Draft Day!

Hello! Let's mine the Blood Diamond. It's finally here, Draft Day. Unfortunately, the day I have two drafts I am unable to live draft because of work. So I am apologizing in advance for the Auto-Pick. I have spent multiple hours carefully aligning my pre-draft rankings knowing that it will probably do no good. Luckily Baseball is a very long season and it's pretty easy to stay in contention with the waiver wire.

Let's get to what you have all been waiting for. This years projections for Plunker of the Year, or the Walter Johnson Award. Walter has the dubious record of the most career Hit Batsmen with 205 and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
(for all of you who would like some in depth bruising check this out:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_hbp.shtml)

The Top three for 2009 were:
1. D Bush MIL -15
2. J Cueto CIN -14
3. J Chamberlain NYY -12
3. C Marmol CHC -12

Now, Since Joba has been moved back to the bullpen it will be much harder for him to win this award, but he will have much more time to drive drunk around Nebraska. So, we are projecting J. Chamberlain to win the 2010 Clunker of the Year with most hit pedestrians.

2010 Walter Johnson Award Projections:
1. Kevin Millwood BAL 16
2. Ubaldo Jimenez COL 15
3. Johnny Cueto CIN 12

Good luck every one in 2010. Special thanks to our sponsor Icy Hot.

Spring Raining

Welcome back Big Big Crispy Crunchers! Appropriately it's raining today for my first report of Twenty Ten. Which means most of the Spring Training Games have been washed out. A figurative cleansing rain, giving teams a fresh start with a chance to grow. It's a golden opportunity to wash away the demons of 2009 and sprinkle the ground with a seemingly healthy crop of championship hope for 2010. Now, I wish I could find the stats, but my guess is that there is quite a bit of plunking going on in Spring Training due to the multitude of unqualified pitchers manning the mound. Since there are no stats that I can find, I will venture a guess as to the multitudes of sporty college underclassmen and Caribbean players spending money on Ben Gay and Icy Hot. It's most likely greater than your high school graduating classes investment in tiny faux gold year denominators. Disappointment must be rampant. Imagine the combined smell in the community college bathrooms as these young men throw up after their first keg stands, injured parts in the faces of unsuspecting future secretaries, plumbers and grifters. Young clinger panties are flying and sticking onto seedy floors across the Western Hemisphere. That's right, Major League Baseball is almost here. Get ready Baseball fans, as God showers our collective faces; first pitches are about to arouse men, women and children alike across this great nation.

Senior Editor
Eddy P. Lavender

Week 4

Hey all you Horse Hide Aficionados,

First, I must apologize for not publishing the blog last week. My computer had to go into the shop for deciding to get drunk with me one night while I was in Cancun. I got it back and she's got a brand new keyboard and hard drive so we should be good to go. Apple care has really paid off for me as it expires this June, I have almost all new parts to hopefully carry me through the next few years. Rest assured that The Plunker Weekly should continue unabated for the rest of the season.

On to Baseball!

How bout that Oliver Perez, "Pitcher" for the NY Mets. I mean really!?! 3 years $36 million dollars and the guy doesn't even know where he's throwing the ball. I am no longer down with O.P.P. (Oliver Perez Pitching) The Mets are idiotic for giving this guy a 3 year contract. Hey Omar Minaya, give me a call and I'll suit up and walk batters for a quarter of what you're paying Ollie. Perez's outing was a little harder to take than usual during the Fox Saturday broadcast of the Mets-Phillies game. The whole time he was pitching the announcers spared not one minute disparaging the guy. It reminded me of watching my beloved Oklahoma Sooners on a national broadcast, except that Ollie really did deserve it. But there's only so much you can take. Hey Fox there's a lot of other stuff happening during the game. Moyer wasn't exactly lights out either. Sloppy baseball all around.

Gotta give some kudos to the Dodgers, 10-0 start at home. Though they still have some rotation problems, I think the Dodgers could have their division by the end of May.

