The Philadelphia Keystones (also known as the Keystone Club of Philadelphia ) were a professional baseball franchise. In 1884, they were a member of the short-lived Union Association . The team was owned by former player Tom Pratt .
112-450: The Keystones were managed by catcher Fergy Malone and finished in eighth place in the 12 team league with a 21–46 record. Their top-hitting regular was left fielder / infielder Buster Hoover , who batted .364 with a slugging percentage of .495, and their best pitcher was Jersey Bakley , who was 14–25 with an earned run average of 4.47. Their home games were played at Keystone Park . Jack Clements , who played for 17 seasons and
224-480: A PitchCom device on their wrist. This was done in an attempt to curb the prevalence of sign stealing , which reached its peak after the Houston Astros were caught stealing signs during their World Series-winning 2017 season . A catcher nearly always throws with their right hand since most hitters are right-handed and stand to the left side of the plate when batting, so a catcher who throws left-handed
336-431: A foul tip . Many broken fingers, split fingernails, and grotesque dislocations are avoided by adherence to this simple expedient. Given the physical punishment suffered by catchers, the pieces of equipment associated with the position are often referred to as " the tools of ignorance ". This is an ironic expression; the catcher typically has the most thorough understanding of baseball tactics and strategies of any player on
448-676: A pre-game ceremony , Biggio received an award for MLB.com's This Year in Baseball 2007 Moment of the Year award for his 3,000th hit. On June 28, the Astros announced that they would retire Craig Biggio's jersey. The Houston Astros retired his No. 7 jersey on August 17, 2008, prior to the start of a game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks . Biggio was the ninth player in Astros history to have his number retired. Biggio first appeared on
560-506: A 3–3 tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Biggio hit a grand slam in the 6th inning. The Astros went on to win the game 7–4. In the penultimate game of his career, Biggio started as a catcher and caught 2 innings for the Astros. He also hit a double in his first at-bat of the game. A sellout, record-breaking crowd packed Minute Maid Park on September 30, 2007, to witness Biggio's final game. He recorded his final career hit,
672-510: A 9-2 lead. Two innings later, the Astros won the game 12-3 to clinch the first postseason series victory in Astros history. The Astros went to the 2004 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals . Biggio went 6-for-32 (.188) as the series went the full distance. Biggio had one RBI in the series, which was a leadoff home run in Game 7. The Astros led 2-1 in the sixth inning before
784-455: A baserunner attempts to score a run . The catcher is often obliged to catch a ball thrown from a fielder and to tag out a runner arriving from third base. Naturally, the runner's objective, in this situation, is to elude the catcher's tag and touch the plate. Prior to 2014, the catcher's best strategy was to block the runner's path so as to prevent the runner from reaching the plate at all. Collisions between runners and catchers were common. Since
896-422: A captain on the field (and some, such as Thurman Munson and Jason Varitek were in fact team captains), they are often in charge of planning defensive plays; thus, the catcher will give signs to the pitcher for what pitch is to be thrown. Calling the game refers to the act of catchers deciding the type of pitch delivered to home plate. The responsibility for selecting the type of pitch was traditionally made by
1008-457: A career-high 24 homers. Biggio moved to yet another new position, left field , midway through the 2004 season to accommodate Beltrán, who was acquired in a trade to help bolster the Astros' struggling offense. The Astros were 44-44 at the All-Star break. Having fired Jimy Williams for Phil Garner , the Astros went 48-26, which included a 36-10 stretch to end the year while narrowly clinching
1120-430: A catcher can make a successful pick-off throw to a base to surprise an inattentive or incautious baserunner. Especially at the higher levels of baseball (where this play almost never results in an out), the catcher's snap throws are mainly for psychological effect. If the runner knows that the catcher often attempts snap throws, the runner is likely to take a smaller lead from their base before each pitch, which will allow
1232-414: A catcher will also hold their mitt still for a second or two so that the umpire has an opportunity to thoroughly consider their call (and, hopefully, let their innate biases influence their decision in a direction favorable to the catcher's team). The catcher, when receiving a borderline pitch, usually has several options in how they make the catch. They can catch the pitch in the webbing of their mitt or in
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#17327906333481344-485: A catcher, he played his remaining sixteen seasons at second base and in the outfield. The larger or heavier the catcher, the greater the health risks associated with repeatedly assuming a crouching or squatting position ; knees and backs are especially vulnerable to "wear-and-tear" injuries. Catchers also have an increased risk of circulatory abnormalities in the catching hand. A study of minor-league ballplayers showed that, of 36 players in various positions, all nine of
1456-427: A double in the first inning, and scored his final career run that same inning. In his final career at-bat, he grounded the ball to third baseman Chipper Jones , who threw out the hustling Biggio by half a step. He left the field to a standing ovation from the fans, and when he was replaced defensively in the top of the 8th inning he shook hands with umpires and teammates and left to another standing ovation as he waved to
1568-412: A fly ball by covering the ball, once it strikes the pocket of their glove, with their bare hand in order to secure it. The catcher, however, tries to keep their bare hand, which is highly vulnerable to injury, out of harm's way by presenting the pitcher with a target (the large round glove) while hiding their unprotected throwing hand behind their back or ankle. By doing so, the bare hand cannot be struck by
