1994 Houston Astros season

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1994 Houston Astros
Major League affiliations
Location
  • The Astrodome (since 1965)
  • Houston, Texas (since 1962)
Results
Record66–49 (.574)
Divisional place1st
Other information
Owner(s)Drayton McLane, Jr.
General manager(s)Bob Watson
Manager(s)Terry Collins
Local televisionKTXH
Local radioKPRC (AM)
(Bill Brown, Milo Hamilton, Larry Dierker, Vince Controneo, Bill Worrell, Enos Cabell)
KXYZ
(Francisco Ernesto Ruiz, Danny Gonzalez)
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The Houston Astros' 1994 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the inaugural season of the National League Central division; they finished in second place. First baseman Jeff Bagwell was a unanimous selection for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Despite nearly the last two months of the being cancelled due to the 1994–95 strike, Bagwell set a then-club record for home runs with 39 and a club record for batting average (.368) and slugging percentage (.750).

Offseason[]

Regular season[]

On June 24, Jeff Bagwell 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.[5]

Overview of Jeff Bagwell's unanimous Most Valuable Player Award season[]

Bagwell finished the 1994 season playing in 110 games and batting .368 with a .750 SLG, 1.201 OPS, 39 HR, 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.[6] Bagwell finished second in HR to Matt Williams, who hit 43.[7] Bagwell set the record for the fewest plate appearances in a season with at least 100 runs and RBI and became the first National Leaguer to finish first or second in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored since Willie Mays in 1955.[8] His .750 SLG at the time ranked as the seventh-best ever[9] – it still ranks as the 11th best single-season mark in Major League history – and was the highest by a National Leaguer since Rogers Hornsby in 1925 (.756). He unanimously won the NL Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the fourth player in National League history to be unanimously voted the award, and the first Astros player to win the award.[5] Bagwell also won his first Silver Slugger Award and Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and Player of the Year Awards from the Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and USA Today Baseball Weekly.[10]

At the time, in National League history, the 213 OPS+ trailed only Hornsby's 1924 season (222 OPS+) for the second-highest ever;[11] as of 2015, it was tied for 24th highest of all time in all major league seasons, and was the eighth highest among all not by Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth or Williams. Bagwell generated a .383 Isolated Power (ISO) mark, the 16th-highest in history. Twelve of the 15 higher seasons belonged to Bonds, Ruth, and Mark McGwire. Seven of the ten seasons that exceeded his .750 SLG belonged to Bonds and Ruth. Bagwell's 10.26 at bats per home run (AB/HR) ratio is the 25th-best in history. The 1.2009 OPS is the 20th-highest in history; 13 of the seasons that are higher belong to Bonds, Ruth and Williams.[5] The 116 RBI in 110 games qualified for the 13th-highest ratio in history.[12]

Projecting Bagwell's totals to 162 games and 650 plate appearances, he was on pace to amass 47 doubles, 57 home runs, 170 RBI, 22 stolen bases, 95 walks, 216 hits, along with .451 OBP, .750 SLG, and 1.201 OPS. When leading off an inning, he batted .460, .514 OBP, .990 SLG, 1.504 OPS, 14 HR, nine doubles and a triple. 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.[5] Bagwell's other totals in the Astrodome that season included a .373 batting average, 54 runs scored, 58 RBI, .816 SLG and 1.275 OPS. In 125 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, he batted .457 with 20 BB, 18 HR and 11 doubles for a .544 OBP, 1.095 SLG and 1.639 OPS.[13] 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.[7]

By Friday, August 12, the Astros had compiled a 66-49 record through 115 games. They were trailing the Cincinnati Reds by half a game for the NL Central Division lead and the Atlanta Braves by 2.5 games in the 1994 NL Wildcard Race. They had scored 602 runs (5.23 per game) and had allowed 503 runs (4.37 per game).[14]

Offensively, the Astros led the Majors in doubles during the strike-shortened season (252) intentional walks (58) and sacrifice hits (73).[15]

Game log[]

