If we needed any confirmation that Kate Upton doesn't like Justin Verlander as much as she allegedly used to, a happy birthday tweet she sent to Frank Viola III on Wednesday confirmed it. What does Frank Viola III, a son of the famed left-handed pitcher with a similar name, have to do with ex-SuperCouple Kate 'n' Justin? He's one of Verlander's best friends and, apparently, his friendship with Upton has survived the alleged Verlander breakup. It happens to famous people and the sons of famous people too!

Upton and Verlander never actually said on the record they were dating — it just kind of got out there. Dang paparazzi! Anyway, Upton repeatedly has said in recent times that she is single, and all of the anecdotal evidence linking her and Verlander has dried up. So they're kaput. But that doesn't mean a girl can't wish a friend of a friend a happy birthday!

Only, the eCard she included in the tweet said "Happy birthday to a friend of a friend who I now like more than the original friend." She deleted the tweet with the eCard less than 45 minutes later and replaced it with one that didn't include an eCard that slighted her (likely) ex-boyfriend.

Now, does this have anything to do with Verlander's self-admittedly disappointing season in which his ERA has risen to 3.72 for the Detroit Tigers? No. ... Doubtful. ... Probably not. ... Who can say for sure? Just maybe.

One of those.

(telegdys on Flickr)

Many of us like to think of ourselves as Lego artists, but most of us can't do with the little plastic blocks what Sean Kenney can do. This Lego construction of an nearly scale model of Wrigley Field, which Kenney made with 57,960 bricks, is extraordinary.

The question is: Rather than messing with the real Wrigley by renovating it, can't the Cubs just play at Kenney's Lego Wrigley? Plastic lasts forever! All right, enough Zoolander-like jokes.

(If I had a criticism of Kenney's work: No rooftop buildings. Technically, of course, they're not a part of the ballpark. Yet, they've become part it.)

Lego Wrigley is the star of an exhibit called "Big Leagues, Little Bricks" at the Louisville Slugger Museum, which even without it is one of the best baseball experiences in the country, almost on par with the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Kenney also includes some remarkably realistic portraits of Derek Jeter, Joey Votto and Buster Posey, along with other baseball-related sculptures.

This is what the Slugger Museum has to say about Kenney, along with what else is on display through Labor Day:

(Getty)Fun while it lasted and over too soon, the Manny Ramirez era in Taiwan reportedly has ended.

Brandon DuBreuil, the engine behind the previously indispensable Manny Does Taiwan blog reports that Ramirez has been removed from the roster of the EDA Rhinos, his team in Taiwan, and might be looking for work in Japan. The Chiba Lotte Marines, others report, might be interested.

Is there going to be a "Manny Does Japan" blog? One can hope.

Ramirez's contract was to end June 30, but Focus Taiwan reports Manny is due to leave the country Friday. Homesickness has been cited vaguely as a reason, but then we have the Japan speculation. That's not Manny's home, of course. He's a good, old-fashioned, red-blooded North American by way of New York, Miami and the Dominican Republic. Playing here, or near here, apparently isn't an option right now. Regardless, the urge to play ball apparently still burns in Ramirez, who at 41 years old batted .352/.422/.555 with eight home runs in 206 plate appearances over 49 games.

Focus Taiwan reports:

(Getty)The Miami New Times has published new allegations on the Biogenesis case, including an amusing one that New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez was visited by clinic operator Tony Bosch during the 2012 ALCS. Apparently, what's supposed to be the biggest drug scandal in baseball since (or maybe including) BALCO involves a "doctor" making a house call.

The New York Daily News frames it as such:

According to a former business associate of Bosch, Rodriguez, mired in a slump that had seen him lose his starting job in the series against the Tigers, summoned Bosch to Detroit to help him.

... Porter Fischer says he confronted Bosch about the money owed to him when Bosch returned from Detroit after the Yankees were swept by the Tigers, a series in which A-Rod went 1-for-9.

A baseball source said the Yankees had no knowledge of Bosch traveling to Detroit during the 2012 ALCS.

Now this Bosch guy is a batting coach? Or are his pharmaceuticals more like magic slump-busting pills? How close was A-Rod to sacrificing a live chicken, or doing incantations to get help from the spirit of Charlie Lau?

It wouldn't be believable that A-Rod would risk meeting Bosch in Detroit — except that it's A-Rod. Reality is always a little twisted with him, so keep an open mind about it.

