10/22 Birthday Team (text version) C:Bill Carrigan (13.2 WAR) 1B:Jimmie Foxx (92.9) 2B:Robinson Canó (68.7) 3B:Sam Bohne (7.7) SS:Geraldo Perdomo (13.5) LF:Bobby Mitchell (0.6) CF:Gerald Young (6.0) RF:Ichiro Suzuki (60.0) SP:Wilbur Wood (50.0) Others: C.Burnes, J.Morrison, D.O'Day, H.Carrasco

This is an excellent Birthday Team. Foxx-Ichiro-Canó is elite as a core of position players, Perdomo is a legit MVP candidate this season, and there are a bunch of quality pitchers. They could even have Foxx and Ichiro pitch if they wanted to; Foxx had a career 1.52 ERA and Ichiro's arm was great.

3000 days ago (August 4, 2017), Yankees P Jaime Garcia becomes the first pitcher in history to start games for three different teams in a span of 15 days. Atlanta traded Garcia to the Twins on July 24, then Minnesota flipped him to the Yanks on July 30.

11000 days ago (September 9, 1995), Yakult Swallows pitcher Terry Bross becomes the second foreign-born pitcher to throw an NPB no-hitter. Bross was the ace of the ‘95 Japan Series champs, but never repeated that kind of performance during the rest of his time in Japan.

15000 days ago (September 26, 1984), Phillies 2B Juan Samuel steals his 72nd base, breaking Tim Raines’s NL rookie record for SB. Samuel was a weird player: he was a 2B but a bad one, could run but couldn’t get on base, hit the ball hard but struck out constantly Good player with an odd skill set.

17000 days ago (April 6, 1979), legendary manager Earl Weaver picks up the 1000th win of his career as the Orioles beat the White Sox 5-3 on Opening Day. Before the game, the O’s new mascot The Bird is hatched from an egg. I’m sure Earl had a four-letter word or three ready to go.

19000 days ago (Oct 14, 1973), the Mets win a memorable Game 2 of the World Series in Oakland 10-7, tying the series 1-1. This is the Mike Andrews game, where the A’s infielder commits two errors and owner Charlie Finley essentially cuts him mid-series. Also in this game: Willie Mays’s final hit.

22000 days ago (July 28, 1965), 20-year-old Red Sox RF Tony Conigliaro suffers a broken wrist when KC pitcher Wes Stock hits him with a pitch. Conigliaro misses 24 games and still leads the American League in home runs in ‘65. Alas, this is not the worst HBP that Tony C will experience.

38000 days ago (October 7, 1921), after dropping the first two games of the World Series on the road at the Polo Grounds, the Giants come back home to…*checks notes*...the Polo Grounds and dominate the Yanks in Game 3. The NL champs win 13-5. Ross Youngs has both a double and a triple in the 8th.

38000 days ago (October 7, 1921), Commissioner Landis orders the Pirates to give full bonuses to C Tony Brottem and P Moses Yellow Horse, who both spent parts of the season with the team. The Bucs had voted to give Brottem $200 and Yellow Horse ⅔ of the standard bonus.

46000 days ago (November 11, 1899), 28-year-old Chicago CF Bill Lange quits baseball and moves to San Francisco to get married. His fiancee’s father forbade her from marrying a baseball player, so she didn’t. Instead, she marries Bill Lange, former baseball player. He never plays again.

49000 days ago (August 25, 1891), the NL club in Boston totallly nukes peace talks between the National League and American Association, when they sign Boston (AA) star King Kelly to a deal worth a whopping $25,000 through the end of 1892. It’s nearly 25 years before another player makes that much.

51000 days ago (March 4, 1886), the NL decides to credit runners with a stolen base when they take an extra base, like going from first to third on a single. They keep their “seven balls is a walk” rule (it’s 6 in the AA) and choose not to follow the AA’s lead of giving batters first base on a HBP.

10/21 Birthday Team (text version) C:Toby Hall (4.7 WAR) 1B:Franklin Stubbs (2.7) 2B:Bill Russell (31.3) 3B:Johnny Goryl (1.6) SS:Khalil Greene (8.4) LF:George Bell (20.0) CF:Ted Uhlaender (2.8) RF:Gabe Gross (4.6) SP:Zack Greinke (77.4) Others: W. Ford, B.Lee, J.Garvin, J.Flaherty, B.Bevens, C.Fien

Today's Birthday Team has a couple of dominant starting pitchers at the top of the rotation, but only a couple of bats that will scare anybody. Probably not a great sign that Zack Greinke is fourth on the roster in batting WAR. This feels like a team that would win 75-80 games.

