Biggio Completes Career With Win, Double

While most of the baseball world was focused yesterday on the races for the final playoff spots, including the Mets historic collapse in the NL East, as usual, Craig Biggio was just doing his job, just like he's done for the past 20 years. But for the first time in 20 years, Biggio won't be going back to work today.

For those of us who grew up in Houston, Biggio is just as much a Houston trademark as the San Jacinto Monument, the Sam statue, Goode Company restaurants, and traffic, and imagining the Astros without him is nearly impossible. With his pine tar stained helmet and hustling play, his ever-youthful face was the hallmark of the franchise's most successful years.

From his first days in the big leagues, when he replaced Alan Ashby at catcher, to his move to second base several years later (he was an All-Star at both positions), to the 3,000 hit celebration earlier this season, he's been there through the lean years in the Dome to the World Series in 2005. The sight of him and Jeff Bagwell waiting and grinning on the top step of the dugout after beating the Cardinals to go to that Series stands as one of the indelible images of that magical season. Other Astros teammates from his tenure might be more recognizable faces on a national level, but Biggio played baseball like Houston: dirty, fast moving, humble, and consistent. Originally from Long Island, Biggio settled in Houston long ago, and will continue to live here now that his playing days are over.

The Astros won yesterday after a weekend spent honoring Biggio; owner Drayton McLane presented Biggio with several gifts, including a $3,059 check for Biggio's Sunshine Kids charity, one dollar for each hit of his career. No word on whether McLane gave Bidge another dollar after he hit a double in the first inning (the 668th of his career, and most among active players). He later scored on a single by Carlos Lee, part of a 3-1 win. The standing room only crowd offered several ovations for Biggio and his family; some held signs that read "Hall Of Fame, 2012", referring to his first year of eligibility for Cooperstown.

Needless to say, Houston won't see another player (hell, another person) like Craig Biggio again for a long time. What's your favorite Biggio memory?

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photo: flickr user callipygian2005