Not bad for a gritty spark plug.  Craig Biggio, a seven-time All-Star and member of the 3,000 hit...

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Dan Toman

Supervising Editor

<p>Not bad for a gritty spark plug.</p><p>Craig Biggio, a seven-time All-Star and member of the 3,000 hits club, was officially immortalized into MLB history Sunday after becoming the first player who played his entire career with the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///mlb/teams/23" href="http://www.thescore.com/mlb/teams/23">Houston Astros</a> to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.</p><p>Biggio, the only player with at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs, delivered an emotional speech during his Cooperstown ceremony, while standing alongside fellow inductees Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Randy Johnson.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"This is pretty cool, I must say. We changed the culture in Houston by making it a baseball city,'' said Biggio, who grew up on New York's Long Island. ''To the Astros fans, you guys are the greatest fans in the world.''</p><figure><iframe src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=297833683&amp;topic_id=7417714&amp;width=400&amp;height=224&amp;property=mlb" width="400" height="224" frameborder="0">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>)</p><p>Commissioner Rob Manfred introduced the former catcher and second baseman with a plaque befitting of the 5-foot-11 Biggio: "Gritty spark plug who ignited Astros offense for 20 major league seasons."</p><figure><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FirstLook?src=hash">#FirstLook</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HOF?src=hash">#HOF</a> plaque of 2015 Inductee, Craig Biggio. <a href="https://twitter.com/astros">@Astros</a> <a href="http://t.co/EZT2Vaul8P">http://t.co/EZT2Vaul8P</a> <a href="http://t.co/K51FTnj6cK">pic.twitter.com/K51FTnj6cK</a></p>— Baseball Hall (@BaseballHall) <a href="https://twitter.com/BaseballHall/status/625371189595242496">July 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>- With files from The Associated Press</p>

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Four of the greatest players of their generation were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of...