10/20 Birthday Team (text version) C:Jocko Fields (3.1 WAR) 1B:Keith Hernandez (60.4) 2B:Sammy Hughes (10.9) 3B:Randy Asadoor (0.3) SS:Bobby Floyd (-0.6) LF:Juan González (38.7) CF:Mickey Mantle (110.3) RF:Bruce Campbell (17.0) SP:Juan Marichal (62.8) Others: J.Padrón, D.Collins, A.Statz, B.Hunter

When I was a kid staring at APBA cards, I'd notice player birthdays that matched family members' birthdays. My brother has Mickey Mantle, Juan Marichal, and Keith Hernandez! I wonder who I got! (Bob Ojeda and Chase Utley, as it turns out.) This is where the idea of the Birthday Team started.

10/19 Birthday Team (text version) C:Bob O'Farrell (21.6 WAR) 1B:Tom McCreery (10.7) 2B:Sandy Alomar Sr. (10.5) 3B:José Bautista (36.8) SS:Michael Young (24.7) LF:Rajai Davis (11.7) CF:Fred Snodgrass (15.8) RF:Anthony Santander (10.3) SP:Mordecai Brown (58.0) Others: T.Belcher, J.Happ, K.Foulke

If yesterday's Birthday Team could trade some of its pitching depth for some of Saturday's outfield depth, it would improve both teams. Still, this is a team that could do some Birthday League damage, provided Joey Bats can coexist with a Texas Ranger on the left side of the infield.

10/18 Birthday Team (text version) C:Charlie Berry (5.9 WAR) 1B:Roy Cullenbine (32.3) 2B:Bobby Knoop (12.7) 3B:Dave Malarcher (10.8) SS:Hans Lobert (23.1) LF:Willie Horton (26.5) CF:Burt Shotton (23.8) RF:George Hendrick (29.1) SP:Candy Cummings (36.5) Others:W.Wilmot, Y.Céspedes, Dav.Murphy, A.Cora

This past Saturday's Birthday Team has more good outfielders than good pitchers, which is never a position in which you'd like to find yourself. They'll be tough to beat every fifth day with Cummings on the mound, but less so on the other four days. Candy Cummings and pray for rain.

10/17 Birthday Team (text version) C:Buck Ewing (47.9 WAR) 1B:Dan Pasqua (10.7) 2B:Jim Gilliam (44.8) 3B:Red Rolfe (29.1) SS:Ha-Seong Kim (15.4) LF:Glenn Braggs (5.8) CF:Myles Straw (10.3) RF:Carlos González (24.5) SP:Paul Derringer (36.1) Others: J.Rocker, J.Mabry, J.Klippstein, H.Alberto, K.Dixon

Today's Birthday Team features another solid group of position players who are going to be let down by subpar pitching. Truth be told, I'm kind of surprised to see that Pasqua and Straw both reached double digits in WAR. Both are good players, but both are fairly one-dimensional.

3000 days ago (July 30, 2017), Adrian Beltre becomes the 31st big leaguer to reach 3000 career hits. He’s the first player from the Dominican Republic to join the 3000-hit club.

3000 days ago (July 30, 2017), the class of 2017 (Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Ivan Rodriguez, John Schuerholz and Bud Selig) enters the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, at least four of the five were deserving.

4000 days ago (November 3, 2014), the Cubs go big, signing Joe Maddon to serve as their new manager. Maddon gets a five-year contract worth $25 million.

6000 days ago (May 13, 2009), Diamondbacks rookie Gerardo Parra becomes the 100th player in big league history to homer in his first career at-bat.

6000 days ago (May 13, 2009), the Tigers take a 10-9 lead in the 13th at Minnesota. The Twins tie it in the bottom of the inning, then win it later in the 13th on a Joe Crede grand slam. It’s Crede’s second career walk-off extra-innings grand slam.

10000 days ago (May 31, 1998) in the International League, Scranton goes to Toledo and treats their hosts very rudely, crushing the Mud Hens 26-4. That’s really uncool, you guys. I'm pleased to report the two cities are still friends.

14000 days ago (June 18, 1987), the Phils phire manager John Phelske, replacing him with third base coach Lee Elia. This is not terribly important in a historical sense, but provides an excuse for me to post the greatest baseball rant of all time.

15000 days ago (September 21, 1984), Orioles rookie Jim Traber makes a memorable debut in the majors. During the game he’s wholly unremarkable, going 1-for-4. Before the game, though, Traber sings the national anthem. He’d done this several times in the past while a minor leaguer.

19000 days ago (October 9, 1973), needing a win on the road to stay alive in the NLCS, the Reds beat the Mets in thrilling fashion. Pete Rose’s 12th inning homer evens the series at two games each and forces a winner-take-all Game Five.

19000 days ago (October 9, 1973), after splitting the first two games of the ALCS in Baltimore, the Athletics take Game Three in Oakland when Bert Campaneris leads off the 11th inning with a walk-off home run.