1680-500: A lackluster performance in 2002, with only a .253 average, his lowest since entering the league; a highlight occurred on April 8, when he hit for the cycle for the only time in his career. However, he improved slightly for the 2003 season, averaging .264 with 166 hits despite being asked by management to move to center field after the signing of free agent All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent . In 2004, he put up numbers more typical for his career, batting .281 with 178 hits, including
1792-484: A less rubbery ball which led to a decline in the number of runs scored. In the 1860s it was common for teams to score fifty or sixty runs in a game. The combination of the new, harder ball and the continuation of the rise in pitcher's release points helped usher in what became known as the Dead-ball era . The decrease in run production placed greater significance on stolen bases and bunts , which in turn emphasized
1904-399: A long season, and can have a negative effect on their offensive output. As a result, catcher is the only position (other than pitcher) to not have a member of the 3,000 hit club (not counting Craig Biggio , who only played four seasons as a catcher and was a second baseman when he reached the milestone); the current hit leader for the position is Iván Rodríguez , with 2,844. Because of
2016-498: A more serious game played by professionals . One of the most dramatic changes was the transition of the pitcher's delivery from an underhand motion to an overhanded throw. Before the American Civil War , the pitcher's role was to initiate the action by offering an underhanded throw to the batter, in much the same way that a basketball referee offers up a jump ball to begin play. Since this type of pitching often caused
2128-565: A multi-sport varsity athlete. Most notably, after the 1983 season Biggio was awarded the Hansen Award, which recognized him as being the best football player in Suffolk County . However, Biggio's passion lay with baseball, such that he turned down football scholarships for the opportunity to play baseball for Seton Hall University . Although Biggio was an infielder, Seton Hall coach Mike Sheppard switched him to catcher because
2240-566: A pelvic protector or cup, depending on the case, is preferred and more common. Because the position requires a comprehensive understanding of the game's strategies, the pool of former catchers yields a disproportionate number of managers in both Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball , including such prominent examples as Yogi Berra , Connie Mack , Steve O'Neill , Al López , Mike Scioscia , Joe Girardi , Stephen Vogt , and Joe Torre . The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over
2352-403: A pitcher's hand, the catcher must have both feet in the catcher's box. The catcher is the only defensive player who is allowed to be in foul territory when a pitch is thrown. If a pitch is thrown and the catcher has extended their arm resulting in the catcher's glove being contacted by the batter's swinging bat, a catcher's interference is called, and the batter is awarded first base. This
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#17327906333482464-558: A reliable, hustling, consistent leadoff hitter, with unusual power for a second baseman. He holds the National League record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 53. Manager Larry Dierker , hired in 1997 by the Astros, moved Biggio from the second spot in the lineup to leadoff. His statistics reflect this, having consistently good marks in hitting, on-base percentage , hit-by-pitch , runs , stolen bases, and doubles throughout his career. Between 1994 and 1999, Biggio led
2576-637: A team. Catchers often experience knee tendinitis because of the constant squatting and bending of the knees while catching. As of 2024, twenty men who played primarily as catchers have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame , in Cooperstown, New York . They are: Catchers are also represented in a number of other Baseball Halls of Fame around the world, such as in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame or
2688-579: A trip to the disabled list until August 1, 2000 , when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. In the play in which Biggio was injured, the Florida Marlins ' Preston Wilson (who would later become Biggio's teammate) slid into second base, trying to stop a double play , and hit Biggio's planted left leg, tearing the ACL and MCL in Biggio's knee. Biggio rebounded with a good season in 2001 , but had
2800-467: Is a position in baseball and softball . When a batter takes their turn to hit , the catcher crouches behind home plate , in front of the ( home ) umpire , and receives the ball from the pitcher . In addition to this primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket . Positioned behind home plate and facing toward
2912-519: Is always leaning forward, toward home plate. Tucking your chin or looking the ball in will help with deadening the ball like this. This maneuver is often difficult, and its difficulty depends largely on how fast the ball is traveling, the angle at which the ball is thrown into the ground, where it first hits the ground, the firmness of the ground it hits, and the manner in which it is spinning. As of April 2011 15 of 30 Major League Baseball managers were former catchers. Because catchers are considered
3024-502: Is forced to take some time to sidestep (or otherwise avoid) the right-handed hitter when they throw from behind the plate. In addition, a lefty's throw would tend to come in on the shortstop side of the bag, while a righty's throw would be on the second base side of the bag, which is where the runner is coming in. Consequently, players who are left-handed rarely play catcher. Left-handed catchers have only caught eleven big-league games since 1902, and Jack Clements , who played for 17 years at
3136-428: Is often more at fault for stolen bases than the catcher is.) Ideally, a catcher should be able to get the ball from their glove to that of the player covering second base in under two seconds. This is referred to as a catcher's "pop time", the time elapsing between the popping sound of the pitch striking the catcher's mitt and the similar pop when the ball arrives at the glove of the fielder covering second base. Rarely,
