July 24, 2007, 1:23PM
Biggio says he'll retire at end of season
By BRIAN MCTAGGART
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Craig Biggio, who reached baseball immortality earlier this year when he reached 3,000 career hits, will announce in a press conference this afternoon at Minute Maid Park that he will retire following the 2007 season.
Biggio, 41, has played his entire 20-year career with the Astros and last month became the 27th player in the history of baseball to reach 3,000 hits. He's in sixth place on the all-time doubles list with 661 and has hit more doubles than any righthanded player in history.
Biggio had his playing time reduced at the All-Star break, but will continue to start most of the team's games at home. Unless the Astros make the playoffs, his final game will be Sept. 30 against the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park.
Biggio broke into the majors in 1988 as a catcher and would become a fixture in the Astros' lineup for two decades, switching to second base to the outfield and eventually returning to second base. He finished in the top five on the Most Valuable Player voting in 1997 and 1998 and established himself as one of the game's top second baseman. He's a career .282 hitter with 286 homers, 3,014 hits and 1,826 runs.
Biggio made the All-Star team seven times in the 1990s, including both at catcher and second base, won four Gold Gloves at second base and holds baseball's modern-day record for being hit by a pitch. He and longtime teammate Jeff Bagwell, who retired last year, are considered the greatest players to wear an Astros uniform, and they helped take the struggling franchise to new heights culminating in a World Series berth in 2005.
Biggio says he'll retire at end of season
By BRIAN MCTAGGART
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Craig Biggio, who reached baseball immortality earlier this year when he reached 3,000 career hits, will announce in a press conference this afternoon at Minute Maid Park that he will retire following the 2007 season.
Biggio, 41, has played his entire 20-year career with the Astros and last month became the 27th player in the history of baseball to reach 3,000 hits. He's in sixth place on the all-time doubles list with 661 and has hit more doubles than any righthanded player in history.
Biggio had his playing time reduced at the All-Star break, but will continue to start most of the team's games at home. Unless the Astros make the playoffs, his final game will be Sept. 30 against the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park.
Biggio broke into the majors in 1988 as a catcher and would become a fixture in the Astros' lineup for two decades, switching to second base to the outfield and eventually returning to second base. He finished in the top five on the Most Valuable Player voting in 1997 and 1998 and established himself as one of the game's top second baseman. He's a career .282 hitter with 286 homers, 3,014 hits and 1,826 runs.
Biggio made the All-Star team seven times in the 1990s, including both at catcher and second base, won four Gold Gloves at second base and holds baseball's modern-day record for being hit by a pitch. He and longtime teammate Jeff Bagwell, who retired last year, are considered the greatest players to wear an Astros uniform, and they helped take the struggling franchise to new heights culminating in a World Series berth in 2005.
He is a real ass at the fan functions though. Every year the Astros have a photo day. While other players will get right next to everyone and hold babies for instance, Biggio wont get within 10 feet of anyone!
You ask him if you can get a picture, and he says "Turn around." Most of other guys will move up close to the gate to actually be a part of the picture. He also brings his own private body guard onto the field as well. I NEVER saw Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte have a body guard on those days. Also, compared to Bagwell, Biggio is a MASS MURDERER.
Bagwell has 10x the class of Biggio. Biggio also was not even CLOSE to as popular as Bags!
You ask him if you can get a picture, and he says "Turn around." Most of other guys will move up close to the gate to actually be a part of the picture. He also brings his own private body guard onto the field as well. I NEVER saw Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte have a body guard on those days. Also, compared to Bagwell, Biggio is a MASS MURDERER.
Bagwell has 10x the class of Biggio. Biggio also was not even CLOSE to as popular as Bags!
Max, you must not be talking about Fuji Film Photo Day, because no one can get an autograph on those days. Photo day is where you get to the stadium a few hours early and they have a gate around the warning track where the players come out and stand and take pictures. But it wasnt just me with the picture, I was even taking one of him. But I saw others try it on down the line and he wouldnt even come close to the gate. But maybe he has had a few threats before, so maybe that is why he doesnt get too close. I can only talk about what I have seen at that specific function each year. But I am sure at other functions, he acts a bit differently when there are not 4000 people waiting to get a photo.
One thing that I am confident that you will agree with me is that Bagwell has more class than Biggio. I love Biggio as well, but Bags is my guy
One thing that I am confident that you will agree with me is that Bagwell has more class than Biggio. I love Biggio as well, but Bags is my guy
I should say that I dont necc think that he is bad at all. He is always acts different than every other player at that Photo Day function.
I love Biggio and always have. But he certainly isnt in my top 5 Astros of all time.
Back when I used to promote baseball card shows in the early 90's, I had the TOY CANNON Jimmy Wynn as an autograph guest. I had to pay him the $650 appearance fee in cash, so he didnt have to pay taxes on it! He actually had the nerve to tell me that in person. Now I knew that he wouldnt report it, but no reason to tell me about it.
I also had Ken Caminiti back in around 1991 or so I believe. He charged quite a bit more for that day, I think around $1250 or so. Ken was one of nicest autograph guest that I ever had. He stayed an extra hour or so talking to people in College Station, TX.
Sorry, but I had to get my alma mata in this thread somewhere TEXAS A&M
I love Biggio and always have. But he certainly isnt in my top 5 Astros of all time.
Back when I used to promote baseball card shows in the early 90's, I had the TOY CANNON Jimmy Wynn as an autograph guest. I had to pay him the $650 appearance fee in cash, so he didnt have to pay taxes on it! He actually had the nerve to tell me that in person. Now I knew that he wouldnt report it, but no reason to tell me about it.
