| Craig Biggio | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Biggio in 2015 | |
| Second baseman /Catcher /Outfielder | |
| Born: (1965-12-14)December 14, 1965 (age 59) Smithtown, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 26, 1988, for the Houston Astros | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 2007, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .281 |
| Hits | 3,060 |
| Home runs | 291 |
| Runs batted in | 1,175 |
| Stolen bases | 414 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2015 |
| Vote | 82.7% (third ballot) |
Craig Alan Biggio (/ˈbɪdʒioʊ/; born December 14, 1965) is an American formerbaseballsecond baseman,outfielder, andcatcher who played 20 seasons inMajor League Baseball for theHouston Astros, from 1988 to 2007. A seven-timeNational League (NL)All-Star often regarded as the greatest all-around player in Astros history, he is the only player ever to be named an All-Star and to be awardedSilver Slugger Award at both catcher and second base. With longtime teammatesJeff Bagwell andLance Berkman, he formed the core of the "Killer B's" who led Houston to six playoff appearances from 1997 to 2005, culminating in the franchise's firstWorld Series appearance in2005. At the end of his career, he ranked sixth in NL history ingames played (2,850), fifth inat bats (10,876), 21st inhits (3,060), and seventh inruns scored (1,844). His 668 careerdoubles ranked sixth in major league history, and are the second-most ever by a right-handed hitter; his 56 doubles in 1999 were the most in the major leagues in 63 years.
Biggio, whobatted .300 four times and scored 100 runs eight times, holds Astros franchise records for most career games, at bats, hits, runs scored, doubles,total bases (4,711) andextra base hits (1,014), and ranks second inruns batted in (1,175),walks (1,160) andstolen bases (414). He also holds the NL record for most times leading off a game with ahome run (53), and is one of only five players with 250 home runs and 400 steals. A four-timeGold Glove Award winner who led NL second basemen inassists six times andputouts five times, he retired ranking fourth in NL history in games at second base (1,989), sixth in assists (5,448) andfielding percentage (.984), seventh in putouts (3,992) anddouble plays (1,153), and eighth intotal chances (9,596). He was the ninth player in the3,000 hit club to collect all his hits with one team. Biggio also led the NL in timeshit by pitch five times, with his career total of 285 trailing onlyHughie Jennings' 287 in major league history.
One of the most admired players of his generation, Biggio received the 2005Hutch Award for perseverance through adversity and the 2007Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community service. The Astros retired the number 7 in his honor the year following his retirement. Since 2008, Biggio has served as special assistant to the general manager of the Astros. In2015, Biggio was elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame,[1] becoming the first member of the Hall to be depicted in an Astros uniform on his plaque.
Craig Biggio graduated fromKings Park High School inKings Park, New York, where he excelled as a multi-sport varsity athlete. After the 1983 season Biggio was awarded the Hansen Award, which recognized him as being the bestfootball player inSuffolk County.[2] Biggio turned down football scholarships for the opportunity to play baseball forSeton Hall University.
Although Biggio was an infielder, Seton Hall coachMike Sheppard switched him to catcher because the team was in need of one. In 1986, he playedcollegiate summer baseball in theCape Cod Baseball League for theYarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.[3] Biggio was anAll-American baseball player at Seton Hall, where he played with other futureMajor League Baseball starsMo Vaughn andJohn Valentin. Biggio, Vaughn and Valentin, along withMarteese Robinson, were featured in the bookThe 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 the1987 draft. Biggio remains Seton Hall's leader in triples, second in runs scored, and is in the top 10 in 18 other single-season and career categories. In 1996, Biggio was inducted into the Seton Hall Hall of Fame and had his number 44 retired in 2012.[4]
Biggio was called up as acatcher midway through the1988 season, havingbatted .344 in his minor league career. In 1989, his first full season, Biggio became the Astros' starting catcher. He won theSilver Slugger Award in 1989. He was a very speedy runner, and an adeptbase stealer. Astros management, in an attempt to keep the rigors of catching from sapping Biggio's speed, tried him in theoutfield part-time in 1990, as he had played 18 games there in the minors.Yogi Berra mentioned Biggio's height in his bookYou Can Observe A Lot By Watching, saying, "I always identified with short catchers—they don't have to stand up as far".[5]
The Astros acquiredfirst basemanJeff Bagwell prior to the start of the1991 season. Apower hitter with higher-than-normalon-base skills, Bagwell played 15 seasons, thus completely overlapping his career with Biggio's and wound up Houston's career leader inhome runs. The pair came to be known as the "Killer B's", synonymous with the Astros throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. A prodigious offensive and defensive unit, during their 10 peak seasons from 1994 to 2003, they appeared in nineAll-Star Games, won fiveGold Gloves, ranked in the top five of theMost Valuable Player Award voting five times and averaged 226 runs scored. They totaled 689 home runs, 2,485 RBI and 3,083 runs scored while the Astros advanced to thepostseason six times.[6] Other players that the Astros later acquired whose names started with the letter B also were included in this distinction, includingDerek Bell,Sean Berry,Lance Berkman,[7] andCarlos Beltrán.[8]
Biggio considered free agency with a team other than the Astros just once: after the 1995 season ended, teams such as theSt. Louis Cardinals,Colorado Rockies, and theSan Diego Padres; the Rockies and Cardinals were the most serious, with the former offering $20 million for four years while the latter approached him with a five-year, $25 million contract. However, Biggio took a four-year deal worth $22 million to stay with the Astros.[9][10]
The Astros finally convinced Biggio to convert tosecond base inspring training of1992, even though Biggio had made theNational LeagueAll-Star team as a catcher the year before. Biggio made theAll-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 rare for a major league catcher to make a successful transition to middleinfielder; if a catcher changes positions, it is usually tofirst base, or occasionally to outfield orthird base.
