58 Facts About Craig Biggio

Craig Alan Biggio is an American former second baseman, outfielder and catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career from 1988 through 2007 for the Houston Astros.

Craig Biggio holds the NL record for most times leading off a game with a home run, and is one of only five players with 250 home runs and 400 steals.

Craig Biggio was the ninth player in the 3,000 hit club to collect all his hits with one team.

One of the most admired players of his generation, Craig Biggio received the 2005 Hutch Award for perseverance through adversity and the 2007 Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community service.

Since 2008, Craig Biggio has served as special assistant to the general manager of the Astros.

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Craig Biggio was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, and is the first member of the Hall to be depicted in an Astros uniform on his plaque.

Craig Biggio graduated from Kings Park High School in Kings Park, New York, where he excelled as a multi-sport varsity athlete.

However, Craig Biggio's passion lay with baseball, such that he turned down football scholarships for the opportunity to play baseball for Seton Hall University.

Craig Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin.

Craig Biggio was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 1987 draft.

Craig Biggio remains Seton Hall's leader in triples, second in runs scored, and is in the top 10 in 18 other single-season and career categories.

In 1996, Craig Biggio was inducted into the Seton Hall Hall of Fame and had his number 44 retired in 2012.

Craig Biggio was called up as a catcher midway through the 1988 season, having batted.

Craig Biggio was a very speedy runner, and an adept base stealer.

Craig Biggio considered free agency with a team other than the Astros just once: after the 1995 season ended, teams such as the St Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, and the San Diego Padres; the Rockies and Cardinals were the most serious, with the former offering $20 million for four years while the latter approached him with a five-year, $25 million contract.

However, Craig Biggio took a four-year deal worth $22 million to stay with the Astros.

Craig 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.

Craig Biggio became known as a reliable, hustling, consistent leadoff hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman.

Craig Biggio holds the National League record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 53.

Craig Biggio's statistics reflect this, having consistently good marks in hitting, on-base percentage, hit-by-pitch, runs, stolen bases, and doubles throughout his career.

Between 1994 and 1999, Craig Biggio led the National League in doubles three times, runs scored twice, and stolen bases once.

Craig Biggio was known for intentionally keeping his batting helmet dirty.

Craig Biggio excelled defensively at second base; between 1992 and 1999, Craig Biggio led all National League second basemen in assists six times and putouts five times.

Craig Biggio won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1994 to 1997.

Craig Biggio played 1,800 games without a trip to the disabled list until August 1,2000, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

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Craig Biggio moved to yet another new position, left field, midway through the 2004 season to accommodate Beltran, who was acquired in a trade to help bolster the Astros' struggling offense.

Craig Biggio reached 1,000 RBI, becoming the second Astro to do so, following Bagwell.

On May 23,2006, Craig Biggio became the 23rd player in MLB history to reach 10,000 at-bats.

On June 28,2007, Craig Biggio became the 27th player in the history of Major League Baseball to join the 3,000 hit club, with a single against Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook.

Craig Biggio became the first player in Astros history to accumulate 3,000 hits.

Craig Biggio became the first player in history to record his 3,000th hit and have five hits in the same game.

Craig Biggio's 3,000th hit came on the same day that Frank Thomas hit his milestone 500th career home run, both marks which are considered to guarantee induction into the Hall of Fame.

Craig Biggio holds the record for the most doubles by a right-handed hitter.

Craig Biggio is the only player in the history of baseball with 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs.

Craig Biggio would have become only the seventh player to achieve the feat.

On July 24,2007, Craig Biggio announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season.

Craig Biggio recorded his final career hit, a double in the first inning, and scored his final career run that same inning.

Craig Biggio left the field to a standing ovation from the fans, and when he was replaced defensively in the top of the 8th inning he shook hands with umpires and teammates and left to another standing ovation as he waved to the fans.

Craig Biggio has been a special assistant to the general manager since 2008.

Craig Biggio was involved in the selection of new Astros Manager Bo Porter in 2012.

Over his career, Craig Biggio gained a reputation for being hit by pitches; some observers criticized him due to the fact that many of the pitches hit him on his sizable elbow pad.

On June 29,2005, Craig Biggio broke the modern-era career hit-by-pitch record, previously held by Don Baylor with 267.

Craig Biggio is second to only Hughie Jennings on the all-time list with 287.

Craig Biggio was hit fewer times total between 2006 and 2007 than he was in 10 of his previous 11 individual seasons.

Craig Biggio sent an arm guard to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of his high hit-by-pitch total.

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Craig Biggio was the ninth player in Astros history to have his number retired.

Craig Biggio first appeared on the writers' ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013, the earliest possible year of consideration.

Craig Biggio led all Hall of Fame vote-getters by being named on 68.

On January 6,2015, Craig Biggio was rewarded for his career by being elected to the Hall of Fame.

On July 29,2021, Craig Biggio was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors.

Craig Biggio has received awards from various organizations, including the Hutch Award and being named one of Sporting News' Good Guys.

Part of the reason Craig Biggio was given the award was for his multiple position changes, but because of his work in the community and inspiring other teammates to participate as well.

Craig Biggio has been a supporter and lead spokesperson for the Sunshine Kids Foundation for over a decade and almost the entirety of his playing career.

Craig Biggio helps the organization by raising awareness of the organization by wearing a small yellow sun on his cap for interviews, batting practice, and spring training games and by holding a celebrity golf tournament in Houston each spring.

Craig Biggio was arrested in June 1989 and charged with drunk driving in Harris County, Texas.

At trial, the arresting officer testified that Craig Biggio handed him $200 in what he believed was a bribery attempt.

From 2008 to 2013, Craig Biggio was the head varsity baseball coach at St Thomas High School.

Craig Biggio coached St Thomas to back-to-back Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 5A state baseball titles in 2010 and 2011.