HOUSTON -- A star second baseman making the move to the outfield in the prime of his career? The Astros have been here before. While the Astros have been discussing moving Jose Altuve to the outfield this season -- so much so that Altuve has been taking fly balls in left field at Daikin Park this week -- Hall of Fame second baseman Craig Biggio knows the challenges possibly ahead for Altuve all too well. Biggio, who broke into the big leagues as a catcher in 1988, made the move to second base in 1992 and played two years in the outfield in 2003-04 after Houston signed second baseman Jeff Kent. Biggio appeared in 363 games in the outfield in his career, including 255 in center field and 109 in left field. The Astros could move Altuve -- their starter at second base since 2011 -- to left field this season to make room for them to acquire another infielder. That could be Alex Bregman, though a reunion with Bregman remains unlikely. Houston's infield as currently constructed is Altuve at second, Christian Walker at first, Jeremy Peña at shortstop and Isaac Paredes at third. |
Biggio said Altuve is well-equipped to handle a position switch at 34 years old. "He'll be fine," Biggio said. "He's a tremendous athlete and he'll have enough time in Spring Training to figure it out and get through it." After starting 140 games at second base in 2002, Biggio started 150 in center in '03 and began '04 there as well. He moved to left field in June when the Astros acquired Carlos Beltran in a trade with the Royals. Biggio moved back to second base in '05 to finish out his career. He said playing outfield was much different than infield. "It's totally different training, as far as on your body," he said. "When you're playing the infield, it's short spurts. When you're playing the outfield, it's a lot of long-distance running. In the infield you might have five, six, seven steps of short spurts, and the outfield you might have 30, 40 steps. It's a totally different running program, at least it was for me. "The throwing program was totally different because it was a different arm motion that it was playing the infield or catcher. Playing catcher or second base, it was a short-arm throw. And then when you went to the outfield, it was a long-arm throw, and that was weird." |
Biggio had the entire spring of 2003 to get ready to play the outfield after Kent signed, but the move from center field to left field had to be made on the fly. "The ball does different things when you're in the outfield than the infield," Biggio said. "In left field, a lefty slices it or hooks it, righty slices it or hooks it, balls are doing totally different things. And the ball does totally different things when the wall is closer. If you're in a normal left field ... it won't be as crazy as it will in [Daikin Park] at times." When Biggio played center field, he had to navigate Tal's Hill, which has since been removed. Left field at Daikin Park presents challenges because of the wall. It's only 315 feet down the left-field line, but the ball can take unpredictable caroms off the manual scoreboard. "It was a totally different animal," Biggio said. "I made some really nice plays in left field and I made some plays you would scratch your head at. It's definitely different. The ball in center field comes at you true, and the ball in left field doesn't come at you true. Even though the positions are right next to each other, the way the ball comes at you is a lot different than it does in center field. I learned a lot when I went to left, that's for sure." |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Former Astros closer Billy Wagner, who will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, had one career RBI. Which player did he drive in? A. Daryle Ward
B. Lance Berkman
C. Tony Eusebio
D. Jeff Kent |
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PRESSLY REFLECTS ON ASTROS |
While meeting with the Chicago media on Wednesday, former Astros closer Ryan Pressly admitted it was tough to deal with being removed from the closer role when Houston signed Josh Hader a year ago. Pressly waived his no-trade clause to join the Cubs this week in part because he has a chance to be a closer again. "You get demoted and then you've got to go out there and be professional and try to lead the right way," he said. "That's what they pay us to do, is to go out there and be a professional, and I think that the best way I could do that [was to] show my teammates how I can carry myself even when stuff's not going to go your way." Pressly, 36, was acquired by the Astros during the 2019 season and transitioned into the role of closer in '20, saving 111 games for Houston. An All-Star in '19 and '21, he converted his first 14 save chances in the playoffs prior to last year (a club record), including the clinching Game 6 of the 2022 World Series. "Houston will always have a really, really special place in my heart," he said. "I loved being here, I loved my time here, it's a great organization. Sometimes in business you have to go somewhere else whenever it happens. It's unfortunate I wasn't able to retire with the Astros, but it's one of those things. It's business." |
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D. Berkman Wagner drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning against San Diego's Jay Witasick on Aug. 20, 2003, scoring Berkman from third. |
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