Also in the same newspaper, a blurb about Heinie Zimmerman's holdout:

President Murphy says Zimmie may be going into partnership with G. Victor Faust, the eccentric mascot of the Giants, who is also a holdout.

I gotta say...I love this old-timey thing where they use full names and initials, especially because none of the initials are correct. I think newspapermen should do that more often.

I, for one, think that this is the year J. Matthew Wieters turns into an immortal of our national game.

Speaking of Zim, he's the second baseman on the Birthday Team.

Note the cool first names of most of the position players:
C: Dioner Navarro
1B: John Kruk
2B: Heinie Zimmerman
3B: Clete Boyer
SS: Specs Toporcer
LF: Vic Wertz
CF: Mookie Wilson
RF: Vladimir Guerrero

SP: Tex Hughson
SP: Jim Nash
SP: Eddie Solomon
SP: Roy Mahaffey
SP: Pat Underwood
RP: Erv Palica

Backup catcher (of course): Todd Pratt
Others of note: Robert Eenhoorn, Akinori Iwamura, Pete O'Brien
When you're sliding into first and you're feeling something burst: John Urrea
Other cool names: Hi Ladd, Moon Mullen, Buzz Boyle

The Seattle Times had a very good article about Moon Mullen about a year ago. If if wasn't linked then it should have been. He was also a member of the first NCAA basketball champions, the 1939 Oregon Ducks.

Moon Mullen was probably nicknamed after the contemporary comic strip character Moon Mullins.

Sherwood N. Magee, the Philadelphia outfielder, chirped as follows: "We’ll cop the gonfalon this year sure."

And who among us can forget Russ Hodges screaming into the microphone, "The Giants cop the gonfalon! The Giants cop the gonfalon!"

Rich Harden is out for the season. I guess he wanted to get the suspense out of the way early.

Free-agent righthander Rich Harden will miss the entire 2012 season after having shoulder surgery last week, MLB Network’s Peter Gammons reports.

The procedure repaired a torn capsule in his shoulder and is similar to the surgery that has sidelined New York Mets ace Johan Santana since September of 2010. Harden told Gammons that he opted to have the operation after five years of “always being hurt.”

Link

I think newspapermen should do that more often.

We do it all the time. Just ask Lenny F. Harris.

Last year's starting LF, ranked by WAR. The "Most Abused Players on the Internet" club begins at 26:

1. Milwaukee: Ryan Braun (7.7)
2. Kansas City: Alex Gordon (5.9)
3. Houston: Carlos Lee (4.6)... um. WAR has an unnatural love for his defense.
4. NY Yankees: Brett Gardner (4.4)
5. St. Louis: Matt Holliday (4.1)

6. Texas: Josh Hamilton (3.6)
7. Colorado: Carlos Gonzalez (2.6)
8. Cleveland: Michael Brantley (2.2) [Austin Kearns- (0.5)]
9. Arizona: Gerardo Parra (1.9) [Xavier Nady- (-0.1)]
10. Oakland: Josh Willingham (1.8)

11. Tampa Bay: Sam Fuld (1.7) [Johnny Damon- (2.8)]
12. San Francisco: Cody Ross (1.6) [Pat Burrell- (1.0)]
13. Baltimore: Nolan Reimold (1.5) [Luke Scott- (0.0)]
14. Detroit: Brennan Boesch (1.4) [Ryan Raburn- (0.8)]
15. Cubs: Alfonso Soriano (1.3)

16. LA Dodgers: Tony Gwynn (1.1) [Jay Gibbons- (-0.5)]
17. Atlanta: Martin Prado (0.8)
17. Toronto: Eric Thames (0.8) [Juan Rivera- (-1.2)]
17. Washington: Laynce Nix (0.8) [Michael Morse- (3.0)]
20. NY Mets: Jason Bay (0.6)

21. Cincinnati: Johnny Gomes (0.3)
22. Florida: Logan Morrison (0.2)
22. San Diego: Ryan Ludwick (0.2)
24. Minnesota: Delmon Young (0.1)
24. Pittsburgh: Jose Tabata (0.1)

26. Boston: Carl Crawford (0.0)
26. White Sox: Juan Pierre (0.0)
28. LA Angels: Vernon Wells (-0.3)
29. Philadelphia: Raul Ibanez (-0.4)
30. Seattle: Carlos Peguero (-0.7) [Milton Bradley- (0.0)]

Carlos Peguero

I literally have never heard of him. If you asked me who Seattle's left fielder was I would have guessed Michael Saunders or maybe Lee Tinsley.

I hadn't heard of Peguero either. He played a whopping 40 G at LF and still finished with the worst WAR on this list, which is impressive. Trayvon Robinson, who I also never heard of, played 30 G at LF. Greg Halman, who I hadn't heard of until he was killed, played 29 G at LF. Then there's Mike Carp, who I have never heard of, who played 26 games, and Milton Bradley also with 26 G.

I've never heard of Carlos Peguero either. Can only assume that he is this generation's Luis Ugueto.

Greg Halman - that's the guy from Holland.
Mike Carp - that's the guy the Mets traded for J.J. Putz.
Trayvon Robinson - they got him in some big trade too. I think he's very tall.

I get Carlos confused with Francisco Peguero, but I think he's a middling prospect whose one skill is power. He's a big guy and hits left-handed.

Carp will be the LF this year. Robinson or Peguero might make the team if they dump Michael Saunders.

Travyon made some web gem late in the year that got him some notoriety. I also remember some teeth-gnashing that Uncle Ned dealt him tot he Mariners for basically nothing.

Carp I thought as a first baseman. Halman I knew a bit about before he died.

Speaking of Mariners left fielders, I seem to remember some stat that they had a crazy amount of different starting left fielders next to Griffey during his time there. Seems like it has frequently been an unstable position for that organization.

26. Boston: Carl Crawford (0.0)
28. LA Angels: Vernon Wells (-0.3)
29. Philadelphia: Raul Ibanez (-0.4)

Combined salary: $48.5 million

1. Milwaukee: Ryan Braun (7.7)
2. Kansas City: Alex Gordon (5.9)
4. NY Yankees: Brett Gardner (4.4)

Combined salary: $5.949 million

And for #13, if Crawford, Wells and Ibanez producted W/$ at the same rate as Braun, Gordon and Gardner, they would have generated roughly 147 WAR.

The "Most Abused Players on the Internet" club begins at 26

Not only that but the list also includes these abused players:
15. Cubs: Alfonso Soriano (1.3)
20. NY Mets: Jason Bay (0.6)
24. Minnesota: Delmon Young (0.1)

Carp has put up a 118 OPS+ for Seattle in 419 PA. He's been one of the few MLB-quality hitters on the team.

Travyon made some web gem late in the year that got him some notoriety.

In his MLB debut, he robbed Tori Hunter of a home run.

Carlos Peguero's one of those "swing like hell and hope for the best" hitters, only he's not good at it. He strikes out a ton.

Trayvon Robinson is a toolsy outfielder who is basically Carlos Peguero with better defense and speed. He also strikes out a ton.