MLB Bullets Is No Fool

If you're on a traditional desktop or laptop, I apologize for the redesign of the ESPN.com site. If you're on a mobile device, you probably love it. But these new trends in web design to make me feel young again. "Hey look! Frames are back! Pretty soon every website will have a dancing baby too!" I'd suggest investing in those Beanie Babies now.

• As we enter the 2015 season. Jim Caple remembers that this week is the 20th anniversary of the end of the 1994-95 strike.  He has a look back at those dark times for baseball. Complete with frames.
• To remind us how much things have changed since 1995, the average annual salary in baseball will top $4 million this season for the first time.
• Despite all this money flowing towards the players, Nathaniel Grow points out that the players are taking home a far smaller percentage of gross revenue than they were just 12 years ago. In fact, player salaries have gone from 56% of revenue in 2002 to just 38% today.
• David Schoenfield thinks that because of this and other concerns, the next collective bargaining talks may not be as friendly as they were the past few times.
• Sam Miller attacks the provision of the collective bargaining agreement that forces the loss of a draft pick to teams signing free agents, calling it "the worst rule in baseball." He doesn't think it accomplishes much of anything.
• Jayson Stark looks at how the "pace of the game" rules changes will (or maybe will not) affect the game this season. So far, it's unclear how much difference they're going to make.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the Wilpons ownership of the Mets. See, sometimes the commissioner is required to do some distasteful things, like defend Mets owners. It's in his contract.
• The Mets did make two moves yesterday, acquiring lefthanders Alex Torres and Jerry Blevins for their bullpen.
• Despite losing Zach Wheeler to Tommy John surgery, the Mets are still looking to trade Dillon Gee, the man who took Wheeler's spot in their rotation.
• The Rays acquired Erasmo Ramirez from the Mariners for Mike Montgomery.
• Once again, the mayor of St. Petersburg's efforts to allow the Rays to look for a new stadium site has been stymied by the city council. Craig Calcaterra says we're now one step closer to Les Rays de Montréal. Don't worry, Quebecers. They'll change the the name to Expos before they arrive.
• Rob Manfred says that Montréal needs "a firm, committed-to plan" for a new stadium before the city will get a team. He does grant that they don't actually have to build one before they get a team. That's what happened in St. Petersburg, and we all know how well that's going.
• David Ortiz would like everyone to know that despite what he wrote in the "Player's Tribune" article, his father did not actually beat his mother.
• Rob Neyer doesn't think Ortiz is a bad person, but he doesn't think he's a Hall of Famer either.
• The Pirates are trying again to lock up Gregory Polanco to a long-term extension. The Bucs already have Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte signed to long-term deals.
• The Angels would like to sign closer Huston Street to an extension, but the uncertainty surrounding Josh Hamilton and his possible suspension are complicating matters. The commissioner's office said they'd have a decision on Hamilton before Opening Day. They didn't say which season's Opening Day.
• On the injury front, the Cardinals have shut down Jaime Garcia with more shoulder problems. I know most of you aren't crying, but I never like to see guys get hurt. Even Cardinals.
• Phillies reliever Ken Giles will likely start the season on the DL with back tightness.
• Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon is getting a third opinion on his injured knee. Rendon's first two diagnoses were fairly positive, but he's still not getting better.
• The Brewers released Chris Perez and then immediately signed him back again.
• Dayan Viciedo opted out of his minor league deal with the Blue Jays.
• Roberto Osuna made the Blue Jays opening day roster, making him the youngest Blue Jays pitcher ever.
• Jon Heyman tells us which managers are on the hot seat. I don't know how much stock we should put into this, however. Last year, he didn't even list Rick Renteria as a manager in danger of losing his job.
• The Phillies are going to sell hard liquor at Citizen's Bank Park this season, which opens them up to all kinds of jokes.
• Really, it's going to be a rough season in Philadelphia.
• For those of you ready to hand the 2015 World Series title to the Washington Nationals, Grant Brisbee would like to introduce you to the 2012 Rangers. I'm sure Grant will be eager to tell you which team prevented the 2012 Rangers from winning the World Series.
• The Marlins will try to re-write Back to the Future II and take the 2015 World Series away from the Cubs. Boo!
• Eno Sarris writes that Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani needs to rely on his changeup more.
• Stephanie Apstein checks in with Jacob Nix, the other pitcher trapped in the Astros draft fiasco last summer. Nix is doing great and is looking at becoming a high draft pick again this summer. But it won't be by the Astros.
• MLB put on a showcase series for top international free agents eligible to sign this summer. Ben Badler explains why scouts didn't bother to show up.
• In a positive development, MLB is working to have every team have a Spanish translator to help players talk to the media.
• Your favorite team is "blue-collar." Every team in American sports is "blue-collar" these days, no matter how much they make or how much it costs to see them. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• August Fagerstrom explores how to turn two on a Mike Trout ground ball. It's not easy, although I do recall the Cubs doing it last week.
• Anthony Castrovince lists some stats from this spring that he feels are meaningful.
• AJ Cassavell lists five teams that may get off to a fast start because of an easy early-season schedule. A certain team from Chicago is number one!
• The Phillies and Pirates got into a bench-clearing incident after a called strike.
• Craig Calcaterra thinks it's fine if players are friends with players on different teams. Some of the old ink-stained wretches have a problem with this.
• Scary news. John Axford left Rockies camp after his two-year old son was bitten by a rattlesnake. Add that to the plagues of vermin that have beset spring training this year.
• Paul Lukas has a list of all the uniform changes in MLB this year.
• And finally, Vinnie Pestano has one idea to speed up the game: Bring back bullpen carts! He's got a history of the bullpen cart and the pros and cons of bringing them back. (Groundskeepers would vote no.) The Brewers were the last team to phase them out in 1995. As far as I can tell, Jason Giambi was the last active ballplayer to play in a game with a bullpen cart. LaTroy Hawkins and Alex Rodriguez were active in 1995, but neither one played a game in Milwaukee. The last active player to have actually ridden in one was probably Steve Sparks, who last played in 2004.

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