Former Astro Craig Biggio Misses Hall of Fame by Two Votes

In heartbreaking fashion, former Astros utility man Craig Biggio has missed making the MLB Hall of Fame by two votes. ESPN's Matt Myers first reported the Hall of Fame class including how close Biggio was to breaking into the Hall. 

Three players made it into the Hall of Fame this season. Former teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were inducted along with former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. All three players appeared on the ballot for the first time this season. 

Biggio, who enjoyed a 20-year career and was a member of the 3,000 hit club, slapped 1,014 extra-base hits, including 291 home runs. More impressive than his longevity in the league is the plethora of positions that he played in his career. Even though he played most of his career at catcher and second base, he eventually also played the outfield. 

This year, a total of 571 votes were submitted for the Hall of Fame. Of those votes, Maddux received 555 votes, Glavine 525 and Thomas 478. 

Biggio received 427 votes. Sadly, he needed only 429 votes for induction. 

Next year should be Biggio's year because it's a much weaker class of candidates. Flamethrowers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez will be on the ballot for the first time, but beyond those two, the field is fairly weak. 

Another former catcher, Mike Piazza, has a good chance of being inducted in 2015 as well. He received 62.2 percent of the vote this season. 

While there's no doubt that Biggio will be in the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later, just two votes cost Biggio another agonizing 365-day wait to be selected for enshrinement in baseball's most hallowed hall.