Biggio, in his second appearance on the ballot, was at 427 votes and 74.8 percent, matching Nellie Fox in 1985 and Pie Traynor in 1947 for the smallest margin to just miss.
Biggio played 20 seasons in the big leagues, all with the Astros. He had 3,060 hits and was a career .281 hitter.
There were three players total voted in today -- former Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. The trio will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27 along with managers Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, elected last month by the expansion-era committee.
"Congratulations to Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. Obviously, I'm disappointed to come that close. I feel for my family, the organization and the fans. Hopefully, next year," said Biggio in a statement released on the Astros Facebook and Twitter pages.
Former Astros star Jeff Bagwell was also on the ballot. He was also not selected.
Fans who thought Biggio was a sure bet to get in can't believe it.
"I thought it was a slam dunk, honestly," said fan Bruce Foley. "I really did. I thought it was a slam dunk."
"I'm disappointed," added fan Daniel Ebbs. "I was expecting him to be inducted."
For native Houstonians, the Astros hall of famer is already part of history for his civic contributions and just the way he played the game.
"I thought of Biggio as the one who played it the right way," said fan Rene Pena. "He played 110 percent. I loved how he wore that same dirty helmet for years and years and years because that's who he was."
So they'll wait until next year, hoping they, along with the Astros, will celebrate the team's first inductee into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.
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