston Astrodome and continued through the 2005 season together. They played for a carousel of managers — Art Howe, Terry Collins, Larry Dierker, Matt Galante, Jimy Williams, and Phil Garner. They witnessed the closing of the Dome, and the ushering in of a new ballpark downtown. More than anything else, they became fixtures of the community.

     

     First meeting

     

    I first met Bagwell at the 1996 All-Star Game at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia. It was the 67th annual Mid-Summer Classic. He was entering the prime of his career at the ripe age of 28, and the display of power at the batting cage was something to behold. Later that day in a home run derby, he launched a 460-foot towering blast which would validate "the power aspect" of what he brought to home plate every at bat.

     

    That particular All-Star setting was centered mostly around Ozzie Smith's last hurrah. The grand wizard was making his 15th and final All-Star appearance that week, and much of the celebration was focused on him. However, in midst of Ozzie Mania, and dozens of other All-Stars over those two days, I was drawn to Bagwell above everyone else. Some All-Stars are simply not approachable, but Jeff was.

     

    We struck up a conversation in the club house, and 20 minutes later he was dialing into our studio hotline to conduct a national radio interview. Several hours later, we crossed paths and he politely inquired, "Hey was that okay earlier today? Did you get what you needed?"

     

    The following day Emmitt Smith and Cal Ripken Jr were shooting a Starter Jacket commercial on the field and, again, Bagwell was hanging around wondering why, being originally from Chicago, was I a Cowboys fan and following Emmitt's every move. That was the beauty of Bagwell; he took time to get to know you. Back then the era was filled with guys like Barry Bonds, Albert Belle, and Kevin Brown. Guys who made everything a challenge and combative. Bagwell was first class, and we'd meet up again in post season runs and two other All-Star games in the '90s.

     

    The era of the '90s might begin to answer "why" we've had to wait. Although Bagwell was never named in the Mitchell Report, he's attached to that PED era and a tainted collection of players who cut corners to get ahead. Bagwell did it with sheer determination and hard work and had every justification to be a first-ballot entry. Even though the 3,000 hit club or 500 home run feats were not accomplished, the longevity of a 15-year career and the consistency throughout defines his legacy.

     

     Worst trade in history

     

    Roughly a decade later, I covered Bagwell during the 2005 World Series. Fox broadcaster Steve "Psycho" Lyons was part of the broadcast team and a former colleague of mine. He and Bags grew up together in the Pawtucket farm system with the Red Sox. I'm sure it's fair to say that Red Sox Nation is feeling a little blue today, wondering what if? Outside of Babe Ruth, the worst trade in the history of their organization was dealing Bagwell to the Astros in 1991 for a 37-year-old reliever named Larry Andersen, which resulted in one of the most lopsided deals in the history of the game.

     

    Fast forward to Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, and there's Bagwell once again as gracious as ever as Lyons and I approach him a mere four hours prior to first pitch in the clubhouse. Lyons is laughing and reminiscing "how" he was ever considered good enough to be traded for Tom Seaver, and there's Jeff in his stall grinning ear to ear, even though he's trailing 0-2 in the series to the Chicago White Sox. Bags then immediately looks over to me and says, "You're only here because of the White Sox, and we're going to be sending this thing back to Chicago in a few nights."

     

    Of course that didn't happen, and yes, as a kid from the South Side of Chicago, I had my allegiances. But in my heart, I was pulling for Bagwell. From All-Star Games, to trips to Wrigley, to the '05 Series, I've been honored to follow his career. This July, I'll be spending my summer vacation at the National Baseball Hall of Fame with my wife and kids telling them what an honor it was to cover him through adversity and triumph.

     

    Cooperstown awaits. Finally!

     

     Craig Larson Jr. is chief operating officer and program director of SB Nation Radio Network.

    Jeff Bagwell in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in 2003.

    JUNE 12- Baseball- Closeup of Houston Astros Jeff Bagwell in action vs New York Yankees, Bronx, NY 6-12-2003
      
    Photo by © Chuck Solomon/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
    Jeff Bagwell in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in 2003.
    sports
    news/sports

    most read posts

    Netflix chef's modern Mexican restaurant opens in Houston this month

    More rain brings further flood risk as Texas death toll tops 100

    Pioneering East End development brings cohousing to Houston

    in this corner

    Premier Japanese women's wrestling league performs in Houston this weekend

    Jef Rouner
    Jul 9, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Two Japanese women wrestlers compete in a ring. One is stomping in the other with both feet.
    Photo courtesy of Tokyo Joshi
    Hard-hitting women's wrestling for two nights in Houston

    For the first time ever, one of Japan's premier women's wrestling promotions, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, will be touring Texas, with a two-night stay in Houston this week.

    "Bringing TJPW to Texas reflects Tokyo Story’s broader strategy," a Tokyo Story representative writes in an email. "As a Japan-inspired toy and event company, we see major Southwest cities — especially in Texas — as prime for the growth of Asian pop culture. Houston, Dallas, and others are becoming more diverse, culturally curious, and open to new entertainment formats. This isn’t a one-off stop — it’s part of a long-term push to bring Japan’s creativity to cities with eager audiences. And we are making TJPW Live an annual event!"

    The events happen on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at POST Houston (401 Franklin). Tickets are available at TokyoStoryUSA.com.

    TJPW split off from DDT Wrestling in 2012 as a sister promotion (or "league") that ran alongside its male counterpart before becoming its own entity in 2015. In that time, they've launched the career of international superstars like Yuka Sakazaki and Mina Shirakawa (both currently signed to All Elite Wrestling in America), as well as hosting non-Japanese guest grapplers like Thunder Rosa.

    The fighting is excellent and often brutal, but TJPW is also known for its playfulness. Matches embrace anime-like absurdity, such as having a wrestler work in a giant panda mascot costume. The promoters are hoping to one day partner with Texas truck stop icon Buc-ee's for a more mascot shenanigans. Many of the women also perform in J-pop girl groups on of their wrestling duties.

    On Night 1, strike specialist Miyu Yamashita will take on Maki Itoh, known for her flamboyant style and high risk maneuvers. Night 2 will feature much of the local guest talent, such as Houston's own Kaylia Capri (Reality of Wrestling) vs Yuki Arai in a singles bout, and Austin's Vert Vixen teaming with reigning TJPW tag champ Hyper Misao. Other Texans slated to appear ar Maya World, Alejandra Quintanilla, and Billie Starkz.

    The last decade has seen a marked rise in the quality and prestige of women's wrestling in America, with WWE hosting all-women Royal Rumbles and stars like Rhea Ripley and "Timeless" Toni Storm becoming household names. Most major promotions now feature robust line-ups of Japanese women wrestlers, with some like Asuka and Iyo Sky becoming world champions.

    For Japan, women's wrestling has a more consistent history of legitimacy going back decades, and the talent pool there is vast. TJPW branching out into Texas tours gives them a chance to showcase their wrestlers in the land that spawned legends like The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the Von Erich Family.

    "The response has been overwhelmingly positive," said the TJPW spokesperson. "Many who had never experienced joshi (women’s) wrestling before are discovering how entertaining, emotional, and uniquely captivating it is. Since announcing the Texas shows, we’ve received a flood of enthusiastic messages — not just from wrestling fans, but from people drawn to the theatricality, comedy, and creativity of TJPW. We've also heard from fans in other states asking us to bring the tour to their cities."

    news/sports

    most read posts

    Netflix chef's modern Mexican restaurant opens in Houston this month

    More rain brings further flood risk as Texas death toll tops 100

    Pioneering East End development brings cohousing to Houston

    Loading...