1994 Regular Season Game Log (66-49) (Home: 37-22; Road: 29-27)
April (13-10) (Home: 7-5; Road: 6-5)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Report
1 April 4 Expos 6-5 (12 inn.) Edens (1-0) Shaw (0-1) 43,440 1-0 Boxscore
2 April 5 Expos 1-5 Hill (1-0) Drabek (0-1) 16,227 1-1 Boxscore
3 April 6 Expos 3-9 Rueter (1-0) Kile (0-1) 17,180 1-2 Boxscore
4 April 8 Mets
5 April 9 Mets
6 April 10 Mets
7 April 12 @ Marlins
8 April 13 @ Marlins
9 April 14 @ Marlins
10 April 15 @ Mets
11 April 16 @ Mets
12 April 17 @ Mets
13 April 19 @ Cubs
14 April 20 @ Cubs
15 April 22 @ Cardinals
16 April 23 @ Cardinals
17 April 24 @ Cardinals
18 April 25 Pirates
19 April 26 Pirates
20 April 27 Cubs
21 April 28 Cubs
22 April 29 Cardinals
23 April 30 Cardinals
May (16-12) (Home: 8-5; Road: 8-7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Report
24 May 1 Cardinals
25 May 3 @ Pirates
26 May 4 @ Pirates
27 May 5 @ Reds
28 May 6 @ Reds
29 May 7 @ Reds
30 May 8 @ Reds
31 May 9 @ Dodgers
32 May 10 @ Dodgers
33 May 11 @ Dodgers
34 May 13 Rockies
35 May 14 Rockies
36 May 15 Rockies
37 May 16 Giants
38 May 17 Giants
39 May 18 Giants
40 May 19 Padres
41 May 20 Padres
42 May 21 Padres
43 May 22 Padres
44 May 24 @ Braves
45 May 25 @ Braves
46 May 26 @ Braves
47 May 27 @ Phillies
48 May 28 @ Phillies
49 May 29 @ Phillies
50 May 30 Marlins
51 May 31 Marlins
June (14-13) (Home: 8-6; Road: 6-7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Report
52 June 1 Marlins
53 June 3 Phillies
54 June 4 Phillies
55 June 5 Phillies
56 June 6 @ Expos 5-10 Henry (3-0) Swindell (5-2) Wetteland (8) 14,322 32-24 Boxscore
57 June 7 @ Expos 2-3 Heredia (2-2) Veres (2-3) Wetteland (9) 17,283 32-25 Boxscore
58 June 8 @ Expos 9-2 Williams (3-2) Fassero (4-4) 17,289 33-25 Boxscore
59 June 10 Braves
60 June 11 Braves
61 June 12 Braves
62 June 13 @ Giants
63 June 14 @ Giants
64 June 15 @ Giants
65 June 16 @ Giants
66 June 17 @ Padres
67 June 18 @ Padres
68 June 19 @ Padres
69 June 20 @ Rockies
70 June 21 @ Rockies
71 June 22 @ Rockies
72 June 24 Dodgers
73 June 25 Dodgers
74 June 26 Dodgers
75 June 27 Reds
76 June 28 Reds
77 June 29 Reds
78 June 30 Cubs
July (16-11) (Home: 7-3; Road: 9-8)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Report
79 July 1 Cubs
80 July 2 Cubs
81 July 3 Cubs
82 July 4 @ Cardinals
83 July 5 @ Cardinals
84 July 6 @ Cardinals
85 July 7 @ Cubs
86 July 8 @ Cubs
87 July 9 @ Cubs
88 July 10 @ Cubs
All-Star Break: NL def. AL at Three Rivers Stadium, 8–7 (10)
89 July 14 @ Pirates
90 July 15 @ Pirates
91 July 16 @ Pirates
92 July 17 @ Pirates
93 July 18 Cardinals
94 July 19 Cardinals
95 July 20 Cardinals
96 July 21 Pirates
97 July 22 Pirates
98 July 23 Pirates
99 July 24 Pirates
100 July 25 @ Reds
101 July 26 @ Reds
102 July 27 @ Reds
103 July 29 @ Dodgers
104 July 30 @ Dodgers
105 July 31 @ Dodgers
August (7-3) (Home: 7-3)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record Report
106 August 1 Rockies
107 August 2 Rockies
108 August 3 Rockies
109 August 4 Rockies
110 August 5 Giants
111 August 6 Giants
112 August 7 Giants
113 August 9 Padres
114 August 10 Padres
115 August 11 Padres
Legend
Astros win Astros loss All-Star Game Game postponed

Season standings[]

  • v
  • t
NL Central 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Cincinnati Reds 66 48 0.579 — 37–22 29–26
Houston Astros 66 49 0.574 ½ 37–22 29–27
Pittsburgh Pirates 53 61 0.465 13 32–29 21–32
St. Louis Cardinals 53 61 0.465 13 23–33 30–28
Chicago Cubs 49 64 0.434 16½ 20–39 29–25
  • v
  • t
Division leaders 		W L Pct.
Montreal Expos 74 40 0.649
Cincinnati Reds 66 48 0.579
Los Angeles Dodgers 58 56 0.509
Wild card team W L Pct. GB
Atlanta Braves 68 46 0.597 —
Houston Astros 66 49 0.574 21⁄2
New York Mets 55 58 0.487 121⁄2
San Francisco Giants 55 60 0.478 131⁄2
Philadelphia Phillies 54 61 0.470 141⁄2
St. Louis Cardinals 53 61 0.465 15
Pittsburgh Pirates 53 61 0.465 15
Colorado Rockies 53 64 0.453 161⁄2
Florida Marlins 51 64 0.444 171⁄2
Chicago Cubs 49 64 0.434 181⁄2
San Diego Padres 47 70 0.402 221⁄2

Record vs. opponents[]