There's more, including Porter Fischer — the person who supplied the New Times with the Biogenesis documents in its original story — saying this:

Starlin Castro wouldn't let it slide this time. He expressed his displeasure at Shane Robinson because of Robinson's takeout attempt on the last play of the Chicago Cubs 4-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

His team down two runs in the ninth inning, Robinson tried to break up a double play at second base by sliding well out of the baseline and sticking out his right leg into Castro, who did not make a relay throw to first base. However, umpire Fieldin Culbreth called interference on Robinson, which meant batter David Freese was out, too, 4-6-3, for his third double play of the game.

Cards manager Mike Matheny argued the call on the field, but said later, via MLB.com, that Culbreth got it right.

Castro, as quoted by Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago, considered the play dirty:

“I understand where you can try to break up the double play in that kind of situation, but not like that,” Castro said. “(That was) not even close. I couldn’t throw the ball because he tried to kill me.”

"He tried to kill" him. Perhaps a little hyperbole from the Cubs young shortstop? He also said Robinson "had his cleats up" — and the threat of injury (or at least pain) from spikes is real enough. This might be were Castro has a real beef.

For his part, Robinson sounded like a guy disappointed he didn't get away with an illegal slide:

"It's a shame it had to end like that," Robinson said. "I didn't think it was that bad of a slide. I didn't contact him at all. I was a little surprised, but it wasn't my

The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

Fans saw the future at Turner Field on Tuesday, and it looked pretty bright for the New York Mets.

[Jeff Passan: Future is now for Mets thanks to imposing pitching duo]

Zack Wheeler made a successful major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader, throwing six scoreless innings, helping to secure a sweep against the Atlanta Braves in a 6-1 victory. Earlier, Matt Harvey took a no-hitter into the seventh, he struck out 13 and the Mets held on for a 4-3 win. In all, a fun glimpse into what might be, for a rebuilding franchise.

''I hope people saw this,'' said manager Terry Collins, no doubt referring to New York's long-suffering NL fans. ''Certainly they're going to enjoy watching these two guys for a long time. They're going to be around.''

Wheeler, who came over from the Giants organization in the Carlos Beltran trade in 2011, certainly drank it all in. He went back to sign autographs for fans after the game while still wearing his full uniform. Wheeler allowed four hits and five walks while striking out seven. Anthony Recker broke a scoreless tie with a two-run home run against Paul Maholm in the seventh inning.

The Mets improved to 27-40 overall, so GM Sandy Alderson is still perhaps another dozen additions away from turning the ship around completely. Even Harvey, who will be the team's ace for years to come, has work to do covering first base. Slugger Lucas Duda, in training at that position, later took the blame for messing up Harvey's no-hit bid on Jason Heyward's slow tapper. But Harvey's the one with the ball, noted Braves broadcaster Tom Glavine, and flipping it to the umpire will never result in an out. Unless you're in a "Naked Gun" baseball scene.

MORE SCORES

Dodgers at Yankees, ppd. (rain): It was disappointing to have a washout for the Dodgers first trip to Yankee Stadium since the 1981 World Series, but at least we get a Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Hiroki Kuroda matchup in the rescheduled doubleheader opener Wednesday afternoon. Far-eastern Asia baseball bragging rights hang in the balance!

Members of a Minnesota Twins minor league squad reportedly were unhurt after a car going the wrong way on Interstate-295 near Jacksonville, Fla. struck their team bus early Tuesday morning. The car's driver died from injuries suffered in the collision, reports KARE-TV, a station in the Twin Cities.

Thirty members and a coach of the Class A Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins were headed from spring training in Florida to their home opener about 4:30 a.m. when a black Honda, heading the wrong way, collided with the bus.

From KARE:

Freddie Freeman fed Dillon Gee to his tarantula. (Getty)

It's not certain who first noticed that Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves resembles the older brother of Macaulay Culkin's character in "Home Alone," but he does look like an adult version of Buzz McCallister. (Maybe it was this guy in the Capitol Avenue Club comments who said it first, about three years ago.)

Buzz might have been a bully, but Freeman is Mr. Walkoff for the Braves. His stunning, dramatic and heart-(pounding or breaking) two-run home run against the New York Mets on Monday won it 2-1 while killing a complete-game shutout victory for Dillon Gee. It was his second game-ending homer of the season.

With two strikes, watch Freeman feed the Mets to Buzz's tarantula: