MLB Bullets Has Hit The Wall

I'm thinking of changing the name of this column to "Bryce Bullets."

• After running face-first into the wall at Dodger Stadium, people around baseball are asking the question "Does Bryce Harper play too hard?" It's not an unfair question, as anyone who remembers the career of Pete Reiser can attest. (OK, I remember reading about Pete Reiser.) Harper, as quoted in the article linked above, says he's never going to slow down. Scott Miller says that's a good thing. Jason Reid says that attitude is part of what makes Harper so great. Ken Rosenthal thinks Harper's risky behavior may or may not be a positive, but agrees you can't separate that attitude from Harper's talent. (video link)
• Just an aside on Pete Reiser, Leo Durocher insisted that he was every bit as good as Willie Mays, and he managed both of them. Of course, Durocher also said the same thing about Cesar Cedeno.
• Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is happy with the Phillies place in the standings and says the problem with Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels is that they're trying too hard. I guess Amaro's not going to try to sign Harper if he reaches free agency, then.
• Diogenes traveled the world with a lamp, searching for Jeremy Affeldt.
• Angels owner Arte Moreno says it's his fault the Angels are so lousy.
• On Tuesday, Mets manager Terry Collins said "I don't answer to the fans." On Wednesday, he apologized. It's not quite "85% of the $%^&@ world," but New Yorkers are a lot more fragile than Chicagoans.
• When the Astros fired their team president, the rumors flew that Nolan Ryan would take over there. Close, but no cigar. Yesterday the Astros named his son Reid Ryan as team president.
• For the first time in his career, David Price is going on the disabled list.
• Joel Hanrahan had Tommy John surgery. Jonny Venters liked Tommy John surgery so much the first time he had it, he went and had it a second time.
• Jon Paul Morosi explains why his prediction that the Yankees would finish last turned out to be so wrong. Or he sort of does. As far as I can tell, it's a combination of great pitching and TWTW.
• Two months ago, I was writing about how we'd probably seen the last of Chris Carpenter on a baseball diamond. Now he's back throwing on a mound, hoping that he'll return to the Cardinals starting rotation before the end of the season.
• Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says that if the Blue Jays are going to turn around their season, they've got to do it in the next 22 games. They have won seven of their last 10.
• Despite cooling off recently, the Braves are happy with where they are at this point of the season.
• Jon Garland is not happy with the Rockies' 100-pitch limit on their starters. Well, I'm not happy with Matt Karchner, Jon.
• The Royals think they've figured out why their top prospect Bubba Starling is doing so poorly: He's as blind as a bat. Of course, bats aren't blind, which means Starling isn't either. But they both have eyesight problems. Starling's is correctable. The problem with the vision of bats is that their glasses always fall off when they hang upside down in caves.
• The first half-inning of the Royals television broadcast on Wednesday was silent to honor the memory of their late broadcaster, Fred White.
• Yoenis Cespedes is taking sliding lessons from Rickey Henderson.
• Maybe Ian Kinsler should sign up for that sliding class.
• Mariners shortstops are collectively hitting worse than National League pitchers. I can hear the calls for a second DH now.
• Al has already touched upon this issue, but progress has been made towards expanding replay in 2014. They still have a long way to go, however. One good piece of news is that the NFL-style "challenge flag" idea seems to be a long shot.
• Finally, as Clint Frazier and Colin Moran look to be taken in the first ten picks of the upcoming draft, Jerry Crasnick wonders "Where have all the redheads in baseball gone?"

University of Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta says that if someone gives the school $110 million to start a hockey program, he'll do it. Damn, I'm a few bucks short. Maybe we should have a bake sale.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.