Meanest pitcher in baseball...

[Gee Walker]

This morning I was wondering who was the meanest, nastiest headhunter in baseball history. Today, Julian Tavarez has that rep. My generation gave the award to either Don Drysdale or Bob Gibson. Earlier folks would have mentioned Early Wynn, and the tragic case of Ray Chapman has always been the main, but not only, case against Carl Mays.

I set up a little spreadsheet based upon the raw data of the top 100 HBP numbers in baseball history. As expected, the raw numbers feature mostly pitchers who threw a lot of innings, with an overly large proportion of knuckleballers and wild men. So I normalized the stats to HBP/9innings pitched and got a list of the guys who were the leaders in this dubious genre.

NAME HBP IP HBP/9IP
Ed Doheny* 132 1392.7 0.853
Cy Seymour* 84 1029 0.735
Jack Warhop 114 1412.7 0.726
Jamey Wright 117 1503 0.701
Chan Ho Park 126 1750.7 0.648
Julian Tavarez 90 1286 0.630
Jeff Weaver 113 1652 0.616
Matt Clement 94 1412.7 0.599
Cy Morgan 95 1445.3 0.592
Tommy Byrne* 85 1362 0.562
Willie Sudhoff 126 2086.3 0.544
Ed Willett 106 1773.3 0.538
Tim Wakefield 150 2563.3 0.527
Harry McIntire 96 1650 0.524
Jakie May* 88 1562.3 0.507
Barney Pelty 107 1908 0.505
Darryl Kile 117 2165.3 0.486
Nixey Callahan 86 1603 0.483
Joe McGinnity+ 182 3441.3 0.476
Chick Fraser 177 3356 0.475
Aaron Sele 111 2137 0.467
Pedro Astacio 111 2196.7 0.455
Al Leiter* 117 2391 0.440
Pedro Martinez 129 2645.7 0.439
Howard Ehmke 137 2820.7 0.437
Bill Duggleby 84 1741 0.434
Jesse Tannehill* 130 2750.3 0.425
Randy Johnson* 182 3855.3 0.425
Togie Pittinger 96 2040.7 0.423
Lefty Leifield* 85 1838 0.416
Don Cardwell 98 2122.7 0.416
Charlie Hough 174 3801.3 0.412
Don Drysdale+ 154 3432 0.404
Frank Lary 97 2162.3 0.404
Dave Stieb 129 2895.3 0.401
Jack Billingham 98 2230.7 0.395
Scott Erickson 103 2360.7 0.393
Jeff Pfeffer 105 2407.3 0.393
Eddie Plank+* 196 4495.7 0.392
Kevin Brown 139 3256.3 0.384
Jim Lonborg 105 2464.3 0.383
Jim Bunning+ 160 3760.3 0.383
Mike Boddicker 87 2123.7 0.369
Ed Reulbach 107 2632.3 0.366
Rube Waddell+* 117 2961.3 0.356
Tom Hughes 104 2644 0.354
Vic Willis+ 157 3996 0.354
Doc White* 119 3041 0.352
Jack Chesbro+ 113 2896.7 0.351
Earl Moore 106 2776 0.344
Kenny Rogers* 118 3098.7 0.343
Jack Coombs 88 2320 0.341
Harry Howell 97 2567.7 0.340
Rube Benton* 95 2517.3 0.340
Tully Sparks 88 2335.7 0.339
Orel Hershiser 117 3130.3 0.336
Win Mercer 92 2470.3 0.335
David Cone 106 2898.7 0.329
George Uhle 113 3119.7 0.326
Hooks Dauss 121 3390.7 0.321
George Mullin 131 3686.7 0.320
Jack Taylor 92 2617 0.316
Joe Coleman 90 2569.3 0.315
Walter Johnson+ 203 5914.7 0.309
Red Donahue 101 2966.3 0.306
John Burkett 90 2648.3 0.306
Sam Leever 90 2660.7 0.304
Chief Bender+ 102 3017 0.304
Jamie Moyer* 117 3488.7 0.302
Pink Hawley 98 3012.7 0.293
Roger Clemens 155 4882 0.286
Tom Candiotti 85 2725 0.281
Bert Blyleven 155 4970 0.281
Hippo Vaughn* 85 2730 0.280
Frank Tanana* 129 4188.3 0.277
Bill Donovan 91 2964.7 0.276
Dennis Martinez 122 3999.7 0.275
Clark Griffith+ 102 3385.7 0.271
Carl Mays 89 3021.3 0.265
Nolan Ryan+ 158 5386 0.264
Wilbur Cooper* 100 3480 0.259
Lee Meadows 90 3160.7 0.256
Earl Whitehill* 101 3564.7 0.255
Jack Powell 121 4389 0.248
Greg Maddux 129 4747 0.245
Jim Kaat* 122 4530.3 0.242
Kid Nichols+ 133 5056.3 0.237
Bob Gibson+ 102 3884.3 0.236
Mickey Lolich* 92 3638.3 0.228
Gus Weyhing 109 4324.3 0.227
Red Faber+ 103 4086.7 0.227
Rick Reuschel 88 3548.3 0.223
Jack Quinn 94 3920.3 0.216
Burleigh Grimes+ 97 4180 0.209
Phil Niekro+ 123 5404.3 0.205
Cy Young+ 163 7354.7 0.199
Tommy John* 98 4710.3 0.187
Gaylord Perry+ 108 5350.3 0.182
Tim Keefe+ 96 5047.7 0.171
Fergie Jenkins+ 84 4500.7 0.168

