MLB Bullets Returns To The Bronx Zoo

I really went overboard with the links today, but there's a lot going on as we approach the All-Star Break and the trading deadline. So let's just get straight to the nonsense.

• Although Alex Rodriguez and Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn't exactly apologize to each other, they both admitted that they could have handled the events of the past week better. So that's all behind us and we can all move on, right?
• Not quite. Bill Maddon and Teri Thompson have an article in the New York Daily News that, anonymously quoting "sources close to the situation," says that A-Rod is rushing his recovery so he can retire before he's suspended. If he can demonstrate that he's physically unable to perform, he'd get to collect the entire amount left on his contract, whether he's playing or not. This is what happened with Albert Belle.
• Jay Jaffe thinks Maddon and Thompson's article is full of holes, and that Rodriguez would have to stay on the DL to collect his salary, where he'd still be subject to suspension. He's also dubious of their sourcing. I wish he'd have asked if the source was George Costanza. But in any case, Jaffe thinks the the Yankees still need Rodriguez and A-Rod still needs the Yankees. He also does a good job summarizing the whole mess.
• In any case, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com says that in a conference call with team officials, Rodriguez said that he didn't know when he'd be able to return to the Yankees. So it doesn't sound like he's rushing back to beat a suspension.
• Finally, Jon Heyman says, about those eight million stories in the Naked City? They're all about A-Rod. And they're not going away anytime soon.
• In other Bronx Zoo news, Mark Teixeira is going to have season-ending wrist surgery.
• With Teixeira gone, Jay Jaffe thinks the Yankees are going to have to make a trade to replace him and runs down the candidates. One of his candidates is Paul Konerko, but Jon Heyman said that the White Sox will trade anyone but Konerko and Chris Sale. Huh? I mean, Sale I understand. Maybe as a 10-5 player Konerko just isn't willing to go anywhere.
• Speaking of the White Sox, you will never be able to unsee this picture of Hawk Harrelson as the Hamburglar. Technically he's not trying to be the Hamburglar. It's just bad sixties fashion.
• Back to the Yankees, Derek Jeter is running again. No date for a rehab assignment has been set yet.
• The Blue Jays activated Jose Reyes from the DL, which meant fan and clubhouse favorite Munenori Kawasaki had to go down to the minors. USA Today provides a look back at why the Blue Jays loved having Kawasaki around.
• The five-team pennant race in the AL East is unprecedented, writes Paul White of USA Today. Except for the NL East in 1973. I guess the difference is that in the AL East, it's five good teams.
• Ken Rosenthal says the Phillies have big decisions to make about dumping their veteran players. Rosenthal thinks that the decision is complicated by the fact that the Phillies TV contract runs out after the 2015 season.
• Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has one trade that he thinks makes too much sense not to happen: Chase Utley to the Athletics. I'm not sure Ruben Amaro agrees.
• The Marlins are aggressively trying to trade Ricky Nolasco. The Dodgers are the favorites. On the other hand, they're not going to trade Giancarlo Stanton, at least not this season.
• Albert Chen of SI.com says that while Yasiel Puig gets all the attention, his fellow Cuban Jose Fernandez has the same bright future ahead of him.
• Matt Kemp is adjusting to the reality that he's not the biggest star on the Dodgers anymore.
• The Red Sox strategy is to score early and score often. There's a plan, Theo.
• Ed Hodge pitched 100 innings for the 1984 Twins and never played in the majors again. But the Tigers think he's just now throwing his most important pitches, as the left-handed batting practice pitcher. Prince Fielder credits him with improving his hitting against lefties.
• Jose Valverde has accepted an assignment to the minors.
• Angels GM Jerry DiPoto says the team will neither buy nor sell at the trade deadline.
• Troy Tulowitzki's injury rehab is proceeding nicely.
• Corey Hart, on the other hand, is likely out for the entire season.
• The Nationals are now struggling to earn the playoff spot that seemed like a foregone conclusion at the beginning of the season.
• Stephen Strasburg's only problem is that he's not getting enough run support, writes Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com.
• Ian Krol helped to fix the Nationals bullpen. He's not to be confused with Ivan Kral, who helped to fix the Patti Smith Group. (And yes, I'm only including this link so I can make a Patti Smith Group reference.)
• DJ Gallo presents the ABCs of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Former Phillies catcher Darren Daulton has two brain tumors.
• As you probably know if you watched the Cubs broadcast yesterday, it's been 20 years since the Racing Sausages came to Milwaukee. The Journal-Sentinel has a look back.
• Finally, the New York Times takes a look at Doc Edwards, who is now in his 57th year in baseball. At 76, he's still managing the independent San Angelo Colts. In 1975, he managed the Cubs' Double-A team in Midland, which included such players as Bruce Sutter, Mike Krukow, Dennis Lamp, Donnie Moore and Joe Wallis.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Because I won't be doing as many links as today.