Biggio - Right Now?

[Wolf Hopper]

If Biggio retired today, is he Cooperstown material?

This season, very early, he'll reach 10,000 PA. Of all the players with 10,000 PA and an OWP greater than .6, just about every one of them eligible for the hall are in. A few exceptions: Dwight Evans, Rusty Staub. But, about 93% are in.

Biggio's OWP is higher than .6.

[manny tortolero]

Biggio is the kind of player that needs a sabermetrician explanation of his case for the HOF. At first sight with 287 avg, any MVP, batting titles, no more than 20 hrs per season without any 100+ rbi, any postseason highlight and 2600 hits, he could be passing by the ballot as Lou Whitaker, Ted Simmons or at the best Allan Trammell. And Ryne Sandberg's fate in the ballot could be a handicap for him.

[SmedIndy]

He'd better be in - it'd be criminal. He was better than Sandberg.

[LeGrandOrange]

If Craig Biggio retired today, he should be a first-ballot selection. It would be more apparent if he didn't play in the Astrodome for most of his career.

Biggio is among the ten best second basemen to ever play the game...and I mean that seriously. I'd find it hard NOT to enshrine him.

[gyb13]

he's in my gray area...

[WiredTiger]

I have to believe that at this point Biggio does not get voted in. Look at his career compared to Whitaker's and they are very similar. It would help Biggio a lot to get to the WS and star.

I do however think he should be in. 2b, ss and CF are underrated when it comes HOF voting. Sandberg, Whitaker and Biggio are very similar players. Sandberg is the only one that probably will get voted in.

Also compare him to Robbie Alomar... interesting.

Of course if Biggio plays into his 40s (and today's players have a better shot at doing that than in day's past) he could get very close to 3000 hits which would guarantee him entry.

[Rajah]

Bill James considered him the best player of the 90's in the HBA or something like that.

Whether or not you agree with that, he's certainly HOF material. He and Robby should be HoFers.

[LeGrandOrange]

Both should be in now. All you need to figure out is what cap you give them...which team's cap for Robbie and which style of cap for Craig.

[Rajah]

I'd say Robby should wear a Toronto cap because he won the WS there. Craig should have to wear the least visually offensive cap that the 'Stros sported during his career. Probably the black one with the gold stitched "star."

[Skip]

Biggio should be in even if he's done tomorrow, but I second those who wonder if the writers would see it that way. If he's in, he should be enshrined wearing his batting helmet.

[Rajah]

Biggio should be in even if he's done tomorrow, but I second those who wonder if the writers would see it that way. If he's in, he should be enshrined wearing his batting helmet.
:agree: good point.

[Wolf Hopper]

I agree that Biggio should be in.........
Q: Why, not now, do people refer to him with the preface "Future Hall of Famer," like they did for Clemens, Molitor, Gwynn, Ripken, etc., at the end of their career?

[SmedIndy]

That's a good question - I think people don't realize how much the Dome took out of his stats.

He and Raines will be interesting to watch in their HoF quests.

[KCBOOMER]

In career RCAA as a 2B Biggio has 318 RCAA which ranks 7th amongst secondbasemen. Of the six above him only Alomar is not in the HoF.

In OWP as a 2B Biggio ranks 6th and all above are HOFers.

In OPS versus the league as a 2B Biggio ranks 13th with four non-HoFers above him (Grich, Childs, Doyle, and Kent).

His top five comps as a player are Alomar (.907), Trammell, Whitaker, Larkin, and Sandberg. No Hofers yet, but literally all of them could make it sometime. All have good to reasonable cases.

I would say he is in.

[sweaver]

As all have said, he should be in but I don't know if he will be. With 2461 hits, he is about 3-4 years away from 3000, which would make him a definite for the BBWAA.

[tyruschen]

I have to believe that at this point Biggio does not get voted in. Look at his career compared to Whitaker's and they are very similar.
Biggio v.s. Whitaker comparision:
Games Runs RBI SB OPS OPS+ BlackInk GrayInk GG
Biggio 2253 1503 931 389 .807 117 17 101 4
Whitaker 2390 1386 1084 143 .789 117 1 31 3
Biggio played 12 years with Astrodome, and his playoff performance isn't that bad comparing with Lou.

[KCBOOMER]

He'll be 38 next so I would think 3000 hits are very unlikely. He needs 539 hits and only ten players in history have ever got that many hits from age 38 on. Interesting that nine of the ten are in the HoF and the other is Rickey.

[Joseph]

Bill James considered him the best player of the 90's in the HBA or something like that.

Whether or not you agree with that, he's certainly HOF material. He and Robby should be HoFers.

I think he also called him the 2* (twenty-something) best player in baseball history.

IMO, Craig is a clear first ballot selection.

As for Robby's cap, why not show use an angle that obscures the logo, like on many of the older plaques?

[Wolf Hopper]

Please, guys, one topic per thread - no more Alomar talk in this one - thanks.