Former Houston Astro Julio Lugo, a teammate of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio during the early 2000′s, has passed away at the age of 45.
He would have turned 46 on Tuesday.
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Lugo began his Major League Baseball career with the Astros and made his big-league debut in 2000. He would solidify himself as the starter as the team’s shortstop, starting 95 of 116 games in 2000. That year, in his rookie season, Lugo hit .283 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 22 stolen bases, and 78 runs in his 116 games. The following season, in starting 125 of his 140 games played, Lugo hit .263 with 93 runs, 10 home runs, and 12 stolen bases. In that 2001 season, the Astros won the National League Central Division before falling to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
Lugo spent 2000-2003 with the Astros before stints with Tampa, the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, Orioles, and Braves. Lugo was the starting shortstop for the 2007 Red Sox team that won the World Series, hitting .385 in the Fall Classic.