Biggio became known as a reliable, hustling, consistent leadoff hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman. He holds the National League record for mosthome runs to lead off a game, with 53. ManagerLarry Dierker, hired in 1997 by the Astros, moved Biggio from the second spot in the lineup to leadoff.[11] His statistics reflect this, having consistently good marks in hitting,on-base percentage,hit-by-pitch,runs, stolen bases, anddoubles throughout his career. Between 1994 and 1999, Biggio led the National League in doubles three times, runs scored twice, and stolen bases once. Biggio was also known for intentionally keeping his batting helmet dirty. In 1997, he completed an entire season without grounding into a double play, becoming the fifth player to ever do so in MLB history.[12] In 1998, he became the first player sinceTris Speaker to collect fifty doubles and fifty stolen bases in the same season, doing so with his 50th stolen base on September 23 (Biggio and Speaker were the only players to record the feat in the 20th century).[13] Biggio also hit 20 home runs to join the20–50 club.[14] He also excelled defensively at second base; between 1992 and 1999, Biggio led all National League second basemen inassists six times andputouts five times. He won four consecutiveGold Glove Awards from 1994 to 1997.
Biggio played 1,800 games without a trip to thedisabled list until August 1,2000, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. In the play in which Biggio was injured, theFlorida Marlins'Preston Wilson (who would later become Biggio's teammate) slid into second base, trying to stop adouble play, and hit Biggio's planted left leg, tearing theACL andMCL in Biggio's knee. Biggio rebounded with a good season in2001, but had a lackluster performance in 2002, with only a .253 average, his lowest since entering the league; a highlight occurred on April 8, when hehit for the cycle for the only time in his career.
However, he improved slightly for the2003 season, averaging .264 with 166 hits despite being asked by management to move tocenter field after the signing offree agent All-Star second basemanJeff Kent. In 2004, he put up numbers more typical for his career, batting .281 with 178 hits, including a career-high 24 homers. Biggio moved to yet another new position,left field, midway through the2004 season to accommodate Beltrán, who was acquired in a trade to help bolster the Astros' struggling offense. The Astros were 44-44 at the All-Star break. Having firedJimy Williams forPhil Garner, the Astros went 48-26, which included a 36-10 stretch to end the year while narrowly clinching the NL wild card on the final day of the regular season. In the2004 National League Division Series, the Astros were matched against theAtlanta Braves, which was the fourth time the two teams were playing each other in the past seven years, and the Braves had won each of the matchups. Biggio batted 8-for-20 (.400) in a series that went the full five game distance. In Game 4, he hit a home run, which was his first career postseason home run. In Game 5 in Atlanta, the Astros were attempting to clinch the series after blowing Game 4. In the seventh inning, leading 4-2 in the seventh inning, Biggio was at the plate withJose Vizcaino at second base with two out. Biggio hit a single that drove Vizcaino in from second that would start a two-out rally, as Biggio and three further batters would go on to score to make a 9-2 lead. Two innings later, the Astros won the game 12-3 to clinch the first postseason series victory in Astros history.[15] The Astros went to the2004 National League Championship Series against theSt. Louis Cardinals. Biggio went 6-for-32 (.188) as the series went the full distance. Biggio had one RBI in the series, which was a leadoff home run in Game 7. The Astros led 2-1 in the sixth inning before the Cardinals rallied to win 5-2 to end the season.[16]
In February2005, Biggio and Bagwell were inducted into theTexas Sports Hall of Fame.[17] After Kent left for theDodgers, Biggio resumed playing at second base and set a new career-high with 26 home runs. He also reached 1,000RBI, becoming the second Astro to do so, following Bagwell. On September 5 of that season, he helped the Astros against thePhiladelphia Phillies in a critical game late in the season; the Astros were narrowly ahead of the Phillies (and other teams) for the lone Wild Card spot.[18] The Phillies had taken the lead late 6-5 and hadBilly Wagner in relief. However, with two out in the ninth inning and two men on base, Biggio hit a home run that gave the Astros the lead that they did not give up in an 8–5 victory (the Astros went on to win the Wild Card by one game).[19]
As they had done the previous year, the Astros beat the Braves to advance to theNLCS. They avenged their previous loss to theSt. Louis Cardinals in six games to win their first league pennant. In the clinching sixth game, Biggio did his part with a third inning single that drove in a run in the 5-1 victory.[20] After having played 4,714 games and their entire major league careers together in Houston, Biggio and Bagwell appeared in their first and onlyWorld Series that year[21] against theChicago White Sox. The White Sox swept the Astros to secure the championship[22] with the lowest run-scoring differential in a World Series sweep.[23] Both Biggio and Bagwell receivedBaseball America's Lifetime Achievement Award after the 2005 season.[24] On May 23, 2006, Biggio became the 23rd player in MLB history to reach 10,000at-bats.
