Also in the 2/3/12 News-Bee, Ducky Swann says he's in great shape and expects to have the best season of his career.

Meanwhile, John McGraw says the Giants will have new uniforms and the fine people of Lansing, Michigan consider buying Vic Saier a new car after he totaled the first car they gave him crashing into a streetcar in order to miss a little girl who ran into the street.

It's Fred Lynn, Slim Sallee, and a bunch of blah on the Birthday Team.

C: Lou Criger
1B: Lucas Duda
2B: Skip Schumaker
3B: Joe Stripp
SS/Manager: Dick Tracewski
LF: Eric Owens
CF: Fred Lynn
RF: Bake McBride

SP: Slim Sallee
SP: 1970s Joe Coleman
SP: Buck Ross
SP: Harry Byrd
SP: Don Kaiser
RP: Mike Wallace

General Manager: Larry MacPhail
Fun Names: Chicken Hawks, Live Oak Taylor
Not that one: Terry Bradshaw

Bake McBride is a very fun name.

As noted at THT, today marks 10,000 days since Reggie Jackson became the 13th member of the 500 HR club. Now there are 25 members.

My youngest daughter Caroline won the Franklin County spelling bee yesterday.
Started with 28 spellers, and Caroline spelled ecstatic
15 left, compromise
9 left, ensemble
5 left, pituitary
4 left, posthumously
Which got down to Caroline and one other girl. She then spelled all of these words: jambalaya, debris, polenta, sultan, access, cosmetic, baton, powwow, tragic, Academy, kona, and Jute.
The other girl then missed pragmatic and Caroline spelled it correctly. She then spelled Confidence for the win.

State spelling bee March 3.

Here is a short video of the spelling bee about 1 minute in you can see Caroline spell pragmatic, then confidence for the win.

Last year's starting first basemen, ranked by WAR:

1. Detroit: Miguel Cabrera (7.1)
2. Boston: Adrian Gonzalez (6.9)
3. Cincinnati: Joey Votto (6.5)
4. St. Louis: Albert Pujols (5.4)
5. Milwaukee: Prince Fielder (5.2)

6. White Sox: Paul Konerko (3.6)
7. Washington: Michael Morse (3.0) (Adam LaRoche- 0.0)
8. Florida: Gaby Sanchez (2.9)
8. Tampa Bay: Casey Kotchman (2.9) (Dan Johnson- -0.8)
10. Colorado: Todd Helton (2.7)
10. Philadelphia: Ryan Howard (2.7)

12. NY Yankees: Mark Teixeira (2.4)
13. Chi Cubs: Carlos Pena (2.2)
14. LA Angels: Mark Trumbo (2.1) (Kendrys Morales- DNP)
15. NY Mets: Daniel Murphy (1.9) (Ike Davis- 1.3)
15. San Diego: Jesus Guzman (1.9) (Brad Hawpe- -0.6)

17. Kansas City: Eric Hosmer (1.3) (Billy Butler- 2.4)
18. Atlanta: Freddie Freeman (1.1)
18. Los Angeles: James Loney (1.1)
20. Seattle: Justin Smoak (0.8)

21. Toronto: Adam Lind (0.7)
22. Baltimore: Derrek Lee (0.3)
23. Cleveland: Matt LaPorta (0.2)
24. Oakland: Daric Barton (-0.2)
24. Texas: Mitch Moreland (-0.2)

26. Arizona: Juan Miranda (-0.4)
27. Pittsburgh: Lyle Overbay (-0.7)
28. San Francisco: Aubrey Huff (-0.9)
29. Houston: Brett Wallace (-1.0)
30. Minnesota: Justin Morneau (-1.1)

Not sure why anyone would want to give #4, #5, tied for #10 and #12 so much money...

Morneau's awful. They should give him to someone in their division for a bag of balls and a broken fungo bat. Like, I don't know, Cleveland? They're desperate for a first baseman.

*looks around nervously*

O, peanut butter.

Take it to the peanut butter thread.

Morneau's awful. They should give him to someone in their division for a bag of balls and a broken fungo bat. Like, I don't know, Cleveland? They're desperate for a first baseman.

*looks around nervously*

I'm surprised Morneau made it as their starter...he only started 1/3 of the games. Imagine if that -1.1 was -3 instead.

If Cleveland wants him, maybe they'd trade him straight up for a pitcher of uncertain identity and ability who might never make it into the country.

Is Kosuke Fukudome trying to return to MLB this season?

Looking at Gregg's career, I see that in 1913, he allowed almost 400 baserunners in 285 IP and still had an ERA+ of 135. Wonder if that's some kind of record...like, did anyone ever have a better ERA+ with a higher WHIP?

Edit: first guy I thought of did it. Nolan Ryan had a higher WHIP in '77 and an ERA+ of 144; despite walking over 200, he led the league in H/9, HR/9, and K/9.

Last I heard Kosuke was trying to return to MLB, but there's been almost nothing in terms of rumors of teams being interested in signing him. The latest was that the Mets might be interested, but that seems to be a weak rumor at best.

The latest was that the Mets might be interested, but that seems to be a weak rumor at best.

The Mets are probably just interested in selling him a $20m share of the team.

Thanks GCH

I'm surprised there's not more interest in Fukudome -- nice 4th OF, can probably even still fake CF for a game or two if needed. Wonder if he's looking for real money. I'd happily see the Cubs grab him for 1/$2 or something.

Not sure why anyone would want to give #4, #5, tied for #10 and #12 so much money...

1B WAR, 2009-11:

1. Pujols 21.7, $25 per year
2. Gonzalez 19.9, $23 per year
3. Cabrera 18.7, $20 per year
4. Votto 16.9, pre-FA
5. Fielder 14.3, $24 per year
6. Teixeira 12.4, $22 per year
7. Konerko 10.5
8. Howard 9.5, ummmmmm ...

Those dollar values go in roughly the order the contracts were signed. Konerko has turned out to be the real bargain.

And there are only 13 1B with even 1500 PA over the last 3 years and that includes below-average guys like Overbay, Pena and Loney, none of whom is guaranteed 500 PA this year even if healthy. A consistently good 1B is a rare talent.