Wednesday Morning Links: National Holiday, Mattresses, Sabermetrics on TV, and Breaking NCAA Rules

Good morning, everyone. The end of the second trimester of school is nearing, and with it a bunch of kids that suddenly are concerned about their grades are appearing. Long story short, this next week and a half will be stressful for me.

• There is a White House petition out to make Opening Day a national holiday. Will it happen? Even with the 100,000 signatures necessary to generate an official White House response, not likely. But would I like it to happen? Well, with sharing a birthday with Bert Blyleven, I'd be okay if my birthday fell on a national holiday every couple years or so.
• Our latest curious injury casualty is Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison, who developed a stiff back from sleeping on a mattress that was too soft.
• The Chicago White Sox are pledging to include more sabermetrics in their TV broadcasts this year. On one hand, I'm disappointed because the White Sox (or perhaps their TV stations) are more progressive than the Twins/FSN. On the other hand, listening to Hawk Harrelson talk about sabermetrics is going to be an absolute train wreck that you will not want to miss.
• Finally, the Phillies broke an unspoken rule by turning in one of their 2013 draft picks to the NCAA for using an advisor, which is strictly forbidden but is done anyway by virtually everyone. Why turn in Oregon State lefthander Ben Whetzler, who now is suspended for 20% of the college baseball season? Because he was drafted in the 5th round and then suddenly decided to return to college instead, and it seems like the Phillies were upset by his change of heart. You should also read this article by former Mariners executive Tony Blengino, who paints a picture that suggests that these high school and college athletes need advisors.