HALL OF FAMER

For some of you this may seem like a silly post, but for a sports fan from H-town, this is a big deal.  Craig Biggio, long time second baseman of the Houston Astros, was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.  Craig is the first Astro and, to this point, the only Astro to be inducted into the HOF.  Not only did he accomplish many personal goals and team/league records, he did it with one team, the Astros, his entire career.  Not many players can say that.  The city of H-town LOVE this guy.  Not only because he was such a great player, but because he loved us back.  So, this is a post about Craig Biggio.  Be warned, there are a lot of pics in this post.

Last night at the Astros vs. Dodgers game, the Astros management planned a ceremony to honor Craig and to show his HOF plaque, straight from Cooperstown, before the game.  The place was sold out.  I had told Mr. W a few days before that I wish we had known about this so we could have bought tickets.  So, when some friends called yesterday morning, said they had 2 extra tickets, and would we like to go, I was like, "Does the wind blow?", "Does the sun rise in the east?".  Well of course we want to go.

Thanks Ray and Jane for the tickets!

Craig Alan Biggio was born December 14, 1965. He graduated from Kings Park High School in Kings Park, New York, where he excelled as a multi-sport varsity athlete. Most notably, after the 1983 season Biggio was awarded the Hansen Award, which recognized him as being the best football player in Suffolk County. However, Biggio accepted a partial baseball scholarship to Seton Hall to play baseball. 

Although Biggio was an infielder, Seton Hall coach Mike Sheppard switched him to catcher because the team was in need of one. Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin. Biggio, Vaughn and Valentin, along with Marteese Robinson, were featured in the book The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth by David Siroty, which chronicled their rise from college teammates to the major leagues. Biggio was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1987 draft.

Biggio was called up as a catcher midway through the 1988 season, having batted .344 in his minor league career. In 1989, his first full season, Biggio became the Astros' starting catcher. He won the Silver Slugger award in 1989. Biggio was a very speedy runner, and an adept base stealer. Astros' management, in an attempt to keep the rigors of catching from sapping Biggio's speed, tried him in the outfield part-time in 1990, as he had played 18 games there in the minors. Yogi Berra mentioned Biggio's height in his book You Can Observe A Lot By Watching, saying, "I always identified with short catchers – they don't have to stand up as far".

The Astros finally convinced Biggio to convert to second base in spring training 1992, even though Biggio had made the National League All-Star team as a catcher in 1991. Biggio made the All-Star team for the second time in 1992, becoming the first player in the history of baseball to be an All-Star at both catcher and second base. It is remarkably rare for a major league catcher to make a successful transition to middle infielder. If a catcher changes positions, it is usually to first base, or occasionally to outfield or third base.

              “Moving from catcher to second, I can’t explain to you how hard that was,” Biggio said
               in 2003. “That’s like giving you a bat and telling you to go get a hit off Randy Johnson.
               Not just stand in there, but get a hit off him.

Biggio became known as a reliable, hustling, consistent leadoff hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman. He holds the National League record for most home runs to lead off a game, with fifty.

At the end of his career he ranked sixth in NL history in games played (2,850), fifth in at bats (10,876), eighth in hits (3,060) and seventh in runs scored (1,844). His 668 career doubles ranked fifth in major league history, and are the MOST EVER by a right-handed hitter; his 56 doubles in 1999 were the most in the major leagues in 63 years.  He also holds the NL record for most times leading off a game with a home run (53), and is one of only five players with 250 home runs and 400 steals. A four-time Gold Glove Award winner who led NL second basemen in assists six times and putouts five times, he retired ranking fourth in NL history in games at second base (1,989), sixth in assists (5,448) and fielding percentage (.984), seventh in putouts (3,992) and double plays (1,153), and eighth in total chances (9,596). He was the ninth player in the 3,000 hit club to collect all his hits with one team. Biggio also led the NL in times hit by pitch five times, with his career total of 285 trailing only Hughie Jennings' 287 in major league history.

 

Biggio fell nine home runs short of joining the career 300–300 club (300 homers and 300 stolen bases). He would have become only the seventh player to achieve the feat. Incidentally, this also caused him to fall short of the 3,000 hits, 300 homers and 300 stolen bases mark; he would have been only the second player in history to reach that club, the other being Willie Mays.

Biggio has received awards from various organizations, including the Hutch Award (2005) and being named one of Sporting News' Good Guys (2004). The Hutch Award is given to a player that shows competitiveness and never gives up. Part of the reason Biggio was given the award was for his multiple position changes, but also because of his work in the community and inspiring other teammates to participate as well. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2007. The Roberto Clemente Award "recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."

Biggio has been a supporter and lead spokesperson for the Sunshine Kids Foundation for over a decade and almost the entirety of his playing career. The organization supports children fighting cancer with exciting activities for themselves and their families. Biggio helps the organization by raising awareness of the organization by wearing a small yellow sun on his cap for interviews, batting practice, and spring training games and by holding a celebrity golf tournament in Houston each spring. Biggio hosts an annual party at Minute Maid Park for about 100 Sunshine Kids to play baseball with Biggio and some of his former teammates and current Astros. Biggio has raised over $2 million for the organization.

During 2007 spring training, MLB informed Biggio that he would no longer be allowed to wear the small yellow sun on his cap during interviews, photo shoots, or spring training. Biggio had worn the Sunshine Kids pin for over a decade. This edict was big news in Houston, and Houstonians, long known for our charitable nature and unconditional love of Biggio, reacted very negatively to MLB. After the public uproar, MLB relented and Biggio was allowed to wear the Sunshine Kids pin as he had done since becoming a spokesperson.  The sun was even added to the retirement number hanging in Minute Maid Park last night.  It will always be a permanent reminder of Biggio's love for the Sunshine Kids.

Biggio and his wife, the former Patty Egan, have three children: son Conor Joseph (born January 7, 1993); son Cavan Thomas (born April 11, 1995); and daughter Quinn Patricia (born September 27, 1999). They live in Houston. For a while Biggio was the head varsity baseball coach at St. Thomas High School. Biggio coached St. Thomas to back-to-back Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Class 5A state baseball titles in 2010 and 2011.  Both of Biggio's sons played for the St. Thomas baseball team.

                  “Being a parent and a dad is the most important thing I’ll ever do,” said Biggio, who
                    retired to spend more time with his sons Conor and Cavan and daughter Quinn.

 

Craig entering the field at last night's celebration.

Craig's son Conor honoring his Dad.

Yes it was.

When Biggio was inducted into the HOF, over 30,000 Astros fans showed up in Cooperstown.  Yes, we love Craig Biggio.  He earned his HOF induction through hard work and always striving to get better.  He did it the right way.  No drugs.  No enhancers.  He did it with integrity.  He gave back to this community as much as he received.  Craig Biggio is a class act who brought his "A" game to the field every single game.  If every little boy strived to be like this pro athlete, we would have a generation of great men walking around. It was a pleasure watching him play and an even bigger pleasure knowing that he was genuine on the field and off the field.  Well done Craig Biggio.  Thanks for the memories!

Long time Astros announcer, Bill Brown, and the HOF plaque.