Twistity Sports Exclusive: ASTRO BOY

 
Major League Baseball welcomed Houston to its ranks in 1962 with an expansion team – the Houston Colt 45s. Whether they were named for the gun or the malt liquor is irrelevant, because in 1965 they became the Houston Astros.

Theirs is not a history replete with glory. In 53 years they’ve been to the World Series once … and lost. That was 2005, and the team hasn’t seen the postseason since (except on TV).

On Tuesday, though, Houston got a little something to brag about with the election to the Hall of Fame of Craig Biggio. Biggio will be the first player to enter the Hall as an Astro. He played for no other team in 20 big-league seasons, had no other allegiance, lives in Houston to this day.

“You play 20 years in one city, fans become a part of your life. For them to be able to finally have a guy going in … an unbelievable feeling,” Biggio said.

Most of the attention on Tuesday went to the pitchers elected with him – Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz. In an era of hitters (such as Biggio), they established themselves as dominant forces on the mount. Johnson won the Cy Young Award five times; Martinez won the Cy Young three times. Smoltz won more than 200 games as a starter and saved more than 150 as a reliever, which no other pitcher has done.

But they all had a bit of the nomad in them. Johnson pitched for six teams (including the Astros), Martinez for five, Smoltz for three (though two were in the final year of his career). Biggio played in no city but Houston, wore no uniform but Houston’s (and they had some ugly ones).

“I love this organization,” Biggio said. “I love this town.”

He’ll find a lot to like in Cooperstown, N.Y., come July 26.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .