Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio (born December 14, 1965) is a seven-time All-Star baseball player for the Houston Astros.

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Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall University, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round (22nd overall) in 1987.

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Biggio was called up as a catcher midway through the 1988 season and became the Astros starting catcher and won the Silver Slugger award in 1989. Biggio was a very speedy runner and an adept base stealer. Astros' management, in an attempt to keep the rigors of catching from sapping Biggio's speed, tried him in the outfield part-time in 1990. The Astros finally convinced Biggio to convert to second base in spring training 1992, even though Biggio had made the All Star team as a catcher in 1991. 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. Biggio became known as a reliable, consistent top of the order hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman. His stats reflect this, having consistently good marks in hitting, on-base percentage and doubles throughout his career.

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His consistency was epitomized by playing 1,800 games without ever being put on the disabled list until August 1, 2000, when he had a season-ending knee injury. The Florida Marlins' Preston Wilson slid into second base, trying to break up a double play, and hit Biggio's planted left leg, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in Biggio's knee. Biggio rebounded with a good season in 2001, but had a lackluster performance in 2002, with only a .253 average, his lowest since entering the league. However, he improved slightly for the 2003 season, averaging .264 with 166 hits despite being asked by management to move to centerfield. In 2004, he put up numbers more typical for his career, batting .281 with 178 hits, including a career-high 24 homers. Biggio moved to yet another new position, left field, midway through the 2004 season to accommodate Carlos Beltr?n. Biggio moved back to his favorite position, second base, in 2005.

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Biggio led the majors in runs scored in 1995 and 1997 and in doubles in 1998 and 1999. He tops the Astros career list in games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits and doubles. By the end of the 2004 season, Biggio had 2,639 hits, 564 doubles, 234 home runs, 994 RBIs, and 396 stolen bases. He is also known as a 'killer B' (originally with teammates Jeff Bagwell and Derek Bell and currently Bagwell, Lance Berkman, and Carlos Beltr?n (2004)). He is gaining momentum as a likely future Hall of Famer.

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On June 29, 2005, Biggio broke the post-1900 career hit by pitch (HBP) record, previously held by Don Baylor with 267. In the fourth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, a pitch from Byung-Hyun Kim hit Biggio on the left elbow for his 268th HBP.

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December 14: December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 17 days remaining....

1965: 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar)....

All-Star: All-star (also, Allstar or All Star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of sports and entertainment. In the entertainment sense, it is used to describe the cast of a movie in which most of the speaking parts, even relatively minor ones, are played by motion picture stars who are generally a...

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