Now for what you've all been wating for the POW awards.

This week we have an unprecedented 10 way tie! All these cortisone clutchers were plunked 2 times apiece.
1. B Inge DET 3B
2. J Kendall MIL C
3. P Konerko CWS 1B
4. A LaRoche PIT 3B
5. J Morneau MIN 1B
6. M Olivo KC C
7. C Quentin CWS OF
8. K Shoppach CLE C
9. C Utley PHI 2B
10. K Youkilis BOS 1B

That's it for this weeks edition. Along with the Mets-Braves tonight I'll be watching the Royals-White Sox game tonight on my newly restored laptop on MLB.TV to see if Zach Greinke can keep the magic going. What a story that kid is.

Week 2

Hello Big League Chewers,

This past week has been slow in plunkerville. It seems that the Hurlers have the upper-hand in the early goings. There have been complete games and the shockingly sparkling rotation of the Florida Marlins pitchers, which are dominating the NL east. The Big-Unit even found the fountain of youth against the Diamondbacks pitching a No No into the 7th.

Speaking of good pitching here's some news from the other side of the diamond. The Yankees seem to be in a little trouble, with their new stadium looking like the Coors Field of the eastern seaboard. Though it's too early to tell, with the weather getting better and A-Fraud coming back soon, it seems as though the Bombers have self detonated prematurely. And with Yankee news there is Red Sox news. The Nation are a mass of nervous nellie's as Big Pappi continues to supremely underperform on his not so supple wrists. I heard it from a little birdie, say a blue jay, that the AL east is not so locked up by the richest teams in baseball.

Onto the POW.
This week we have a tie, with each batter being plunked TWICE. Here's to Ben-Gay and here's the battered bruisers:

1. B McCann ATL C

2. W Taveras CIN OF

The POW award this week goes to NY Yankee's Pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. He was plunked big time by the Cleveland Indians order giving hope to everyday Joes that they too could hit in the bigs. The Elias Sports Bureau reports Wang is only the second pitcher in modern history to kick off a season by giving up at least seven runs in three straight starts.
Wang's ERA is a staggering 34.50! Ouch!

I'm outta here.

Week 1

Hello Glove Lovers,

It is happening! The season has started and I am as happy as a puppy with their first ball. It has been a little difficult to follow the beginning of the season as much as I would like from here in Mexico,where I'm working, but I'm doing my damnedest. I have been pleasantly surprised by how many Mets games are shown on ESPN VIVIO down here, it's a blessing. I can't wait to try out the Mexican announcers Home Run call in Citi field, which the Brooklyn Balkers have dubbed 2Shea, which I like.

Let's get down to business. Here are our Opening week whipping boys.
These guys were plunked 3 times a piece in the first week. Now that's impressive.

Plunkers of the Week
1. J Giambi OAK 1B

2. R Weeks MIL 2B

First POW award has to go to Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox. Josh Beckett has been suspended six games and fined for throwing a head-high pitch at Bobby Abreu of the Los Angeles Angels, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday. The hot hurler attempted to take Abreu's head off and caused a bench clearing brawl. Here at the Plunker weekly we applaud you Mr. Abreu.

Honorable mention goes to SF Giants relief pitcher, Joe Martinez, who was hit by his own pitch off the bat of Mike Cameron. The line drive in the ninth inning knocked Martinez down but he was able to walk off the field.

See ya next week seed spitters.

Live Blogging of WBC USA vs. PUR from a hotel room in Mexico

Greetings International Diamond Cutters,

As I write this Mark DeRosa of team USA was just PLUNKED by the PUR pitcher Sanchez. This event was preceded by a walk to David Wright after a HR by Kevin (most recognizable stance) Youkilis to make the game USA 3 PUR 1.

Unfortunately, I am unable to find HBP stats for the WBC. So other than the highlight of Matt Lindstrom throwing the ball behind VandenHurk in an attempt to show the Netherlands that they don't, and never will know the hidden rules of MLB baseball; these are the only instances of Hot Hurlers I am aware of so far.