I also had Ken Caminiti back in around 1991 or so I believe. He charged quite a bit more for that day, I think around $1250 or so. Ken was one of nicest autograph guest that I ever had. He stayed an extra hour or so talking to people in College Station, TX.
Sorry, but I had to get my alma mata in this thread somewhere TEXAS A&M
He might be time to post Caminiti's lifetime numbers! Well before and after the roids. Of course he had to play back in the Astrodome days. Hard ot hit HR's in that park. I cant remember the year, but one season in the 70's, 9 homeruns lead the team in homeruns. It was either 9 or 13, but that is a CRAZY number!!
Who can see when the aberration starts with the stats below?
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG *OPS+ TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
1987 24 HOU NL 63 203 10 50 7 1 3 23 0 0 12 44 .246 .287 .335 67 68 2 1 1 0 6
1988 25 HOU NL 30 83 5 15 2 0 1 7 0 0 5 18 .181 .225 .241 37 20 0 1 0 0 3
1989 26 HOU NL 161 585 71 149 31 3 10 72 4 1 51 93 .255 .316 .369 98 216 3 4 9 3 8
1990 27 HOU NL 153 541 52 131 20 2 4 51 9 4 48 97 .242 .302 .309 71 167 3 4 7 0 15
1991 28 HOU NL 152 574 65 145 30 3 13 80 4 5 46 85 .253 .312 .383 100 220 3 4 7 5 18
1992 29 HOU NL 135 506 68 149 31 2 13 62 10 4 44 68 .294 .350 .441 127 223 2 4 13 1 14
1993 30 HOU NL 143 543 75 142 31 0 13 75 8 5 49 88 .262 .321 .390 93 212 1 3 10 0 15
1994 31 HOU NL 111 406 63 115 28 2 18 75 4 3 43 71 .283 .352 .495 123 201 0 3 13 2 8 AS
1995 32 SDP NL 143 526 74 159 33 0 26 94 12 5 69 94 .302 .380 .513 138 270 0 6 8 1 11
1996 33 SDP NL 146 546 109 178 37 2 40 130 11 5 78 99 .326 .408 .621 173 339 0 10 16 4 15 SS,MVP-1,AS
1997 34 SDP NL 137 486 92 141 28 0 26 90 11 2 80 118 .290 .389 .508 141 247 0 7 9 3 12 AS
1998 35 SDP NL 131 452 87 114 29 0 29 82 6 2 71 108 .252 .353 .509 133 230 0 8 4 4 6
1999 36 HOU NL 78 273 45 78 11 1 13 56 6 2 46 58 .286 .386 .476 123 130 0 7 3 3 7
2000 37 HOU NL 59 208 42 63 13 0 15 45 3 0 42 37 .303 .419 .582 143 121 0 2 8 1 7
2001 38 TOT 118 356 36 81 17 1 15 41 0 1 43 85 .228 .312 .407 86 145 0 3 3 2 7
TEX AL 54 185 24 43 8 1 9 25 0 0 22 41 .232 .318 .432 96 80 0 2 2 2 5
ATL NL 64 171 12 38 9 0 6 16 0 1 21 44 .222 .306 .380 76 65 0 1 1 0 2
Who can see when the aberration starts with the stats below?
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG *OPS+ TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
1987 24 HOU NL 63 203 10 50 7 1 3 23 0 0 12 44 .246 .287 .335 67 68 2 1 1 0 6
1988 25 HOU NL 30 83 5 15 2 0 1 7 0 0 5 18 .181 .225 .241 37 20 0 1 0 0 3
1989 26 HOU NL 161 585 71 149 31 3 10 72 4 1 51 93 .255 .316 .369 98 216 3 4 9 3 8
1990 27 HOU NL 153 541 52 131 20 2 4 51 9 4 48 97 .242 .302 .309 71 167 3 4 7 0 15
1991 28 HOU NL 152 574 65 145 30 3 13 80 4 5 46 85 .253 .312 .383 100 220 3 4 7 5 18
1992 29 HOU NL 135 506 68 149 31 2 13 62 10 4 44 68 .294 .350 .441 127 223 2 4 13 1 14
1993 30 HOU NL 143 543 75 142 31 0 13 75 8 5 49 88 .262 .321 .390 93 212 1 3 10 0 15
1994 31 HOU NL 111 406 63 115 28 2 18 75 4 3 43 71 .283 .352 .495 123 201 0 3 13 2 8 AS
1995 32 SDP NL 143 526 74 159 33 0 26 94 12 5 69 94 .302 .380 .513 138 270 0 6 8 1 11
1996 33 SDP NL 146 546 109 178 37 2 40 130 11 5 78 99 .326 .408 .621 173 339 0 10 16 4 15 SS,MVP-1,AS
1997 34 SDP NL 137 486 92 141 28 0 26 90 11 2 80 118 .290 .389 .508 141 247 0 7 9 3 12 AS
1998 35 SDP NL 131 452 87 114 29 0 29 82 6 2 71 108 .252 .353 .509 133 230 0 8 4 4 6
1999 36 HOU NL 78 273 45 78 11 1 13 56 6 2 46 58 .286 .386 .476 123 130 0 7 3 3 7
2000 37 HOU NL 59 208 42 63 13 0 15 45 3 0 42 37 .303 .419 .582 143 121 0 2 8 1 7
2001 38 TOT 118 356 36 81 17 1 15 41 0 1 43 85 .228 .312 .407 86 145 0 3 3 2 7
TEX AL 54 185 24 43 8 1 9 25 0 0 22 41 .232 .318 .432 96 80 0 2 2 2 5
ATL NL 64 171 12 38 9 0 6 16 0 1 21 44 .222 .306 .380 76 65 0 1 1 0 2