On June 28,2007, Biggio became the 27th player in the history of Major League Baseball to join the3,000 hit club, with asingle againstColorado RockiespitcherAaron Cook. Though Biggio was tagged out on the play attempting to stretch it into a double, drawing the throw allowed a run to score. The game action paused while Biggio shared the moment with his wife and children. Longtime friend and former teammate Jeff Bagwell emerged from the Astros clubhouse to congratulate him. Biggio became the first player in Astros history to accumulate 3,000 hits. It was Biggio's third hit of the game, and he went on to accumulate two more later in the game, one in the ninth inning and one in the eleventh inning. He became the first player in history to record his 3,000th hit and have five hits in the same game.[25] Biggio's 3,000th hit came on the same day thatFrank Thomas hit his milestone500th career home run, both marks which are considered to guarantee induction into the Hall of Fame.
In anticipation of Biggio's reaching 3,000 hits, the Astros installed a digital counter just left of center field displaying his current hit total.
With 668 doubles, he ended his career in fifth place on the all-time list. Biggio also holds the record for the most doubles by a right-handed hitter. He is the only player in the history of baseball with 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs. He ranks 20th on the all-time hits list, though of those 20 players he ranks 19th in career batting average. No player had more hits than Biggio had during his playing career.[26]
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 beingWillie Mays.
On July 24, 2007, Biggio announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season (his 20th season with the club, a franchise record). Hours later, with the Astros locked in a 3–3 tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Biggio hit agrand slam in the 6th inning. The Astros went on to win the game 7–4.
In the penultimate game of his career, Biggio started as a catcher and caught 2 innings for the Astros. He also hit a double in his first at-bat of the game.[27]
A sellout, record-breaking crowd packedMinute Maid Park on September 30, 2007, to witness Biggio's final game. He recorded his final career hit, a double in the first inning, and scored his final career run that same inning. In his final career at-bat, he grounded the ball to third basemanChipper Jones, who threw out the hustling Biggio by half a step. He left the field to a standing ovation from the fans, and when he was replaced defensively in the top of the 8th inning he shook hands with umpires and teammates and left to another standing ovation as he waved to the fans. The Astros won the game 3–0.
Biggio finished his career with 3,060 career hits, 668 doubles, 291 home runs, 1,175 RBI, 414 stolen bases, and a .281 batting average.
Biggio has been a special assistant to the general manager since 2008. In this role, he works in several areas, including with the baseball operations staff in its major and minor league player development programs with special emphasis on instruction, the amateur draft and scouting, and major and minor league talent evaluation. Biggio was involved in the selection of new Astros Manager Bo Porter in 2012. Additionally, Biggio participates in the club's community development program.[28]
Over his career, Biggio gained a reputation for being hit by pitches; some observers criticized him due to the fact that many of the pitches hit him on his sizableelbow pad. Some have even gone so far as to proclaim him the "king of hit batsmen".[29] On June 29, 2005, Biggio broke the modern-era career hit-by-pitch record, previously held byDon Baylor with 267. He is second to onlyHughie Jennings on the all-time list with 287. Despite being hit by a record number of pitches, Biggio nevercharged the mound,[30] and had no serious injuries as a result of being hit by a pitch.
In his final season, however, Biggio was only hit three times. He was hit fewer times total between 2006 and 2007 (nine times in 2006, total of 12) than he was in 10 of his previous 11 individual seasons. In August 2007, the satirical online newspaperThe Onion referenced this in the article "Craig Biggio Blames Media Pressure For Stalling at 285 Hit-By-Pitches".[31] Biggio sent an arm guard to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of his high hit-by-pitch total.
