Bronson Arroyo, 2004 Boston Red Sox

Ever hear of him? Arroyo has great hair, a live arm, and he sported red socks in 2004. Y’see, the 2004 Red Sox…I don’t know if you’ve heard…won some sort of baseball-related contest that the city of Boston hasn’t bothered clamming up about for a number of years now. Personally, I’m not that interested in adding to the 2004 BoSox hagiography. I’m more interested in developing the Bronson Arroyo songbook. Did you know Arroyo was once traded for Wily Mo Pena? Did you know that Bronson Arroyo once admitted to using androstenedione and amphetamines? Did you know that Bronson Arroyo released an album of ‘90s alternative rock covers? Or how about: Did you know that Bronson Arroyo set a record in 2004? Before giving the world a much-needed acoustic version of “Plush,” Bronson punctuated his very good (121 ERA+, 1.22 WHIP) 2004 season by becoming the first pitcher to face fewer than 800 batters and chalk up 20 or more hit-by-pitches. Staring down just 764 batsmen over his 178.2 innings pitched, Arroyo plunked a league-leading twenty men. I suppose we can add “headhunter” to Arroyo’s interests, along with “baseball player,” “musical savant,” and “drug enthusiast.”

Record:
800- batters faced, 20+ HBP

Orel Hershiser, 2000 Los Angeles Dodgers

It was supposed to be a feel-good story. Hershiser, after a five year absence, returns to the team he won the 1988 Cy Young and World Series MVP for (oh, and he also finished that season with 59 consecutive shutout innings). So what does Bulldog accomplish in his return to the Dodger Blue? He becomes the only man in history to hit 10 or more (11, in his case) batters in under 50 innings pitched. To that end, he became the only man to plunk ten or more in under 25 innings pitched(!), accumulating just 24.2 IP. Sadly, the LA legend finished his career in 2000 with a 1-5 record and an abominable 13.14 ERA.

Record:
10+ batters hit, 50- innings pitched