First inning double marks Biggio's 3,060th and final hit
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Arriving at Minute Maid Park on Sunday, Craig Biggio’s wife and children could not believe the lines that snaked around the stadium to watch the Astros icon play the final game of his 20-year career.
A standing-room-only crowd of 43,823, the largest crowd to watch a game during Minute Maid Park's brief eight-season history, saluted Biggio with every opportunity as he concluded his career with a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s amazing,” Biggio’s eldest son, Conor, said proudly. “You’d think that you’d want more people at the World Series. But just for one player’s last game, it shows how much the fans love him and everything and how good of fans they are.”
After a moving pregame ceremony in which Astros owner Drayton McLane praised and thanked Biggio for his contributions on and off the field, Biggio helped the Astros take a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Josh Anderson led off the bottom of the first with a single to right. Biggio followed with his signature hit, a double to left field at 1:16 p.m. After Buddy Carlyle intentionally walked Lance Berkman to load the bases, Carlos Lee hit a two-run single to left. Biggio’s last run of his career gave the Astros a 2-0 lead at 1:18 p.m., exactly 11 minutes after Astros rookie righthander Felipe Paulino threw the contest’s first pitch.
Hunter Pence added an RBI double to left-center field, giving the Astros a 3-0 lead. That was enough to earn the victory for Paulino, who held the Braves to two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings.
The rest of the afternoon was essentially about honoring Biggio, who had to step out of the batter’s box in each of his four at-bats while finishing 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. His teammates also stopped by to embrace him each time they were pulled out of the game.
Veterans Mark Loretta and Brad Ausmus took their positions before the fifth inning, but they were replaced by Chris Burke and J.R. Towles, respectively. Ausmus then went to hug Biggio before heading to the clubhouse. Loretta also made a pilgrimage to Biggio before leaving.
Before the sixth, Lee was replaced by Luke Scott. He jogged back toward Biggio, hugged him and then tossed his cap to the crowd. Then Lance Berkman was replaced at first by Mike Lamb, but not before walking over to Biggio, shaking his hand and hugging him.
Biggio headed to the plate for his final at-bat to lead off the seventh inning at 3:02 p.m. As the crowd stood to give him another ovation, Biggio took his batting helmet off with his right hand and turned to tip it to the crowd and the Braves.
With the crowd still roaring a minute later, he stepped back out of the plate and repeated his previous gesture. Acknowledging the situation, plate umpire Angel Hernandez bought Astros fans some time by cleaning up the already clean plate. Biggio then grounded out to third at 3:04 p.m. for his final out as a major leaguer.
The Astros’ first round pick out of Seton Hall in 1987, Biggio reached the majors in 1988 as a catcher. Twenty seasons, 3,060 hits and three positions later – second, center, left and back to second – Biggio ended his career on Sunday, September 30, 2007.
Cecil Cooper sent Biggio out to the field for the top of the eighth inning to give the fans an opportunity to say goodbye. After Cody Ransom was sent in as a defensive replacement at 3:10, the roar picked up again. After hugging first base umpire Derryl Cousins, Biggio took his cap off with his right hand cupped it over his heart. Then he tipped it again to the fans, the Braves and his family.
His teammates lined outside the farthest steps out of the dugout to greet him, embracing him one by one before allowing him to give yet another tip of the cap to the crowd.
On his way out, Biggio tipped his cap one more time to the fans, who responded just as they had for 20 seasons in the best way they knew how.
BIG-GI-O! BIG-GI-O! BIG-GI-O! BIG-GI-O …
No comments:
Post a Comment