22000 days ago (July 23, 1965), Phillies 1B Dick Stuart homers in his 23rd different park, a major league record. This has since been topped by any number of hitters, but it was quite an accomplishment when there were only 20 teams with no interleague play.

29000 days ago (May 24, 1946), 45 year old White Sox pitcher Ted Lyons retires from playing to concentrate on his new job as the manager of the Palehose. Lyons threw complete games in each of his last 28 starts in the big leagues.

29000 days ago (May 24, 1946), depending on whose version of events you want to believe, Joe McCarthy either resigns or is fired as the manager of the Yankees. Either way he’s out of a job. The last straw was when a drunk McCarthy chewed out Joe Page for being out too late too often.

38000 days ago (October 2, 1921), Babe Ruth closes out yet another record-breaking season with his 59th home run of the year. Of course it’s against the Red Sox. Of course.

42000 days ago (October 20, 1910), the A’s continue to roll in the World Series, crushing Chicago 12-5 to take a three-games-to-none lead in the series. The Cubs’ Frank Chance becomes the first player thrown out of a World Series game when he’s thumbed for arguing a home run call.

44000 days ago (April 29, 1905), a Philadelphia teenager selling lemonade at the ballpark and heckling Giants gets in Christy Mathewson’s head badly enough that Matty punches the kid in the mouth. Seems out of character for Mathewson, but at least he didn’t go all Sadie McMahon on a peanut vendor.

@remembersomeguys.bsky.social was a day early remembering Brian Harper. Good hitter, didn't walk much but almost never struck out. Gap power. Didn't get a starting job until he was nearly 30, but took off and ran with it when he got his chance. I'm kind of surprised to see he wasn't an All-Star.

10/16 Birthday Team (text version) C:Tim McCarver (28.3 WAR) 1B:Bryce Harper (54.1) 2B:Jonathan Schoop (19.1) 3B:Art Devlin (36.1) SS:Rodney Scott (4.0) LF:Goose Goslin (66.0) CF:Kevin McReynolds (30.1) RF:Brian Harper (12.3) SP:Garland Buckeye (8.2) Others: M.Menosky, M.Batts, D.Hood, J.Baldschun

Today's Birthday Team has a fantastic group of position players. The pitchers? Not so much. It feels weird to have Bryce Harper at 1B and Brian Harper in the outfield; Brian was a C/OF with a so-so arm, so 1B seems like a perfect fit. Brian didn't play much 1B, though, so he's off to RF.

10/15 Birthday Team (text version) C:Bill Lewis (0.8 WAR) 1B:Mule Haas (12.5) 2B:Carlos García (1.0) 3B:Glenn Gulliver (0.6) SS:Charley O'Leary (0.3) LF:Mitchell Page (8.1) CF:Evar Swanson (6.7) RF:Teoscar Hernández (19.0) SP:Jim Palmer (68.5) Others: M.Harder, S.Gray, B.Henry, S.Byrd, J.Flaherty

Today's Birthday Team has Babe Ruth's Legs, though they really could have used the rest of him too. The pitching staff is elite but the offense is a bit thin. Maybe I knew this at one point, but I'd definitely forgotten it: Byrd is the only person to play in the World Series and the Masters.

3000 days ago (July 28, 2017), Cards rookie Luke Voit hits a line drive up the middle so hard that it hits Arizona P Robbie Ray in the head, then is caught on the fly in foul territory for an out. Ray never loses consciousness, thankfully, but is out for a month. Video of the incident is attached.

6000 days ago (May 11, 2009), San Francisco and Washington play a game featuring the tallest pitching matchup in history: 6’10” Randy Johnson of the Giants faces off against 6’9” Daniel Cabrera of the Nats. Of course the Giants were involved. Nominative determinism.

7000 days ago (August 15, 2006), not to be outdone by the Cubs and Astros playing 18 innings in Houston, the Diamondbacks and Rockies play 18 innings too. Arizona wins it 2-1. This is the first time in history that two games on the same day go 18 innings.

7000 days ago (August 15, 2006), the Cubs and Astros play a marathon in Houston. The Cubs probably feel pretty good about their five runs against Roger Clemens, but it goes to extra innings 6-6. Chicago finally wins it 8-6 in 18 innings, using all 25 players including two pitchers as pinch hitters.

18000 days ago (July 3, 1976), the Bird continues to be the word. Tigers rookie Mark Fidrych wins again, this time shutting out the Orioles for his eighth win in a row.

19000 days ago (October 7, 1973), on the same day the Mets tie the NLCS at a game apiece, Oakland does the same thing over in the American League. Sal Bando has two home runs for the A’s, who double up the Orioles 6-3.