Now, this list had some interesting members. Ed Doheny hit as many batters in a game as Paul Byrd walks batters. Don Drysdale did hit a lot of batters, while Bob Gibson hit about as many as Mickey Lolich. Nolan Ryan, the pitcher who walked more batters than anybody, was definitely not a headhunter.

But I thought that a more interesting list would be one where the true headhunters showed up. A HBP is, in a way, a wild pitch. It's never in a pitcher's best interests to throw a wild pitch. It's never intentional. So a pitcher with a lot of HBP and not very many Wp - well, it shows premeditation to me. In my opinion, a true headhunter would be a pitcher with a high HBP count and a low WP count. I realize that WP is influenced by the quality of the team's catcher, and by the discretion of the scorekeeper who can also call a PB. But it's still a pretty good rule of thumb, I think.

NAME HBP WP HBP/WP
Jack Warhop 114 13 8.769
Harry McIntire 96 14 6.857
Joe McGinnity+ 182 30 6.067
Lefty Leifield* 85 17 5.000
Howard Ehmke 137 28 4.893
Jesse Tannehill* 130 28 4.643
Willie Sudhoff 126 30 4.200
Bill Duggleby 84 22 3.818
Red Donahue 101 27 3.741
Tully Sparks 88 24 3.667
Jeff Weaver 113 33 3.424
Jim Bunning+ 160 47 3.404
Jeff Pfeffer 105 34 3.088
Tommy Byrne* 85 28 3.036
Jakie May* 88 31 2.839
John Burkett 90 33 2.727
Carl Mays 89 34 2.618
Barney Pelty 107 42 2.548
Dave Stieb 129 51 2.529
Hooks Dauss 121 48 2.521
Earl Whitehill* 101 43 2.349
Julian Tavarez 90 39 2.308
Jack Taylor 92 40 2.300
Wilbur Cooper* 100 44 2.273
Eddie Plank+* 196 87 2.253
Togie Pittinger 96 43 2.233
Jamey Wright 117 53 2.208
Jamie Moyer* 117 53 2.208
Pedro Martinez 129 59 2.186
Ed Reulbach 107 49 2.184
Win Mercer 92 43 2.140
Frank Lary 97 47 2.064
Aaron Sele 111 54 2.056
George Uhle 113 55 2.055
Nixey Callahan 86 42 2.048
Red Faber+ 103 52 1.981
Chan Ho Park 126 64 1.969
Sam Leever 90 46 1.957
Greg Maddux 129 66 1.955
Doc White* 119 62 1.919
Pedro Astacio 111 59 1.881
Don Drysdale+ 154 82 1.878
Al Leiter* 117 63 1.857
Harry Howell 97 53 1.830
Jack Chesbro+ 113 62 1.823
Clark Griffith+ 102 57 1.789
Randy Johnson* 182 102 1.784
Jack Powell 121 72 1.681
Vic Willis+ 157 95 1.653
Tim Wakefield 150 91 1.648
Ed Willett 106 65 1.631
Jack Coombs 88 54 1.630
Cy Morgan 95 59 1.610
Kenny Rogers* 118 74 1.595
Jack Quinn 94 59 1.593
George Mullin 131 85 1.541
Rube Waddell+* 117 77 1.519
Ed Doheny* 132 87 1.517
Scott Erickson 103 68 1.515
Lee Meadows 90 60 1.500
Mike Boddicker 87 60 1.450
Rube Benton* 95 66 1.439
Jim Lonborg 105 73 1.438
Don Cardwell 98 69 1.420
Chief Bender+ 102 72 1.417
Cy Seymour* 84 60 1.400
Dennis Martinez 122 89 1.371
Bert Blyleven 155 114 1.360
Fergie Jenkins+ 84 62 1.355
Hippo Vaughn* 85 63 1.349
Earl Moore 106 79 1.342
Bill Donovan 91 69 1.319
Chick Fraser 177 135 1.311
Walter Johnson+ 203 155 1.310
Kevin Brown 139 108 1.287
Tom Hughes 104 83 1.253
Darryl Kile 117 97 1.206
Pink Hawley 98 83 1.181
Jack Billingham 98 84 1.167
Roger Clemens 155 142 1.092
Frank Tanana* 129 119 1.084
Burleigh Grimes+ 97 92 1.054
Cy Young+ 163 156 1.045
Rick Reuschel 88 89 0.989
Charlie Hough 174 179 0.972
Orel Hershiser 117 121 0.967
Jim Kaat* 122 128 0.953
Bob Gibson+ 102 108 0.944
Matt Clement 94 101 0.931
Gus Weyhing 109 130 0.838
Kid Nichols+ 133 169 0.787
Joe Coleman 90 118 0.763
Mickey Lolich* 92 124 0.742
David Cone 106 149 0.711
Tom Candiotti 85 120 0.708
Gaylord Perry+ 108 160 0.675
Nolan Ryan+ 158 277 0.570
Phil Niekro+ 123 226 0.544
Tommy John* 98 187 0.524
Tim Keefe+ 96 233 0.412

The appropriately named Jack Warhop was the #1 headhunter off this list. Of current players, Jeff Weaver leads the pack, which isn't really a surprise. The biggest shock was Senator Bunning... Don Drysdale and Carl Mays seem to have deserved their reputations. Bob Gibson didn't. Gibson was really a great one here - he didn't make you too comfortable at the plate, but he didn't plunk you either.

[Calif_Eagle]

Sal Maglie pitched all or part of 10 seasons in MLB. "The Barber" had the rep of being a pitcher who would go inside, knock men down, hit them if need be. I checked his stats and he had 44 HPB and 18 WP in his career. As to his control, he fanned 862 lifetime and walked 562. he pitched 1723 career innings and allowed 1591 hits, a shade above 8 hits per 9 innings pitched. It seems like he had good control, he was known for his great curveball, and I think was thought to be a good control pitcher. These numbers would suggest to me that Maglie would go for a hitter also. Although, by the measures used above, the only one for Maglie that reflects intent in a big way is the 44 to 18 2.44 ratio of HBP to WP.

[Los Bravos]

I'm not sure there's a straight up one to one correlation between hitting people and being mean. Undoubtedly, several of the names on this list (Gibson and Drysdale, in particular) were guys who supplimented their excellent stuff with a dose of intimidation.

By these numbers, Ryan might look like a guy who didn't hit people, but he was known to do so purposefully at times. The Ventura thing that everybody inexplicably thinks is so hilarious was set off when he hit Craig Grebek in the ribs for having the temerity to hit a homer off of him. Y'know...doing his job?

However, I don't really think guys like Niekro, Al Leiter (every time I saw him hit someone he acted like something out of a cartoon, slapping his head and cringing), Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux were routinely plunking people in that manner.

The single meanest and most out of control guy in my personal experience was Dickie Noles, from the Phillies and Cubs. I always thought he was emotionally disturbed. So was Ed Whitson.

[Gee Walker]

From some of the most devastating beanings of all time:

Jack Hamilton hit Tony Conigliaro - Hamilton really had no idea where his pitches were going. He only hit 13 batters in an 8-year career, but had 74 wild pitches.

Mike Torrez hit Dickie Thon - Torrez had OK control, and hit 59 batters while giving up 103 wild pitches in a long career.

Bump Hadley, who beaned Mickey Cochrane, didn't have good control, and hit a lot of batters (66) while giving up 71 wild pitches.

For the life of me, I can't remember who beaned Don Zimmer.

Ed Farmer, who hit Al Cowens, had only 12 HBP in an 11 year career, along with 39 wild pitches.

I agree with Maglie's reputation - his numbers would put him high on the list of intentional beaners, plus he had a very good fastball.

[RuthMayBond]

But I thought that a more interesting list would be one where the true headhunters showed up. A HBP is, in a way, a wild pitch. It's never in a pitcher's best interests to throw a wild pitch. It's never intentional. So a pitcher with a lot of HBP and not very many Wp - well, it shows premeditation to me. In my opinion, a true headhunter would be a pitcher with a high HBP count and a low WP count. I realize that WP is influenced by the quality of the team's catcher, and by the discretion of the scorekeeper who can also call a PB. But it's still a pretty good rule of thumb, I think.Or maybe a HBP divided by walks per nine (adjusted, if possible). If the guy's ordinarily got good control he shouldn't be hitting batters "accidentally", but if he's got bad control the HBP may not be intentional

[Gee Walker]

Or maybe a HBP divided by walks per nine (adjusted, if possible). If the guy's ordinarily got good control he shouldn't be hitting batters "accidentally", but if he's got bad control the HBP may not be intentional

I'll do the (BB/9P)/HBP spreadsheet in my next look at this. The reason why I didn't use it first is that a small percentage of walks are clearly intentional, and haven't always been measured. Worse, a larger but unknown percentage are "semi-intentional". These take the form of something like this:

Two out, nobody on, your setup man has a one-run lead in the eighth inning with Jim Thome coming up. The next guy up is a right-handed hitter. So it's agreed that "we won't let that $#&*# Thome beat us". The pitches are out of the strike zone, clearly intended as bait, but a hitter like Thome will be on first four or five pitches later.

[1905 Giants]

Sal Maglie has to be on that list