Billy Wagner shares Hall of Fame ride with many
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- July 27, 2025
Billy Wagner's long, difficult journey lands in Cooperstown
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – As Billy Wagner and the other members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 went through their final walk-through before their induction, the seven-time All-Star thought of all the people who helped him get from tiny Marion, Virginia, to a place among baseball’s immortals.
The road to Cooperstown is never easy, as the legendary Ted Williams noted during his induction speech in 1966. For some of the immortals, however, it was more difficult than others. There were many days during Wagner’s childhood when he didn’t know where the next meal would come.
That drive remained long after he had generated generational wealth as one of the greatest closers in baseball history. On Sunday afternoon Wagner, Ichiro and CC Sabathia will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with the late Dick Allen and Dave Parker.
Crackers were often his only “meal” at home while his lunch came courtesy of a red ticket given to kids who qualified for free lunch. His tennis shoes were often purple or green because those were usually the ones left over at the local flea market. That’s a major reason he usually has brand new white tennis shoes delivered to his home.
“I don’t think kids realize what it’s like to be hungry, to go to school with crackers and get a red tag and be made fun of,” he says. “I don’t think they would even know how to handle that. So that’s what drove me.”
Overcoming
Wagner lived in a trailer with his mother and sister when he was 9 through 12 years old. He moved in with his grandparents when he was 13 years old. By the time he moved in with his father for high school, Wagner had already attended 10 different schools.
He was so behind academically, Wagner was socially promoted to high school. Wagner proudly states that he was the best C student in high school, although he still remembers the teacher who told him he wouldn’t amount to anything.
Through it all, Wagner fought and persevered. He’s the first left-handed reliever elected into the Hall. That fact highlights his unlikely road to Cooperstown, considering he actually is a naturally right-hander who does almost all tasks with his right.
He taught himself to throw with his left after he broke his right arm when a boy named Chip fell on his arm when they were playing football near Wagner’s grandmother’s home. Wagner actually broke his right arm twice.
The broken arm didn’t derail his football or baseball career. He started his college career at tiny Ferrum College, a Division III school, as a football and baseball player. The Astros picked Wagner 12th overall in the June 1993 draft.
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A little more than two years later, he made his big league debut for the Astros against the Mets on Sept. 13, 1995. Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves over 16 seasons between the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves. He played nine seasons with the Astros, setting the franchise’s all-time saves record with 225.
An All-Star in his final season, he could have kept pitching longer. He retired, however, to move back to southwest Virginia to help his wife Sarah raise their young family. Wagner wanted to provide his children the steady father presence he missed as a boy. He eventually became a beloved and successful high school and travel baseball coach.
Sharing the moment
All aspects of his career have been on hand this weekend in Cooperstown. His parents, children, siblings, in-laws, friends, former college teammates and former MLB teammates mingled with each other at the party the Astros threw for Wagner on Saturday night.
The Toronto Blue Jays even gave his eldest son Will permission to leave the AL East leaders to attend the festivities in Cooperstown late Saturday and on Sunday. More than a dozen of Wagner’s current and former baseball players at The Miller School partied with baseball legends Saturday night.
Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the first two players inducted into the Hall as Astros, and Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson and Adrian Beltre were among the Hall of Famers at Wagner’s party. Former All-Stars Moises Alou, Lance Berkman, Brad Lidge, Mike Hampton and Shane Reynolds are just a few of Wagner’s former teammates attending Wagner’s induction.
“I’m in heaven. I just met Reggie Jackson” said teenager Naomi Ryan, a member of the U.S. national women’s baseball team.
Ryan played for Wagner’s perennial state power at The Miller School. Wagner gave her a shot on the boys baseball team after she was denied an opportunity at another school. She and her teammates posed for pictures with Bagwell, Biggio, Jackson, Beltre and several former Astros stars at Wagner’s party.
“You never know what people think about you until this moment,” Wagner said Saturday. “And to have the support always makes it easier to get through these emotional moments.”
The two days leading up to induction were reminders of how many people Wagner has impacted. The weekend also helped him remember how many players he played with throughout his career. Even among the Hall of Famers he counted about seven immortals who were former teammates, including Bagwell, Biggio and Randy Johnson with the Astros.
Cooperstown connections
“There’s seven or eight guys (in the Hall) that I played with or pitched behind,” he said. “That relationship, the comfort (comes from knowing) they’ve all been nervous. I think we were standing on the stage and we’re going through the walk-through and thinking about all the people that have influenced you and supported you. It’s an emotional moment because of being the first.”
The man who made his career closing out games will lead off the induction speeches Sunday. He will surely cry, he has noted from the moment he was elected in January. Wagner paused to fight back tears Saturday while discussing what it meant for him to have so many friends, fans and relatives in Cooperstown this weekend.
“I represent a lot,” he said as his voice trailed off. “So it is emotional and proud. That’s all I can really say.”
His actions spoke loud, though. He gave countless hugs Saturday night. Wagner, who turned 54 years old on Friday, smiled as the band and his guests sang “Happy Birthday” for him.
Longtime Astros visiting clubhouse manager Steve Perry is a special guest of the Astros and Wagner on the trip to Cooperstown.
‘Super person’
Perry began his career with the Astros in April 1979 at 18 years old. Biggio, Bagwell and Wagner invited him to their inductions. The Astros were on the road when Biggio was inducted in 2015 and when Bagwell was inducted in 2017.
They are playing host to the A’s at Daikin Park this weekend. Perry missed his first home game as an Astros employee on Friday so he could be here with his wife.
“He treated everybody very nicely,” Perry said of Wagner. “A super person. He’s never forgotten us after all these years, and he just means a lot to all of us in the clubhouse. Any clubhouse manager would tell you about him.”
Wagner’s teammates, fans and relatives agree. The road to Cooperstown from southwest Virginia was a difficult one for the 5-foot-10 fireballer who pumped 100-mph fastballs past Barry Bonds and the most feared sluggers of his time.
Early poverty, a broken home, heartache and an underwhelming amount of early support on the BBWAA’s Hall of Fame ballot are just a few of the obstacles Wagner overcame on his ride toward a place with the immortals.
“For me,” Wagner said, “it’s just been overwhelming. … It’s just been a great moment for me and my family. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The hospitality of Cooperstown and tradition and your heroes, it’s just been a lot of fun.”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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