variations in league plunk rates.

Through May of the 2006 season major league batters had been getting hit at a rate of 1 per 95.5 plate appearances, but last month, June, saw the league plunk rate drop to once per 114.9 plate appearances. That is the largest May to June drop-off in plunk rate during Craig Biggio's career, and June of 2006 had the fewest hit batters per plate appearance since June of 2003. But, so far this month, batters have been plunked once per 97.3 plate appearance - very close to the pre-June rate. The change from June to July has been an 18% increase, which is the largest month to month increase since September of 1999 (not including partial months). Perhaps it's no coincidence then that Craig Biggio survived June unplunked, and has been hit twice so far in July.

Overall, the league is on pace to have the 2nd highest rate of plunkings since the 1900 season, trailing the 2001 record by only 1.5 plunks per 10,000 plate appearances. The league is on pace to hit around 1,851 batters, which would be the 2nd most ever (thanks mostly to expansion), behind the 2001 season when 1,890 batters were plunked.

Here are the month by month plunk rates for 1988 through 2006 to date:

Month	Year	HBP	PA	PA/HBP
July	2006	226	21987	97.3
June	2006	269	30905	114.9
May	2006	345	32761	95
April	2006	293	28157	96.1
October	2005	24	2270	94.6
September	2005	323	31784	98.4
August	2005	308	31944	103.7
July	2005	279	31226	111.9
June	2005	307	30586	99.6
May	2005	287	31573	110
April	2005	269	26891	100
October	2004	32	3440	107.5
September	2004	295	32012	108.5
August	2004	343	32545	94.9
July	2004	323	31381	97.2
June	2004	293	31010	105.8
May	2004	299	32098	107.4
April	2004	263	25878	98.4
March	2004	2	155	77.5
September	2003	321	29875	93.1
August	2003	316	32641	103.3
July	2003	309	30793	99.7
June	2003	268	30829	115
May	2003	285	32009	112.3
April	2003	340	30249	89
March	2003	10	1041	104.1
September	2002	260	30954	119.1
August	2002	309	33004	106.8
July	2002	318	30597	96.2
June	2002	277	30588	110.4
May	2002	292	32036	109.7
April	2002	290	29356	101.2
March	2002	0	71	N/A
October	2001	68	7000	102.9
September	2001	249	24874	99.9
August	2001	337	32785	97.3
July	2001	316	30364	96.1
June	2001	335	31716	94.7
May	2001	302	31881	105.6
April	2001	283	28341	100.1
October	2000	14	1214	86.7
September	2000	282	33052	117.2
August	2000	268	33097	123.5
July	2000	237	31188	131.6
June	2000	253	31175	123.2
May	2000	237	31758	134
April	2000	280	28583	102.1
March	2000	2	175	87.5
October	1999	29	3431	118.3
September	1999	284	31155	109.7
August	1999	241	33791	140.2
July	1999	259	31463	121.5
June	1999	276	31473	114
May	1999	259	32428	125.2
April	1999	231	25934	112.3
September	1998	203	28597	140.9
August	1998	276	33959	123
July	1998	283	30892	109.2
June	1998	265	31497	118.9
May	1998	297	32641	109.9
April	1998	259	29740	114.8
March	1998	4	931	232.8
September	1997	240	28613	119.2
August	1997	260	31483	121.1
July	1997	230	29020	126.2
June	1997	237	29433	124.2
May	1997	253	29901	118.2
April	1997	229	27063	118.2
September	1996	255	28310	111
August	1996	250	31760	127
July	1996	216	29420	136.2
June	1996	244	30571	125.3
May	1996	217	28790	132.7
April	1996	222	28294	127.5
March	1996	0	97	N/A
October	1995	6	1168	194.7
September	1995	232	29444	126.9
August	1995	259	31802	122.8
July	1995	222	29935	134.8
June	1995	225	29154	129.6
May	1995	221	30013	135.8
April	1995	54	5175	95.8
August	1994	72	11194	155.5
July	1994	216	29603	137.1
June	1994	210	29251	139.3
May	1994	195	29448	151
April	1994	183	24976	136.5
October	1993	19	3189	167.8
September	1993	204	29324	143.7
August	1993	201	30748	153
July	1993	205	29338	143.1
June	1993	194	29036	149.7
May	1993	224	29400	131.3
April	1993	153	23511	153.7
October	1992	15	3609	240.6
September	1992	185	27657	149.5
August	1992	185	28006	151.4
July	1992	147	26621	181.1
June	1992	159	26928	169.4
May	1992	153	26568	173.6
April	1992	136	21127	155.3
October	1991	26	5420	208.5
September	1991	157	26920	171.5
August	1991	160	29085	181.8
July	1991	153	25837	168.9
June	1991	158	27571	174.5
May	1991	129	26897	208.5
April	1991	122	19000	155.7
October	1990	17	2829	166.4
September	1990	164	27823	169.7
August	1990	148	28466	192.3
July	1990	134	27658	206.4
June	1990	137	27904	203.7
May	1990	150	26905	179.4
April	1990	111	18716	168.6
October	1989	2	971	485.5
September	1989	133	27176	204.3
August	1989	146	28770	197.1
July	1989	144	26202	182
June	1989	123	27364	222.5
May	1989	130	26325	202.5
April	1989	123	23208	188.7
October	1988	12	1934	161.2
September	1988	146	26334	180.4
August	1988	143	28256	197.6
July	1988	152	26794	176.3
June	1988	172	27313	158.8
May	1988	157	27571	175.6
April	1988	136	21163	155.6