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Today I'm proud to announce that MLB Bullets will have nothing but positive news about the game that we all love. No news about steroids, suspensions, injuries or players behaving badly. Just kidding. It's the same old stuff we've been dealing with all year.
- What happens if they had a Hall of Fame induction ceremony and no one came? That's pretty much what happened when Cooperstown inducted three people, James "Deacon" White, owner Jacob Ruppert and umpire Hank O'Day, all of whom have been dead since before World War II.
- Scott Miller of CBSSports.com believes that Cooperstown was right to "take a step back" and induct no one.
- On the other hand, in a different article, he does quote Bob Gibson as saying it was all "kind of sad."
- Craig Calcaterra takes Miller to task, arguing that the game, and the Hall, has never been pure.
- Joe Posnanski thinks the joy is gone from the Hall of Fame debates.
- In case you're wondering about who did get in, Deacon White's great-grandson wrote an essay for Slate.com about him. Today White, if he is remembered at all, is best known for his quote about getting sold to Pittsburgh: "No man is going to sell my carcass unless I get half."
- MLB is expected to announce further suspensions in the Biogenesis scandal this week.
- Obviously, the axe is expected to fall on Alex Rodriguez, among others. According to the New York Daily News, MLB is prepared to offer ARod a deal that would suspend him for all of this year and next. If he declines, they intend to pursue a lifetime ban. Rodriguez is expected to turn down the offer of a deal.
- Ryan Braun took a deal in part, it is widely believed, because the Brewers were out of the pennant race anyway. But three players, Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Bartolo Colon, are facing suspensions that could drastically affect the AL pennant races. All three would likely fight any suspension, if only to stay on the field for the rest of this season. And it isn't clear that Colon will be suspended at all, since he's already served a 50 game suspension and MLB doesn't know whether or not the Biogenesis case was a separate incident. (He can't be suspended twice for the same offense.)
- Jay Jaffe says the announcement of suspensions this week would only be the beginning of this drama, not the end, as many players are expected to fight the charges.
- Jayson Stark notes that many players are calling on tougher penalties for PED violators. He does note that there are issues with increasing penalties that may keep them from happening.
- Scott Boras thinks MLB is setting a bad precedent by cutting a deal with Tony Bosch. (Cue Scott Boras outrage in...3...2...1.)
- Ryan Braun no longer has a friend in Zack Greinke.
- David Ortiz took his frustrations out on the phone in the Red Sox dugout.
- Ryan Dempster and Jonny Gomes pitched in to "repair" the phone.
- The Rays are taking no chances.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>WANTED: Steel alloy telephone with Kevlar cord. Will spare no expense. Must install by Sept. 10.</p>— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/statuses/361476621024239617">July 28, 2013</a></blockquote>
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- Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez has resigned after allegations of abusive behavior towards players.
- Juan C. Rodriguez blames Martinez, but also says that Jeffrey Loria is to blame for hiring Martinez in the first place and originally declining Martinez's offer to resign before the incidents became public. Among the allegations, Martinez is said to have grabbed Derek Dietrich by the neck, an incident Martinez denies (He says it was the collar of his jersey), but the incident was confirmed by another player. He also got furious when Matt Downs chose to work with minor league instructor Greg Norton, saying he was a bad hitter. Was that the Greg Norton who was the bassist in Husker Du? Because if it was the former White Sox Greg Norton, Martinez needs to get a grip.
- Tyler Clippard is angry the Nationals demoted Drew Storen to the minors, saying the team mistreated him. Storen's dad is also upset that Nats manager Davey Johnson sent Storen out to pitch in a blowout on a day that Storen was running a fever of 102 degrees, and in which Johnson had said before the game that Storen was unavailable.
- Jon Heyman wonders whether these controversies will finally light a spark under the disappointing Nats.
- Albert Pujols is likely out for the season.
- Rangers pitcher Tanner Scheppers claimed he was "sucker-punched" on a Cleveland street Thursday night, but a witness said that Scheppers instigated the incident.
- The Phillies have lost eight in a row. Jonathan Papelbon says he "definitely didn't come here for this." No, you went to Philly for $50 million. But don't worry, I'm sure the forgiving Phillies fans will support you anyway.
- The Phillies spent another $50 million on Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. He's expected to pitch in the majors sometime this season.
- Jake Peavy is preparing himself for a trade.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak doesn't expect to make a big deal at the trade deadline.
- Danny Knobler gives the Yankees an "A" for effort, but says Alfonso Soriano isn't going to turn their season around.
- Ken Rosenthal wonders if the Giants will finally admit the inevitable and be sellers at the trade deadline.
- Wendy Thurm wonders if the Dodgers won't be the last team to cash in on the sports TV rights bubble.
- Is there a home run derby curse?
- Finally, Topps gives another example that the Young Turks of baseball are winning. They're are going to list WAR on the backs of baseball cards. And maybe they'll finally make a bubble gum card with Beethoven on it next.