And now for some positive news about an Astro

leroy · Jan 17, 2008

Even if he is retired...

Back on the field

Biggio could see himself staying in coaching profession

By BRIAN MCTAGGART
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The coach roams around the baseball field with a piece of paper in his hand — a workout schedule for the day — while dozens of teenage boys sit in a pair of dugouts and await orders.

It's the second day of baseball tryouts at St. Thomas High School, and a steady drizzle and cool temperatures do little to dampen the enthusiasm. Only once, when a passing student yells his name, is there any indication the coach under the visor has extraordinary credentials.

Craig Biggio tries to blend in with the rest of the coaching staff, which can be pretty difficult when you've amassed 3,060 hits in the major leagues, played in seven All-Star Games and have more doubles than any righthanded hitter in history.

Instead of dealing with the grind of a 162-game major league schedule and drawing a multi-million dollar salary, Biggio's post-playing days have been filled volunteering as an assistant baseball and football coach at St. Thomas.

"They call me 'coach Biggio,' " said Biggio, whose oldest son Conor is a freshman baseball and football player for the Eagles. "I really am enjoying it. I know I did the right thing in retiring when I did. It's a great feeling."

Biggio, 42, has been a fixture on the practice fields at the private Catholic school on Memorial Drive since October, shortly after his 20-year career with the Astros came to an end.

"This is a huge deal for us," head baseball coach Ken Schulte said. "We thought we were getting a great kid, and in reality we wound up getting a heck of a coach, too."

First football, then baseball

St. Thomas athletic director/head football coach Kurt Page approached Biggio a few days after the Astros' season ended about helping coach the freshman football team. Schulte then recruited Biggio to help with baseball.

"I was happy to help out," Biggio said. "I wasn't sure how I was going to be accepted or they were going to accept me or how it was going to go, but for the 4 1/2 weeks of football that we did it, it was great. I loved it. They have a great bunch of kids over here at St. Thomas. They're very respectful and just want to get better and want to play and work hard in school."

Biggio's participation in football wasn't limited to practices. He worked the sidelines during freshman games, complete with a St. Thomas polo shirt and khaki pants like the rest of the coaches.

After initially being awed, the players grew accustomed to seeing Biggio around the field.

"The kids are just good kids, and after you meet them they're just like, 'Hey, you're just like everybody else,' " he said. "It was really the whole adjustment process of them accepting me, and it didn't take long at all."

Craig Biggio, a regular guy? That's something Conor knew all along.

"It's not like, 'Oh, my gosh, there's Craig Biggio,' " said Conor, a defensive back/running back in football and — surprise! — second baseman in baseball. "He's just doing the same thing as other coaches and treating everybody the same."

Biggio says he's instinctively a little harder on his son than other players, but he makes sure to treat everyone fairly.

"Kids want to learn and get better and they want to hear the good things, but they've also got to hear the bad things," he said. "We've got work to do and we're going to come out here and get it done and go home and get our homework done, go to bed and come out and do it again. That's all you can ask for. That's all you want them to do is just work, so the transition was pretty smooth."

So smooth, in fact, that Biggio could envision himself coaching in the future.

"I didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I have already and as quickly as I have," he said. "Talking about the game is fun, and as a player that part of my life was wonderful, but it almost seemed like it didn't happen. I've already moved into the next chapter."

That chapter will still include the Astros. Biggio and owner Drayton McLane have been in discussions about working out a personal services contract and hope to have something completed by the start of spring training next month.

Family time takes priority

But don't expect Biggio to spend a lot of time in Kissimmee, Fla. After all, he retired to be with his family, including Conor, 12-year-old son Cavan and 8-year-old daughter Quinn, all of whom are active in sports.

"There's not much time, and hunting season has taken a (back seat) because of it," Biggio said. "That is good, though. The deer are always going to be there and my kids aren't. I retired because I wanted to be with my family and my kids and it was just time.

"This is the right thing to do, even though I can still play. I'm having so much fun being in their lives and being a dad again — full-time dad and not a rent-a-dad or part-time dad. I'm really having a good time with it."

And while Biggio had a hard time taking off his uniform after his final game with the Astros, he has no desire to put on a jersey and pinstripe pants again. He'd rather stay in the dugout and not bring attention to himself.

These days, simply being called coach and dad is enough.

"If I could hide in the dugout with some shorts on, that would be a little better," he said.

brian.mctaggart@chron.com
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Good for him and great for those kids. I can't think of many professional players I'd want coaching my son more than Craig Biggio. I still don't think he'll ever return to the professional ranks as a coach, but it would be nice to see him in Kissimmee every so often and maybe helping out with the preseason camp that Ryan and Bagwell put on.

xcrunner51 · Jan 17, 2008

leroy420 said:

...it would be nice to see him in Kissimmee every so often and maybe helping out with the preseason camp that Ryan and Bagwell put on.
Click to expand...

Craig Biggio Elite Pine-tarred Helmet camp?

JunkyardDwg · Jan 18, 2008

xcrunner51 said:

Craig Biggio Elite Pine-tarred Helmet camp?
Click to expand...

How bout the Craig Biggio Elite Running the Bases Every Time Like Your Life Depended On It Camp.

Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman....ya'll might wanna take part.

Uprising · Jan 18, 2008

BGO...I miss him already.

This Tejada crap is killing me.

msn · Jan 20, 2008

JunkyardDwg said:

How bout the Craig Biggio Elite Running the Bases Every Time Like Your Life Depended On It Camp.

Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman....ya'll might wanna take part.
Click to expand...

word 

MaxwellsTemper · Jan 20, 2008

JunkyardDwg said:

How bout the Craig Biggio Elite Running the Bases Every Time Like Your Life Depended On It Camp.

Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman....ya'll might wanna take part.
Click to expand...

Those two guys would probably throw something out if they ran as hard as Biggio did on every pop-out or ground-out.

tim562 · Jan 22, 2008

My brother goes to St. Thomas High School. He's a freshman like Biggio's son. Biggio has been seen all around campus doing numerous things. I might go check out a few baseball games, the basketball team is decent. They have a guy by the name of Antoine Bootle who signed with Sam Houston State. My bro said he got offers from some decent Colleges including UT.

Tim

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