Even though Craig Biggio will definitely make the Hall of Fame on his first try, I don't really feel like he

Question

had a great hall of fame type of career. If you look at his numbers, there really aren't any seasons that hit your right in the face with huge numbers. What he was, was a compiler, just like Paul Molitor was. Biggio was able to compile 3,060 hits, 1,844 runs, 668 DB's, 291 HR's, 1,175 RBI's, and a .281 BA. But he never had any 90 rbi seasons or 100 rbi seasons or 30 hr seasons. He did have 8 20 hr seasons. He really had a very good consistent career, but I wouldn't really look at any one season and say, wow, this guy is a sure shot Hall of Famer. He never won a ring or an MVP. He was a difference maker, but I'm not really so sure he should be a HOF'er. The 3,000 hits will get him in, but other than that, and the over 600 doubles, nothing really stands out about him. Just a lunch pale blue collar guy who came to work everyday for 20 years. Should that make him a Hall of Famer?

Answer 1

You don't have to hit third or fourth to be a Hall of Famer. He's not going to drive in as many runs at the top of the order.

And there is much to be said about consistency over a long period of time. Not only did Biggio have that, but he did it in three different positions, which is unprecedented in baseball history.

Ron Santo probably is a Hall of Famer, as he's one of the greatest hitting third basemen ever, and he could field a bit too. Dale Murphy had some peaks, but I don't think his career lasted long enough for inclusion. Reminds me of Jim Rice in that sense.

Answer 2

Sure, he played for 20 years and after his second season only played less than 140 games once in a non-strike season, and sure he had over 3000 hits and over 650 of those were doubles and nearly 300 of them were home runs, and yeah he drew well over 1000 walks, and yes he was good at catcher as a kid and then second base for most of his career and even a couple of seasons in the outfield when Kent was signed, and okay he was a key "Killer B" player in six postseason teams, and it's true he scored over 1800 runs (most of them in the dismal Astrodome, where scoring runs was tough), and he did get on base a near-record 285 times by getting plunked, but it's not like he could take the mound or something great like that.

Good grief, the Hall is not only about home runs. Biggio was a wonderful, devastating pest of a player.

Answer 3

3000 hits and your in the HOF in my books. And Dale Murphy is nowhere close to a hall of famer. A career .260 hitter with under four hundred home runs.  

Answer 4

Biggio would have been a HOF even if he hadn't reached 3000 hits. All 3000 hits did was ensure he'll be a first ballot. The term "straw that stirs the drink" was never more apt than it is defining Biggio with the Astros.

Even more impressive is that the was an all star as a catcher, then as a second basebaseman. Anyone who thinks this guy is not a HOFer doesn't know baseball.

Answer 5

Heck no! Only reason he got those numbers was because he played for what 20 something years. He was a good player, but definitely not good enough for the HOF.

Answer 6

Historically, 3,000 hits has meant automatic entry into the Hall (except for Pete Rose of course), so you are right with the first point: He is a no doubt about it hall of famer.

But does he really feel like a hall of fame player? Well, he never did have any huge HR seasons, but baseball is more than a homerun derby. It wouldn't be ridiculous to call Biggio a legendary run scorer. He is 13th all-time, and 3rd among guys who spent most of their time NOT in the outfield. He led the NL in runs twice. He is also 5th all-time in doubles, leading the NL 3 times (I think doubles are really under appreciated). You can't really penalize him for not having a lot of RBI because he usually hit at the top of the lineup, and you just aren't going to get many RBI there.

Throw in 400+ SB, 4 gold gloves at a tough positions (2B), and 2nd all-time getting hit by the pitch (I don't think that is very important, but people notice it and it makes you look tough), and I think Biggio certainly seems like a hall of famer. He stood out as an authentic, grind-it-out player in a strange era in baseball. He is a guy I think we will all appreciate more and more as time goes on.

Answer 7

I agree.  Biggio was a compiler and never really had a great hall of fame year.  I feel players should be judged by the # of great hall of fame years they had, not only by their total numbers.  

Answer 8

Yes he should be a hall of  Famer

Answer 9

Yeah but 3000 hits means a lot more now because the pitchers are getting better.  Biggio brought it all to the table every day and DID WORK.  He's a gamer.  Showed up almost every day for 20 years, never heard of him demanding a trade, never questioned his manager, played Catcher, outfield, and infield.  That's a gamer.  Biggio deserves it more than McGuire because McGuire did it with his bat and thats about it.