On May 23, 2008, during apre-game ceremony, Biggio received an award for MLB.com's This Year in Baseball 2007 Moment of the Year award for his 3,000th hit. On June 28, the Astros announced that they wouldretire Craig Biggio's jersey.[33] The Houston Astros retired his No. 7 jersey on August 17, 2008, prior to the start of a game versus theArizona Diamondbacks. Biggio was the ninth player in Astros history to have his number retired.
Biggio first appeared on the writers' ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in2013, the earliest possible year of consideration. He led all Hall of Fame vote-getters by being named on 68.2% of ballots cast. However, this was 39 votes shy of reaching the 75% threshold required by theBBWAA for induction. Thefollowing year he once again failed to garner enough votes to be inducted, finishing two votes shy with a voting percentage of 74.8%. This ties him withNellie Fox (1985) andPie Traynor (1947) for smallest margin not to get into the Hall, which received criticism.[34][35]
On January 6, 2015, Biggio was rewarded for his career by beingelected to the Hall of Fame. He received 82.7% of the votes and was inducted into the hall on July 26, 2015. He was the first member of the 3,000 hit club to not be elected on the first ballot.[1] On July 29, 2021, Biggio was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors.[36]
Biggio has received awards from various organizations, including theHutch Award (2005) and being named one ofSporting 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 theRoberto 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".[37]
Biggio has been a supporter and lead spokesperson for theSunshine 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 celebritygolf tournament in Houston each spring. Biggio hosts an annual party atMinute Maid Park for about 100 Sunshine Kids to play baseball with Biggio and some of his teammates.
With the 2006 annual golf tournament, 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, photoshoots, 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 their 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.[38]
Biggio was arrested in June 1989 and charged with drunk driving inHarris County, Texas. Astros teammateKen Caminiti was a passenger in the car at the time of the arrest. At trial, the arresting officer testified that Biggio handed him $200 in what he believed was abribery attempt. On October 5, he was found guilty of drunk driving.[39] The following day, he was sentenced to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service and fined $350.[40]
Biggio married his wife, the former Patty Egan, in 1990. At that time she was a nurse, but moved on from that career after moving to Houston, where they still live. They have three children: son Conor, born in 1993, sonCavan, born in 1995, and daughter Quinn, born in 1999.[41] Cavan has played in Major League Baseball, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019.[42] From 2008 to 2013, Biggio was the head baseball coach atSt. Thomas High School.[43] Biggio coached St. Thomas to back-to-backTexas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 5A state baseball titles in 2010 and 2011.
Both of Biggio's sons played baseball at St. Thomas. Cavan hit a home run in the team's 2011 championship game, while older brother Conor provided the winning offense in St. Thomas' semifinal victory.[44] Both Conor and Cavan attended theUniversity of Notre Dame.[41] Conor playedsummer baseball for several teams, playing for theNorth Adams SteepleCats of theNew England Collegiate Baseball League in 2012, theNorth Shore Navigators of theFutures Collegiate Baseball League in 2013, and theNew Bedford Bay Sox in 2014.[45][46]
Biggio and his family have a home inSpring Lake, New Jersey, which they named "Home Plate".[47] Biggio's father-in-law is former AssemblymanJoseph V. Egan, who was a longtime member of the New Jersey legislature until his 2024 retirement at age 86.[48] Biggio isCatholic.[49]
| Title | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball America Lifetime Achievement Award | 2005 | [50] |
| National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee | 2015 | [1] |
| Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame inductee | 2002 | [2] |
| Texas Baseball Hall of Fame inductee | 2005 | |
| Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee | 2005 | [17] |
| Name of award | Times | Dates | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball America National League All-Star at second base | 2 | 1994, 1998 | ||
| Branch Rickey Award | 1 | 1997 | ||
| Heart & Hustle Award | 2 | 2007, 2008 | ||
| Houston Astros Most Valuable Player | 1 | 1998 | ||
| Hutch Award | 1 | 2005 | ||
| Major League Baseball All-Star | ||||
| at catcher | 1 | 1991 | ||
| at second base | 6 | 1992,1994–1998 | ||
| Rawlings Gold Glove Award atsecond base | 4 | 1994–1997 | ||
| Roberto Clemente Award | 1 | 2007 | ||
| Silver Slugger Award | ||||
| atcatcher | 1 | 1989 | ||
| atsecond base | 4 | 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 | ||
Notes: PerBaseball-Reference.com. †– led Major Leagues.
| Category | Times | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles leader | 3 | 1994,1998†,1999† |
| Games played leader | 3 | 1992, 1996, 1997 |
| Hit by pitch leader | 5 | 1995†–1997†,2001†,2003† |
| Plate appearance leader | 5 | 1992,1995†, 1997–1999† |
| Runs scored leader | 2 | 1995†,1997† |
| Stolen base leader | 1 | 1994 |
| Times on base leader | 1 | 1997 |
· Baseball Almanac| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle April 8, 2002 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
