| Doug Benton. 30th June, 2005 - 10:36 pm
 In the middle of his 18th season with the Astros, Craig Biggio broke into the record books yesterday by being hit by a pitch for the 268th time in Colorado. While some make jest at this mark and say Biggio is cheap for doing this, I wish to applaud him on this and other successes he has had in his illustrious career.
Biggio, along with friend and teammate Jeff Bagwell, have been the heart and soul of the Astros? franchise for more than a decade. His gritty play day in and day out to go along with the all-star numbers he has put up has made him a fan favorite in Houston and a Hall of Famer in my book.
At the dish, Biggio has complied 2.718 hits, 587 of which were his trademark doubles, and over 1,000 RBI on his resume, which puts him in the top five of power hitting second baseman of all time. In the field, he roamed the field as an outfielder, second baseman, and catcher. He has won multiple gold gloves during his career and stole over 400 bases, which shows his vast talents on the diamond.
While Biggio has never been part of much team success, last year being the first in which he won a playoff series, he still deserves the nod to Copperstown. Biggio was never about flash, but rather played the game the right way and set an example about how to play second base at the big league level. Some experts might say his numbers don?t add up to the Hall of Fame, but these experts forget to quickly the role these players played in the landscape of baseball.
While the qualifications for the Halls of Fame are numerous and change with the individual examining the player, one thing is for certain. During Biggio?s prime, which lasted for the greater part of the 90?s, there was no question about who was the best second baseman in baseball was. No matter what you might think is Hall of Fame worthy, this fact can?t be ignored. So here is to Craig Biggio on a wonderful career that should end in a Hall of Fame acceptance speech. |
