| Eric Plunk | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Plunk atProgressive Field in 2015 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1963-09-03)September 3, 1963 (age 62) Wilmington, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 12, 1986, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1999, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 72–58 |
| Earned run average | 3.82 |
| Strikeouts | 1,081 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Eric Vaughn Plunk (born September 3, 1963) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher who played inMajor League Baseball from 1986 through 1999. He pitched for theOakland Athletics,New York Yankees,Cleveland Indians, andMilwaukee Brewers.
TheNew York Yankees selected Plunk in the fourth round of the1981 MLB draft.[1] On December 5, 1984, the Yankees traded Plunk withTim Birtsas,Jay Howell,Stan Javier, andJosé Rijo to theOakland Athletics forRickey Henderson,Bert Bradley, and cash.[2] On June 21, 1989, he was traded by the Oakland Athletics withGreg Cadaret andLuis Polonia to the Yankees for Henderson.[3]
Plunk signed with theCleveland Indians as a free agent after the 1991 season. He was the winning pitcher in the first ever game played atJacobs Field on April 4, 1994. Plunk became one of the most reliable set-up men in baseball, posting a sub-3.00 earned run average in four consecutive seasons from 1993 to 1996. On September 17, 1996, Plunk pitched the final three innings and got thesave in the Indians' 9-4 win over the White Sox that clinched Cleveland's second consecutive Central Division title.
Plunk's regular season success never translated over to the postseason. In 15 playoff appearances with the Athletics and Indians, Plunk had a 7.53 ERA and walked 10 batters in 14 innings of work. He was the losing pitcher for Game 3 of the1997 World Series, his final postseason appearance.
Days before the trade deadline during the 1998 season, the Indians traded Plunk to theMilwaukee Brewers forDoug Jones. Plunk pitched one more season in the major leagues for the Brewers in 1999.