|
When I first saw Craig Biggio in the spring of 1968, I was impressed. So was Nolan Ryan. Ryan was pitching for the Astros at the time, and toward the end of camp he mentioned that he would like to see Craig make the team. I thought he should make the team too.
As it turned out, he didn’t break with the team, but he did get called up mid season. He had such a passion for the game and so much talent; he didn’t need much minor league seasoning.
What Nolan and I saw was easy for all to see. His bat was so quick that it was startling. His speed was off the chart. And his desire was almost palpable. No, he wasn’t the greatest defensive catcher. But he had so many winning attributes that his defense wasn’t an issue.
The first few years, Bidge liked to hang out in the locker room after the games, soaking up the wisdom of players like Nolan, Buddy Bell, Bill Doran, Danny Darwin and others. He wanted to be as good as he could be and he wanted it fast.
That same year, Robbie Alomar broke into the major leagues with the Padres. In the early stages of their careers, Alomar was a more valuable player because he was a gifted second baseman. During their prime years, after Biggio had moved to second base, there were a few discussions in the press room at the ballpark about who was better. Most scouts favored Alomar because of his glove. But a few spoke up for Bidge because of his passion for the game.
As it turned out, Craig was taken out at second base at the age of 34, and had to have knee surgery. He lost a step of speed in the process and at that time, all the scouts would have picked Robbie over Bidge. But that relentless spirit was still in him. He wasn’t able to steal as many bases after the injury, but he went right on hitting. He was no longer one of the best players in the league, but he was still one of the best players on a very good team.
Around that time, Alomar sustained a few injuries and was traded to the Mets, where he had a disappointing season. He moved on to the Cubs and D’Backs, and White Sox but he never regained his stroke. His last good year was 2001, when he was playing with the Indians. In 2005, he struggled at spring training, and abruptly quit baseball at the age of 37.
Attitude was the biggest difference between Biggio and Alomar. For Robbie, everything came easily, while Bidge had to work hard to become a good fielder. He overcame obstacles that Robbie never encountered. In the end, he overcame everything and got is 3000th hit in a five for six performance on June 28, 2007. Jeff Bagwell, Craig’s teammate and cohort on the right side of the Astros infield, rushed onto the field to congratulate him. And the hug they shared was reminiscent of a photo that was taken after the Astros won the Central Division in 1997.
Craig is likely to make the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, five years after his retirement. Robbie could make it too, but not on the first ballot. If I had a vote for the Hall of Fame, I would put Jeff on hold until Craig is eligible, and elect them both in the same year. It would be nice to see them embrace one more time.
Looking back to that first spring when Nolan and I saw something special in Craig, I wonder if we intuitively understood the depth of his valor. Craig was still a young player when the Houston Rockets blew a big lead and lost to the Phoenix Suns in the 1994 NBA playoffs. The pundits wrote the Rockets off. But as the team headed back to Phoenix, Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich uttered the now famous line, “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”
The Rockets won the NBA championship that year, just as Biggio won his match with Father Time in 2007. When Bidge got hurt and lost some of his ability, he would not be written off. Like a champion, he just started trying harder. He was, still is, and always will be, relentless.
So who had the most talent, Biggio or Alomar? Alomar, no question. And which one of them would I take if I were managing a team. Biggio! At this point, the all the scouts would take Biggio too. |
