We were the lucky ones

Craig Biggio played his last major league baseball game on Sunday. While the Astros won the game, it was the emotion of Bidge's 20-year career ending, all as a member of the Astros' organization, that will be remembered most about the day.

As expected, Richard Justice penned a great column in Sunday's Houston Chronicle to celebrate and reflect on the significance of Bidge being an Astro his entire career. In the lead paragraph he wrote:
Craig Biggio once said he was fortunate to be able to play his entire major league career with one team. Truth be told, we were the lucky ones.

Amen. I know I was lucky to have spent half of my Astro rooting life being able to follow this guy's career. While watching the game on Sunday, I interrupted Clancy's current Star Wars' adventure and picked him up into my arms and had him watch Bidge's final at-bat of his career with me. I was shocked that my four year old son actually paid attention and listened to me tell him about how Bidge was the best player ever to put on an Astros' uniform and how if he continues his little league career he should always pretend to be Bidge.

Bidge ended up grounding out at to Chipper Jones in his last AB, but trust me when I say it was the most emotional groundout you will ever see when you look at Bidge's face and constant ovation he was given by the Astros' fans. For me personally, watching that moment unfold with my son is one I'll never forget.

In what was considered an awful season from a standings and results standpoint, the Astros still managed to draw more than 3 million fans. Drayton can personally thank Bidge and his quest for 3000 and eventual retirement announcement for those numbers. Frankly, credit must be given to the Astros' marketing department which milked the Bidge retirement tour for everything they could.

I will miss you Bidge and so will baseball for that matter, not just the Astros. I truly hope you are involved with the Astros in some way, shape or form moving forward.

See images from the day here.