Biggio deserves the HOF. I guess he didn’t play for the right team.
From an ESPN article this week by Tim Kurkjian:
Biggio had 3,060 hits, 21st most ever, more than Rod Carew. Biggo had more hits in the live-ball era (since 1920) than any player whose primary position was second base. Biggio had the fifth-most doubles, more than Hank Aaron. He had the 31st most extra-base hits, more than Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Al Kaline and Mickey Mantle. He scored the 14th-most runs, more than Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. And Biggio’s 146 runs scored in 1997 are tied for the second most in a season in the expansion era (since 1961). He played in more winning games than George Brett. The list of players in history with 250 home runs and 400 stolen bases are Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan and Biggio. That’s it. That’s the list. He is one of four infielders ever to have a 20-homer, 50-steal season.
Biggio’s career WAR of 62.1 is comparable to Alomar (62.9) and Sandberg (64.9), but Biggio accumulated it while playing three premium defensive positions: catcher, second base and center field. He and Tom Daly (1895; he threw under-handed on long throws from second base to first) are the only players to play a full season at second base and a full season behind the plate. Biggio is the only player to also have played a full season in center field; he is the only player in history to record 1,000 at-bats as a catcher, a second baseman and a center fielder. He won four consecutive Gold Gloves at second base. When he arrived in the major leagues as a catcher in 1988 at age 22, Nolan Ryan said he loved throwing to him because he knew he could bounce a two-strike curveball knowing that the maniacal little guy with a size 7 hat behind the plate would hurl his body in front of the ball.
If Biggo is good enough, so is Tim Raines. Nobody steals bases anymore. Shocking, but it takes someone getting on base, then the ability to do it. If Ron Santo can get in so can Tim.
Biggio also may have been the most community minded player of his era too. Remember the little sun that he wore on his hat until the Commish made him take it off?
But then don't get me started on that slimey bastard slug Bud Selig. I hope that SOB burns in hell.
Biggio will get in soon, possibly next year. Certain writers believe that only the elite among the HOF deserve to make it on the first ballot. Several who left him off for that reason, will vote for him next year.
Designer statistics such as WAR tell me absolutely nothing. I can derive all I need to know about a batter's season or career by looking at his BatAvg, SlgAvg, OBP, Hits, 2Bs, 3Bs, HRs, Runs, RBIs, SBs, Walks, and maybe one or two other stats.