completing his pre-induction tour of the Baseball Hall

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Craig Biggio was kind of speechless after completing his pre-induction tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame.This is crazy! Biggio said Friday, sitting in the Plaque Gallery of the hall. Im kind of speechless. Its an overwhelming feeling, incredible feeling. I dont know what to say right now.Thats understandable, given its been less than a month since he was elected to the Hall of Fame. Perhaps it all hasnt quite sunk in yet.Biggio was elected Jan. 6, joining Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, who made the 75 per cent threshold by big margins on their first tries to become the first trio of pitchers voted in together by baseball writers.Biggio received 82.7 per cent of the votes, making it on his third attempt after falling two votes shy last year. The wait hardly mattered.Were in, said Biggio, glancing at his smiling wife Patty. Were honoured. Last year, hey, we came really close. Hopefully, this year was going to be the year and then it was. I never looked at it as waiting three years. Were just honoured and humbled that were in.The seven-time All-Star, who played catcher, second base and the outfield, retired in 2007 with 3,060 hits, and his 668 doubles are the major league high for a right-handed batter. He also was hit by pitches 285 times, second all-time by just two to Hughie Jennings. He finished his career with 291 homers, 1,175 RBIs, 1,161 walks, 414 stolen bases and 1,844 runs. Biggio also is the only player in major league history with 600 doubles, 250 homers, 3,000 hits and 400 steals.He takes pride in playing his entire career with one organization — the Houston Astros. He competed longer than any other player in franchise history, donning the uniform for 20 seasons. Hell be the first player in franchise history to be inducted when he formally enters the Hall of Fame on July 26.It means a lot to me, he said of the Astros cap on his plaque. Im wearing it for every guy in the Astros organization. This is for all of us.A native of Kings Park on New Yorks Long Island, Biggio said he visited the Hall of Fame as a kid with his family but didnt remember much. Rest assured he wont forget this trip.Downstairs where the Hall of Fame stores thousands of artifacts that arent on display, he picked up a bat Babe Ruth used in his heyday in the 1920s, marveling, Ive got to pick that thing up again.After gazing at a box of balls signed by former New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle, he said joking, Can you take this out to my car?Its like stepping back in the past, Biggio said. I just wanted to take it all in and appreciate everything.Biggio is one of just 11 players in big-league history with at least 3,000 career hits and 1,800 career runs scored. Eight of the other 10 are in the Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Carl Yastrzemski, Eddie Collins, Willie Mays and Rickey Henderson. The other two on that list are recently retired Yankees star Derek Jeter, whos not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, and all-time hits leader Pete Rose, whos serving a lifetime ban from baseball.When he entered the Plaque Gallery at tours end, Biggio made sure to look at plaques of several of his heroes — from Yogi Berra, who scouted Biggio when he starred at Seton Hall in New Jersey, to fellow Long Islander Yastrzemski, to Jennings, and the late Cubs great Ernie Banks, who died last week.I was just a little kid from Long Island, Biggio said. Now, Im sitting in a chair that says Hall of Fame. Amazing.___Follow Kekis on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Greek1947 John Hannah Jersey . Just as the meeting was beginning, Major League Baseball unveiled Rule 7.13, an experimental rule for the 2014 season aimed at eliminating what the league calls “egregious” runner/catcher collisions at home plate. 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Beckham will receive $4.175 million in base salary, while De Aza will receive $4.25 million. Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox.PITTSBURGH -- Catcher Erik Kratz was recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays from Triple-A Buffalo before Friday nights game at the Pittsburgh Pirates. To make room on the 25-man roster, Toronto optioned right-handed reliever Chad Franklin to the International League farm team. Kratz will serve as a backup to Josh Thole. Regular starter Dioner Navarro strained his right quadriceps Thurssday and will be held out of the next few games.dddddddddddd Navarro will not be placed on the disabled list according to manager John Gibbons. "We just think itll maybe be a couple days," Gibbons said. "We had to cover ourselves with another catcher." In seven games with Toronto earlier this season, Kratz batted .200 (2 for 10) with a home run and four RBIs. 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