The Houston Astros did the right thing by keeping Craig Biggio in the starting line up. These days, it is hard to find players that stay with the same team for an entire career. Well Biggio is one of the few players in any sport that is a sure thing going into the Hall of Fame to stay with the same team his whole career.
There are many great milestones in baseball. 3,000 strikeouts, 300 wins, 550 home runs, 400 stolen bases, 400 saved games, 2000 RBI's and of course, 3000 hits. Reaching any of these milestones will generally get you a first place ticket into the Hall, mainly because by reaching them, you had to be one of the best.
Craig Biggio was not one of the best. He was just a good player, a hard worker who rarely missed a game, never complained about his contract and was a leader on his team by setting the example. Biggio's statistics have dropped considerably in the last few years, but he has still been a big contributor. His team made it to the World Series a few years ago and with the exception of this season, has been very competitive in the National League.
The night he hit 3,000, it was perhaps one the most inspirational of any feat of this capacity. As Biggio reached first base, he could have stopped and enjoyed reaching the mark. But that is not who Craig Biggio is, so he ran as hard as he could and tried to stretch that single into a double. He didn't do it for the spotlight, nor did he do it for the stat, he did it because that is how he plays. He treats every at bat just like that. So when he was thrown out at second he was rewarded by a large roar of the crowd.
Biggio's standing ovation was memorable. His old teammate, Jeff Bagwell, was brought out by Biggio to share in the moment. The two had been teammates for 14 years and Bagwell was extremely honored to be apart of the memorable event. The fans enjoyed it too.
Biggio could have relaxed for the rest of the game, for it was already his night. But in extra innings, he again made a play that we all will remember. Hitting the ball in the infield toward third, he sprinted as hard as he possibly could to reach first before the ball got there. The fielder had done a good job of fielding, made a good strong throw, but Biggio would not be denied, keeping the inning alive and sparking yet another memorable moment. Carlos Lee ended up hitting a walk off home run that drove Biggio around the bases and on Biggio's biggest night, he had been the official game winning run. It was a 5 hit night for him, only the second time in his career to do so.
As for the future, we don't know how long he will play. He may play until the Astros force him to retire, like they did with Bagwell or he may decide soon that it is time to hang up his cleats. One thing is for sure though, Biggio will be a Hall of Famer 5 years after he retires.
