The top two Birthday Team pitchers in terms of career appearances are submariners. So that's certainly...something.

Also, I've given Bus Clarkson the nod at shortstop over Mike Aviles. Aviles is a perfectly okay player and Clarkson only had 25 career MLB at-bats, but Clarkson was also an African-American who happened to play in the 1940s and 1950s. It's probably safe to assume, given what we know about the pace of integration and the fact that Clarkson destroyed pitching everywhere he went, that his career was unfairly held back.

C: Patsy Gharrity
1B: Will Clark
2B: Mariano Duncan
3B: Home Run Baker
SS: Bus Clarkson
LF: Duane Walker
CF: Cliff Mapes
RF: Harlin Pool

SP: Johan Santana
SP: Eric Erickson
SP: Terry Leach
SP: Charlie Bartson
SP: Mal Eason
RP: Scott Sullivan

Owner: C. Arnholt Smith
Umpire: Doug Harvey
AAGPBL Outfielder and Casey Candaele's Mom: Helen Callaghan

Tigers release Brennan Boesch, will pay just 1/6 of his $2.3 million salary. Yankees interested?

Jays release former first round pick 1B David Cooper. Cooper is out with a back injury and there is doubt as to whether he'll ever be able to play again.

Tigers release Brennan Boesch, will pay just 1/6 of his $2.3 million salary. Yankees interested?

I'm sure it's not predictive, but he got off to REALLY hot starts in 2010 and 2011. Since their main need for extra outfield help will come in the first couple months of the season...sounds like a match made in heaven!

Today is the deadline to release arb-eligible player to be obligated to pay just 1/6 of their salary, so we may see a few releases like this. The Royals did not release Luke Hochevar, but apparently he's been demoted to the pen. I have to think a trade or release is going to happen in the next two weeks. I think the deadline to pay just 1/4 of their salary is in two weeks?

Long-overdue Birthday League update:

March 2             36  15  .706 ----  
March 5             31  18  .633  4.0  
March 14            29  18  .617  5.0  
March 17            28  18  .609  5.5        
March 3             28  18  .609  5.5

News and notes:
* March 2 is wildly overperforming its Pythag, playing .706 ball despite a 251-209 run differential. They're 13-5 in one-run games.
* March 7 is underperforming by nearly as much. They've got the worst record in the league at 18-32 despite a run differential of -32 (251-219).
* March 14 has won eight games in a row.
* As I feared, February 28 catcher Gene McAuliffe (1-for-2 career in real life) has broken the game. He's hitting .516. Sigh. At least he only has four extra-base hits and seven walks. His team is 24-24.
* League leaders in hits, non McAuliffe division: Garry Templeton (March 24) 68, Mel Ott (March 2) 67, Willie Keeler (March 3) 67, Tommy Davis (March 21) 67.
* Templeton has 23 doubles, eight more than the three way tie for second place between Ott, Bobby Abreu (March 11), and Shawon Dunston (March 21).
* Home Run Leaderboard: Ott 14, Hank Sauer (March 17) 12, Willie Stargell (March 6) 11, Dan Uggla (March 11) 11, Harold Baines (March 15) 11.
* Ott leads the league in home runs, runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, walks, and intentional walks. He's "only" fifth in batting average and third in hits.
* Stolen Base Leaderboard: John Cangelosi (March 10) 24, Clyde Milan (March 25) 23, Keeler 22.
* Monte Ward (March 3) has hit in 26 consecutive games. On the mound, he's second in the league with 7 wins.
* Mort Cooper (March 2) leads the league with 8 wins.
* J.R. Richard (March 7) leads the league with eight losses despite a 3.16 ERA, no home runs allowed, and a K/BB ratio of 2.86:1.
* The saves leaderboard consists of Steve Howe (March 10) with 11, then three submariners: Kent Tekulve (March 5), Steve Reed (March 11), and Scott Sullivan (March 13) tied at 10.
* Mike Birkbeck (March 10) leads the league with eight balks, twice as many as second-place Scott Radinsky (March 3).

Stats, standings, leaderboards, and box scores here.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio named Pope. Could leave quite a void in St. Louis.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio named Pope. Could leave quite a void in St. Louis.

Not if they get Lou Brock in return.

The Royals did not release Luke Hochevar, but apparently he's been demoted to the pen.

Would the Royals consider Hochevar as a closer? Just a thought...