Houston Sports: The ten best athletes to ever represent the city of Houston

Craig Biggio

The core of the killer B’s are the two Astros we think of when we think of the all-time greats. Biggio is the other half of that dynamic duo that manned the right side of the Astros infield for so many years.

Biggio was the table setter for Bagwell, and he set the table a lot, whether it was getting on base with a hit or getting on base by being hit (Biggio is the career leader in the modern era of hit by pitch with 285 times getting beaned.)

While that record seems somewhat arbitrary, what’s not is that he never charged the mound once, showing the type of character Biggio had. Biggio was tough but, much like a lot of the players we’ve talked about, a gentle-natured guy.

Biggio has had great seasons and great career numbers from his 20 years as a ball player, but he was admired by everyone, from his peers, to former players, to fans for the WAY he played the game. Biggio was constantly referred to as a gamer, a competitor, and a team player.

From his selflessness in doing what was best for the team by moving position to position, to his dirty pine tar covered helmet, to the way he ran hard out of the box on every ball he put in play. Biggio, alongisde Bagwell, really solidified that hard-nosed culture that Astro fans love.

Biggio was constantly referred to as a gamer, a competitor, and a team player.

Biggio provided a lot of great moments and memories for us Astro fans. My personal favorite was when he was thrown out trying to extend his 3,000th hit from a single to a double. He may have been thrown out, but it was that working hard for every base effort that exemplified his career. And you’ll never hear a crowd cheer louder after a player made an out.

The lasting image of him grabbing Bagwell’s arm to share in the moment is one that stays with you.

While Biggio and Bagwell may have been past their prime when they played in the World Series in 2005, they still got to play together in the first and only World Series the franchise has ever seen.

They both had phenomenal careers, every single year of which they played with the Astros. They’re both intrinsically tied with the fabric that is Houston baseball.

Biggio, like Bagwell, is now a Hall of Famer who works with the Astros organization as well in his post playing career. And the community work that Biggio has done over the years with the Sunshine Kids foundation, dedicated to helping children with cancer, has set a fine example for all Houstonians to follow.