Billy Wagner called his time in Space City the "best part" of his career.
After 16 years in the major leagues and 10 anxious years of waiting, former Houston Astros closer Billy Wagner finally received the call to Cooperstown in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The legendary lefty was elected to the Hall in January after receiving 82.5 percent of the voter's support from the Baseball Writers Association of America, well over the mandatory 75 percent required for induction into baseball immortality.
Sunday night saw the official induction ceremony, where Wagner, along with C.C. Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, Dave Parker, and Dick Allen, were officially welcomed to what some call the toughest Hall of Fame to be a part of, especially with Wagner only becoming the eighth reliever to be honored.
During Wagner's speech, he called the first nine years in his playing days he spent with the Astros the "best part" of his career, while also thanking other executives, coaches, and players that he shared his time with in H-Town, including fellow Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, while also claiming that Astros owner Jim Crane "throws a great party."
Wagner debuted for the 'Stros in September 1995, and stayed with the team through the 2003 season, which saw him named to three All-Star Games, receive the 1999 NL Rolaids Relief Man Award, and even take part in a combined no-hitter the team threw on June 11, 2003 against the New York Yankees.
After stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves, Wagner retired after the 2010 season, having recorded 422 career saves, the eighth-most all-time, as well as 1,196 strikeouts.
Category: Baseball
