Houston Astros Legend Welcomes Former Teammate to Hall of Fame
When it comes to players from the Houston Astros' past, few players are more important than Craig Biggio.
He spent all 20 of his MLB seasons with the Astros, racking up over 3,000 hits and earning a plaque in Cooperstown. For two decades, he was one of the best players in baseball.
Biggio got to play alongside numerous talented teammates during that time, from Nolan Ryan and Jeff Bagwell to Roger Clemens and Lance Berkman.
He also spent nine seasons with Ken Caminiti, who played for Houston from 1987-1994 and again from 1999-2000.
Caminiti tragically passed away from a drug overdose in 2004 at the age of 41. Twenty years later, he was posthumously elected to the Astros Hall of Fame, and Biggio was there to inform his family in person.
Biggio, who has remained a close friend of the Caminiti family, was at Lindsey Caminiti's wedding in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 20.
The franchise legend had some good news that made the day even sweeter for them.
Caminiti will go into the Astros Hall of Fame alongside legendary broadcaster Rene Cardenas, who announced Houston's games from 1961-1975 and again in 2007.
Cardenas made his mark as the team's first Spanish-language radio announcer, helping grow the Astros' popularity during the early years of the franchise.
A well-rounded third baseman with strong defense and power, Caminiti was a 1994 All-Star selection for Houston. In his 10 seasons with the Astros, he batted .264/.330/.402 with 103 home runs, 204 doubles and 48 stolen bases.
In between his two stints with Houston, Caminiti won three Gold Glove awards, two Silver Sluggers and the 1996 NL MVP award with the San Diego Padres.
He later admitted to using steroids during his years with the Padres in a stunning Sports Illustrated interview, but that doesn't diminish what he accomplished with the Astros.
