So did Matt Galante. Great gesture by Craig.
There were several times during his speech that I misted up a little. In addition to his tribute to Matt Galante, the references to Ken Caminiti and Darryl Kile also got to me a little. Those four - Bigio, Bags, Caminiti and Kile, were building blocks for the success that the Astros saw in the 90's. Pple always include Lance Berkman as well, but if I recall correctly, he came along a couple of years later still.
Not a part of Biggio's speech, but I was glad to hear the commissioner speak of his initiative to bring emphasis to baseball in our youth today. It just astounds me that more and more kids are choosing a different sport to play. When I was growing up in the 60's, EVERYBODY played baseball (well, at least every BOY), and we played it all the time. Every day after school, all the guys in my neighborhood were at a vacant lot on the net block. My dad - who had played baseball during WWII with Hank Greenberg - actually paid to have the lot cleared and leveled so we could actually set up a diamond. We were out there everyday, even in the snow in December one time. We'd take a "7th-inning stretch" for dinner, then come back out and play until it was too dark to see. It was just like "The Sandlot", except with a wider age range. I played all the way up until HS, and even occasionally after.
When I heard Biggio speak Sunday, I was reminded of that. Every one of us played for one reason - because we loved it. And as I said, it just astounds me that most kids just don't feel that way anymore.
