Plunking The Barry

Now we're getting somewhere, if you’re not going to pitch to Barry Bonds, why not plunk him?

This AP story suggests that SLANTblog’s suggestion ("Instead, Plunk The Barry") of last month may be having some impact on the National League’s pitchers, as they cope with all the ridiculous attention The Barry’s tainted pursuit of records gets from the press.

...And Bonds is still looking for home run No. 714. The wild confrontation began when the seven-time NL MVP led off the fifth inning. Springer's first pitch sailed behind Bonds' back, drawing a warning from plate umpire Joe West.

The next four pitches all came inside, including one that hit Bonds' bat handle on the third delivery for strike one. On the fifth pitch, Springer hit Bonds in the right shoulder as he turned to protect himself. That's when Springer and manager Phil Garner got ejected -- and the Houston crowd of 35,286 gave the pitcher a standing ovation.