If there aren't enough bullets for you today, I'd recommend that you go back and read Monday's, which got understandably overlooked after Jake Arrieta's no-hitter. But there was a lot of good stuff in there.
- Speaking of Arrieta, this is the only good reason not to give him the Cy Young Award this season.
- It seems like every team in the NL fighting for a playoff spot added an outfielder before the August 31 deadline for playoff eligibility. Besides the Cubs acquiring Austin Jackson, the Dodgers picked up Justin Ruggiano from the Mariners.
- And because everything is bigger in LA, the Dodgers also re-acquired Chris Heisey from the Blue Jays.
- The Giants grabbed Alejandro De Aza from the Red Sox.
- And one AL team made a move for an outfielder: The Royals traded for Jonny Gomes from the Braves.
- Grant Brisbee tries to decide what AL teams would do differently if the trade deadline were August 31 and not July 31.
- Rob Neyer talks to two authors who have just written a book about the history of baseball front offices about some of the things they learned. I'll take a review copy, please.
- Ken Rosenthal reports that there could be chaos in the Marlins front office this season as the team is expected to relieve manager Dan Jennings of those duties and ask him to return to the front office. But maybe not as GM.
- David Schoenfield explains what a crappy managing job Matt Williams is doing and thinks every day the Nationals skipper is not fired is somewhat surprising.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is having a spat with Steve Tolleson, whom Anthopoulos accuses of quitting on the team. Tolleson naturally disagrees and claims he has been injured.
- Jon Paul Morosi is excited by this upcoming October, which he calls historic because for the first time since 1996 and only the second time ever, four teams will make their first postseason appearance in at least six years.
- The two powerhouses of the American League are the Royals and the Blue Jays. But Morosi warns those fanbases that the good times may not last long beyond this season because the Royals and Blue Jays are the two oldest team in baseball.
- This is also not good news for the Royals. The team has an outbreak of the chicken pox. Alex Rios and Kelvin Herrera have it so far. (And yes, this appears to be at least one reason for the Johnny Gomes trade.)
- The Mets won't discuss manager Terry Collins job status until after the season. I'm no big fan of Collins and I think an average Mets team is feasting on a historically-terrible NL East. But it would be such a Mets move to fire the guy after leading the team to their first postseason since 2006.
- David Schoenfield has 10 things you need to know heading into September.
- Michael Klopman argues that there needs to be some changes in Baltimore this winter. He argues the Orioles have a solid core, but those guys need some help.
- Erik Malinowski thinks the Athletics need a course correction and as unthinkable as it might be, that might include changes in the front office.
- They also need a new stadium as part of the outfield wall at O.Co Stadium fell on Shane Victorino.
- What's wrong with Mike Trout?
- To no one's surprise, commissioner Rob Manfred denied the request to reinstate Shoeless Joe Jackson. Manfred did say the guy who sang "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and "Steppin' Out" is welcome anytime.
- Hanley Ramirez is done playing left field. And whomever owns the rights to "Yakety Sax" just lost a fortune.
- The fans at Fenway Park are making a show of support for fired broadcaster Don Orsillo.
- Richard Sandomir collects praise for Jessica Mendoza's work on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
- Some more background on Mendoza if you're interested.
- Jim Caple has an extensive piece on walkup music. (Don't forget Al did a piece on the Cubs walkup music in July.)
- Former Little League hero and major league disappointment Sean Burroughs is still chasing the baseball dream in the independent leagues.
- Billy Witz talks to coaches who explain why it's so hard to be a third-base coach in the AL East. Fenway, the last of artificial turf, and Camden Yards and Yankee Stadium are pretty irregular too.
- I'm going to admit that I haven't read this piece yet, but it does look interesting. It's a story of early '90s hardcore (and sometimes straight-edge) punks who created the iconic "Yankees Suck" T-Shirts for Red Sox fans.
- And finally, this is why you don't have dog races at baseball games. One dog contestant decided to make a bid for freedom after the "El Paso's Fastest Weiner" race. Here's where they could have used "Yakety Sax," although I think the Tom Petty works even better.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.