3248-414: Is recorded as an error . If the bases were loaded, it results in a run being scored, but since it is an error it is not awarded to the batter as run batted in . The catcher's interference call is uncommon. Also, an interference penalty may be declined by the batting team, such as when a better result ensues. To block balls that a pitcher throws on a bounce toward home plate (pitches that are said to be "in
3360-496: Is the lowest of any position player in the Baseball Hall of Fame . His selection for enshrinement in 1955 was largely a tribute to his outstanding defensive skills. In the numbering system used to record baseball plays, the catcher is assigned the number '2'. (See Baseball scorekeeping .) In the middle of the nineteenth century, the game of baseball began to evolve from a sport played by amateurs for recreation into
3472-651: Is the only player ever to be named an All-Star and to be awarded Silver Slugger Award at both catcher and second base. With longtime teammates Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman , he formed the core of the " Killer B's " who led Houston to six playoff appearances from 1997 to 2005, culminating in the franchise's first World Series appearance in 2005 . At the end of his career, he ranked sixth in NL history in games played (2,850), fifth in at bats (10,876), 21st in hits (3,060), and seventh in runs scored (1,844). His 668 career doubles ranked sixth in major league history, and are
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3584-517: The Chicago White Sox . The White Sox swept the Astros to secure the championship with the lowest run-scoring differential in a World Series sweep. Both Biggio and Bagwell received Baseball America ' s Lifetime Achievement Award after the 2005 season. On May 23, 2006, Biggio became the 23rd player in MLB history to reach 10,000 at-bats . On June 28, 2007 , Biggio became the 27th player in
3696-578: The Hutch Award (2005) and being named one of Sporting News' Good Guys (2004). The Hutch Award is given to a player that shows competitiveness and never gives up. Part of the reason Biggio was given the award was for his multiple position changes, but also because of his work in the community and inspiring other teammates to participate as well. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2007. The Roberto Clemente Award "recognizes
3808-576: The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame . Craig Biggio Craig Alan Biggio ( / ˈ b ɪ dʒ i oʊ / ; born December 14, 1965) is an American former baseball second baseman , outfielder and catcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros , from 1988 to 2007. A seven-time National League (NL) All-Star often regarded as the greatest all-around player in Astros history, he
3920-589: The National League All-Star team as a catcher the year before. Biggio made the All-Star team for the second time in 1992, becoming the first player in the history of baseball to be an All-Star at both catcher and second base. It is rare for a major league catcher to make a successful transition to middle infielder ; if a catcher changes positions, it is usually to first base , or occasionally to outfield or third base . Biggio became known as
4032-940: The North Adams SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League ; in Summer 2013, he played outfield and second base for the North Shore Navigators of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League . Both Conor and Cavan attended the University of Notre Dame . Biggio and his family have a home in Spring Lake, New Jersey , which they named "Home Plate". Biggio's father-in-law is former Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan , who
4144-550: The Philadelphia Phillies in a critical game late in the season; the Astros were narrowly ahead of the Phillies (and other teams) for the lone Wild Card spot. The Phillies had taken the lead late 6-5 and had Billy Wagner in relief. However, with two out in the ninth inning and two men on base, Biggio hit a home run that gave the Astros the lead that they did not give up in an 8–5 victory (the Astros went on to win
4256-526: The San Diego Padres ; the Rockies and Cardinals were the most serious, with the former offering $ 20 million for four years while the latter approached him with a five-year, $ 25 million contract. However, Biggio took a four-year deal worth $ 22 million to stay with the Astros. The Astros finally convinced Biggio to convert to second base in spring training of 1992 , even though Biggio had made
4368-740: The bat in an undisciplined follow-through of the batter's swing. Catchers also are prone to knee ailments stemming from the awkward crouching stance they assume. Because of this, catchers have a reputation for being slow baserunners (perhaps the most notable of whom is Ernie Lombardi ); even if they have speed at the beginning of their careers, the eventual toll taken on their knees slows them down, although there are some exceptions, such as Manny Sanguillén and Jason Kendall . Some players who begin their career as catchers are moved to other positions in order to preserve their running speed, increase their availability for games (mainly catchers with either poor defensive skills, recurring injuries, or were blocked by
4480-489: The catcher's box , while the pitcher must be on the pitcher's mound , with one foot in contact with the pitcher's rubber . Once the ball is in play, however, the catcher and pitcher, like the other fielders, can respond to any part of the field necessary to make or assist in a defensive play. The defensive plays expected of catchers, aside from managing the pitcher by calling for pitches and catching them, include: Preventing wild pitches and avoiding passed balls . Although
4592-413: The inning , or the current score, among others. Since a catcher uses their fingers to signal and communicate with the pitcher, they may wear colorful stickers on their nails to accentuate the motion of the fingers and thus help with the visibility of the signal. As an alternative, the catcher may wear painted nails, such as with fluorescent polish. Starting in 2022, Major League catchers began wearing
