MLB Bullets Has A New Name

I hope you all had a good weekend.

• I assume you've all seen the story about the pace-of-play rules put in place for 2015. If not, go back and read them. I'll still be here.
• Back? Good. Will Leitch thinks these moves are both sensible and moderate.
• Grant Brisbee grades all the new rules. Some he likes, some he doesn't. But overall, he's in favor of them.
• Ken Rosenthal says it is up to the players to change their habits if they don't want MLB to institute a pitch clock.
• B.J. Upton has had a miserable time of it lately, so B.J. Upton will no longer be a major league ballplayer. Instead, he'll be known from now on by his real name, Melvin Upton Jr. You'd think Upton would want to use an alias, but he's a standup guy for not trying to hide from his last two years.
• As major league camps open, C. Trent Rosecrans writes about one of the first things Reds players need to do: Find a throwing partner. It's not as simple as it sounds.
• Joey Votto arrived in camp and called certain criticisms of his game "silly" and "ignorant." He didn't say who the criticism came from, but I'm guessing he's referring to the comments by someone whose name rhymes with "Smarty Penny Hen."
• New Pirates infield Jung-Ho Kang talks about the pressure he feels to perform in order to set a path for other Korean ballplayers to come to America.
• C.J. Nitkowski was a teammate of Kang's over in Korea. He talks about how all of us are mispronouncing his name. Although he adds that it's OK and that the Koreans couldn't pronounce his name either. Both sides just need to do their best.
• David Price is open to discussing a contract extension with the Tigers and the Tigers want to get one done. Whether they'll agree on an amount is a different matter.
• Ken Rosenthal has an interview with the Marlins pitcher Mat Latos about his injuries, his workload and being traded twice.
• The Marlins are excited about becoming the new "epicenter of baseball." In their own minds, I guess, being the second-best team in baseball's weakest division makes you the "epicenter of baseball."
• The Red Sox gave contract extensions to manager John Farrell and GM Ben Cherington.
• The Rangers are talking about picking up the 2016 option on Adrian Beltre's contract.
• There were 14 arbitration hearings this winter, the highest total since 2001. Teams won eight cases and the players won six.
• Dodgers hurler Zack Greinke had an injection in his elbow. The team is calling it "routine."
• Cole Hamels talked a bit more about his situation and kind-of-but-not-really backed off on his request to be traded. Essentially, he just repeated the "I'm happy to be here and this team is ready to compete" cliché.
• Considering their relative costs, Dave Cameron thinks teams should consider asking the Phillies about Cliff Lee rather than Cole Hamels.
• Matthew Murphy does some of that fancy numbers analysis and concludes that while getting a hitter to hit a groundball is good, pitchers who induce a lot of ground balls are overrated.
• David Schoenfield looks at what Madison Bumgarner did that made him so much better in the postseason than he was in the regular season. Short answer? More fastballs, better control.
• David Wright thinks his shoulder problems are behind him, but he admits he's going to need a lot more days off for rest and recuperation.
• CC Sabathia put back on that weight he lost two years ago and he feels a lot better.
• If you don't like defensive shifts, Joe Lemire writes, you should learn to go the other way like Paul Goldschmidt does.
• After his hospitalization last week, Bruce Bochy was back at work on Sunday and he feels as good as ever.
• Jonah Keri has six question the Mariners need to answer this season. He also thinks the Mariners make the playoffs this year.
• Jesus Montero thinks he's turned his life around this past offseason and is ready to forget about last year.
• I'll going to try to let you read this and make up your own mind about it. Gregg Zaun talks about the "hazing" he received at the hands of Orioles veterans, led by Cal Ripken Jr. It seems a bit disturbing to me, although Zaun doesn't seem to think so. In any case, Zaun points out it would never be allowed today and he seems to think that's a bad thing for some reason.
• Umpire Tim McClelland has retired.
• If you want some Joe Maddon memorabilia, the Rays are selling them at half-price.
• Trevor Bauer has been told he can't fly his drone around spring training anymore. Boo! He could give a new meaning to "buzzing a hitter inside."
• Blue Jays top prospect Daniel Norris was napping in his van when he was mistaken for a homeless person. Easy mistake to make.
• Finally, ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte is trying to make the Athletics squad this spring. Here's a look at his six-fingered glove

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