HOUSTON -- Nearly twenty years ago, the Houston Astros decided Billy Wagner, their first pick in the 1993 Draft, would better suit their needs on the Major League level as a closer. It was a decision that would play favorably a couple of years later when the Astros strung together three consecutive division titles with teams anchored by balanced lineups, a strong rotation and a flame-throwing left-handed reliever who took almost no time to establish himself as one of the game's elite closers.
On Monday, Wagner officially became a candidate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, appearing on the ballot for the first time.