Classic card of the week

Eric Plunk, 1987 Donruss

I always thought that Eric Plunk had a funny name. Then this card came out and I realized that there was more comedic value to Eric Plunk than I had ever previously imagined.

Believe me I have been thinking about this for way longer than I ever should have, but nevertheless, this is what this card looks like to me: Wait, are you ready? Because here I go. Right now: This card looks like Dave Grohl was asked to star in “Dazed & Confused II.”

There. That is what I came up with. Did you like it? No? I hate you.

Anyhoo, back to Plunk’s name. Isn’t it funny? Plunk. As a kid I could never get over the fact that there was a pitcher named Plunk, and that if and when he inevitably hit a batter, I wondered how an announcer could possibly resist the urge to say “he plunked ‘em.” This was one of the reasons I always wished I could announce a baseball game.

Eric Plunks hits Mike Pagliarula with a pitch...

Me: (emphatically) He plunked ‘em!

Tim McCarver: On an 0-2 pitch, Plunk comes inside. But it’s too inside. Pags –- take your base.

Me: He plunked him bad.

Tim McCarver: Pagliarulo shakes it off. Let’s see if the Yankees can shake off...the rust…of a three-game losing streak.

Me: Got him right in the plunker.

Tim McCarver: ...

Me: Now Plunk, working from the stretch, looks back at Pagliarulo at first, as if to say, “You’ve been plunked, bitch!”

Tim McCarver: Okay, we get it! His name is Plunk. And you can’t say “bitch” on the air…

Deion Sanders walks into the booth and we both pour a bucket of Gatorade on McCarver’s head and yell that he’s been plunked.

Now that THAT’S over…to the back of the card!



Promoted prematurely to the majors last year when the A’s starting pitching rotation was riddled with injuries…

As the old saying goes, “It’s difficult to plunk when you’re a victim of premature promotilation.” Or something like that. And I'm out.

Did you know?
Tim McCarver once famously noted that "even Eric Plunk couldn't plunk like Bob Gibson."