Imagine this:

The devil has been continually entertained by baseball's shenanigans in recent years and is convinced he can field a team that can beat the best the Good Lord has to offer.

So he issues the challenge.

God simply smiles, knowing that good will triumph over evil.

All players, living or dead, are eligible for this draft:

•

Pitcher: God selects Sandy Koufax. Clean-cut guy whose brilliant career was cut short by a damaged arm. The devil opts for Gaylord Perry, who won more than 300 games while slicking up the ball.•

Catcher: Plenty of options, but God goes for Roy Campanella, a Hall of Famer whose career was cut short when he was paralyzed in automobile accident. The devil chooses A.J. Pierczynski. Nobody in baseball seems to like him, even his own fans in Chicago.•

First base: Tears still fill the Good Lord's eyes when he thinks of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech. The devil wants power and loved the way Mark McGwire sneaked away from the game.•

Second base: No brainer for God. Jackie Robinson was as courageous as they came. The devil selects Billy Martin, who can double as player-manager when he's not sipping the sauce.•

Shortstop: No one dedicated himself to his job and his team like Cal Ripken Jr. The devil wants to embarrass Yogi Berra by choosing his son, Dale, who was involved in the Pittsburgh baseball drug scandal of the 1980s.•

Third base: Tough choice, but God goes for Mike Schmidt over Brooks Robinson. The devil plays his Pete Rose card here and is betting on a positive outcome.•

Outfield: Roberto Clemente died on a mission of mercy. Ted Williams gave up prime years of his career to serve his country during war time — twice. Hank Aaron overcame racism to break the home run record.The devil counters with the surly Barry Bonds, the poster child of the steroids era, the drinking and carousing Babe Ruth and the always volatile Ty Cobb.•

Designated hitter:Being a baseball purist, God declines to use the DH, but the Good Lord does select Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, as his bench player. He always has a smile on his face.The devil selects Rafael Palmeiro as his DH. The 3,000 hits and 500 home runs are OK, but he loved the way Palmeiro pointed his finger at the grand jury.•

Closer: God goes with Kent Tekulve, a skinny kid who beat the odds to become one of baseball's best at his craft. The devil chooses Al Hrabosky, the Mad Hungarian, who once bit the head off a bird.•

Manager: Casey Stengel gets the nod from God. If the devil tires of Martin's antics, he always has Rose.•

National anthem: Pat Boone can croon for the Good Lord. The devil has no choice here. This game is played in God's ballpark.The outcome?The devil's team can't handle the Koufax fastball, Cobb and Bonds get into a fight in the dugout, Martin and Ruth get drunk drinking to the glory days of the Yankees.The good guys always win in the end.John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.