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4704-500: The strike zone but appear, to the umpire, to be good. Conversely, some umpires will call low pitches strikes even when they are slightly below the knees. Other umpires have an inside bias or an outside bias; some umpires have more than one bias; some are uniformly lenient; some have very restricted notions of the strike zone, and the pitcher will constantly feel that their pitches are unfairly judged. The catcher can exploit an umpire's tendencies by taking them into account in when receiving
4816-492: The "Killer B's", synonymous with the Astros throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. A prodigious offensive and defensive unit, during their 10 peak seasons from 1994 to 2003, they appeared in nine All-Star Games , won five Gold Gloves , ranked in the top five of the Most Valuable Player Award voting five times and averaged 226 runs scored. They totaled 689 home runs, 2,485 RBI and 3,083 runs scored while
4928-401: The "king of hit batsmen". On June 29, 2005, Biggio broke the modern-era career hit-by-pitch record, previously held by Don Baylor with 267. He is second to only Hughie Jennings on the all-time list with 287. Despite being hit by a record number of pitches, Biggio never charged the mound , and had no serious injuries as a result of being hit by a pitch. In his final season, however, Biggio
5040-765: The 1860s. They generally played their games at the same ballpark as the better-known Athletic ball club. The 1884 team revived the old club name, and both names reference Pennsylvania, "The Keystone State". Infielders Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Catcher Catcher
5152-407: The 2014 season, little league, high school, and college runners are encouraged or mandated to avoid significant contact. Preventing stolen bases by throwing to second base or third base to allow an infielder to tag a baserunner attempting to reach the base. A catcher who is very good at preventing stolen bases is said to have a low stolen-base percentage. (A pitcher who is slow to deliver
5264-424: The Astros advanced to the postseason six times. Other players that the Astros later acquired whose names started with the letter B also were included in this distinction, including Derek Bell , Sean Berry , Lance Berkman , and Carlos Beltrán . Biggio considered free agency with a team other than the Astros just once: after the 1995 season ended, teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , and
5376-399: The Astros clubhouse to congratulate him. Biggio became the first player in Astros history to accumulate 3,000 hits. It was Biggio's third hit of the game, and he went on to accumulate two more later in the game, one in the ninth inning and one in the eleventh inning. He became the first player in history to record his 3,000th hit and have five hits in the same game. Biggio's 3,000th hit came on
5488-586: The Cardinals rallied to win 5-2 to end the season. In February 2005 , Biggio and Bagwell were inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame . After Kent left for the Dodgers , Biggio resumed playing at second base and set a new career-high with 26 home runs. He also reached 1,000 RBI , becoming the second Astro to do so, following Bagwell. On September 5 of that season, he helped the Astros against
5600-570: The Hall, which received criticism. On January 6, 2015, Biggio was rewarded for his career by being elected to the Hall of Fame . He received 82.7% of the votes and was inducted into the hall on July 26, 2015. He was the first member of the 3,000 hit club to not be elected on the first ballot. On July 29, 2021, Biggio was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors. Biggio has received awards from various organizations, including
5712-666: The Kid Who Batted Ninth by David Siroty, which chronicled their rise from college teammates to the major leagues. Biggio was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1987 draft . Biggio remains Seton Hall's leader in triples, second in runs scored, and is in the top 10 in 18 other single-season and career categories. In 1996, Biggio was inducted into the Seton Hall Hall of Fame and had his number 44 retired in 2012. Biggio
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#17327906333485824-480: The NL record for most times leading off a game with a home run (53), and is one of only five players with 250 home runs and 400 steals. A four-time Gold Glove Award winner who led NL second basemen in assists six times and putouts five times, he retired ranking fourth in NL history in games at second base (1,989), sixth in assists (5,448) and fielding percentage (.984), seventh in putouts (3,992) and double plays (1,153), and eighth in total chances (9,596). He
5936-524: The NL wild card on the final day of the regular season. In the 2004 National League Division Series , the Astros were matched against the Atlanta Braves , which was the fourth time the two teams were playing each other in the past seven years, and the Braves had won each of the matchups. Biggio batted 8-for-20 (.400) in a series that went the full five game distance. In Game 4, he hit a home run, which
6048-401: The National League in doubles three times, runs scored twice, and stolen bases once. Biggio was also known for intentionally keeping his batting helmet dirty. In 1997, he completed an entire season without grounding into a double play, becoming the fifth player to ever do so in MLB history. In 1998, he became the first player since Tris Speaker to collect fifty doubles and fifty stolen bases in
6160-685: The Wild Card by one game). As they had done the previous year, the Astros beat the Braves to advance to the NLCS . They avenged their previous loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to win their first league pennant. In the clinching sixth game, Biggio did his part with a third inning single that drove in a run in the 5-1 victory. After having played 4,714 games and their entire major league careers together in Houston, Biggio and Bagwell appeared in their first and only World Series that year against
