PVF RT 2024 Guest Speaker, Jeff Bagwell
This year’s guest speaker for the PVF Roundtable’s annual dinner was none other than Hall of Famer and former Astro, Jeff Bagwell. Over 500 pipe, valve, and fittings executives gathered in Houston for an incredible night of networking, cocktails, and dinner while Bagwell told stories of his career. Though he isn’t an industry specialist, he shared a message that we all needed to hear; Be kind. As he reminisced on his most memorable moments, he says that as his career grew, he began to realize how much it made people smile to meet him, claiming he’d promised himself to always take the time for photos and autographs to make someone’s day.
From 1996 through 2001, Bagwell totaled at least 30 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI per season. At the same time, Bagwell turned the Astros into an annual postseason contender – helping Houston advance to the playoffs six times from 1997-2005. But early in the 2005 season, Bagwell removed himself from the lineup due to a right shoulder that had caused him four years of constant pain. The arthritic condition – produced by bone-on-bone wear and tear – left him virtually unable to throw a baseball. Bagwell willed himself back onto the Astros’ roster for their 2005 run to the World Series, but called it quits after he was unable to appear in any games in 2006. The final numbers: a .297 batting average and Houston club records of 449 home runs and 1,529 RBI to go with a .408 on-base percentage. Bagwell was selected to four All-Star Games, finished in the Top 10 in