Not bad for a gritty spark plug.
Craig Biggio, a seven-time All-Star and member of the 3,000 hits club, was officially immortalized into MLB history Sunday after becoming the first player who played his entire career with the Houston Astros to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Biggio, the only player with at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs, delivered an emotional speech during his Cooperstown ceremony, while standing alongside fellow inductees Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Randy Johnson.
"This is pretty cool, I must say. We changed the culture in Houston by making it a baseball city,'' said Biggio, who grew up on New York's Long Island. ''To the Astros fans, you guys are the greatest fans in the world.''
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Commissioner Rob Manfred introduced the former catcher and second baseman with a plaque befitting of the 5-foot-11 Biggio: "Gritty spark plug who ignited Astros offense for 20 major league seasons."
#FirstLook at #HOF plaque of 2015 Inductee, Craig Biggio. @Astros http://t.co/EZT2Vaul8P pic.twitter.com/K51FTnj6cK
— Baseball Hall (@BaseballHall) July 26, 2015
- With files from The Associated Press