May 28, 2005 – Few if any players in big-league history have achieved so much success at a variety of positions as Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. A seven-time All-Star as both a catcher and second baseman, he also spent two seasons as an outfielder. Biggio was also something of a rarity in the era of free agency, having spent his entire 20-year career with one team.
A star running back at Kings Park High School on Long Island, Biggio chose to pursue baseball as his profession. Following his junior year at Seton Hall University, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound catcher was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 1987 draft. In 1989 he became the Astros starting catcher and won the NL Silver Slugger Award . Following the 1991 season, in which he made his first All-Star appearance, the Astros asked Biggio to move to second base. With the help of coach Matt Galante, he not only made the difficult transition but went on to win four Gold Glove awards at the position, as well as four Silver Slugger Awards.
On June 28, 2007, he became the 27th player in major league history to record 3,000 hits, and is the only player with more than 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 250 home runs, and 400 stolen bases. He ranks fifth all-time in doubles and second in being hit by pitches. Biggio is also the only player other than Tris Speaker with 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in the same season. In 2007 he received the Roberto Clemente Award as “the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team,” and the following year the Astros retired his uniform number 7. Statues of Biggio and his longtime teammate, Jeff Bagwell, a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee, stand outside Minute Maid Park in Houston. In 2015 Biggio became the first Astro to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Here he discusses his transitions from catcher to second baseman to center fielder, Yogi Berra’s superior knowledge of baseball, players he admired, and his disappointment with the lack of loyalty from both management and players.