<p>Four of the greatest players of their generation were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown on Sunday. Here's a closer look at their journey and special day:</p><h3>Craig Biggio, Houston Astros</h3><p><strong><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/799816" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/799816">Emotional Biggio becomes 1st Astro in Hall of Fame: 'This is pretty cool'​</a></strong></p><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/94764/cropped_REUA_301028.jpg?ts=1422214870"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Hall of Fame Bio</strong></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>HOF Team</th>
<th>Astros (1988-2007)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Born</td>
<td>Dec. 14 1965</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Position</td>
<td>C/2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seasons</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Avg</td>
<td>.281</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hits</td>
<td>3060</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HRs</td>
<td>291</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Career WAR</td>
<td>65.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HOF Vote</td>
<td>82.7 (3rd ballot)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/craigbiggio/hall-fame-tribute">ESPN</a>)</p><p><strong>Notes:</strong> Only player in major league history with at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases and 250 home runs. ... was hit by a pitch 285 times, second all-time. .. won five Silver Slugger Awards (one at catcher and four at second base) and four Gold Glove Awards at second base (1994-97). ... led NL in runs with 123 in 1995 and 146 in 1997 and topped the league in doubles three times with a high of 56 in 1999. ... accepted partial baseball scholarship to Seton Hall University and in 1987 was taken in first round of the draft with the 22nd overall pick by the Astros. ... took over as Houston's regular catcher in 1989 and had 13 homers and 60 RBIs to win the NL's Silver Slugger Award for catchers. ... in 1991 batted .295 and made the first of seven All-Star appearances. ... finished career with 668 doubles, fifth all-time. ... joined 3,000-hit club in 2007, his last year in the majors, and finished career with 3,060 hits.</p><h3>Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks</h3><p><strong><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/799841" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/799841">Johnson jokes about mullet, scowl as he becomes 1st D-Backs player in HOF</a></strong></p><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/123522/cropped_REUA_178478.jpg?ts=1437933842"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Hall of Fame Bio</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>HOF Team</th>
<th>D-Backs (1999-2004)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Born</td>
<td>Sept. 10 1963</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Position</td>
<td>LHP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seasons</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Record</td>
<td>303-166</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ERA</td>
<td>3.29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K/9</td>
<td>10.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Career WAR</td>
<td>104.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HOF Vote</td>
<td>97.3% (1st ballot)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/randyjohnson/hall-fame-tribute">ESPN</a>)</p><p><strong>Notes:</strong> Nicknamed the Big Unit, the 6-foot-10 left-hander was an elite athlete who excelled in both baseball and basketball. ... played 22 seasons in major leagues and led his league in strikeouts nine times, earning four ERA titles and recording 100 complete games and 37 shutouts. ... his 4,875 strikeouts rank No. 2 all-time behind Nolan Ryan's 5,714, and his 10.61 strikeouts per nine innings rank first all-time. ... owns six of the 33 300-strikeout seasons in the modern-era history of the game and five of the top 11 single-season strikeout seasons. ... named to 10 All-Star Games ... his 303 victories rank fifth all-time among lefthanders, behind only Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Eddie Plank and Tom Glavine. ... made the Expos roster in 1988, becoming the tallest player in big-league history. ... midway through the 1989 season, Montreal traded Johnson to the Seattle Mariners. ... hurled a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers on June 2, 1990. ... on Sept. 27, 1992, threw 160 pitches in eight innings, striking out 18 Rangers in a 3-2 loss. ... went 18-2 in 1995, struck out 294 and led AL with a 2.48 earned-run average, winning his first Cy Young Award. ... was traded midway through 1998 season to Houston and went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 11 starts, leading the Astros to a playoff berth. ... signed a four-year deal with Arizona Diamondbacks prior to 1999 season ... from 1999-2002 captured four straight NL Cy Young Awards, three ERA titles and struck out at least 334 batters each season. ... in 2001 went 21-6 in the regular season and 3-0 in the World Series, sharing Most Valuable Player honors with Curt Schilling and leading Arizona to a seven-game series win over the Yankees. ... at age 40 struck out 13 batters in pitching a perfect game at Atlanta's Turner Field on May 18, 2004, breaking a record set a century earlier by Cy Young, who pitched a perfect game at age 37 on May 5, 1904. ... traded to Yankees after 2004 season and won 34 games in two seasons in New York. ... returned to Arizona for two more seasons and finished his career in 2009 with the Giants, where he won his 300th game.</p><h3>Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox</h3><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/799862" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/799862"><strong>Martinez delivers memorable HOF speech: 'I hope all Dominicans remember this'</strong></a></p><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/59994/cropped_REUA_577910.jpg?ts=14052536961"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Hall of Fame Bio</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>HOF Team</th>
<th>Red Sox (1998-2004)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Born</td>
<td>Oct. 25 1971</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Position</td>
<td>RHP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seasons</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Record</td>
<td>219-100</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ERA</td>
<td>2.93</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K/9</td>
