Today's Birthday Team has one heck of an outfield, despite the left fielder playing out of position. Brouthers did play 35 career games in the outfield, though, and the other option is to bench Adrian Gonzalez in favor of Ricky Nelson, a guy with 320 career AB and a .247/.288/.363 (76 OPS+) career line. Safe to say Brouthers in LF is the way to go.

C: Todd Greene
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Ross Barnes
3B: Steve Braun
SS: Dasher Troy
LF: Dan Brouthers
CF: Edd Roush
RF/Manager: Jack Chapman

SP: Mike Cuellar
SP: John Maine
SP: Jason Davis
SP: Roy Wilkinson
SP: Alfredo Simon
RP: Lloyd Allen

Negro Leagues great: Turkey Stearnes
Not that one: Ricky Nelson, Ed Murray

Also in the Toledo News-Bee 100 years ago:

Irving Higginbotham, Toledo pitcher, who has started in a number of disastrous contests since the Mud Hen team has been on its western trip, lacks control, effectiveness and hitting, fielding and base-running ability. Outside of that he is all right.

Higginbotham spent parts of three seasons in the National League, and while he wasn't particularly good, he wasn't terrible either. He had a career ERA+ of 89 in 243.2 IP.

Whatever the problem was with Higginbotham in the early days of the 1912 season, it was temporary. He left Toledo, latched on with Portland in the PCL, and put together a nice career on the West Coast. The highlight was 1914, when Irv threw 417.2 innings, won 31 games, led the Beavers to their second consecutive Coast League championship, and threw snakes at his manager.

Today marks 10,000 days since Marge Schott became the primary owner of the Reds.

These hundred-year-ago things are getting more and more exciting because I know the Cobb-attacks-cripple incident happened sometime in May 1912.

I love these 100 years ago articles. Not sure why but it I look forward to it every day. I know I could, you know, do my own research, but that would be so 2000's (or something).

It's time for a crash course on the most underpublicized (either good or bad publicity) team in baseball, the Padres.

You probably know the Padres roster contains such players as catcher Nick Hundley, third baseman Chase Headley, outfielders Will Venable and Cameron Maybin, and ex-White Sox pitcher Clayton Richard. You may even be aware of last year's rookie sensation Jesus Guzman, and such pitchers as Luke Gregerson, Tim Stauffer, Joe Thatcher, and ex-Cub prospect Andrew Cashner.

BUT DID YOU KNOW:

The following well-known players have not vanished from the face of the earth; they are playing for the Padres. (or on the Padres DL)
SP Edinson Volquez
RP Huston Street
1B Yonder Alonso
2B Orlando Hudson
SS Jason Bartlett
OF Carlos Quentin
OF Jeremy Hermida

The following veteran players are not retired; they are playing for the Padres.
RHP Jeff Suppan
OF Mark Kotsay

The following marginal veterans have not become minor-league coaches; they are still playing in the majors, for the Padres. (or on the Padres DL)
C John Baker
OF Chris Denorfia
RHP Micah Owings
RHP Dustin Moseley
Moustache enthusiast Dale Thayer

The following players whom you may have never heard of do in fact exist, and are on the Padres active roster.
IF Andy Parrino
OF Blake Tekotte
RHP Joe Wieland
RHP Anthony Bass
RHP Brad Brach
RHP Miles Mikolas
LHP Josh Spence

And finally, if you're thinking "Didn't the Padres just sign some young pitcher to a cheap contract extension? Which one is he?" that was Cory Luebke. He's on the DL. Also, newly established relief ace Ernesto Frieri was just traded to the Angels.

Speaking of obscure players,

Stu (brother of Drew) Pomeranz made his debut last night for the Orioles. He washed out of the Cardinals system five years ago. Since then he's played one season (2010) in affiliated ball, battled alcoholism and is now 15 months sober.

Game of the day (yesterday): Mets 5, Phillies 2. The Phillies started fast, as Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the first with a double/error and scored on a sac fly one batter later. They augmented their lead with another run in the second on Placido Polanco's RBI double, and Roy Halladay cruised through the first five innings, allowing the Mets only a single. With two outs in the sixth, however, he put a pair of runners on with a walk and a single, and David Wright doubled them both home to tie the score. The Mets tried again in the seventh, putting two runners on before Halladay escaped; the Phillies tried harder, loading the bases on a walk and two singles, but Hunter Pence ended the inning by grounding into a double play. Both teams rallied again in the eighth, the Mets again putting a pair of runners on before Lucas Duda GDP'd, and the Phils placing runners at second and third with one out only to have Ty Wigginton thrown out trying to score on a grounder back to the mound, defusing the ticking run bomb. Finally, in the top of the ninth, the Mets broke through with a highly anonymous rally. After a walk to Ike Davis, Mike Nickeas doubled, and in his first major league AB, pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin hit a three-run homer (off of Jonathan Papelbon, no less) to give the New Yorkers a lead they didn't relinquish.

The game gets a 3.72, which isn't bad by any means, but isn't anything special by GotD standards. Not that Jordany Valdespin's parents will care.

Game of the day (last year): Tigers 9, Blue Jays 0. If you think it's weird for a 9-0 game to be picked... you're right, except that Verlander threw a no-hitter in this one, for which I've decided on a bonus - not nearly enough to guarantee it top game status on any particular day, but easily enough to beat the relatively mediocre offerings of 5/7/11, which was pretty dull for having had a full slate of games. (None of them went to extras, for instance.)

Pomeranz also spent 1.1 innings with the Dodgers AA last year. (What do you call a cup of coffee wih a minor league club - postum?)

That callup blew my mind - I had no idea he was still an active player and had never experienced much success as a pro. Well, 'til this year: 19 innings without an earned run, 7 hits, 2 walks, 32 strikeouts.

It's probably complete lunacy to suggest Stu Pomeranz might have a better MLB career than his little brother, right?

Yeah, I guess it probably is. Still, Stu's had an absolutely ridiculous MiLB season this year and Drew's been blech. Good for him. It's obviously not terribly admirable to drink yourself out of baseball, but it's pretty life-affirming to watch a guy overcome adversity and pull it all back together.

And besides all that, I'm hoping he can have a long enough and successful enough career to be a key member of my Birthday Team's pitching staff.

Does Stu have an OPS of 1.800?