12/21/24
June 06, 2005
Craig Biggio - Beanball king.: As he closes in on the all time record for HBP he offers some insight - "I think the best place to get hit is with a curveball at about sixty-two miles an hour, probably right in the butt".
in, or on?
posted by garfield at 01:09 PM on June 06, 2005
Really nice article. Biggio is a class act. He was a catcher when he started his career, so you know he's one tough mofo. He has put together a really great career, possibly even a Hall of Fame one, all with one team. Thanks gspm. Oh, and that blog is hilarious. Every entry somehow ties into Biggio's HBP's. Good stuff.
posted by vito90 at 01:35 PM on June 06, 2005
And how often do you have a baseball player say "probably right in the butt"? I'm not sure, but I bet the odds increase exponentially when Anna Benson's around. Sadly, I think Biggio and Bagwell may be one of the final examples we see of long-term team loyalty. I'm not an Astro's fan by any stretch, but it'll be a sad day in Houston when they retire.
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:44 PM on June 06, 2005
Watching Baylor take one was like watching the pitcher plunk a stone monument...
posted by chris2sy at 03:49 PM on June 06, 2005
Biggio attributes his high bean count not to any particular eagerness to suffer for the team but to the high kick with which he begins each swing, which leaves him off balance and less able to react in selfdefense when the ball ventures thighward. I attribute it largely to his lame-ass body armor.
posted by holden at 04:04 PM on June 06, 2005
I know they got rid of most of the body armor, but for those that were grand-fathered and those that still use the small stuff, I think the player should be forced to play the entire game in the stuff. See here for example of body-armor AND high leg kick.
posted by 86 at 04:17 PM on June 06, 2005
I used to love watching Baylor just turn his shoulder and take the lump. He never made a move to avoid the ball but let's face it he was a bit too big to move quickly enough to avoid a 95 mph fastball. Note too that neither Baylor nor Biggio charged the mound. A lot of people could learn from that.
posted by ZDYOLDMAN at 07:19 PM on June 06, 2005
"Get out there, Dorn, and take one for the team!"
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:21 PM on June 06, 2005
I really wish they enforced rule 6.08 (2) more. It would be hilarious for one of these statues get plunked off body-armor, get halfway to first, and then [over]react like Manu Ginobli after an offensive foul call when they're called back to home to keep batting. Okay yeah, so maybe I did take that Sonics series loss to the Spurs hard, but I'm telling you, there were plenty of replays showing "air" fouls, man.
posted by hincandenza at 10:24 AM on June 08, 2005
Additionally, because the internet loves a hero - the Plunk Biggio blog. And how often do you have a baseball player say "probably right in the butt"?