Life in an alternate universe

Kurt Russell with El Paso in 1973

This onetime California Angels prospect from the early 1970s celebrates his 73rd birthday today.

No, it is not Dave Machemer, who celebrates his own 73rd birthday in May.

This hard-hitting middle infielder sees his playing career derailed by a shoulder injury in 1973, just as Machemer is emerging as another hard-hitting middle infielder in the Angels’ system.

Now imagine if their lives had been flipped.

That would have left Kurt Russell, pictured here in 1973 with the Angels' Class AA team in El Paso, to reach the major leagues for a short time before becoming a longtime manager in the minors with a stopover on City Island with the Harrisburg Senators in 2003-2004.

And that would have left Machemer rather than Russell to become a Hollywood fixture, having starred in more than 50 movies.

Of course, Machemer's resume does include his own Escape from Norwich in 2007.

You know, this could have happened in an alternate universe ... just saying.