TexasHSFootball
03-23-2007, 12:14 AM
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/images/2007/03/22/whDFATxD.jpg
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Craig Biggio isn't one to air his gripes through the media, but the 20-year veteran was clearly unhappy when he summoned reporters to his locker during the Astros' game with the Nationals on Thursday night.
Biggio was hopping mad about an order that came down from the league office prior to the game, asking that he remove his Sunshine Kids pin from his Spring Training cap.
For most of Biggio's career, he has been the spokesman for The Sunshine Kids, a support organization for children with cancer and their families. He wears the pin -- yellow, in the shape of a sun -- on every cap while not playing in a regular-season game. He wears the pin on his batting practice hats and his Spring Training caps, as well as during every photo shoot.
He's always worn the pin during spring games without any backlash from the league or opposing teams, but according to Biggio, a league official, having watched the Astros-Devil Rays game on the local Houston Fox Southwest feed, sent word to Kissimmee that he must remove it.
A picture from that game was faxed to the Astros, who informed him of the league's request.
Biggio was not happy with the ruling, to put it mildly.
"For 20 years I've been wearing it," Biggio said. "Obviously, I'm not a disrespectful person, and I'm not disrespecting the game. I've been wearing this pin for 20 years, and it puts smiles on 20-something-thousand cancer patients.
"A lot of the bubble-gum card pictures are taken during Spring Training. The kids see it, and it makes them feel good. That's why I do it."
Biggio mentioned the threat from the league office regarding a fine, but general manager Tim Purpura said there was no fine, and no threat of one. Purpura chose not to comment further on the issue. The Commissioner's Office declined to comment as well.
Biggio, on the other hand, had plenty to say.
"I just felt it was pretty stupid," he said. "I'm the last person that's going to disrespect the game. I don't ask to wear it during the season, because that's not right. I wear it before the game, but when the games start during the regular season, I wear the regular hat. That's the way it's supposed to be."
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070322&content_id=1855585&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Craig Biggio isn't one to air his gripes through the media, but the 20-year veteran was clearly unhappy when he summoned reporters to his locker during the Astros' game with the Nationals on Thursday night.
Biggio was hopping mad about an order that came down from the league office prior to the game, asking that he remove his Sunshine Kids pin from his Spring Training cap.
For most of Biggio's career, he has been the spokesman for The Sunshine Kids, a support organization for children with cancer and their families. He wears the pin -- yellow, in the shape of a sun -- on every cap while not playing in a regular-season game. He wears the pin on his batting practice hats and his Spring Training caps, as well as during every photo shoot.
He's always worn the pin during spring games without any backlash from the league or opposing teams, but according to Biggio, a league official, having watched the Astros-Devil Rays game on the local Houston Fox Southwest feed, sent word to Kissimmee that he must remove it.
A picture from that game was faxed to the Astros, who informed him of the league's request.
Biggio was not happy with the ruling, to put it mildly.
"For 20 years I've been wearing it," Biggio said. "Obviously, I'm not a disrespectful person, and I'm not disrespecting the game. I've been wearing this pin for 20 years, and it puts smiles on 20-something-thousand cancer patients.
"A lot of the bubble-gum card pictures are taken during Spring Training. The kids see it, and it makes them feel good. That's why I do it."
Biggio mentioned the threat from the league office regarding a fine, but general manager Tim Purpura said there was no fine, and no threat of one. Purpura chose not to comment further on the issue. The Commissioner's Office declined to comment as well.
Biggio, on the other hand, had plenty to say.
"I just felt it was pretty stupid," he said. "I'm the last person that's going to disrespect the game. I don't ask to wear it during the season, because that's not right. I wear it before the game, but when the games start during the regular season, I wear the regular hat. That's the way it's supposed to be."
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070322&content_id=1855585&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou