MLB Bullets has a total eclipse of the park

Turn around, bright eyes.

• The Pirates beat the Cardinals last night in the first ever “MLB Little League Classic” but Joe Mock points out that the real winners were the kids from around the world who attended the game and the Little League World Series.
• Sure, but you’d also have to count the players who hung around with the kids as winners too.
• Or Cardinal Tommy Pham, who wore cleats designed by two kids with cancer in St. Louis.
• Or Josh Harrison, who wore cleats autographed by the Little Leaguers.
• John Perrotto points out that the game was an inconvenience for both the Cardinals and the Pirates but both managers and players from both sides said it was easily worth the sacrifice.
• Mike Lupica notes that such joys of baseball should never be taken for granted—or even the luxury of green grass. Lupica recalls that what Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who grew up in Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes housing projects, told him: seeing a field filled with green grass meant the world to him.
• Some collected pictures and tweets from the game.
• Dayn Perry has some takeaways from the game, including that this should be an annual event.
• Moving on to today’s big news, it’s probably too late if you haven’t made plans already. But Gemma Kaneko has some ways you can watch the eclipse at a baseball game.
• The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Northwest League are playing a game this morning that is right in the path of the total eclipse. Their “Total Eclipse of the Park” game will be the first baseball game ever to feature an eclipse delay.
• The Gwinnett Braves are the Braves Triple-A affiliate. Ray Glier explains how the team has struggled to find and identity and an audience in the shadow of their parent club. So, of course, they’re going to change their nickname to something quirky.
• Glier also points out that in the world of minor league baseball, quirkiness sells. I like quirky minor league nicknames. I do think, however, you can be too quirky. Flying Squirrels? Yard Goats? Chihuahuas? Good. Baby Cakes? Shuckers? Bad.
• The Mets traded outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Dodgers, because the Dodgers want all the players.
• Mike Axisa analyzes the deal from the point of view of the Dodgers, the Mets and everyone else.
• The Blue Jays picked up pitcher Tom Koehler from the Marlins.
• The umpires all wore white armbands on Saturday to protest that Tigers’ Ian Kinsler was fined but not suspended for criticizing umpire Angel Hernandez.
• That protest ended after one day when commissioner Rob Manfred agreed to meet with the umpires.
• Jeff Passan blasts the umpires union for their hypocrisy and tone-deafness.
• Aroldis Chapman is out as the Yankees closer.
• Mike Moustakas is about to break one of the most pathetic home run records around: the Royals single-season home run record, currently held by Steve “Bye-Bye” Balboni.
• Clayton Kershaw could return to the mound by September 1. Like the Dodgers need to get better.
• Nationals owner Mark Lerner is recovering from the amputation of his leg because of cancer.
• Bartolo Colon beat the Diamondbacks on Sunday and became the 18th pitcher to beat all 30 teams.
• There is a general expectation that Yankees vice-president of player development Gary Denbo will be the new Marlins general manager once Derek Jeter’s group takes over.
• And unnamed scout told Richard Justice that the Astros strike out too much. The Astros strike out less than any other team in baseball. When told this, the scout said he didn’t believe it. I hope this scout doesn’t work for the Cubs.
• Justin Smoak explains why he thinks he turned his career around this year: “Stop trying to hit home runs.”
• Jay Jaffe believes that the career of Reds first baseman Joey Votto is on a path that will end up in Cooperstown.
• We’re likely to have a pitch clock in MLB next season, but as John Perrotto points out, it’s not likely to be a big deal.
• Eno Sarris looks at the problems baseball faces in trying to get more balls in play during games.
• Steven Goldman compares this year’s Angels to the “Ya Gotta Believe” Mets of 1973. He wonders if the Angels could repeat the Mets feat of making it all the way to the World Series, despite inferior talent.
• Michael Baumann notes that Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera has been the best player in MLB since the All-Star break. Of course, right after Baumann wrote that, Herrera went on the DL with a hamstring strain.
• One hundred years ago this weekend, Hall of Famers John McGraw and Christy Mathewson were arrested for the crime of playing baseball on Sunday.
• A fan from the United Kingdom flew all the way to Houston to see her beloved Athletics play.
• Alex Putterman has a behind-the-scenes look at the MLB Network’s “MLB Central” show, which is what I have on while I’m getting my daughter ready for school. (Note: This only works if you live on the West Coast. Unless you don’t mind your kid being late. Or if her school starts really late.)
• Hazel Mae, the on-field reporter for the Blue Jays, took a full-face blast of Gatorade when a post-game celebratory shower went wrong.
• You’ve probably seen this already, but if you haven’t, here’s an incredible over-the-wall catch of a would-be home run ball at the Little League World Series.
• And finally, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford nailed CSN Philadelphia reporter Jim Salisbury with an errant throw during pre-game practice. As if “baseball in the groin” wasn’t enough, Crawford wrote Salisbury an apology note on a jock strap.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Momma always told me not to look into the sights of the sun.