Doesn't it seem like a ton more players are being hit by pitches this year? Here in Chicago it's even more pronounced. Bobby Jenks of the White Sox was just fined for throwing behind a batter, and Ryan Dempster of the Cubs stirred up the beehive when he hit Ryan Braun in the helmet with a pitch.
Are there more hit batsmen this year? Here are the figures for the last five years:
| Year | Hit
By Pitch | Plate
Appearances | PA
per HBP |
| 2005 | 1,797 | 186,274 | 103.7 |
| 2006 | 1,817 | 188,052 | 103.5 |
| 2007 | 1,755 | 188,597 | 107.5 |
| 2008 | 1,672 | 187,614 | 112.2 |
| 2009 | 373 | 39,123 | 104.9 |
It turns out that the rate of hit batsmen is pretty much on par with the last five years. We decided to look back over a longer period of time. Here are the HBP rates by decade going back in time:
| Decade | Hit
By Pitch | Plate
Appearances | PA
per HBP |
| 1900s | 7,381 | 839,587 | 113.7 |
| 1910s | 7,271 | 993,683 | 136.7 |
| 1920s | 5,190 | 956,572 | 184.3 |
| 1930s | 3,667 | 961,598 | 262.2 |
| 1940s | 3,396 | 954,246 | 281.0 |
| 1950s | 4,788 | 952,718 | 199.0 |
| 1960s | 6,991 | 1,209,457 | 173.0 |
| 1970s | 7,688 | 1,510,768 | 196.5 |
| 1980s | 7,255 | 1,551,695 | 213.9 |
| 1990s | 12,060 | 1,667,943 | 138.3 |
| 2000s | 15,948 | 1,690,302 | 106.0 |
It jumps out. The current rate of hit batsmen is basically at an all-time high. The rate has been consistent since 2001, about one hit batsmen per 100 plate appearances. From the 1920s until about 1990, the rate was generally around one per 200 PA. Now the rate is double what it was for over half a century. Interesting—the onset of the current Hit Batsmen Era coincides with onset of the Steroid Era. It's not entirely coincidental.