first plunked
So far this year, the Astros have been hit by 6 pitches, and thrown another 3 plunks themselves, which means that 9 batters have been plunked in Astros games this year without any of them being Craig Biggio. That ties with the 2002 season for 13th on the year by year list of how many people got plunked in Astros games before Biggio.
In the past 18 seasons, Biggio has been one of the first 10 batters plunked in Astros games in 13 of them. Although he's never been plunked on opening day, he was the first batter hit (for either team) in Astros games in 1997, 1998 and 2003.
The 6 Astros plunks so far is the most since 2000 when Biggio watched 16 teammates get plunked before he took one for the team that year. The Astros have not had more than 18 batters get hit before Biggio joined them in any year since 1988 - when was Biggio was a rookie and did not get plunked.
Here's the total HBPs for the Astros and their opponents before Biggio's first plunk of each season. These totals include batters hit in the same game, but still before, Biggio's first HBP of the year:
| Season | Astros HBPs | Opponents HBPs | Total HBPs | First plunk date |
| 1989 | 4 | 3 | 7 | April 22 |
| 1990 | 13 | 22 | 35 | July 22 |
| 1991 | 7 | 6 | 13 | June 7 |
| 1992 | 18 | 10 | 28 | June 12 |
| 1993 | 12 | 5 | 17 | May 19 |
| 1994 | 1 | 4 | 5 | April 12 |
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | 3 | April 30 |
| 1996 | 1 | 1 | 2 | April 3 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | April 4 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | April 1 |
| 1999 | 2 | 3 | 5 | April 25 |
| 2000 | 16 | 9 | 25 | April 29 |
| 2001 | 3 | 4 | 7 | April 7 |
| 2002 | 5 | 4 | 9 | April 10 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | April 2 |
| 2004 | 5 | 3 | 8 | April 14 |
| 2005 | 1 | 2 | 3 | April 13 |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 4 | April 8 |
2 Comments:
Since Biggio is our leadoff hitter does he also hold the record for most games leading off with a plunk..? (I've grudgingly accepted the fact that he won't catch Henderson for leadoff homers).
Do we know how many of those plunks were on the first pitch?
The leadoff HBP count for Biggio is 39, but it's hard to prove that's a record. The pitch by pitch data hasn't been available until recently to know how many were on the first pitch - but hopefully I'll have that sometime this season once retrosheet.org finishes up putting together the 1999 season.
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