By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: Karen Warren
Billy Wagner is heading to Cooperstown to represent the Class of 2025. Wagner was elected in his final year on the ballot with an 82 percent vote.
He’s the first left-handed relief pitcher in the Hall of Fame.
It’s been a long road for Wagner and his family. Wagner has experienced many ups and downs in his life and career.
A phone call that he was going to the Hall of Fame overwhelmed him with emotion, especially when his wife was with him for this 30-year journey.
“She lost a lot to do this,” Wagner said. “Her father getting murdered and having to deal with my career being a closer’s wife sucks. You know you’re good only when you’re good, so she threw every pitch. She competed in every play going through New York. I read, you know, you can’t help but read and hear the things on the news, so she’d been through it all. I didn’t realize that until I got into my son’s career.”
Wagner made the All-Star Game seven times in his 16 seasons as a reliever. He finished with 422 saves while playing for five teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves.
Wagner will mostly be remembered for his performances with the Astros. The team drafted him in 1993 out of the first round. He recorded 225 saves for them from 1995 through 2003.
Wagner credited his teammates, including Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell. He also mentioned Lance Berkman and reliever Jay Powell.
“In 16 years, I played on many great teams, but the players behind me were Bagwell, Biggio, Jeff Kent, and Lance Berkman. Gosh, there’s too many the bullpen guys that you know Jay Powell, and I told him I’d bring his name up because he said that everybody talks about starting pitchers, but the relievers that get you the ball are the ones that don’t really get the credit, and I would’ve been here today if it weren’t for those guys.”
Powell was a good reliever for those good ’90s Astros teams, and Wagner mentioned his name during the interview. It was essential and very classy of him to do that.
Wagner’s 1999 season is the best and most dominant season of his career. He had 39 saves in 42 opportunities, a 1.57 ERA, and 124 strikeouts in 74 innings.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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