MLB Bullets is feeling the puppy love

Sometimes in this world, you come across a story that appeals to you so directly you sort of have to wonder if the writer had you in mind when they put it together. While I don’t believe Molly Knight had me in mind when she wrote her most recent piece for The Athletic, I do certainly appreciate what she created.

In “It’s been a ruff few weeks — let these MLB players’ dogs (and cats) cheer you up” she breaks down every team in each league and offers the most delightful photos and videos of their furry friends. Of COURSE you know Kevin Rizzo made the cut, but so did the best friends of Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber.

• Joe Bloss at MiLB.com celebrates the many times minor league teams and stadiums have graced the silver screen.
• We often use the Mendoza Line as a joke about player mediocrity, but Corey Brock dives into the real story of Mario Mendoza and how he’s much more than a punchline. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Do Park Factors really matter all that much? Phil Birnbaum dives into it in greater detail.
• Andrew Stoeten looks into whether or not Maple Leaf Stadium could have been turned into a home for the Blue Jays. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Fair warning on this one, don’t read if you don’t want details about Roy Halladay’s death. ESPN shares more information on the likely causes that lead to Halladay’s deadly plane crash.
• Young phenoms Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr sing each others praises in a piece by David O’Brien and Brittany Ghiroli. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Former Cubs manager Joe Maddon talks about everything from Pete Rose to the potential new Rays stadium in a Facebook Live video, as reported by Marc Topkin.
• Jayson Stark gets into weird baseball history with a story of the Bengie Molina home run that broke Baseball Reference. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Scott Allen of The Washington Post gives us important political insight: Dr. Fauci is a Nationals fan.
• Astros sued again? Awwwwwwww. Daniel Kaplan heightens my offseason schadenfreude. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jeff Wilson explains how the Texas Rangers might help us get a better understanding of how coronavirus is spreading.
• Zach Buchanan shares the unusual story of Travis Lee’s 1996 draft. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Joe Kelly might want to work on his command a little. And buy his wife a new window.

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