6272-460: The amateur draft and scouting, and major and minor league talent evaluation. Biggio was involved in the selection of new Astros Manager Bo Porter in 2012. Additionally, Biggio participates in the club's community development program. Over his career, Biggio gained a reputation for being hit by pitches; some observers criticized him due to the fact that many of the pitches hit him on his sizable elbow pad . Some have even gone so far as to proclaim him
6384-416: The ball is not "in play". Foul tips, bouncing balls in the dirt, and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher, necessitating the use of protective equipment. This includes a mask , chest and throat protectors, shin guards, and a heavily padded catcher's mitt . Though rare, some chest protectors may extend lower to provide some shield to the genitalia; wearing
6496-426: The ball wide and high to the catcher, who comes out of their crouch to receive it and relays the ball quickly to a base to put a runner out. Rarely, a catcher will run to first base or third base to participate in rundown plays at those bases . In certain game situations, typically a ball batted to the shortstop or third baseman with no runners on base, the catcher may be expected to back-up first base in case
6608-405: The ball. The catcher can help their pitcher get more strike calls from the umpire by using a technique called "framing". This practice is a matter of a catcher keeping the mitt inside the strike zone, or making the pitch appear as close to the strike zone, when receiving the pitch, thereby giving the plate umpire the impression that the pitch is in the strike zone, even if it is not. When framing,
6720-441: The batter to hit lazy, foul pop-ups , catchers played their position approximately twenty to twenty-five feet behind the batter, and wore no protective equipment. As the game progressed towards professionals and became more serious, pitchers began to attempt to prevent the batter from hitting the ball by throwing faster pitches. With the introduction of the called strike in 1858 , catchers began inching closer to home plate due to
6832-408: The catcher can have dire consequences for their team. Passed balls are possible whenever one or more runners are on base. A failure to catch a ball thrown from the outfield on a play at home plate, or a failure to tag a runner, means that the defensive team fails to record an all-important out and, instead, it allows a run. On an attempt to prevent a stolen base, a catcher's bad throw might careen past
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#17327906333486944-431: The catcher. It is not unusual for a catcher to briefly look at the posture and position of the batter-in-turn prior to calling the next pitch; even the way a batter holds the bat may shed some indication of what the strategy may be. The selection of which pitch to use can depend on a wide variety of situations such as the type of hitter that is being faced, whether there are any base runners , how many outs have been made in
7056-450: The catchers had hand pain during a game, and several had chronic pain in the catching hand. Catching high-speed pitches can, in some cases, cause the index finger on the gloved hand to swell to twice the size of the other fingers. Ultrasound and blood-pressure tests showed altered blood flow in the gloved hand of five of the catchers, a far higher incidence than in the hands of players at other baseball positions. Catchers in baseball use
7168-427: The crucial defensive role played by catchers. In 1901 , the National League introduced a new rule specifying that the catcher must stand within 10 feet of home plate. The American League adopted the rule the following year. The rising velocity of pitches in conjunction with catchers gradually moving closer to home plate significantly increased the risk of injuries for catchers, especially face and hand injuries. By
7280-522: The difficulty of catching such an inconsistent and erratic pitch. Some personal catchers have included: The catcher is the most physically demanding position in baseball, more so than the pitcher. Despite being heavily padded, catchers routinely suffer some of the worst physical abuse in baseball. The catcher has the physically risky job of blocking the plate to prevent base runners from reaching home and scoring runs. Catchers also constantly get bruised and battered by pitches, foul balls , and occasionally
7392-434: The dirt"), the catcher will slide their body to the left or right, as necessary, to place themselves directly in the path of the ball. Once in position, they push towards the ball while dropping to their knees, place their mitt between their legs to prevent the ball from passing through, and lean forward to deaden the rebound when, and if, the ball bounces off their thigh or torso. Although inexperienced catchers may try to catch
7504-461: The end of the nineteenth century, is the only man in the history of baseball to play more than three hundred games as a left-handed catcher. However, some observers, including the famed statistician Bill James and ESPN writer Rob Neyer , have suggested that the real reason that there are no left-handed catchers is because left-handed players with strong throwing arms are almost always encouraged, at an early age, to become pitchers. Benny Distefano ,
7616-404: The errant pitch with the mitt, coaches often prioritize the catcher's ability to "keep the ball in front of the body" than to make a catch with their mitt. Ideally, the catcher will be able to knock the ball to the ground where it will stop within arm's reach. To perform this properly, without the ball being deflected in an undesirable direction, the catcher must angle their body so that their chest
7728-431: The fans. The Astros won the game 3–0. Biggio finished his career with 3,060 career hits, 668 doubles, 291 home runs, 1,175 RBI, 414 stolen bases, and a .281 batting average. Biggio has been a special assistant to the general manager since 2008. In this role, he works in several areas, including with the baseball operations staff in its major and minor league player development programs with special emphasis on instruction,
