I'm not even sure how this post got started in the first place but it starts with Tim Wakefield who, coincidentally is announcing his retirement today.
43rd on the list is fellow knuckleballer Phil Niekro who plunked 123 batters in 5404 innings during his long career. That's 1 for every 43.9 innings.
Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux appears on the list at #31 with 137 hit batsmen in 5008 innings, or 1 in every 36.6.
Which is more surprising here, that knuckler Niekro hit so few batters compared to Wakefield or that pinpoint control pitcher Maddux hit more than Niekro?
A couple of others for comparison?
Tom Seaver 76 HBP in 4783 IP = 1/62.9
Charlie Hough 174 HBP in 3801 IP = 1/21.8
Wow, great stats...never realized Niekro had such pinpoint control.
ReplyDeleteWake was one of my favorite Sox (and I've had plenty of them over the years) but even if I wasn't a Sox fan I would have felt bad for him after Aaron bleeping Boone's homer in '03. So glad that Wake was able to win not one, but two rings with Boston and get that 200th 'W' after a tough stretch this past summer. It's definitely time for him to hang 'em up, but it'll hard to imagine the Sawx without him.