LOCAL Houston | The City Guide August 2016 | Page 67
FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
SPORTS
“BIGGIO’S”
with a Killer “B”
By Jayme Lamm | Illustration by German Arellano
Retirement from the game doesn’t always mean retirement from the sport
or the community. Although he hung up his jersey back in 2007, Hall of
Famer CRAIG BIGGIO still finds his life very much wrapped up in Major
League Baseball™ as a special assistant to JEFF LUHNOW, the Astros’
General Manager. In fact, the baseball legend says his life is busier now
than when he was playing.
The seven-time All-Star is leading a very busy life, especially with his kids
(starting college, new jobs and getting drafted), and most recently committed his name to a brand new, two-level premium sports bar to be named
Biggio’s in the Marriott Marquis Houston, opening later this year.
As for his recent Hall of Fame status, Biggio says that, of course, is the highest accolade he could have dreamed. “I was the first guy to go in as an
Astro. We’ve had a lot of great players in Houston and to be the guy to
go in the Hall of Fame is exciting. It’s really more exciting to share it with
everybody because it’s the only team I ever played for. I was loyal and
dedicated to the Houston Astros organization, to the city and the community … it’s fun because we all did it together,” Biggio says of his admiration
of Houston fans. Biggio is just the 49th Hall of Fame inductee who spent
his entire career with one team, so to say he’s a permanent fixture in
Houston’s sports landscape would be an understatement.
“I love the fans. I’ve made Houston my home – I’ve lived here for close to
30 years – and to do something like this with Marriott is an exciting opportunity to be with the fans and part of revitalizing that [downtown] area,” he
says. Downtown Houston has been restored and revitalized bit by bit for
the past few years, but with the upcoming Super Bowl (February 2017),
the construction and additions are on fast-forward mode. As for his involvement with the new sports bar, Biggio says he’s up for creating a signature
dish, still to be determined though. He said it’s also not far off base to say
that fans can see him there from time to time. “I’ll be there as much as I
can. The Astros are right next door so it’s very convenient and close,” he
adds, hinting that this could be a new pre- and post-game spot for baseball
fans. The former player also admits he’s excited for the timing of this new
project, just in time for the visitors that Super Bowl LI will bring in. “I want
[visitors] to see what Houston has to offer, which is a lot. Houston is a fun
town – the restaurants, night life, shopping, sporting events – especially
where you have the Rockets, Astros and Dynamo all within a quarter mile.
I want people to come and enjoy the city and really see what Houston,
Texas, is all about,” he says.
Biggio is the only player in baseball history with at least 3,000 hits, 600
doubles, 400 stolen bases and 250 home runs. We think he’s earned a
sports bar with his name on it.
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