Former Houston Astro Julio Lugo has died at the age of 45

Houston Astros' Julio Lugo swings and misses against the New York Mets during the fourth inning Sunday, March 9, 2003, at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. Lugo went 1-3 on Sunday and is 1-8 in the preseason. The Mets won 12-2. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) (TONY DEJAK, Associated Press)

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.

Boston Red Sox tweet mourning the passing of Julio Lugo (Twitter @RedSox)
MLB Players Alumni Association with a tweet mourning the death of Julio Lugo (Twitter @MLBPAA)

About the Author:

Born in Canada but raised in Houston, Howard joined KPRC 2 in 2021 after five years at ESPN. Before that, Howard was a reporter on Houston Rockets and Houston Astros game broadcasts. Among the events that Howard has covered on site: the NBA bubble and the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions for both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. He's H-town proud!