MLB Bullets got canned

This was one crappy weekend. At least the Pop Warner football team that my daughter cheers for won 38-0.

• Last week in Bullets, I wrote that no manager had been fired all season and how unusual that was. On Saturday, the Padres fired manager Andy Green. Bench coach Rod Barajas will serve as an interim manager.
• AJ Cassavell has the top six candidates to replace Green. Hey, is that Joe Maddon at the top of the list? And is Mark Loretta also on it?
• What other managers are on the hot seat? (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• OK, I’m going to assume you can read the MLB standings as well as anyone else, but in case you’re just feeling lazy, here is the current state of the playoff race as far as who is already in.
• The Rays are barely hanging on to a Wild Card spot at the moment and Neil Paine asks what in the world do the Rays have to do to qualify for the postseason?
• Sam Miller makes the case that the Dodgers may have an edge over every other potential playoff team in the postseason. The Dodgers hit high velocity better than anyone.
• Ben Lindbergh looks at the history of players who made an impact in the postseason despite not making their season debut until September or later.
• Steve Rushin looks at the Twins long history of futility against the Yankees. He never writes “The curse of Rod Carew,” but he comes close.
• I encourage everyone to check out this article. Royals pitcher Danny Duffy opens up about his struggles with mental health and about being the victim of bullying, both in high school and in the Royals minor leagues, that caused him to quit baseball briefly in 2010. (h/t Yahoo Sports) That does not speak well of the Royals minor league system, but I do wonder how prevalent bullying is at all levels of baseball.
• Sticking with KC, Andy McCullough writes about outfielder Alex Gordon, considered the heart and soul of the Royals, as he contemplates retirement. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Royals pitcher Mike Montgomery got ejected arguing balls and strikes, said that home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez holds a grudge against him and said he can’t wait for our robot umpire overlords.
• Speaking of our future robot umpire masters, they are being used in all Arizona Fall League games played at Salt River Fields this year.
• The Red Sox aren’t making the playoffs this year and Mike Axisa looks at all the big decisions they’ll have to make this winter.
• Bobby Mueller notes that the Astros are about to set a record that can never be broken: Houston has issued zero intentional walks this season. They’re breaking their own record of 4 from 2017.
• David Schoenfield looks at the Indians’ record-setting 18-1 record against the Tigers this season. No team has won 18 games against one team since expansion in 1961.
• Anthony Castrovince names second-half All-Star teams for both leagues.
• Red Sox pitcher David Price will undergo wrist surgery. He’s expected to be ready for the opening of Spring Training.
• Former pitcher and current Angels radio broadcaster Mark Langston suffered a “heart-related medical emergency” and was rushed to the hospital during Friday night’s broadcast. While he is still hospitalized, Langston is said to be “resting comfortably.”
• Congratulations to Twins’ slugger Nelson Cruz, who hit his 400th-career home run on Sunday.
• As much as we love Nicholas Castellanos around here, Dan Szymborski writes that despite what one national baseball writer said, Castellanos will not get a $100 million deal as a free agent this winter. In fact, Szymborski writes that Castellanos likely won’t actually have that great a demand for his services, despite his terrific second half.
• Tony Wolfe calls Howie Kendrick “the Nationals secret weapon.”
• The Yankees honored pitcher CC Sabathia on Sunday.
• Wallace Matthews writes that too many MLB teams are “dragging their feet” in regards to extending protective netting.
• Twins rookie pitcher Randy Dobnak was in danger of missing his own wedding this upcoming Saturday because the Twins needed him to pitch. Manager Rocco Baldelli has generously given him the day off. Also, if you want to send him a wedding gift, he and his fiancée ask that you make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
• Finally, check out the Korean broadcast of Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu’s first career home run.

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