MLB Bullets Is Afraid Of Confrontation

I was just remembering back in 1989 when I would come home from work with no clue as to how the Cubs had done earlier that day. Since I wasn't willing to wait until the sports came on the six o'clock news, I would call this phone line that would give me the scores for free as long as I listened to an ad first. Even back then, ESPN only had the scores twice an hour.

Now I walk around with the live radio broadcast of every game in my pocket. If I wanted to pay extra, I could get every TV broadcast (as long as I'm not in a designated blackout area, of course).

• Tom Verducci thinks it's time to ban the home plate collision.
• Jered Weaver is out four to six weeks after breaking his left (non-throwing) elbow. Three ESPN writers discuss the impact on the Angels.
• Both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus examine the called third strike on Ben Zobrist that ended the Rays/Rangers game on Monday. They both use photos, gifs and PITCHf/x data. Unsurprisingly, since even the umpire admitted it, they both conclude it was a bad call. But neither thinks it was an especially heinous call. Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs have slightly different ways of explaining why a bad call was made, so read them both. Then write a two-page compare and contrast paper, which is due on Friday. Yes, it's homework.
• The Red Sox consecutive sell-out streak is expected to end tonight. Gordon Edes looks at the 2013 Red Sox and does his best Dr. Frankenstein impression: "It's Alive! It's Alive!"
• If Cardinals closer Jason Motte isn't better in a couple of weeks, he's heading for Tommy John Surgery.
• Joaquin Benoit wants to close games for the Tigers. Someone has to, I guess.
• Roy Halladay is struggling. He says it's all in his head. Ken Rosenthal has talked to scouts who say it's all in his stuff, or lack thereof. He says he needs to reinvent himself as a control pitcher like Greg Maddux did.
• If Halladay can't pitch for the Phillies anymore, Roy Oswalt would love a chance.
• Some just can't stay away from their beloved Marlins. However, when Eric Adelson asked the players about the fans who did stay away, the Marlins escorted him out of the clubhouse.
• Jon Paul Morosi says the Blue Jays are not worried about their slow start. Yet. Mike Oz says the Blue Jays are in first place in one category: rowdy fans.
• How is Carl Crawford like Randy Newman? No, they both don't think Jose Altuve has no reason to live. They both love LA.
• The Royals have opened a new store where fans can buy game-used jerseys, helmets, shoes, etc. Seemed like a good idea until Alex Gordon dropped a game-ending fly ball because some fan bought his glove in the fourth inning.
• Kevin Correia has impressed Ron Gardenhire, so far.
• Nationals GM Mike Rizzo will be back with the club in 2014. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus will be running in the Presidents Race. I'm sure George Costanza will find some way to mess this up.
• John Axford has, temporarily, they say, lost his job as the Brewers closer.
• John Fay says whether or not the Reds try to re-sign Shin-Soo Choo all depends on Billy Hamilton.
• MLB has created a commission to study the decline of African-American participation in baseball. The committee is headed by Dave Dombrowski. I guess that's ironic.
• The Astros are striking out at an historic rate.
• Remember all those fancy T-Mobile wireless phones that MLB was supposed to get this season? They still aren't here. Turns out, MLB has another eight months to go on their previous two-year contract.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. The Cubs will be back up to .500 by then.