Plunk Everyone

HBPs of note: June 29, 2010

Brian Matusz is having an interesting season.  He started the year without ever having hit a batter, but he hit Daric Barton on April 18th, and Mark Teixeira on June 1st.  Then last night, he hit Daric Barton again.  He has 3 career hit batsmen, and two of them are Barton.  He’s faced 415 batters this year, so he’s had plenty of chances to hit other batters, but Matusz seems to prefer to plunk Daric Barton.  Maybe he doesn’t like the way Daric spells his name or something.  Or, he might not like batters from Vermont.

Christian Guzman got his 30th career plunk on a pitch contributed by Jesse Chavez.

James Shields threw his 30th plunk in the Majors, hitting JD Drew.  That was Drew’s 51st HBP, and his 10th since joining the Red Sox.

So far this year, 303 different batters have been plunked a total of 727 times.  That’s the lowest total June 29th plunk total since 1997.

HBPs of note: June 24, 2010

Wandy Rodriguez hit former teammate Aubrey Huff in the 4th inning of yesterday’s Astros-Giants game, and then plunked Aaron Rowand in the 5th and Aubrey Huff again in the 6th.  He’s the first pitcher this year to hit 3 batters in a game, and the first Astros pitcher to hit 3 batters in a game since Peter Munro hit 3 Philles on August 25, 2004.  Rodriguez ended the game with 36 plunks thrown, which is the most of any left-handed Astro.

Aaron Rowand’s plunk was his 114th, which puts him in a tie for 46th place on the all time list, with Chase Utley, Bill Freehan, and Frankie Crosetti.

Felix Hernandez hit Xavier Nady with a pitch in Seattle, making that the 200th plunk ever thrown by a pitcher born in 1986.  That was the 550th HBP in Safeco Field history, and the 20th thrown by Hernandez at that park.

Carlos Quentin got his 8th HBP of the season, and his 62nd ever.  He’s been hit about once every 27 plate appearances throughout his career, and leads active players with over 500 plate appearances in that category.

HBPs of note: June 23, 2010

Prince Fielder joined the “people who have been hit by 11 pitches in 2010 club” yesterday, by getting hit by a Brian Duensing pitch.  The only other member of that club so far is Fielder’s teammate Rickie Weeks.  That was Fielder’s 58th career plunking, which ties him with Fernando Vina for 3rd place on the Brewer’s all time HBP list.  Only Weeks and Geoff Jenkins have been hit more times than Fielder for the Brewers.  That was the first time Fielder has been hit on a Wednesday this year.

Ubaldo Jimenez dished out his 30th career plunk hitting Adrian Beltre.  That was the first time since September 15, 2009 that Jimenez gave up a plunk that resulted in a run.  That was Beltre’s 55th career HBP.

Johnny Cueto hit a batter for the 35th time in his career, which is the most of any pitcher born after 1983.

Vladamir Guerrero got his 91st career plunk.

HBPs of note:  June 22, 2010

Jay Sporz made a splash in his first major league pitching appearance, stepping in during the 3rd inning for the Tigers.  He hit the first two batters he faced.  He’s the first pitcher to plunk the first two batters he faced in his Major League debut since Justin Miller did so on April 12, 2002.  He’s the 504th Tiger to hit a batter, and the 384th Tiger to hit 2 batters.

Juan Pierre got his 9th plunk of the year, putting him in a tie with Travis Hafner for the American League lead.  That’s his 76th career plunk, which is just 4 less than Joe Sewell’s record for players born in Alabama.  Pierre could be breaking that record this year.  Tommy Hanson threw that one, and he’s hit a National League leading 8 batters this year.

Ryan Doumit got his 40th career plunk, becoming the 13th Pirate to reach that total.

Jeremy Guthrie threw his 30th career plunk.

John Lannan hit consecutive batters in his debut on July 26, 2007, but not his first two.

HBPs of note: June 21, 2010

There were only 3 games yesterday, and 883 pitches thrown in those three games, but one of them hit a batter, and that batter is Justin Upton.   Upton’s plunk was his 3rd this year, and the 10th of his career.  He’s the 25th Arizona Diamondback to get hit by at least 10 pitches in his career with them.  That was also the 30th plunk by a batter born in 1987, and Upton’s 5th plunk at Chase Field.

Chad Gaudin was the thrower of yesterday’s lone plunk, and he’s thrown 5 this year – all in relief appearances.  He now leads the American League in relief hit batsmen, and is tied with Carlos Marmol for the major league lead.