Mark Hendrickson tonight recorded the first shutout of the season for, of all teams, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, topping the O's in their battle to avoid the basement in the AL East. Hendrickson held the O's to three hits and won 2-0. It was also the lowest attended game in Camden Yards history (13,194, just 27.4% full).

It was the D-Rays' first complete-game shutout in the last three seasons. It was also just the 13th complete-game shutout in Tampa Bay's nine-year history

It was Hendrickson second career shutout and his first since 2003, when he was with the Blue Jays. Hendrickson, at 6'9", becomes the second tallest active pitcher to record at least two career shutouts. I'll let you guess who the other, but I'll give you a hint: It aint Wendell Wilkie.

Here are the tallest pitchers to record a shutout and their career shutout totals:

For the time being, 100% of major league baseball's shutouts were by a man six and one half feet or taller. This probably won't hold for the entire season, but does point out a growing trend. As shutouts in general half fallen by more than 50% in the last twenty years, shutouts by pitchers 6'6" or taller have increased by over 50% over the same time.

Here are the totals for all pitchers and for those 6'6" or taller for the last twenty years.

By the way, the most shutouts in a season was ten by a pitcher 6'6" or over was by Dave Davenport (6'6" on the nose) for the Federal League St. Louis Terriers in 1915. Don Drysdale's eight in 1968 are second.