How Killer?

From the 1988 season through 2005, players whose last names began with the letter B have had more hits, homeruns, doubles, triples, RBI, runs scored than any other last initial, and most importantly, had been hit by 665 more pitches than the next closest letter. B has been the 2nd most popular last initial for batters in those seasons, trailing M by only one player (among those with at least 1 plate appearance). Players filed under B have accounted for 9.7% of major league batting orders in the span, but they've accounted for 10.7% of hits, 11.7% of home runs, 11.4% of HBPs, and over 11% of the runs, RBI, and doubles in those years.

Among those players whose last names begin with B, Houston's Bs are at the top of the list in hits, homers, doubles, triples, rbi, runs, and obviously, plunks over the last 18 seasons. Players with B last names were hit by 2,802 pitches from 1988 to 2005, and Houston's Bs were hit by 540 of them - 19.3% of all plunkings of players with B names belonged to Houston. Astros Bs have accounted for 10.7% of all major league hits by players with the last initial B in that span, as well as 12.5% of runs, 11.2% of RBIs, 11.7% of doubles, and 12.0% of home runs. But, there were 17 other teams that had more players with B for their last initial than the Astros. The Astros had 32 Bs in that span, well behind the Royals leading B total of 48 players, but the Astros Bs still had 4,769 more hits. The Astros had 24 different players with B last initials get hits while Biggio has been playing, from Biggio' 2,795 (through '05) down to Willie Blair's 1 hit contribution. Taylor Buchholz became the newest B to get a hit in 2006, but the above numbers don't include this year's contributions.

Houston's B players have also had more hits, runs, HBPs, homers, doubles, triples, and RBI than any other last initial for any other franchise in the 1988-2005 span. Pittsburgh had 192 plunks by players with the last initial K, but no other team is closer to Houston's 540 plunks by Bs. The Cubs have had 5,177 hits by players with S last names, but that's still well short of Houston's 8,362 hits by Bs even if you removed Biggio's hits. Atlanta's collection of Js had 2,955 RBIs in that span, but the Houston Bs had 4,444. The only major hitting category where any other group is close to the Houston Bs is triples, where Pittsburgh's B players had 147 to Houston's 152.

In MLB history, there are a lot of franchises with a big head start on Houston, so the Bs don't rank very highly in most categories on the all time lists. The Cardinals lead the all time hits list grouped by last initial, with their players in the M group having 26,670 career hits, just ahead of the Giants franchise M players, with 26,403 (through '05). The Giants' M players lead the all time homer chart though, with 2,473, with the Yankees collection of M players trailing them with 2,171. Those Giants with the last initial M also lead the all time hit-by-pitch chart, with 710 through 2005. Houston's Bs are still number 2 on that plunk list, with 622 through '05, but including this season, the Astros' Bs are up to 641 to the Giants 712, and the Giants only have Mike Matheny helping out their cause. The Giants, by the way, have had over 100 more M players than the Astros have had Bs.

1988-2005 offensive top 5 lists by last initial:

Hits				HBPs
Last Initial	Hits	Players		Last Initial	Plunks	Players
B	78,107	415		B	2,802	415
M	63,343	416		G	2,137	242
G	62,354	242		S	2,136	387
S	61,720	387		M	2,012	416
C	51,696	319		C	1,715	319

Homers				RBI
Last Initial	Homers	Players		Last Initial	RBI	Players
B	9,291	415		B	39,470	415
G	7,123	242		M	30,770	416
S	7,095	387		S	30,741	387
M	6,676	416		G	30,691	242
C	5,350	319		C	24,727	319

Runs				Doubles
Last Initial	Runs	Players		Last Initial	Doubles	Players
B	41,438	415		B	15,323	415
G	32,367	242		M	12,098	416
M	31,724	416		G	11,834	242
S	31,352	387		S	11,578	387
C	26,368	319		C	9,882	319

1988-2005 top 5 lists by last initial and team:

Hits					HBPs
Last Initial	Team	Hits	Players		Last Initial	Team	Plunks	Players
B	Astros	8,362	32		B	Astros	540	32
S	Cubs	5,177	37		K	Pirates	192	6
B	Indians	4,931	39		B	Indians	187	39
J	Braves	4,797	9		V	Red Sox	157	11
B	Mariners	4,359	32		A	Orioles	157	7

Home runs					RBI
Last Initial	Team	HRs	Players		Last Initial	Team	RBI	Players
B	Astros	1,118	32		B	Astros	4,444	32
S	Cubs	887	37		J	Braves	2,955	9
J	Braves	878	9		S	Cubs	2,870	37
B	Giants	747	37		B	Indians	2,721	39
B	Indians	700	39		B	Mariners	2,514	32

Runs					Doubles
Last Initial	Team	Runs	Players		Last Initial	Team	Doubles	Players
B	Astros	4,996	32		B	Astros	1,798	32
J	Braves	2,840	9		B	Indians	1,009	39
S	Cubs	2,789	37		B	Pirates	910	33
B	Giants	2,737	37		J	Braves	898	9
B	Indians	2,611	39		G	Cubs	880	25

1988-2005 top 5 lists by team - only players with the last initial B:

Hits				Plunks
Team	Hits	Players		Last Initial	HBPs	Players
Astros	8,362	32		Astros	540	32
Indians	4,931	39		Indians	187	39
Mariners	4,359	32		Giants	152	37
Pirates	4,294	33		A's	136	32
Giants	4,133	37		Mariners	130	32

Homers				RBI
Team	HRs	Players		Last Initial	RBI	Players
Astros	1,118	32		Astros	4,444	32
Giants	747	37		Indians	2,721	39
Indians	700	39		Mariners	2,514	32
Mariners	662	32		Giants	2,299	37
Pirates	463	33		Pirates	2,051	33

Runs				Doubles
Team	Runs	Players		Last Initial	Doubles	Players
Astros	4,996	32		Astros	1,798	8362
Giants	2,737	37		Indians	1,009	4931
Indians	2,611	39		Pirates	910	4294
Pirates	2,427	33		Mariners	846	4359
Mariners	2,354	32		Red Sox	777	3466

All time lists by team and last initial (through '05):

Hits					HBPs
Last Initial	Team	Hits	Players		Last Initial	Team	Plunks	Players
M	Cards	26,670	196		M	Giants	710	169
M	Giants	26,403	169		B	Astros	622	68
M	Braves	22,064	189		B	Giants	608	159
S	Cubs	21,523	178		B	Indians	573	165
S	Cards	20,763	186		M	White Sox	567	141

Home runs					RBI
Last Initial	Team	HRs	Players		Last Initial	Team	RBI	Players
M	Giants	2,473	169		M	Giants	12,997	169
M	Yankees	2,171	149		M	Cards	12,325	196
S	Cubs	2,071	178		S	Cubs	10,446	178
M	Cards	1,888	196		M	Yankees	10,338	149
M	Braves	1,739	189		M	Braves	10,093	189

Runs					Doubles
Last Initial	Team	Runs	Players		Last Initial	Team	Doubles	Players
M	Cards	13,277	196		M	Cards	4,619	196
M	Giants	13,078	169		M	Giants	4,092	169
M	Braves	11,384	189		M	Braves	3,502	189
S	Cubs	11,264	178		S	Cubs	3,493	178
M	Yankees	10,577	149		B	Indians	3,361	165