In case you were wondering, Charlie Furbush got away with the IBB WP shown here, although the Mariners went on to lose the game.

Earlier in the inning, Furbush had picked off base-stealer extraordinaire Coco Crisp (on whose unimaginable base-stealing genius see R.J. Anderson's piece at http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19196). Perhaps feeling amped and cocky, he proceeded to walk Jemile Weeks, who then stole second and, as shown here, advanced to third on the IBB WP.

(Other references: box score at http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK201207080.shtml)

SF Giants involved in all three Best (Worst) Intentional Balls. This seems statistically significant.

geez, I thought OPSBIs were dead, and then well there ya go

For whatever reason, Clayton Richard has trouble with non-pitching throwing. Intentional walks, pickoff throws, fielding grounders. It's a blessing when he fields a chopper and only needs to throw underhanded to Alonso for the out.

Did anyone swing at an intentional ball?

A pitcher could intentionally walk someone with no runners on base with the "throw it a few inches" approach, but it would be on 4 balks. Probably not a great idea with runners on base, though.

Actually, although it's a balkable action, apparently it doesn't count as a ball with no one on. All it would get is an admonishment from the ump I guess.

Rule 8.01(d) Comment: A ball which slips out of a pitcher’s hand and crosses the foul line shall be called a ball; otherwise it will be called no pitch. This would be a balk with men on base.

It doesn't say anything about doing it intentionally, but I have to imagine it applies.

For someone like Furbush or Diekman or Richard, you wonder if the batter, on ball three, should swing to get the count to 3-1 and make the guy have to throw one more pitch, increasing the odds that he screws it up. (You probably should not get yourself to 3-2, though.)

You wouldn't need to balk. Just go to your mouth four times while standing on the rubber.