This is a spectacular Birthday Team.

C: Pinky Hargrave
1B: Tioga George Burns
2B: Jackie Robinson
3B/Manager: Death To Flying Things Ferguson
SS: Ernie Banks
LF: Mel Mazzera
CF: Tim Hendryx
RF: Tex McDonald

SP: Nolan Ryan
SP: Hank Aguirre
SP: Josh Johnson
SP: Duke Maas
SP: Charlie Robertson
RP: Ted Power

Pitching Coach: Bob Apodaca
Just Awful: Yuniesky Betancourt
Odd Name: Jot Goar

Can you guess what stadium changed its name 10 years ago today before clicking on this link to see the answer?

Dang, I was really hoping that the CF's nickname was "Timmy".

Minor league deals:
P LaTroy Hawkins to the Mets
IF Bill Hall to the Angels
IF Andy LaRoche to the Blue Jays
OF Chris Pettit, P Rob Delaney and P Manny Delcarmen to the Orioles
P Andrew Brackman to the White Sox
P Tim Stauffer and P Arturo Lopez to the Padres
P Mike Zagurski and P Kyle Waldrop to the Pirates

LaTroy Hawkins was on the Twins for 9 years. He signed with his second team, the Cubs, just before his 31st birthday, and is now joining his 10th team.

The Giants should wear violet unis for one game this year...preferably against the purple Rockies.

Can you guess what stadium changed its name 10 years ago today before clicking on this link to see the answer?

It's gotta be US Comiskular Field, right?

In 1996, three National League teams changed their stadium names to gain corporate money. Thus Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium became Cinergy Field, San Francisco's horrible Candlestick Park became the horribly named 3Com Park, and Florida’s Joe Robbie Stadium became Pro Player Stadium.

Before the 1996 trend of corporate-naming rights, what other stadiums changed their names (for corporate or non-corporate reasons)?

I can think of Cubs Park/Wrigley Field, Navin/Briggs/Tiger Stadium, Sportsman's Park/Busch Stadium, and Royals/Kauffman Stadium.

Tropicana Field was originally the Florida Suncoast Dome (and later the Thunderdome) but those name changes came before the Rays were a tenant.

Shibe Park became Connie Mack Stadium.

Jeff Passan has reached the Rays in his team-by-team season previews.

The Rays have added both the ex-Leo Nunez and the ex-Fausto Carmona. Too bad Santiago Casilla just re-signed with the Giants, or they could help out those two guys by bringing in the only player to become MORE famous after going from a fake name to a real name.

the only player to become MORE famous after going from a fake name to a real name.

Tony Pena (the pitcher who was the former Adriano Rosario, not the pitcher who was the former shortstop) too.

In 1996, three National League teams changed their stadium names to gain corporate money.

I'm not sure about the other two parks, but in San Francisco, it was the city and not the team that sold the naming rights and pocketed the money.

I'm not sure about the other two parks, but in San Francisco, it was the city and not the team that sold the naming rights and pocketed the money.

Vaguely related - speaking of Candlestick Park - last night the SF Film Noir festival showed an early-60's suspenser called "Experiment in Terror," shot in & around SF. The movie ends up at the 'Stick, with a Dodgers/Giants game - Drysdale, Roseboro, Kuenn, Mike McCormick (?), at least, all recognizable on the field, and a little bit of Vin Scully's broadcast audible, too. People who like this sort of thing will find this to be the sort of thing they would like.
Also: Lee Remick and Stefanie Powers. Mmmmm.

EDIT - not sure exactly what year it's supposed to be in the movie, since the picture of the President at the FBI office keeps switching back & forth between Ike & JFK. But it's somewhere in there.

Before the 1996 trend of corporate-naming rights, what other stadiums changed their names (for corporate or non-corporate reasons)?

I know the Anaheim stadium has changed names a few times, but I don't know if any of those changes was before 1996.

Did the old stadiums of the Brewers, Rangers, and Indians change names at some point?

Did the old stadiums of the Brewers, Rangers, and Indians change names at some point?

Wiki says Arlington Stadium (Rangers) was originally "Turnpike Stadium" when it hosted a minor league team, but renamed Arlington Stadium when the Rangers came to town. I had never heard that before.

The Brewers and Milwaukee Braves played in "Milwaukee County Stadium". It was never more creatively named.

The Indians played in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the only name it ever knew, although it was unofficially called "Lakefront Stadium" at times.

I believe the new stadium was called "Gateway Stadium" while in construction, but was "Jacobs Field" by the time it opened. Shea Stadium was originally called "Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium", but was renamed Shea before it opened.

Baltimore Memorial Stadium began as Baltimore Stadium, and later Venable Stadium, and was unoffically called Babe Ruth Stadium.

The Baker Bowl in Philly had a bunch of different names, and offically was called "National League Park."

KC Municipal Stadium was called "Muehlebach Field" and "Blues Stadium", but was renamed Municipal Stadium when the A's moved to town.

The Padres played in San Diego Stadium before it was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium (before it was renamed Qualcomm Stadium as part of the corporate naming rights boom).

This is a spectacular Birthday Team.

How many other Birthday Teams have three Hall of Famers, let alone three first-ballot Hall of Famers? And for good measure, Tioga George Burns made an unassisted triple play and Charlie Robertson threw a perfect game.

Three Rivers Stadium was unofficially called "North Side Stadium" in its very early stages.

-- MWE

EDIT: The original design for TRS called for an open-ended facility with a view of the river, much like PNC Park has today.

Frequenters of Broadway

Later changed to Friends of Dorothy. :-)

I had no idea Banks and Robinson had the same birthday. Surely Jack Brickhouse must have mentioned this at least once every year. I blame artificial sweeteners!

This is a spectacular Birthday Team.

Any chance of an update on the performance of this spectacular birthday team?