No more plunks from the Nationals

The Washington Nationals passed up their final opportunity to hit Craig Biggio with a pitch, leaving their franchise total (as both the Nationals and the Expos) at 15, with just one coming since the team moved to the US from Canada. Mark Gardner was the only pitcher to plunk Biggio twice for the Expos, and he was also hit by Barry Jones, Willie Fraser, Kirk Rueter, Barry Manuel, Dave Veres, Pedro Martinez, Jeff Juden, Trey Moore, Bobby Ayala, Britt Reames, Rocky Biddle and Sunny Kim while they pitched for Montreal. Livan Hernandez will remain the first, last and only Washington Nationals pitcher to plunk Biggio - unless maybe Biggio falls short of the all time record in hit-by-pitches and is forced to come out of retirement next year to break the record by the popular outcry of millions of fans.

Biggio had one hit in last night's 7-6 loss, but can you really expect to win against a team that sends John Lennon to the mound and then sends in a guy named Jesus C. to relieve him? Even if his name is actually spelled Lannan, that doesn't seem fair. Biggio, by the way, has never been plunked by anyone whose name sounds kind of like Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Ringo Starr either.


Tonight, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be visiting, and Ian Snell will be pitching for them. Snell has hit a career high 7 batters this season, bringing his career total to 10, but he has never hit Craig Biggio with a pitch.

10 years ago today, Jamey Wright plunked Biggio for the Colorado Rockies - that was the first of 4 HBPs Wright has contributed to Biggio's career total. Biggio was plunked a year after that by Matt Karchner, on August 24, 1998 - that was the only road plunk that resulted in Biggio scoring on a wild pitch.