money (bean)ball

With apologies to Billy Beane for use of the title.

Since 1989, the first season Craig Biggio recorded a hit-by-pitch, the average annual salary for pitchers has increased by 443% from $489,427 to $2,167,459 in 2004. The average annual salary for pitchers who hit Craig Biggio has only increased by 265% from $631,667 to $1,672,423 in 2004. Average salaries for Biggio plunkers have actually declined in recent years, from a peak of $3,470,634 in 2000. It appears that opposing teams have been finding cheaper arms to throw at Biggio. In total, through 2004, it has cost $306,203,564 for teams to pay 167 pitchers to hit Biggio 256 times, adding up the annual salary for each pitcher in the year he hit Biggio. (Salary data is not entirely complete, particularly for players who didn't play a full season with a major league team.)