Maroon87
10-01-2007, 09:52 AM
Astros give Biggio big sendoff
Twenty-year Houston favorite ends career on high note
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
HOUSTON -- As Sunday's game at Minute Maid Park progressed into the later innings, Craig Biggio undoubtedly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
After all, it's not easy to juggle three tasks at once -- concentrate on the pitch being thrown, drown out the adoring cheers of 43,823 well-wishers and face the cold reality that the next few minutes represent the very final moments of a wonderful career that has sadly come to a close.
That the Astros beat the Braves, 3-0, was a mere footnote to a much larger story, one surrounding a franchise icon who ended his stellar 20-year career on Sunday.
The day was one big love fest, and it was spectacular. Traditional baseball rules largely went out the window as the largest crowd in Minute Maid Park history witnessed a perfect ending to a disappointing season and the Astros paid tribute to one of Houston's favorite sons.
As Biggio strode to the plate in the seventh frame to face the Braves' Ron Mahay, he was fully immersed in a balancing act more challenging than any he's faced in his career.
"You're standing in the on-deck circle, looking down at your shoes and just going, 'This is your last at-bat, ever,'" Biggio said.
He took a few extra moments before stepping into the box, but upon hearing the cheers cascading from all parts of Minute Maid Park, Biggio backed away from the plate one more time, tipped his helmet to the fans and stepped back in.
Mahay took several steps off the mound in order to give Biggio a little bit more time. Again, Biggio stepped out, waved to the crowd and finally dug in for the last at-bat of his career.
Biggio, who doubled in his first at-bat, grounded to third base. Chipper Jones slowly and deliberately fielded the ball and threw to first, and he later admitted he took his time with hopes that Biggio would beat out the ground ball and end his career with a hit in his final big league at-bat.
That was not to be.
"I'm too old and slow to get there," Biggio grinned.
"Nobody wants to be the guy in that situation," Jones said. "I figured I'd just kind of catch it, take my time and just flip it over there. Hopefully, he'd outrun it. It beat him by a half-step."
Biggio then walked to the dugout to what seemed like the 100th standing ovation of the day, hugged his sons, Conor and Cavan, high-fived his teammates and jumped back out for a curtain call.
Biggio then jogged to his normal spot at second base, but that was for symbolic purposes only. Soon, Cody Ransom emerged from the dugout and ran to short, and Burke was moved to second base. At that time, the crowd exploded again.
"They expressed their feelings; I showed mine," Biggio said. "It's been an unbelievable relationship over a long period of time. To have this many people here the last three games, considering where we are at in the standings and the way the season's gone -- they know I love them. They love me back, and they showed it.
"It was one of those special moments today. I'm going to miss it. This is all I really know. But the fans have made it worthwhile. That's what the game's about."
As he exited the field, Biggio shook hands with the umpires, hugged each teammate and coach as well as his skipper, Cecil Cooper, and waved to the crowd. The ovation lasted several minutes, and when it was over, Biggio walked to the dugout and headed to the clubhouse for the final time.
The entire game carried special meaning as Cooper managed the game a little differently than he would on a typical day. Instead of making position changes in the dugout, Cooper waited until the veteran players were already on the field, so they could give one last salute to the fans.
"I guess you could say it was choreographed," Cooper said. "It was done the appropriate way. I have respect for those veteran players that we had a chance to take out of the game. Some of them will be a part of this franchise for a while. I thought it would be fitting to do something like that."
But as the players trotted off the field, they stopped at second base to bid adieu to their soon-to-be-retired teammate on his special day.
"That was all their idea," Cooper said. "I thought it was wonderful. I'm just proud I was here to be a part of it."
J.R. Towles replaced Brad Ausmus in the fifth, and Ausmus walked over to Biggio, gave him a hug and waved to the crowd as he retreated to the dugout.
The rest of the players followed suit. Mark Loretta threw his hat to the crowd as he stepped off the field, replaced at short by Chris Burke. Lance Berkman also tossed his cap into the stands after hugging Biggio and leaving the game in favor of Mike Lamb.
Carlos Lee jogged in from his post in left field, gave Biggio a big bear hug, and waved to the crowd in his final appearance of the 2007 season.
"With Bidge retiring after 20 years and a Hall of Fame career, there was added sentimentality," Ausmus said. "Even me, who has generally robotic emotions, got a little lump in my throat when I was going off the field, and Bidge came over and gave me a hug. I enjoyed it. It's one of those moments that I'll remember."
Biggio provided one more unforgettable snapshot after the game. He ran a victory lap of sorts around the entire circumference of the field, waving to fans and shaking hands, saying goodbye one last time.
"Emotions are an amazing thing," Biggio said. "As we get older, we cry all the time. There's nothing wrong with it. It's a good emotion.
"When you sit and think about it and all these people are standing up, going crazy, you're thinking, this is pretty special. These people are here to say goodbye to you, and it's a great feeling. When I told the fans that I want to thank you for accepting me in the state of Texas for 20 years, I sincerely mean it. I am a very lucky man."
Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Twenty-year Houston favorite ends career on high note
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
HOUSTON -- As Sunday's game at Minute Maid Park progressed into the later innings, Craig Biggio undoubtedly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
After all, it's not easy to juggle three tasks at once -- concentrate on the pitch being thrown, drown out the adoring cheers of 43,823 well-wishers and face the cold reality that the next few minutes represent the very final moments of a wonderful career that has sadly come to a close.
That the Astros beat the Braves, 3-0, was a mere footnote to a much larger story, one surrounding a franchise icon who ended his stellar 20-year career on Sunday.
The day was one big love fest, and it was spectacular. Traditional baseball rules largely went out the window as the largest crowd in Minute Maid Park history witnessed a perfect ending to a disappointing season and the Astros paid tribute to one of Houston's favorite sons.
As Biggio strode to the plate in the seventh frame to face the Braves' Ron Mahay, he was fully immersed in a balancing act more challenging than any he's faced in his career.
"You're standing in the on-deck circle, looking down at your shoes and just going, 'This is your last at-bat, ever,'" Biggio said.
He took a few extra moments before stepping into the box, but upon hearing the cheers cascading from all parts of Minute Maid Park, Biggio backed away from the plate one more time, tipped his helmet to the fans and stepped back in.
Mahay took several steps off the mound in order to give Biggio a little bit more time. Again, Biggio stepped out, waved to the crowd and finally dug in for the last at-bat of his career.
Biggio, who doubled in his first at-bat, grounded to third base. Chipper Jones slowly and deliberately fielded the ball and threw to first, and he later admitted he took his time with hopes that Biggio would beat out the ground ball and end his career with a hit in his final big league at-bat.
That was not to be.
"I'm too old and slow to get there," Biggio grinned.
"Nobody wants to be the guy in that situation," Jones said. "I figured I'd just kind of catch it, take my time and just flip it over there. Hopefully, he'd outrun it. It beat him by a half-step."
Biggio then walked to the dugout to what seemed like the 100th standing ovation of the day, hugged his sons, Conor and Cavan, high-fived his teammates and jumped back out for a curtain call.
Biggio then jogged to his normal spot at second base, but that was for symbolic purposes only. Soon, Cody Ransom emerged from the dugout and ran to short, and Burke was moved to second base. At that time, the crowd exploded again.
"They expressed their feelings; I showed mine," Biggio said. "It's been an unbelievable relationship over a long period of time. To have this many people here the last three games, considering where we are at in the standings and the way the season's gone -- they know I love them. They love me back, and they showed it.
"It was one of those special moments today. I'm going to miss it. This is all I really know. But the fans have made it worthwhile. That's what the game's about."
As he exited the field, Biggio shook hands with the umpires, hugged each teammate and coach as well as his skipper, Cecil Cooper, and waved to the crowd. The ovation lasted several minutes, and when it was over, Biggio walked to the dugout and headed to the clubhouse for the final time.
The entire game carried special meaning as Cooper managed the game a little differently than he would on a typical day. Instead of making position changes in the dugout, Cooper waited until the veteran players were already on the field, so they could give one last salute to the fans.
"I guess you could say it was choreographed," Cooper said. "It was done the appropriate way. I have respect for those veteran players that we had a chance to take out of the game. Some of them will be a part of this franchise for a while. I thought it would be fitting to do something like that."
But as the players trotted off the field, they stopped at second base to bid adieu to their soon-to-be-retired teammate on his special day.
"That was all their idea," Cooper said. "I thought it was wonderful. I'm just proud I was here to be a part of it."
J.R. Towles replaced Brad Ausmus in the fifth, and Ausmus walked over to Biggio, gave him a hug and waved to the crowd as he retreated to the dugout.
The rest of the players followed suit. Mark Loretta threw his hat to the crowd as he stepped off the field, replaced at short by Chris Burke. Lance Berkman also tossed his cap into the stands after hugging Biggio and leaving the game in favor of Mike Lamb.
Carlos Lee jogged in from his post in left field, gave Biggio a big bear hug, and waved to the crowd in his final appearance of the 2007 season.
"With Bidge retiring after 20 years and a Hall of Fame career, there was added sentimentality," Ausmus said. "Even me, who has generally robotic emotions, got a little lump in my throat when I was going off the field, and Bidge came over and gave me a hug. I enjoyed it. It's one of those moments that I'll remember."
Biggio provided one more unforgettable snapshot after the game. He ran a victory lap of sorts around the entire circumference of the field, waving to fans and shaking hands, saying goodbye one last time.
"Emotions are an amazing thing," Biggio said. "As we get older, we cry all the time. There's nothing wrong with it. It's a good emotion.
"When you sit and think about it and all these people are standing up, going crazy, you're thinking, this is pretty special. These people are here to say goodbye to you, and it's a great feeling. When I told the fans that I want to thank you for accepting me in the state of Texas for 20 years, I sincerely mean it. I am a very lucky man."
Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.