Context: Josh Thole allowed 16 passed balls in 102 games last year after allowing only seven in 77 games across 2009 and 2010. Most of Thole’s passed balls came with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on the mound. Dickey is still on the team (thankfully). Thole appears set to start more games than ever in 2012, but passed-ball totals come in small enough numbers that they’re certainly subject to randomness.

[poll id=”77″]