MLB Bullets Is At The Quarter Mark

Happy Friday.

• The story that everyone is talking about is that Braves infielder Erick Aybar was taken to the hospital after he got a chicken bone stuck in his throat. Erick, that's not actually the way Mama Cass got her start.
• In case you haven't noticed, the Yankees are in last place after 40 games, the traditional one-quarter mark of the season. Owner Hal Steinbrenner said that manager Joe Girardi is not to blame for the Yankees slow start, instead blaming the players. This is the Yankees? Man, the neighborhood's changed. Pretty soon the Yankees will give out "Participation Rings" to every Yankee who played on the team that year, Spring Training included.
• Wallace Matthews agrees this is not Girardi's fault, but that it might be Hal Steinbrenner's.
• Andrew Marchand takes a semi-humorous, semi-serious look at what would be going on in the Bronx right now if The Boss were still alive. No doubt he'd fire Constanza.
• Since we're at the quarter-point, Anthony Castrovince has 10 questions about baseball's first quarter.
• Will Leitch tells you if your team has been good, bad or lucky. (Or in the case of the Cubs, they've been both good AND unlucky.)
• Neil Weinberg notes that the Pirates have been about as good as we figured they'd be, just not in the way that we thought they'd be.
• Dave Cameron explains why despite the Phillies hot start, his projection system still thinks the Phillies are a tremendous longshot to make the postseason. He also explains why other systems are slightly more optimistic.
• Richard Justice thinks the Giants are turning some of that even-year magic again this season.
• Grant Brisbee points out that the Dodgers are contending because they didn't trade away their young prospects.
• The White Sox have been the story in the American League and in particular, Chris Sale. Ben Reiter notes that Sale's terrific season has been fueled by him slowing down his velocity and pacing himself better.
• Chris Cwik thinks it's not just Sale. Adam Eaton has played a huge role in the White Sox renaissance this year. What about the role Drake LaRoche played?
• Of course, it doesn't hurt that the White Sox turned their second triple play of the season.
• Adam Rubin and Eddie Matz have a fun debate: Who has the better starting rotation? Mets or Nationals? The answer is, of course, the Cubs.
• Matt Harvey hurts the Mets case right now. Manager Terry Collins says that Harvey may have to skip a turn to help get himself straightened out.
• Jose Reyes has reported to Rockies extended Spring Training, swearing that he's a different man and that he has to put the domestic violence incident behind him. Of course, the Rockies are planning to stick with the Neverending Trevor Story at shortstop, even after Reyes returns.
• Doug Glanville writes for The Atlantic on the Rangers brawl with the Blue Jays and thinks that the game needs to have a long sit-down about what exactly the "unwritten rules" should be. But of course it's Glanville (and The Atlantic), so there's more to the piece than just that.
• Ken Rosenthal explains why MLB did not suspend Matt Bush for hitting Jose Bautista before that brawl in Arlington.
• Speaking of Arlington, the Rangers and the City of Arlington are set to announce a deal to build a new, retractable-roof stadium for the Rangers. I mean, why not? Texas is building a $63 million high school football stadium.
• The deal between the Angels and Tim Lincecum is official.
• Angels GM Billy Eppler tells Bill Shaikin that no team has called him asking about the availability of Mike Trout and Shaikin argues that no deal would be worth it for the Angels. So hopefully we can stop talking about Trout trades for a while.
• Mike Lupica lists the 10 best players in baseball under 30 not named Trout or Bryce Harper.
• Jonah Keri has six players who could be make a difference this season once they get called up from the minors.
• Jeff Sullivan explains how Jackie Bradley Jr. has turned himself into one of the best young players in baseball this season.
• With the firing of Fredi Gonzalez, Marly Rivera bemoans the lack of diversity among major league managers. I think we'd all like Rick Renteria to get another chance to manage. Atlanta might be a good place, at least starting next season. I wouldn't want to punish him more by making him manage there this season.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred blasts those who have been making unfounded PED accusations against Jake Arrieta. Also, Manfred says that more players are getting suspended this season because drug testing has gotten better.
• Fielding porn: Juan Lagares makes an incredible over-the-shoulder running catch.
• This is in independent ball, but watch Sioux Falls outfielder Cameron Monger make a running catch and then go straight through the bullpen door. Shades of Rodney McCray.
• Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick broke his thumb sliding into second base. First estimate is that he'll miss 4-to-6 weeks.
• Angels catcher Geovany Soto heads to the DL with a knee injury. He's expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.
• Daniel Murphy deked former teammate Yoenis Cespedes and was totally pleased with himself.
• Eric Hosmer listed "Taxis in NYC" as one of his fears. Huh. I'd have thought it would have been the concessions at Kauffman Stadium.
• A Phillies fan, no less, painted Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich for a class project and she got Yelich to sign it.
• And finally, Vin Scully is not the only broadcasting legend hanging it up after this season. Padres announcer Dick Enberg is also retiring, and unlike Scully, he seems to have decided to say whatever he's always wanted to say on the air before he goes. Oh my. Probably NSFW, but what are they going to do? Fire him? He's already quit!

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