Take One for the Team, Craig!

Baseball is all about becoming fearless. Every time a player steps into the batters box they run the risk of getting hit by a 98 MPH fastball. Every time a catcher crouches behind the plate he runs the risk of being hit with bat, the ball, or a runner barreling in trying to score. All these ball players run this risk because they love the game, and in order to play this game you need to be tough. And if you can't handle that then maybe lawn bowling is your sport. But here is someone who has handled it...

18-year-veteran second basemen Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros shows no fear whatsoever. Biggio has taken one for the team 281 times, second on the all-time hit-by-pitch list after Hughie Jennings (287). Biggio is first among active players. He averages about 17 hit-by-pitches per 162 games a season*. And he could be the leader on the all-time list of pain by the end of the season. Also Biggio is ninth on the list for hit-by-pitches in a single season with 34. This goes to show that sometimes passion will overcome pain and fear.

*That statistic is approximate because, over an 18-year career, Biggio has not played 162 games every season.