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Biggio finished with 74.8 percent of the vote, or two votes shy of the required 75 percent. The Baseball Writers Association of America picked pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas for the 2014 class.
Alyson Footer is a correspondent for MLB.com.
“I think there might have been two others in history that came that close before actually getting in. I’m really surprised, it seemed like the projections the last week that I been tracking, had him at about 80-81 percent of the vote at that time.”
Biggio spent 20 seasons in the majors while playing his entire career as a catcher, second baseman and outfielder with the Astros before retiring in 2007.
Footer says there are just as many people voting as there are candidates.
“It’s the Baseball Writers Association of America. So when you are a member in good standing with the BBWAA for ten years, then you get a Hall of Fame vote.”
And you’re only allowed to vote for ten. So they need to change that rule. And if you can vote for more than ten, I think that Biggio would have been a slam dunk this year.”
Footer, who is not a voting member of the Hall of Fame, adds there are some flaws in the voting process that should be changed.
“But as it stands, there’s like 550 voters, and that numbers climbs every year, because you just never lose your vote.”
In a statement released shortly after the announcement, Biggio congratulated Maddux, Glavine and Thomas, and was disappointed to come that close.
His longtime teammate and fellow club icon Jeff Bagwell, who defined the Astros’ play for two decades, fell short again in his fourth time on the ballot.