1994 National League Records
  • v
  • t

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Team ATL CHC CIN COL FLA HOU LAD MON NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL
Atlanta — 4–2 5–5 8–2 8–4 3–3 6–0 4–5 5–4 6–3 3–9 6–1 5–1 5–7
Chicago 2–4 — 5–7 6–6 4–5 4–8 3–3 2–4 1–4 1–6 5–5 6–3 5–4 5–5
Cincinnati 5–5 7–5 — 4–4 7–5 4–6 3–6 4–2 2–4 4–2 9–3 8–2 7–2 2–2–1
Colorado 2–8 6–6 4–4 — 3–9 5–5 4–6 4–2 5–1 2–4 2–3 5–5 3–7 8–4
Florida 4–8 5–4 5–7 9–3 — 2–4 3–3 2–7 6–4 4–6 1–6 5–1 2–4 3–7
Houston 3–3 8–4 6–4 5–5 4–2 — 1–8 2–4 3–3 5–1 8–4 5–5 8–2 8–4
Los Angeles 0–6 3–3 6–3 6–4 3–3 8–1 — 3–9 6–6 7–5 3–3 6–4 5–5 2–4
Montreal 5–4 4–2 2–4 2–4 7–2 4–2 9–3 — 4–3 5–4 8–2 12–0 5–7 7–3
New York 4–5 4–1 4–2 1–5 4–6 3–3 6–6 3–4 — 4–6 4–5 6–6 6–6 6–3
Philadelphia 3-6 6–1 2–4 4–2 6–4 1–5 5–7 4–5 6–4 — 5–4 4–8 4–8 4–3
Pittsburgh 9–3 5–5 3–9 3–2 6–1 4–8 3–3 2–8 5–4 4–5 — 3–3 1–5 5–5
San Diego 1–6 3–6 2–8 5–5 1–5 5–5 4–6 0–12 6–6 8–4 3–3 — 5–2 4–2
San Francisco 1–5 4–5 2–7 7–3 4–2 2–8 5–5 7–5 6–6 8–4 5–1 2–5 — 2–4
St. Louis 7–5 5–5 2–2–1 4–8 7–3 4–8 4–2 3–7 3–6 3–4 5–5 2–4 4–2 —


Opening Day lineup[]

Notable transactions[]

Roster[]

1994 Houston Astros
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders Manager
  •  2 Terry Collins

Coaches

Player stats[]

Batting[]

Starters by position[]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

Other batters[]

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Mike Felder 58 117 28 .239 0 13
Andy Stankiewicz 37 54 14 .259 1 5
Milt Thompson 9 21 6 .286 1 3
Mike Simms 6 12 1 .083 0 0

Pitching[]

Starting pitchers[]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Doug Drabek 23 164.2 12 6 2.84 121

Other pitchers[]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO

Relief pitchers[]

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Mitch Williams 25 1 4 6 7.65 21

Statistical achievements[]

National League individual leaders[]

Batting[]

  • Adjusted on-base plus slugging: Jeff Bagwell (213)
  • Doubles: Craig Biggio (44)
  • On-base plus slugging: Jeff Bagwell (1.201)
  • Runs batted in: Jeff Bagwell (116)
  • Runs scored: Jeff Bagwell (104)
  • Slugging percentage: Jeff Bagwell (.750)
  • Stolen bases: Craig Biggio (39)
  • Total bases: Jeff Bagwell (300)

Pitching[]

Records[]

  • Adjusted on-base plus slugging for Houston Astros: Jeff Bagwell (213)
  • Batting average for Houston Astros: Jeff Bagwell (.368)
  • Home runs hit at Astrodome in a season: Jeff Bagwell (23)
  • On-base plus slugging for Houston Astros: Jeff Bagwell (1.201)

Awards and honors[]

Farm system[]

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Tucson Toros Pacific Coast League Rick Sweet
AA Jackson Generals Texas League Sal Butera
A Osceola Astros Florida State League Tim Tolman
A Quad Cities River Bandits Midwest League Steve Dillard
A-Short Season Auburn Astros New York–Penn League Manny Acta
Rookie GCL Astros Gulf Coast League Bobby Ramos

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL Astros

References[]

  1. ^ Andy Stankiewicz at Baseball Reference
  2. ^ a b Mitch Williams at Baseball Reference
  3. ^ Eric Anthony at Baseball Reference
  4. ^ Sid Bream at Baseball Reference
  5. ^ a b c d Marbach, Jason (November 3, 2015). "The greatest seasons in Astros history: Jeff Bagwell, 1994". SB Nation The Crawfish Boxes. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  6. ^ Goldstein, Richard (June 16, 2014). "Tony Gwynn, Hall of Fame batting champion, dies at 54 of cancer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Hulsey, Bob (August 5, 1994). "Bagwell caps MVP season". www.astrosdaily.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Ballplayers – Jeff Bagwell". Baseball Library. Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
  9. ^ Erion, Greg (September 17, 2015). "Jeff Bagwell". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jeff Bagwell player page bio". MLB.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  11. ^ Campbell, Steve (January 25, 2012). "Best individual seasons in Astros history? The envelopes, please". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  12. ^ Thomas, Jr., Robert McG. (October 28, 1994). "Bagwell's latest stat: All the M.V.P. votes". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  13. ^ "Jeff Bagwell 1994 batting splits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  14. ^ "1994 National League Season Summary".
  15. ^ "1994 Major League Baseball Season Summary".
  16. ^ Mike Simms at Baseball Reference
  17. ^ Tony Mounce at Baseball Reference

External links[]

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