If they were all like Biggio, it would be a wonderful world of sports
R. Justice
His legacy will be in the simplest things. He played the game the right way. He had his priorities straight. He believed it was important for a professional athlete to leave a legacy beyond the field. In ways large and small, he was the prototype for what they all should be.
His lasting legacy will be that he set an example for every player that walks into the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park. Do it the way Craig did it, son. Be as much as perfectionist as he was. Be as charitable, too. Play with the passion he played with.
The truth is, there won't be another one like him. We were lucky to have him here for all 20 of his big league seasons. If he'd played somewhere else, they would have named a candy bar after him. Here in Houston, a lot of us named our kids after him.
He's not an emotional sort by nature, but there are times he has gotten choked up in recent years as he gazed into the stands and saw all those kids in their Bagwell and Biggio jerseys. Yes, he's reminded, we mattered.
He helped turn a franchise that hadn't done much of anything into one of baseball's most consistent winners. He arrived in 1988, Jeff Bagwell joined him in 1991 and the Astros were about to have the best run they'd ever have. This season we're reminded that winning isn't as easy or as routine as they made it look. I wonder if he'd like to be general manager. Or manager.
Beginning with the break-through season of 1997, Bagwell and Biggio led the Astros to six playoff appearances in nine years. Along the way, both established themselves as among the greatest playes in baseball history. Stat guru Bill James makes a compelling case that both are among the 50 best.
They didn't just produce on the field, either. They took care of business off it. Theirs was a perfect partnership. Bagwell was the good cop, the guy everyone liked. Biggio was tougher. He played with more of an edge. Some didn't appreciate his fire.
He had perfect role models. Alan Ashby took him under his wing. So did Billy Doran. Biggio replaced both of them in the lineup, and their unselfishness stayed in his mind forever.
Seeing him now in the twilight of his career it's hard for some to remember what he once was. For about five seasons, he might have been the National League's best player. He was a .300 hitter and a doubles machine, a base-stealer, a winner.
He announces his retirement a dead solid lock to be a first-ballot induction in the Hall of Fame. He'll walk through the doors of Cooperstown in 2013. Book your room now.
His resume is stunning: 3,014 hits, 661 doubles, 4 Gold Gloves, 7 All-Star Games and the Hutch Award, given annually to a player of character. I'll also remember that final day of the 2004 season, about an hour after the Astros had clinched a playoff berth.
I walked into a clubhouse that was a mess after the wild champagne party. Ice was strewn on the floor, sheets of plastic hung from he lockers. There sat Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, alone, laughing, sipping champagne. They could have passed for the two happiest guys on earth. Weren't we lucky?
His legacy will be in the simplest things. He played the game the right way. He had his priorities straight. He believed it was important for a professional athlete to leave a legacy beyond the field. In ways large and small, he was the prototype for what they all should be.
His lasting legacy will be that he set an example for every player that walks into the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park. Do it the way Craig did it, son. Be as much as perfectionist as he was. Be as charitable, too. Play with the passion he played with.
The truth is, there won't be another one like him. We were lucky to have him here for all 20 of his big league seasons. If he'd played somewhere else, they would have named a candy bar after him. Here in Houston, a lot of us named our kids after him.
He's not an emotional sort by nature, but there are times he has gotten choked up in recent years as he gazed into the stands and saw all those kids in their Bagwell and Biggio jerseys. Yes, he's reminded, we mattered.
He helped turn a franchise that hadn't done much of anything into one of baseball's most consistent winners. He arrived in 1988, Jeff Bagwell joined him in 1991 and the Astros were about to have the best run they'd ever have. This season we're reminded that winning isn't as easy or as routine as they made it look. I wonder if he'd like to be general manager. Or manager.
Beginning with the break-through season of 1997, Bagwell and Biggio led the Astros to six playoff appearances in nine years. Along the way, both established themselves as among the greatest playes in baseball history. Stat guru Bill James makes a compelling case that both are among the 50 best.
They didn't just produce on the field, either. They took care of business off it. Theirs was a perfect partnership. Bagwell was the good cop, the guy everyone liked. Biggio was tougher. He played with more of an edge. Some didn't appreciate his fire.
He had perfect role models. Alan Ashby took him under his wing. So did Billy Doran. Biggio replaced both of them in the lineup, and their unselfishness stayed in his mind forever.
Seeing him now in the twilight of his career it's hard for some to remember what he once was. For about five seasons, he might have been the National League's best player. He was a .300 hitter and a doubles machine, a base-stealer, a winner.
He announces his retirement a dead solid lock to be a first-ballot induction in the Hall of Fame. He'll walk through the doors of Cooperstown in 2013. Book your room now.
His resume is stunning: 3,014 hits, 661 doubles, 4 Gold Gloves, 7 All-Star Games and the Hutch Award, given annually to a player of character. I'll also remember that final day of the 2004 season, about an hour after the Astros had clinched a playoff berth.
I walked into a clubhouse that was a mess after the wild champagne party. Ice was strewn on the floor, sheets of plastic hung from he lockers. There sat Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, alone, laughing, sipping champagne. They could have passed for the two happiest guys on earth. Weren't we lucky?
16 comments:
whoop!
I'm Gunna miss yelling,"GO BIG G O!!!"
We love Bidge
God Bless him!
;)
~Rob
It's so weird- Biggio looks like someone I know...can't put my finger on whom, though!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hey He finally left us.
sob Sob Sob!!!
Waahhh!!!!!
JC
I HATE BASEBALL!!! I LOVE BASEBALL!!!
sniff sniff... why do things have to change? No more Willy, no more Biggio, no more Ensberg... (heart wrenching cry) AHH!!! My heart can't take much more of this!! Please! no more! Let them live and die as they are!
Best post ever.
I'll really miss him too. I dislike Purpura with a vengence.
well maybe not that much but i do dislike him a whole lot.
TC
Why thank you! I liked it too. Richard Justice did a FANTASTIC job on that article.
Regarding Purpura: Lets stay on positive topics. Don't get me started on Purpura. :)
~MJ~
I think that Brooke and John are boycotting baseball posts... : )
John's not here to do so. But I don't doubt that he would. Brooke most likely is :)
I love BIGGIO!!!!!
JC
I love my baseball posts. They can boycott all they want. :):)
~MJ~
baseball posts ugggghhh.....
I'm gonna miss ol' Bidge!
Kakiedoo
Whoa! That anonymous post was NOT me and John isn't here.... who is that????
Ha I doubt it... ITS SO YOU. Nice try on the cover-up though...
JK
JC
Well, it wasn't me! : )
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