<td>10.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Career WAR</td>
<td>86.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HOF Vote</td>
<td>91.1% (1st ballot)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/pedromartinez/hall-fame-tribute">ESPN</a>)</p><p><strong>Notes:</strong> An eight-time All-Star who finished career with a 219-100 record in 18 years for a winning percentage of .687. ... the 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-hander won five ERA titles en route to a career mark of 2.93. ... his 3,154 strikeouts rank 13th all-time, his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.15-to-1 ranks third all-time, and his average of 10.04 strikeouts per nine innings also is third all-time, behind only Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood. ... signed with the Dodgers in 1988 and made major league debut Sept. 24, 1992 at age 20. ... traded to the Expos in November 1993 for second baseman Delino Deshields. ... on June 3, 1995, retired the first 27 Padres batters he faced before allowing a hit in the bottom of the 10th. ... went 17-8 in 1997 with a National League-best 1.90 ERA and 13 complete games, striking out 305 batters en route to his first Cy Young Award. ... in November 1997 was traded to Boston Red Sox and signed a seven-year contract. ... went 19-7 in 1998 and finished second in the AL Cy Young Award vote. ... in 1999 went 23-4 with a league-best 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts, including a then-record 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings, becoming just the eighth pitcher to post two 300-strikeout seasons, and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting. ... in 2000 went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and 284 strikeouts to win his third Cy Young Award, allowing just 128 hits in 217 innings en route to a WHIP of 0.74, by far the best single-season mark in big league history. ... in 2003 led AL in WHIP, ERA and winning percentage en route to a 14-4 record. ... in 2004 posted a 3.90 ERA while going 16-9 and helped the Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918, pitching seven shutout innings in Game 3 on the road in St. Louis to give the Sox a commanding 3-0 series lead. ... signed a free-agent contract with the Mets following the World Series and went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA in 2005. ... after three injury-filled seasons, sat out first part of 2009 before signing with the Phillies and going 5-1 in nine regular-season starts to become the 10th pitcher to win at least 100 games in both leagues. ... explored pitching again in 2010 and 2011 but never returned to the majors and announced his retirement on Dec. 4, 2011.</p><h3>John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves</h3><p><strong><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/799831" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/799831">Wig-wearing Smoltz joins Maddux, Glavine in Cooperstown</a></strong></p><figure><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/123525/cropped_REU_429331.jpg?ts=1437934032"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Hall of Fame Bio</strong></p><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>HOF Team</th>
<th>Braves (1988-1999 &amp; 2001-2008)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Born</td>
<td>May 15 1967</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Position</td>
<td>RHP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seasons</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Record</td>
<td>2213-155</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ERA</td>
<td>3.33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saves</td>
<td>154</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Career WAR</td>
<td>66.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HOF Vote</td>
<td>82.9% (1st ballot)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>(Courtesy: <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/johnsmoltz/hall-fame-tribute">ESPN</a>)</p><p><strong>Notes:</strong> Finished 21-year big league career with a 213-155 record, 154 saves, 3,084 strikeouts and a 3.33 ERA. ... winner of 14 or more games 10 times and twice led NL in wins (1996 and 2006), innings pitched (1996 and 1997) and strikeouts (1992 and 1996). ... eight-time All-Star and winner of the 1997 NL Silver Slugger Award. ... the 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-hander signed with hometown Tigers after being selected on 22nd round of 1985 amateur draft. ... acquired by Atlanta Braves for Doyle Alexander on Aug. 12, 1987. ... from 1989-93 averaged 14 wins, 34 starts and 182 strikeouts with a 3.42 ERA. ... only Braves player to be part of the franchise's run of 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005. ... appeared in 41 postseason games, compiling a 15-4 record, a 2.67 ERA and a record 199 strikeouts. ... in five World Series started eight games and finished with a 2-2 record and 2.47 ERA. ... in September 1994 underwent the first of a half-dozen surgeries when doctors removed a large bone spur and some chips from the back of his right elbow. ... in 1996 went 24-8, including 14 straight victories, and posted a 2.94 ERA and league-best 276 strikeouts to capture the NL Cy Young Award. ... underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove bone chips prior to 1998 season, also spent four weeks on disabled list with an inflamed elbow, and still finished with a 17-3 record. ... in 1999 was placed on the DL twice with a strained elbow and finished 11-8. ... missed entire 2000 season after tearing medial collateral ligament in his right elbow in spring training and undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. ... 2001 comeback derailed after five starts with more time on DL. ...after 159 wins as a starter was converted to a relief pitcher in July 2001 in an effort to maximize his health and finished with 10 saves in 11 chances with a 1.59 ERA. ... in 2002 set NL record by converting 55 saves (tied by the Dodgers' Eric Gagne in 2003). ... saved 154 games in 168 opportunities in 3 1/2 seasons as a closer. ... suffered right elbow tendinitis in 2003 and had right elbow surgery in October 2004 to clean up scar tissue. ... returned to starting rotation in 2005 and averaged 15 wins and 222 innings over three seasons. ... in 2008 became 16th big league pitcher to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. ... signed as free agent by the Red Sox in January 2009 and went 3-8 in a final season split between Boston and the Cardinals.</p><p>- With files from The Associated Press</p>

Emotional Biggio becomes 1st Astro in Hall of Fame: 'This is pretty cool'

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