Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio traveled the path from catcher to second baseman, and then to center fielder, but no matter which position he played he was the heart and soul of the Houston Astros in the 1990s and early 2000s. The gritty Biggio won four Gold Glove Awards at second while helping the Astros to four division titles in five seasons, from 1997 to 2001. With Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, and later Lance Berkman, he was part of the famous "Killer B's," who unfortunately had little sting in the playoffs, losing in the first round four times. In 1998, Biggio joined Tris Speaker as the only players to steal 50 bases and hit 50 doubles in a single season. In 2007, he became the first Astro to reach the 3,000-hit mark.
Quotes From Biggio
"I couldn't have scripted it any better. As a baseball player, the way the fans treated me. ... I've said for a long time, I love these guys, I love this city, I worked hard here and they appreciated that." — Craig Biggio on the night of his 3,000th hit
"It matters to me. Do I like it? No. I hate it. I know some people here are happy that I'm out of there again. For me, I know I have to start swinging the bat better. Once I start swinging the bat better, I'll be back at the top of the order. It's something that I've got to fix, watch video and make it right." — Craig Biggio, on being demoted from first to sixth in the lineup by manager Phil Garner, May 2007
Played For
Houston Astros (1988-2005)
All-Time Rankings
Craig Biggio ranks #9 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1995
Biggio won his second Gold Gloce and made just 10 errors at second base. At the plate, Biggio got on base via hit 167 times, walked 80 times, ans was hit by 22 pitches. He also stole 33 bases in 41 tries, scored 123 runs, had 30 doubles, 22 homers, and 77 RBI. He hit .302 and had an OBP above .400, per usual.
Factoids
In 1998, Craig Biggio became the second player in baseball history to collect 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in the same season, joining Hall of Famer Tris Speaker.
On June 28, 2007, Craig Biggio became the first player to collect five hits in the same game in which he reached the 3,000-hit mark. Biggio lined a single in the seventh inning to reach the magical plateau.
Major League Leaders (1994-2003)
Most Runs Scored, MLB (1994-2003)
Jeff Bagwell... 1,051
Barry Bonds... 1,029
Craig Biggio... 997
Sammy Sosa... 944
Kenny Lofton... 927
Most Times Hit by Pitch, MLB (1994-2003)
Craig Biggio... 186
Fernando Vina... 138
Jason Kendall... 133
Chuck Knoblauch... 121
Brady Anderson... 118
Andres Galarraga... 118
Most Hits, MLB (1994-2003)
Bernie Williams... 1,532
Craig Biggio... 1,496
Sammy Sosa... 1,496
Roberto Alomar... 1,492
Rafael Palmeiro... 1,490
Jeff Bagwell... 1,475
Where He Played
Catcher (1988-1991), second base (1992-2002), center field (2003-present).
Born
Craig Alan Biggio was born on December 14, 1965, in Smithtown, NY.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: HOU
College: Seton Hall
Major League Debut
June 26, 1988
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1988
Craig Biggio
Roberto Alomar
Mark Grace
Gary Sheffield
Brady Anderson
John Smoltz
Randy Johnson
Curt Schilling
Gregg Olson
Uniform Numbers
#4 (1988), #7 (1989-present)
Similar Players
Robin Yount
Related Players
Jeff Bagwell, Tris Speaker... Bagwell was welcomed onto the field by Biggio the night Biggio reached the 3,000-hit mark.
Post-Season Appearances
1997 National League Divisional Series
1998 National League Divisional Series
1999 National League Divisional Series
2001 National League Divisional Series
2004 National League Championship Series
2004 National League Divisional Series
2005 World Series
2005 National League Championship Series
2005 National League Divisional Series
Post-Season Notes
Entering 2004, Biggio had played in four division series, amounting to 14 games. The Astros are 2-12 in those games, while Biggio has hit a dismal .130 (7-for-54) with one extra-base hit and one RBI. His performance is historically awful, standing as one of the worst in post-season history by any player with that many games, let alone a player of his caliber. His poor clutch performance extends into the regular season as well, as evidenced by his career .261/.391/.352 batting marks in September, which encompasses nearly 350 games. His longtime teammate, Jeff Bagwell, has also posted poor numbers in the post-season. In the 2004 NL Division Series against the Braves, Biggio reversed his fortunes, batting .400 (8-for-20) with two doubles, a homer, four RBI and five runs scored as the Astros defeated Atlanta in five games. He hit a disappointing .188 (6-for-30) in Houston's seven-game loss to St. Louis in the NLCS. His post-season average stood at .198 after the '04 playoffs.
Awards and Honors
1994 NL Gold Glove
1995 NL Gold Glove
1996 NL Gold Glove
1997 NL Gold Glove
Feats
Biggio played in a Astros' franchise-record 494 consecutive games, through August 5, 1998.
Milestones
Biggio collected his 2,000th hit in 2001, and his 2,500th hit in 2004. On June 28, 2007, he reached the 3,000-hit mark, lacing five hits against the Rockies in a game played in Houston. Biggio also has more than 200 homers and 400 stolen bases.
Batting Feats
Notes
Entering the 2007 season, Biggio held the Houston franchise marks for most career games played, at-bats, hits, runs scored, doubles, and times hit by a pitch... In 2007, Biggio became the ninth player to collect 3,000 hits while playing for one team.
Transactions
June 2, 1987: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1st round (22nd pick) of the 1987 amateur draft; October 31, 1995: Granted Free Agency; December 14, 1995: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros.
All-Star Selections
1991 NL
1992 NL
1994 NL
1995 NL
1996 NL
1997 NL
1998 NL
Replaced
Biggio was called up in late June of 1988 and played pretty regularly the rest of the season. In '89 he was the Astros starting catcher, having pried the job from veterans Alex Trevino and Alan Ashby.
Replaced By
Eddie Taubensee was supposed to be the next great thing at catcher, so Biggio was moved to second base in 1992. There were other reasons: Houston wanted to prolong Biggio's career, but Taubensee was also a hot prospect. Taubensee never panned out, but Biggio stayed at second base, earning four Gold Gloves. When the Astros signed Jeff Kent as a free agent in 2003, Biggio was moved to center field, which had long been rumored.
Best Strength as a Player
Adaptability and grittiness.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His disappointing performances in the post-season.
Learn More about Craig Biggio
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