7840-399: The feat. Incidentally, this also caused him to fall short of the 3,000 hits, 300 homers and 300 stolen bases mark; he would have been only the second player in history to reach that club, the other being Willie Mays . On July 24, 2007, Biggio announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season (his 20th season with the club, a franchise record). Hours later, with the Astros locked in
7952-433: The first baseman misses or mishandles a throw . In certain game situations, when a runner is on first and the batter bunts the ball or hits the ball softly, which causes the third baseman to rush in to get the ball and throw to first base, the catcher must cover third base so that the runner from first base does not advance to third base on the play and this then forces the third baseman to cover home plate. Any failure by
8064-434: The following equipment to help prevent injury while behind the plate: Additionally, some catchers choose to use the following optional equipment: In addition to their protective equipment, a catcher usually also adopts practices that minimize the risk of injury. For instance, unlike fielders elsewhere on the field, a catcher tries, to the extent possible, to catch the ball with their gloved hand alone. An outfielder may catch
8176-400: The half of the ball, lodged in the mitt, that is closer to the zone. The illusion is often enhanced with a slight 'tug' of the mitt (of an inch or two) toward the strike zone. By rule, the catcher must station directly back of the plate (generally in the catcher's box ) the moment a pitch is thrown but may leave at any time to catch a pitch or make a play. The moment an intentional ball leaves
8288-414: The heel; they can catch the pitch on their forehand or backhand , as necessary; they can catch a low pitch with the mitt pointed upward or downward. These choices help the catcher to create a favorable presentation (or frame) for the umpire. A variation on "framing" is called "pulling pitches". The general approach is to catch the half of the ball that is outside the strike zone and show the umpire only
8400-400: The history of Major League Baseball to join the 3,000 hit club , with a single against Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook . Though Biggio was tagged out on the play attempting to stretch it into a double, drawing the throw allowed a run to score. The game action paused while Biggio shared the moment with his wife and children. Longtime friend and former teammate Jeff Bagwell emerged from
8512-406: The home plate. Fielding weakly hit fair ground balls (including bunts ) in front of home plate in order to throw to a base to complete a groundout or a fielder's choice play. The catcher must avoid hitting the batter-runner with the thrown ball, implying that they must move to a position in which they have a clear throw to the infielder at first base. Guarding home plate on plays in which
8624-451: The infielder and skip into the outfield , allowing an additional advance by the baserunner. Though not exactly a play, "psyching the batter" refers to a casual attempt by the catcher to distract the batter prior to the pitcher throwing the ball. As long as it does not fall in a lack of sportsmanship, such as offensiveness, and as long as the umpire permits it, the catcher may mention a specific throw or say something funny to try to distract
8736-418: The infielders an extra fraction of a second to throw the runner out at the next base if they attempt to advance (as, for example, when a ground ball is hit). Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and former MLB catcher Iván Rodríguez are known for using pickoffs with success, particularly at first base. Teams may sometimes call a deliberate play, the pitchout , wherein the pitcher intentionally throws
8848-446: The last lefty thrower to catch a big-league game (in 1989), noted that lefty catchers have difficulty on bunts up the third base line and on fielding throws home for plays at the plate. Others suggest that fielding bunts up the 3rd base line would give the catcher a better throw to 1st base or 2nd base. Unlike the other fielders, the catcher and pitcher must start every play in a designated area. The catcher must be behind home plate in
8960-453: The late 1870s, catchers began to use padded, fingerless gloves to protect their hands, and in 1877 the first protective catcher's mask was used. The first catchers to use protective masks sometimes had their courage called into question, but the effectiveness of the masks in preventing injuries meant that they became widely accepted. In the 1880s, the first padded chest protectors came into use, and in 1888 specialized catcher's mitts used on
9072-570: The minors. Yogi Berra mentioned Biggio's height in his book You Can Observe A Lot By Watching , saying, "I always identified with short catchers—they don't have to stand up as far". The Astros acquired first baseman Jeff Bagwell prior to the start of the 1991 season , who, like Biggio, spent his entire major league career with Houston. A power hitter with higher-than-normal on-base skills, Bagwell played 15 seasons, thus completely overlapping his career with Biggio's and wound up Houston's career leader in home runs . The pair came to be known as
9184-428: The most doubles by a right-handed hitter. He is the only player in the history of baseball with 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs. He ranks 20th on the all-time hits list, though of those 20 players he ranks 19th in career batting average. Biggio fell nine home runs short of joining the career 300–300 club (300 homers and 300 stolen bases). He would have become only the seventh player to achieve
9296-494: The non-throwing hand began to be used. The final pieces of protective gear were shin guards which were first worn by catcher Roger Bresnahan in 1907 . Together, the rules changes and the new protective equipment transformed the catcher's defensive role to the way that it is presently played. The catcher is usually the first to notice the tendencies, quirks, and peculiarities of each home-plate umpire . Some umpires favor high strikes , pitched balls that are technically above
9408-471: The number 7 in his honor the year following his retirement. Since 2008, Biggio has served as special assistant to the general manager of the Astros. In 2015 , Biggio was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame , becoming the first member of the Hall to be depicted in an Astros uniform on his plaque. Craig Biggio graduated from Kings Park High School in Kings Park, New York , where he excelled as
