Today's Birthday Team doesn't have any huge stars, but it's pretty good everywhere including a nice pitching staff. Randal Grichuk and Corey Patterson have alternated in left field for a few years now; Grichuk will play well and pass Patterson in career WAR, then he'll struggle for a while and fall behind, but then he'll play well again.

C: Dink Mothell (7.2 WAR)
1B: Andre Thornton (24.2 WAR)
2B: Mark Lemke (6.1 WAR)
3B: Sid Gordon (38.4 WAR)
SS: George Perring (7.2 WAR)
LF: Randal Grichuk (11.2 WAR)
CF/Manager: Fielder Jones (43.3 WAR)
RF: Jay Buhner (23.0 WAR)

SP: Alex Fernandez (28.5 WAR)
SP: Jarrod Washburn (28.2 WAR)
SP: Mudcat Grant (21.1 WAR)
SP: Jim Shaw (17.6 WAR)
SP: Vinegar Bend Mizell (14.7 WAR)
RP: Tom Niedenfuer (10.3 WAR)

Owners: Charles DeWitt, Daniel McCarthy
Umpires: Jerry Crawford, Jerry Neudecker
Cranky Perfect Game Pitcher: Dallas Braden
Hitter of Grand Slams: Tony Cloninger
Fun names: Limb McKenry, Hercules Burnett
Not that one: Gary Cooper
Caligula's favorite ballplayer: Roman Colon

The Rockies lost 7-0 in San Francisco last night. They have been shut out on the road more often this year (15 times) than they have won (13 times).

I think they should engage in some mean reversion next time they play the Dodgers.

This birthday team could be the subject for a really interesting book. You've got players from some of the more interesting teams in history, players with interesting post-baseball careers, players that played important parts in significant moments or had signature moments themselves, and so on. There are enough of them still alive to interview. I would read a book about these guys.