Being that the WBC is the only televised Baseball I have access to in Cancun, I am starting to get into the WBC. I watched the PUR vs. Venezuela game last night and was pretty entertained. Though, I admittedly was only excited to see so many of my beloved Mets in the game. I was left wondering if Carlos Beltran has any personality at all, even playing for his home country he looks completely detached and robotic, and if Carlos Delgado started using Just For Men on his goatee?

Well it looks like the Just for Men is doing wonders for Carlos Delgado, he just smoked one over Ted Lilly and Team USA to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the 4th.

Pitching Change for USA. In comes J Hanrahan.

Bottom of the 4th.
Holy Crap, Beltran just made an amazing catch in cener to rob B McCann of a HR. So the two Players I knocked earlier have thrown it in my face. LET'S GO (PUR)METS!!

Top of 5. I'm going to take a shower....

.....and I'm back.

Pitching change USA M Thornton relieved J Hanrahan.
Botom of 5th. Jeter Down on strikes. 1 out.
J-Roll PLUNKED! 2 plunks so far in this game. What a treat!

Top of 6.
H Bell relieved M Thornton for USA
Looks like Bell has the Hurler Heebeegeebees.
A Rios singled to shallow center, I Rodriguez scored, C Delgado to second -That confirms it, he's got a case.
PUR 4 USA 3
S Shields relieved H Bell for USA
Bottom of 6.
J Lopez relieved N Figueroa for PUR

TIME TO STRETCH!

P Feliciano relieved J Lopez for PUR
Looks like USA is going small ball in the late innings to try to tie this one up.
B Roberts sacrifice bunt to catcher, S Victorino to second.
Jeter Walks. Men on First and Second. 1 out J-Roll up.
Rollins pops out. Victorino moves to 3rd on a throwing error.
A bad error I might add. Now, I can't understand the broadcast as it is in Spanish but here's what it looked like to me. The center fielder was throwing to his cut off man but his cut off man was not where he threw the ball. Looked like the PUR center fielder just threw the ball to a random spot. This could be the break for USA.
S Rivera relieved P Feliciano for PUR
No Break, Youkilis grounds out end of inning.

Top of 8
JJ Putz relieved S Shields for USA
Brian Roberts makes a great diving catch at Second on a hard hit ball. 1 Out.
Met vs Met for next two at bats.
Beltran out swinging. 2 out.
Degado out swinging.

Bottom of 8
Base hit David Wright. I'm so glad he's a Merkle Boner!
Botched Double Play. 1 out, Runner on First.
2 out, Runner on 2nd.
J Romero relieved S Rivera for PUR
B McCann down swinging.

Into the 9th we go!
J Broxton relieved J Putz for USA
Broxton promptly walks the first batter, nice.
SB for PUR.
Vazquez singles, Rios scores from Second.
Broxton needs to spend less time at In-N-Out Burger.
Pur 5 USA 3
Broxton stinks like the La Brea Tar Pits.

Bottom of the 9.

Victorino singles.
Delgado and Victorino share an awkward moment/embrace at First after a Pick-off attempt.
B Roberts Singles. Men on 1st and Second no outs.
Jeter up. Lined out to Right.
1 out. Runners on the corners.
J-Roll up.
Roberts steals Second.
Rollins walks. Bases Juiced!
F Cabrera relieved J Romero for PUR
Youkilis up.
F Cabrera walks in a run. PUR 5 USA 4.
David Wright up. This IS exciting!
OMG!!! David Wright knocks in the winning RUN!!
USA 6 PUR 5

Wow, what a game. The WBC is fun to watch. USA moves on to the next round in LA where they play for seeding. Then they can replenish their beleaguered line up and hopefully get American fans excited about the WBC.

Buenas Noches.

Welcome BBCC members and the entire Sports World

Hello Seed Spitters! It's that time of year agin so dust of your Franklin's, get your ball cap shaped up and let's play some ball!