Plunk Everyone

Who is, the 73rd Major Leaguer to get hit by 100 pitches?  AJ Pierzynski.  And the 86th pitcher to hit 100 batters?  Carlos Zambrano.

Pierzynski got plunk number 100 from Ricky Romero in the 4th inning yesterday.  Romero also threw Pierzynski’s 88th plunk.  AJ now has 51 plunks for the White Sox, and 25 at US Cellular Field.  He’s tied for 72nd place on the all time HBP list with Henry Larkin (the gatekeeper of the 100 plunk club).  Pierzynski also has the 2nd longest last name among batters with 100 HBPs, behind Mark Grudzielanek.

Carlos Zambrano threw his 99th and 100th career plunks yesterday, hitting David Freese in the 2nd and 5th inning.    He’s tied for 84th place on the all time list for carer hit batters, with Wilbur Cooper and AJ Burnett.  Zambrano is the first South American born pitcher to hit 100 batters, and the first pitcher whose last name starts with a Z to hit 100 batters.   Also, his 99th plunk was the 100th HBP ever recorded in a game between the Marlins and Cardinals.

Also yesterday, Rickie Weeks picked up career plunk number 101, keeping him one step ahead of Pierzynski, in 71st place on the all time list.  Brandon Lyon became 83rd pitcher to hit Weeks with a pitch, and the 1st born in the state of Utah.  Weeks has now been plunked by pitchers born in 26 different US states.  The Brewers have been hit 50 times this season.