They ought to be brothers

Clearly there's been some mistake, some sort of mix-up on the East Coast that kept Bridger and Shooter Hunt apart during their formative years. Right? How could these guys not be brothers? Well, here at Mayobanex, Waskal and Boof, we don't let something minor like blood get in the way of such things. As of now, the Hunt boys are brothers.

Let's start with Bridger Hunt. A 2006 draft pick of the Dodgers, the right-handed infielder grew up in Oviedo, Fla., just outside of Orlando. Oviedo's claim to fame is its chickens. That's right, chickens. It's not a long-standing tradition; the first one is believed to have appeared in this parking lot in 1994. But the chickens of downtown Oviedo now number around 30, which makes them a powerful voting bloc here.

As for Bridger himself, I'm not clear on his status. The California League's Inland Empire 66ers list him as inactive, and the team has no statistics listed for him. If he is a 66er, he'll be a teammate of Manny Ramirez for a few games next week. Important distinction: This is a different Bridger Hunt.

Meanwhile, Shooter Hunt is pitching for the Beloit Snappers, a Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. His 10.70 ERA through Tuesday is less than impressive, but that's what the minors are for. He was Minnesota's No. 7-ranked prospect heading into this season, according to Baseball America, and was a first-round draft pick last year, so Shooter's apparently got some bullets in there somewhere.

Shooter grew up just up the coast in New Jersey, attending Ramapo High School. Strangely enough, the city appears to have no relationship to chickens. But his hometown of Wyckoff does have a poultry farm. Unfortunately, Shooter is just a nickname. His given name is Steven Daniel Hunt, but his father was a huge fan of the movie "Hoosiers," in which Dennis Hopper plays a character named Shooter. So let's not quibble over details. He'll always been Shooter to us.