The day after going 5-for-6 to reach the 3,000-hit mark and
beyond, Craig Biggio wanted to use this space to share his appreciation
for fans. You are encouraged to leave comments below and we’ll make
sure he sees them.

Now that that the big night is over and we’ve all had a chance to reflect upon the excitement that we all felt when hit No. 3,000
was finally in the books, I want to take a moment to thank you, the
fans, and tell you what a thrill it was to celebrate this milestone
with so many people who have supported the Astros over the years.

If you were a fan here at Minute Maid Park, if you were a player in
either dugout and obviously if you had my name and number on the back
of your jersey, it was a very special night. It was one of those nights
in baseball that doesn’t come around very often. For it to happen the
way that it did, here at home, it really is beyond words. It’s
indescribable, the emotions the went through me. I just have a total
appreciation for the way the fans feel about the way that I go about my
business.

I was born and raised in the East, but the city of Houston has
become home to me and my family. To be able to play my entire career
with one team is a blessing for all of us — for me, my wife, Patty and
our children, Conor (right), Cavan and Quinn.  Life for a baseball player can
be very difficult for a player and his family, but for us, to be
honest, it’s been very, very easy.

We’ve been in one city, and when you’re in one city, you don’t have
to keep picking your kids up, moving them around, worry about taking
the kids out of school early, worry about summer vacations while
concentrating on what’s going on with your season. I was very lucky.
Part of playing in one city is not having to uproot your family. I’m
very, very lucky for that.

I remember playing in the Astrodome in front of tiny crowds in the
early days, and now, we draw close to three million fans every year.
Jeff Bagwell and I can remember those old days and we’re very proud of
what this organization has become. Our fans expect us to win. We expect
to win. Not getting to the postseason is not an option. This is the
reality of what we do.

We have taken our sports fans from loving the game of baseball to
absolutely going crazy about it now. They follow us the way they do an
East Coast team. Baggy and I are proud of that.

It hasn’t always been like this, and there were times that I
deserved to get booed and deserved to take the criticism that I’ve
taken. But I think as a person and as a man, you stand up when things
aren’t going well and you say, "I just wasn’t good." I think the fans
have respected that and appreciated the fact that when you stink you
say you stink and you don’t sugarcoat it. Over a
20-year period we had
some good times and some bad times, but in general, we haven’t had a
lot to be upset about.

The night I reached my 3,000th hit, so many people who are important
to me were there to see it. My family, Baggy, Nolan Ryan, the
organization and the fans made that night so special. That night, I was
a fan. Today, I’m a fan. It was unbelievable. From the standing
ovations every single time up to the standing ovation when it happened.

It was important to me to bring Baggy out on the field. I was so
proud of that, I was so happy for him to be out there one more time,
because he wasn’t able to end his career the way he wanted. Hopefully,
I can write my own story and leave when I want to leave, but he didn’t
have that choice. So for me, that night, I wanted to really make my
family No. 1 and he was No. 2.

I wanted him to be out there between the lines with me one more
time, to enjoy it and for the fans to say, "Hey, Baggy, we love you and
thank you for everything you’ve done for thie city." That night was
just a magical moment.

To you, the fans, I just want to say thank you. I love you guys.
Thank you for opening up your living rooms, your TVs, your hearts to my
family and to me. As a player, it doesn’t happen like this very often.
For it to happen, I just want to thank you for it and I love you guys
for it. Thanks.

Craig Biggio