Ridiculously Low Walk Rates

Given the upswing in popularity of stats like on-base percentage over recent years, I thought it'd be fun to look at guys for whom a base on balls was anathema, or worse.

Only six players have managed to take only one walk in 150+ PA in a single season:

Name	Year	PA
Andy Kosco	1970	228
Kim Batiste	1994	214
Doc Powers	1906	192
Al Cuccinello	1935	173
Walter Schmidt	1922	156
Gus Getz	1909	153

Only nine players have ever managed to amass more than 200 PA in a single season with only two bases on balls:

Name	Year	PA
Whitey Alperman	1909	442
Rob Picciolo	1980	281
Shawon Dunston	1999	255
Jack Slattery	1903	228
Oscar Azocar	1990	218
Gus Getz	1914	218
Ivan Murrell	1973	216
Todd Greene	2003	210
Boss Schmidt	1910	207

Five guys have taken three walks in over 250+ PA:

Name	Year	PA
Ossee Schreckengost	1905	429
Rob Picciolo	1979	363
John Warner	1901	305
Pat Hynes	1904	264
Tommy Thevenow	1933	262

Three players took four walks in 300+ PA: Alfredo Griffin in 441 PA in 1984, Bill Killefer in 375 PA in 1913, and Art Hoelskoetter in 330 PA in 1906.

Rounding out the list of guys with five or less walks, three players have taken five walks in 350+ PA: Hal Lanier had 401 PA in 1964, Boss Schmidt had 371 in 1907, and Ellis Valentine did it in 350 PA in 1982. Ivan Rodriguez currently has 5 BB in 2007 in 396 PA.

Let's look at the worst walk rates in those tables.

Name	Year	PA per BB
Andy Kosco	1970	228
Whitey Alperman	1909	221
Kim Batiste	1994	214
Doc Powers	1906	192
Al Cuccinello	1935	173

What about those pesky folks with a walk rate of zero? Here's the eight seasons of over 100 PA with no bases on balls:

1. Craig Robinson, 1973, 148
2. Alejandro Sanchez, 1985, 133
3. Ernie Bowman, 1963, 131
4. Rob Picciolo, 1984, 128
5. Harry Bemis, 1909, 126
6. Champ Osteen, 1908, 115
7. Bert Adams, 1917, 111
8. Gus Getz, 1916, 102

Finally, what about those guys who couldn't help but have a walk rate over zero? Here's the top 5 seasons by PA with the only walks being of the intentional variety:

1. Jose Morales, 1976, 165 (3 IBB)
   
2. Nelson Santovenia, 1991, 102 (2 IBB)
   
3. Junior Noboa, 1991, 96
4. Felix Millan, 1966, 93 (2 IBB)
   
5. Leo Sutherland, 1980, 92