Craig Biggio Got Hosed By The MLB Hall Of Fame Voters

A friend of mine sent me a text after Major League Baseball (MLB) conducted their recent annual Hall of Fame (HOF) voting, "Craig Biggio got hosed!" and I sent back, "I couldn't agree more!". However to prove his point I decided to investigate more, Craig Biggio Got Hosed By The MLB Hall Of Fame Voters is a result of my research.

He not only got 'hosed' but evidence clearly indicates that Hall of Fame voters have some serious flaws in their thinking and procedures when considering HOF candidates. The stats show overwhelmingly that not only does Craig Biggio deserve to be in the Hall Of Fame but that he ranks among the best Second Basemen (2b in the HOF) in every major offensive category, their are only twenty.

The stats speak for themselves in this case and so without further adieu let's take a look at how he stacks up against the twenty (20) 2bs already in the Hall Of Fame, in every major offensive category.

1. He would rank 1st in games played (G) with 2,850.

2. He would rank 1st in At Bats (AB) with 10,876.

3. He would rank 1st in Runs (R) with 1,844.

4. He would rank 3rd in Hits (H) with 3,060.

5. He would rank 1st in Doubles (2B) with 668.

6. He would rank 18th in Triples (3B) with 55.

7. He would rank 2nd in Home Runs (HR) with 291.

8. He would rank 8th in Runs Batted In (RBIs) with 1175.

9. He would rank 15th in Batting Average (AVG.) at .281

So using the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum's own statistical criteria he would rank first in four (4) of the nine (9) major categories used to determine qualification. So to review he comes in ranked in the top three (3) in six (6) out of the nine (9) categories among the twenty players enshrined in the Hall of Fame, what else do you need?

During his twenty year career in the Big Leagues he lead all of MLB fourteen times in various offensive categories. Games played three times, Plate Appearances five times, Doubles three times, Runs two times and Stolen Bases once.

• He is the only player EVER in Major League Baseball history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases and hit more than 250 home runs.

• He was voted an All Star (7 time All Star) in two very different positions, catcher (1) and second base (6) but also played center field.

• He is the only Houston Astros player ever to get more than 3,000 hits, while playing his entire career with the club. He is the only retired player with more than 3,000 hits besides Pete Rose (lifetime ban from MLB) that is not in the Hall of Fame and ranks 21st all time.

• He holds the modern day record for having been hit by pitch at 285 and is second behind Hughie Jennings all time at 287.

• In 1997 he became the ONLY player in Major League Baseball history to play in 162 game season and not once hit into a double play. He was also hit by a pitch 36 times that year.

• In 1998 he became only the second player to have reached 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in the same season, the first was Hall of Fame member Tris Speaker.

• He holds the National League record for most home runs by lead of hitter with 53 and is third all time behind Alfonso Soriano and Rickey Henderson.

• He is a five time Silver Slugger Award winner and a four time Gold Glove recipient.

His qualifications for the Hall of Fame are obvious based on the numbers above however his humble approach to the game and lack of publicity is probably one of the most damaging to his enshrinement. He was a team player that did whatever the team asked of him to win ball games and may have been overshadowed by many of his contemporaries throughout his major league career.

He came up to the big leagues in 1998 having hit .344 in his minor league career as a speedy catcher and won the Silver Slugger Award in his first full season the following year (1989). After being selected to the All Star team in 1991 as a catcher, the Astros converted him to second base to utilize and preserve his speed and prevent him from suffering from the rigors of catching. He became the first MLB player to be selected to the All Star team as both a catcher and a second baseman in 1992.

He played in 1800 games before suffering a major knee injury in 2000, after having been selected to the All Star game for five straight years 1994-1999 as a second baseman. In 2003 he was again moved to a new position, centerfield, to make room for the All Star acquisition of Jeff Kent. Midway through the 2004 season he again moved to a new position, left field, after the Astros acquired Carlos Beltran in a trade.

He holds the record for most games played before reaching the World Series with 2,564. In 2006 he became only the 23rd player all time to acquire over 10,000 At Bats in a career. He hit a double for his last career hit, finishing 668 which is the most by a right handed hitter all time and fifth overall in MLB history.

He announced his retirement on July 24th, 2007 and promptly hit a grand slam that day to win the ball game for the Astros. The following year the Houston Astros, the only team he ever played for, which is rare in the free agency era, retired his no. 7 jersey.

He received the The Roberto Clemente Award in his last year in the big leagues, which goes to the player that most explifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team.

Considering the publicity the Hall of Fame voters are receiving for their dubious selection tactics this year, calls into question the real reasons why such an obvious candidate as Craig Biggio would not be a included in the Hall of Fame.

His numbers not withstanding, his class as a player and contributor to the game begs the question how Craig Biggio Got Hosed By The MLB Hall Of Fame Voters. The fact that he showed incredible loyalty to his club, when most players prefer the big bucks of free agency and played four different positions is a tribute to the man's integrity.

Frank Thomas whom was voted in this year had this to say about Crag Biggio's snub by the Hall of Fame voters.

"I was shocked," Thomas told members of the media in a press conference Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field. "Everyone is watching that thing going, they’re trending and to hear he didn’t get in by two votes — I don’t want to use the word tragic, but that’s a tragic moment for him right now. He was one heck of a player."

The numerous charity events and awards attributed to him during his career and induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame would seem to be a precursor to his eventual induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and yet he gets snubbed by many writers year after year.

I for one have always questioned the Hall of Fame selection process as most Sports Writers have never even played the game of baseball at any level. What qualifies some fat hack wannabe writer for determining whom should be inducted into one the most prestigious fraternities in all of American Sports History?

I personally know one sports writer that has never played any organized sports in his entire life and yet somehow is qualified because of a journalist degree to be a sports writer, it defies logic. This one of the main reasons I disagree with the Hall of Fame induction process.

Based on this article alone Craig Biggio Got Hosed By The MLB Hall Of Fame Voters, he deserves Hall of Fame recognition. It used to be if you accumulated 3,000 hits in a career, you were an automatic shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, how this acknowledgement has been discarded is beyond the understanding of this writer.