9520-429: The opponent to cause them to err. Because of the close mental relationship and trust that a successful pitcher must have with his catcher, a number of catchers throughout history have become preferred by pitchers, to the point that the catcher will almost always (especially during the regular season) start along with the pitcher. The catcher is then informally referred to as that pitcher's personal catcher . Naturally,
9632-445: The organization by raising awareness of the organization by wearing a small yellow sun on his cap for interviews, batting practice, and spring training games and by holding a celebrity golf tournament in Houston each spring. Biggio hosts an annual party at Minute Maid Park for about 100 Sunshine Kids to play baseball with Biggio and some of his teammates. With the 2006 annual golf tournament, Biggio has raised over $ 2 million for
9744-477: The organization. During 2007 spring training, MLB informed Biggio that he would no longer be allowed to wear the small yellow sun on his cap during interviews, photoshoots, or spring training. Biggio had worn the Sunshine Kids pin for over a decade. This edict was big news in Houston, and Houstonians, long known for their charitable nature and unconditional love of Biggio, reacted very negatively to MLB. After
9856-404: The outfield, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for pitches using PitchCom , or hand signals. The calls are based on the pitcher's mechanics and strengths, as well as the batter 's tendencies and weaknesses. Essentially, the catcher controls what happens during the game when
9968-410: The pitcher has a responsibility to throw with reasonable accuracy, catchers must be mobile enough to catch (or block) errant pitches. By doing so, a catcher prevents baserunners from advancing while the loose ball is retrieved. An errant pitch that eludes the catcher and allows a baserunner to take one or more additional bases is called a wild pitch . (Techniques for blocking wild pitches are described in
10080-408: The pitcher's delivery. These developments meant that catchers began to take on a crucial defensive role, as a pitcher's deceptive deliveries could only be effective if the catcher was capable of fielding them. The progression of the catcher positioning themselves closer to the plate would lead to changes in pitching deliveries that would revolutionize the sport. In the 1870s, pitcher Candy Cummings
10192-491: The player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team". Biggio has been a supporter and lead spokesperson for the Sunshine Kids Foundation for over a decade and almost the entirety of his playing career. The organization supports children fighting cancer with exciting activities for themselves and their families. Biggio helps
10304-497: The potential problem with this arrangement is that if the pitcher prefers to work with the team's backup catcher, then the regular catcher—presumably the better player—must be benched. However, because of the physically grueling nature of the position, many "regular" catchers are asked to either rest relatively frequently or play a different position such as first base or designated hitter . Personal catchers are often used for pitchers who specialize in throwing knuckleballs because of
10416-442: The presence of a more talented catcher), and take advantage of their prowess with the bat. Prominent examples of catchers switching position (mainly first base ) in mid-career include Mike Napoli , Craig Biggio , B. J. Surhoff , Joe Torre , Víctor Martínez , Joe Mauer , Carlos Santana , Brandon Inge , and Dale Murphy (although Murphy was also known as a poor thrower to the pitcher and to second base, nearly hitting pitchers in
10528-482: The previous section.) A pitched ball which would require only ordinary effort to be caught or blocked by the catcher—but is nonetheless misplayed, allowing a base runner to advance—is called a "passed ball". Fielding high pop flies , often hit at unusual angles. In this case, the catcher must turn their back to the field in order to properly account for the spin of the ball, which often follows unpredictable paths. Fielding catchable foul balls , in foul territory near
10640-470: The process). As a result, catchers often have shorter careers than players at other positions; consequently, few catchers hold batting records that require many seasons of play to compile. Mike Piazza is the only catcher in history with more than 400 career home runs, and no catcher has amassed 3,000 career hits (Iván Rodríguez leads all Major League catchers with 2,844 hits). Although 3,000 hit club member Craig Biggio played his first three full seasons as
10752-512: The public uproar, MLB relented and Biggio was allowed to wear the Sunshine Kids pin as he had done since becoming a spokesperson. Biggio was arrested in June 1989 and charged with drunk driving in Harris County, Texas . Astros teammate Ken Caminiti was a passenger in the car at the time of the arrest. At trial, the arresting officer testified that Biggio handed him $ 200 in what he believed
10864-490: The rules requirement that a strikeout could only be completed by a catch. The rules governing the delivery of pitches proved to be hard to enforce, and pitchers continued to stretch the boundaries of the rules until the 1870s when the release point of pitches had reached the pitcher's waist level. Pitchers had begun throwing overhand by 1884 , when the National League made a rule change removing all restrictions on
10976-413: The same day that Frank Thomas hit his milestone 500th career home run , both marks which are considered to guarantee induction into the Hall of Fame. In anticipation of Biggio's reaching 3,000 hits, the Astros installed a digital counter just left of center field displaying his current hit total. With 668 doubles, he ended his career in fifth place on the all-time list. Biggio also holds the record for
11088-417: The same season, doing so with his 50th stolen base on September 23 (Biggio and Speaker were the only players to record the feat in the 20th century). Biggio also excelled defensively at second base; between 1992 and 1999, Biggio led all National League second basemen in assists six times and putouts five times. He won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1994 to 1997. Biggio played 1,800 games without
