Wagner to retire

Word from Yahoo Sports is that former Houston, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston closer Billy Wagner will retire.

So the question is, what's your favorite Billy Wagner memory?

Oooh, I've got one:

Sunday, June 8, 2003. Astros are hosting the Devil Rays at the typical 1:05 start. I was at the game by myself, because it was my wedding shower that day, and I was under the impression that I wasn't supposed to be there. So I had lunch with my in-laws-to-be and bride-to-be after church, and then took off for Minute Maid Park.

I had just upgraded to a new phone, which I had in my pocket. I put my Coke under my seat, and in the 2nd inning reached down to get a drink and was poked in the eye. By the antenna of my brand new phone, which had fallen out of my pocket and into my Coke. Regardless, the Astros win, 2-1, Wagner picks up his 200th career save, and the game takes 1h54m, so I'm back at the church building in time to pick up all the presents, and head home. The Future Constabless was pretty upset, because I didn't answer my High Fructose Corn Phone, but we worked it out. Six years later, we're still quite happily married, and I have a new phone that stays out of my pocket.

The phone that I got to replace that was shattered on Opening Day 2004, when I purchased MLB Extra Innings for the first time. We lived in Abilene, TX, and I was tired of watching Rangers game half the season. So on Opening Day, we threw a big party for our Astros-fan friends, and got a black screen for three hours, because Abilene was in the Astros' blackout zone. Six hours away. Thus, the shattered phone.