If today's Birthday Team could figure out how to get six outfielders on the field at the same time and avoid using middle infielders, they'd really have something. As it stands, they're already using a five-time Gold Glove winning center fielder at first base. (Murphy played nearly two full seasons as a first baseman in 1978-79.)

C: Alex Gaston
1B: Dale Murphy
2B: Felix Escalona
3B: Denny Lyons
SS: Billy Hulen
LF: Jim Wynn
CF: Steve Finley
RF: Darryl Strawberry

SP: Vern Law
SP: Reb Russell
SP: Seattle Bill James
SP: Bud Tinning
SP: Phil Knell
RP: Horacio Pina

Owner: Charles Weeghman
Manager: Larry Rothschild
Umpire: Durwood Merrill
Way too good to be benchwarmers, but stuck there anyway: Johnny Callison, Raul Mondesi, Ruppert Jones

I hope some bored beat writer hunts down the few Koreans in Spring Training and asks them if they're following today's release of Heart of the Swarm.

I suppose you could move Murphy to catcher and use one of those good bats at first base. It would be on the theory that anyone can play first base, since only Jones, among the three, logged any innings at the position.

Any Eastern League team I should make a point of seeing in Portland or NH? How about International League? I realize AAA teams probably have greater turnover and are used as much for depth than as for developing prospects.

Under the radar, but potentially important: Scott Kazmir (8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K this spring) is this close to nailing down a rotation spot in Cleveland, and Rich Hill (5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K) has been added to the Tribe's 40-man. According to BBRef, Kazmir has generally faced MLB-quality opposition and Hill has faced AAA-quality opponents.

These are exactly the sorts of players that low-budget teams need to invite to camp by the bushelful: Guys with obvious talent whose careers are hanging by a thread. Maybe they pay off (Kazmir and Hill, for now), maybe they don't (Hermida, Giambi), but it costs you nothing to find out and could pay off handsomely.

These are exactly the sorts of players that low-budget teams need to invite to camp by the bushelful: Guys with obvious talent whose careers are hanging by a thread. Maybe they pay off (Kazmir and Hill, for now), maybe they don't (Hermida, Giambi), but it costs you nothing to find out and could pay off handsomely.

But its so much more fun to mock these moves.

Wynn played 21 games (130 innings) at short his rookie year. Even in a small sample, a .926 fielding percentage kind of stands out though.

Wynn played 21 games (130 innings) at short his rookie year. Even in a small sample, a .926 fielding percentage kind of stands out though.

On this team, it stands out in a good way. Starting shortstop Billy Hulen has a fielding percentage of .880. (Yeah, era differences and all that. Still.)