11200-435: The second-most ever by a right-handed hitter; his 56 doubles in 1999 were the most in the major leagues in 63 years. Biggio, who batted .300 four times and scored 100 runs eight times, holds Astros franchise records for most career games, at bats, hits, runs scored, doubles, total bases (4,711) and extra base hits (1,014), and ranks second in runs batted in (1,175), walks (1,160) and stolen bases (414). He also holds
11312-412: The start of the 2014 season, a catcher may only obstruct a runner's path to home plate when he, the catcher, is in possession of the ball. Without the ball in hand, the catcher must allow the runner to score uncontested. If the catcher drops the ball while tagging the runner, the runner is safe. Although contact between a runner and a catcher was generally allowed in the major leagues until the beginning of
11424-657: The strategic defensive importance of catching, if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills, teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses. A knowledgeable catcher's ability to work with the pitcher, via pitch selection and location, can diminish the effectiveness of the opposing team's offense. Many great defensive catchers toiled in relative anonymity, because they did not produce large offensive numbers. Notable examples of light- hitting , defensive specialists were Jerry Grote , Jeff Mathis , Martín Maldonado , Ray Schalk , Jim Hegan , Jim Sundberg and Brad Ausmus . Schalk's career batting average of .253
11536-558: The team was in need of one. In 1986, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox . Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin . Biggio, Vaughn and Valentin, along with Marteese Robinson , were featured in the book The Hit Men and
11648-574: The writers' ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 , the earliest possible year of consideration. He led all Hall of Fame vote-getters by being named on 68.2% of ballots cast. However, this was 39 votes shy of reaching the 75% threshold required by the BBWAA for induction. The following year he once again failed to garner enough votes to be inducted, finishing two votes shy with a voting percentage of 74.8%. This ties him with Nellie Fox (1985) and Pie Traynor (1947) for smallest margin not to get into
11760-612: Was a bribery attempt. On October 5, he was found guilty of drunk driving. The following day, he was sentenced to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service and fined $ 350. Biggio married his wife, the former Patty Egan, in 1990. At that time she was a nurse, but moved on from that career after moving to Houston, where they still live. They have three children: son Conor, born in 1993, son Cavan , born in 1995, and daughter Quinn, born in 1999. Cavan has played in Major League Baseball. From 2008 to 2013, Biggio
11872-446: Was able to introduce the curveball because his catcher, Nat Hicks , fielded his position in close proximity to home plate and was able to catch the deceptive pitch. Other specialized pitches such as the spitball and the knuckleball followed, which further emphasized the defensive importance of the catcher's position. At about the same time that catchers began fielding their position closer to home plate, baseball teams began using
11984-534: Was called up as a catcher midway through the 1988 season , having batted .344 in his minor league career. In 1989, his first full season, Biggio became the Astros' starting catcher. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 1989. He was a very speedy runner, and an adept base stealer . Astros management, in an attempt to keep the rigors of catching from sapping Biggio's speed, tried him in the outfield part-time in 1990, as he had played 18 games there in
12096-474: Was his first career postseason home run. In Game 5 in Atlanta, the Astros were attempting to clinch the series after blowing Game 4. In the seventh inning, leading 4-2 in the seventh inning, Biggio was at the plate with Jose Vizcaino at second base with two out. Biggio hit a single that drove Vizcaino in from second that would start a two-out rally, as Biggio and three further batters would go on to score to make
12208-471: Was only hit three times. He was hit fewer times total between 2006 and 2007 (nine times in 2006, total of 12) than he was in 10 of his previous 11 individual seasons. In August 2007, the satirical online newspaper The Onion referenced this in the article "Craig Biggio Blames Media Pressure For Stalling at 285 Hit-By-Pitches". Biggio sent an arm guard to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of his high hit-by-pitch total. On May 23, 2008, during
12320-521: Was the head varsity baseball coach at St. Thomas High School . Biggio coached St. Thomas to back-to-back Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Class 5A state baseball titles in 2010 and 2011. Both of Biggio's sons played for the St. Thomas baseball team. Cavan hit a home run in the team's 2011 championship game, while older brother Conor provided the winning offense in St. Thomas' semifinal victory. In Summer 2012, Conor played left field for
12432-607: Was the last (and virtually the only) left-handed catcher in major league history, made his big-league debut with the Keystones. Like several other teams in the Union Association, the Keystones did not make it through the entire season, folding after the game of August 7. The entire league ceased operations after 1884, its first and only season. There was an amateur or semi-pro Keystone club in Philadelphia during
12544-458: Was the ninth player in the 3,000 hit club to collect all his hits with one team. Biggio also led the NL in times hit by pitch five times, with his career total of 285 trailing only Hughie Jennings ' 287 in major league history. One of the most admired players of his generation, Biggio received the 2005 Hutch Award for perseverance through adversity and the 2007 Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community service. The Astros retired
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