Craig Biggio
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Craig Alan Biggio [BIDGE-ee-oh] (born December 14, 1965 in Smithtown, NY) is a seven-time All-Star baseball player who has played his entire Major League career with the Houston Astros.
College career
Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall University, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round (22nd overall) in 1987.
Catcher
Biggio was called up as a catcher midway through the 1988 season and became the Astros starting catcher and 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.
Second baseman
The Astros finally convinced Biggio to convert to second base in spring training 1992, even though Biggio had made the 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.
Biggio became known as a reliable, hustling, consistent top of the order hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman. His stats reflect this, having consistently good marks in hitting, on-base percentage, hit-by-pitch, runs, stolen bases and doubles throughout his career.
Yogi Berra, when asked about Biggio being short for a catcher, said "Short catchers are better, because they don't have to stand up as far."
Consistency
His consistency was epitomized by playing 1,800 games without ever being put on the disabled list until August 1, 2000, when he had a season-ending knee injury. In the play that Biggio was injured on, the Florida Marlins' Preston Wilson (who is now Biggio's teammate) slid into second base, trying to break up a double play, and hit Biggio's planted left leg, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in Biggio's knee. Biggio rebounded with a good season in 2001, but had a lackluster performance in 2002, with only a .253 average, his lowest since entering the league.
Outfielder
However, he improved slightly for the 2003 season, averaging .264 with 166 hits despite being asked by management to move to center field. In 2004, he put up numbers more typical for his career, batting .281 with 178 hits, including 24 homers. Biggio moved to yet another new position, left field, midway through the 2004 season to accommodate Carlos Beltrán.
Back to second
In the 2005 season Biggio moved back to second base after Jeff Kent left for the Dodgers. Biggio set a new career high by hitting 26 home-runs and during the season hit his 1000th RBI becoming the second Astro with 1000 RBIs for Houston (the first Jeff Bagwell). Biggio played in the World Series in 2005 for the first time in his eighteen year career. On May 23, 2006 Biggio became the 23rd player in MLB history with 10,000 at-bats.Stats
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 2647 | 10130 | 1745 | 2883 | 630 | 52 | 268 | 1098 | 1124 | 408 | .285 | .369 | .436 |
Biggio led the majors in runs scored in 1995 and 1997 and in doubles in 1998 and 1999. In 1997, he became one of the few players in baseball history to not hit into a single double play all season. He tops the Astros' career list in games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits and doubles. By the end of the 2005 season, Biggio had 2,795 hits, 604 doubles, 260 home runs, 1,063 RBIs, and 407 stolen bases. His accomplishments with the bat are all the more impressive for having played his best years in the Astrodome, a notorious pitcher's park.
On June 29, 2005, Biggio broke the post-1900 career hit by pitch (HBP) record, previously held by Don Baylor with 267. In the fourth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, a pitch from Byung-Hyun Kim hit Biggio on the left elbow for his 268th HBP. He is currently the active leader in this category only trailing Hughie Jennings on the all-time list.
Biggio holds the record for most regular season games played before his first World Series appearnace with 2,564. On October 25, 2005, Biggio became the first Astros player to hit and score a run in a World Series home game.
He was awarded the Hutch Award in 2005, and is the only player in Major League Baseball history with at least 600 doubles, 2,800 hits, 250 homers and 400 steals.
Salaries
1989 Houston Astros $78,000 - 1990 Houston Astros $240,000 - 1991 Houston Astros $437,500 - 1992 Houston Astros $1,425,000 - 1993 Houston Astros $3,050,000 - 1994 Houston Astros $3,500,000 - 1995 Houston Astros $4,725,000 - 1996 Houston Astros $2,075,000 - 1997 Houston Astros $6,280,000 - 1998 Houston Astros $6,145,000 - 1999 Houston Astros $6,060,000 - 2000 Houston Astros $6,750,000 - 2001 Houston Astros $7,750,000 - 2002 Houston Astros $8,750,000 - 2003 Houston Astros $9,750,000 - 2004 Houston Astros $3,000,000 - 2005 Houston Astros $3,000,000Trivia
Biggio is known as a 'killer B' - originally with teammates Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, Tim Bogar and Sean Berry and more recently Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltrán (2004), Brandon Backe, Chris Burke, and Eric Bruntlett. Beltrán has since signed with the New York Mets, while Burke is regarded as the Astros' second baseman of the future once Biggio retires. Biggio is gaining momentum as a likely future Hall of Famer. Baseball writer Bill James in the Revised Historical Abstract rated Biggio at the 4th best second baseman of all time and the 35th best player of all time, making a detailed argument that throughout his career, Biggio has been a better player than Ken Griffey, Jr..Biggio is noted for his superstitions. Biggio's chief superstition involves his batting helmet, which he does not change or clean throughout the entire season.
The Biggio chant is perceived to be the easiest to remember and say. The chant is the letters BGO said B-G-O.
Awards
All-Star
- 1991 (Catcher)
- 1992 (2nd Base)
- 1994 (2nd Base)
- 1995 (2nd Base)
- 1996 (2nd Base)
- 1997 (2nd Base)
- 1998 (2nd Base)
Gold Glove
- 1994: National League Gold Glove (2nd Base)
- 1995: National League Gold Glove (2nd Base)
- 1996: National League Gold Glove (2nd Base)
- 1997: National League Gold Glove (2nd Base)
Community Service
Craig Biggio has been a supporter and lead spokesperson for the Sunshine Kids for over a decade and almost the entirety of his playing carrer. The organization supports children fighting cancer with exciting activities for themselves and their families. Biggo helps the organization by raising awareness of the organization by wearing a small yellow star on his cap for interviews and by holding a celebrity golf tournament in Houston each spring. Biggio also holds a party day at Minute Maid Park for the about 100 kids to play baseball with Biggio and some of his teammates. Biggio has been awarded by various organizations for his efforts, including the Hutch Award (2006) 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 his community and inspriring other teammates to participate as well. With the 2006 annual golf tournament, Biggio has raised over $2 million dollars for the organization.External links
- [Baseball-Reference.com] - career statistics and analysis
- Sabermetrically comical analysis following Craig's HBPs [link]
- [Houston Astros.com Player Profile]
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