Back in spring training I started keeping track of players who were knocked out of commission due to odd accidents. These aren't necessarily serious injuries (although some are), but they are the ones that made me scratch my head (and occasionally chuckle). After paring them down and mulling them over, I present to you my personal Top Ten list:

10: Dustin Hermanson (Red Sox) In September he slipped while washing dishes in his bare feet and landed on the 15-day disabled list with a staph infection in his left elbow.

09: Juan Rivera (Yankees) For fracturing his kneecap after crashing into a golf cart during batting practice at Yankee Stadium.

08. Rick Reed (Twins) He missed his scheduled start against his former team at Shea in June because he cut his thumb while opening his suitcase.

07. Marcus Giles (Braves) For missing a game because he cut his thumb while trying to open a hotel window in order to see whether he needed a coat to go outside for lunch.

06. Marty Cordova (Orioles) He missed a game in May because he had been advised by his physician to stay out of the sun after he burned his face in a tanning bed.

05. Dave Hollins (Phillies) Hollins missed most of the 2002 season when he developed infectious lesions as the result of spider bites during spring training.

04. Satoru Komiyama (Mets) The Japanese pitcher wound up on the disabled list after catching his right middle finger in a garage door, causing manager Bobby Valentine to opine "Isn't that what Ken [Iwamoto - - Komiyama's translator] is for?" An honorable mention goes to teammate Armando Benitez, who missed a few games after he caught his right index finger in the Mets' clubhouse door in May.

03. Denny Hocking (Twins) Who missed participating in the ALCS because a teammate stepped on the middle finger of this throwing hand during the on field celebration when the Twins won the ALDS.

02. Mark Quinn (Royals) The outfielder suffered cracked ribs during spring training while he was Kung Fu fighting with his brother.

01. Jeff Kent (Giants) What's uncontested is that the second baseman broke his thumb in early March, causing him to miss the rest of spring training and the very beginning of the season. What is contested is the cause of the injury. Kent claimed that he broke his thumb when he fell down while washing his truck. However, other reports claim that he injured himself while doing wheelies on his motorcycle, in violation of the terms of his contract. Either way, the injury was bizarre enough to rank as my personal favorite for the season.