People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) has come out with their annual ranking of top vegetarian ballpark fare, and for the 12th year, ranked the their listing of the Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Major League Ballparks out of the 30 clubs.

Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, has was been (yet again) selected #1, making them winners six of the past seven years. In addition to veggie dogs, black-bean burgers, and meat-free burritos, the Phillies offer faux-chicken patties and mock beefsteaks as well as hummus with pretzels and more.

Rising one notch from last year to grab second place is the Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park. The park boasts mock Italian sausage, vegan riblet sandwiches, and a vegetarian sushi platter.

Rounding out the top five are Nationals Park (Washington Nationals), AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants), and Angel Stadium (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). In the minor leagues, the portobello mushroom burger, tofu noodle entrée, and homemade veggie burgers on pretzel buns made the Tulsa Drillers' ONEOK Field a big winner.

CLICK READ MORE TO SEE 6-10 AS SELECTED BY PETA

The 2013 First-Year Amateur Draft concluded last week, and now the process of getting players signed is underway. We’ve pulled the data for all the players drafted along with press release details from all 30 clubs to give you an insight into each club’s picks. We’re providing a snapshot for each club to view, plus a PDF of the entire draft.

A total of 1,216 players being chosen in the 40 rounds, two Competitive Balance rounds and one Supplemental round.

Pitchers were the most frequently chosen players, with 657 being selected (475 RHP, 182 LHP). The rest of the 2013 pool was comprised of 276 infielders (including 122 shortstops, 56 third basemen, 55 first basemen and 43 second basemen), 184 outfielders and 99 catchers.

The University of Arkansas had 11 players selected, the most in the Draft, while Louisiana State University had nine and the University of San Diego had seven. Ten schools produced seven players apiece, including Arizona State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Mississippi State University, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Florida, the University of New Mexico and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Players were selected from 47 states, with Maine, North Dakota and Wyoming being the states to not produce a draft selection. The states that had the most players selected were California (216), Texas (135), Florida (126), Georgia (48), Arizona (40), Illinois (39), New York (37) and Washington (30). Forty foreign-born players were selected in the 40 rounds, including 19 players from Puerto Rico; 18 players from Canada; and one player each from the Bahamas, Curacao and Italy.

SE:ECT READ MORE TO SEE SNAP SHOTS FOR EACH CLUB, PLUS A PDF WITH EVERY PLAYER SELECTED

When the story broke and it was deemed the “East Coast BALCO” by the press, some laughed. They probably aren’t laughing now.

Last night ESPN reported that Tony Bosch, the man at the center of Biogenesis, the Miami-area anti-aging clinic that reportedly has become a boutique where as many as 20 MLB players got synthetic testosterone and possibly hGH, has decided to turn informant to the league. In exchange, the league will drop their lawsuit against Bosch and try to prevent any federal investigation against him. The league won’t be able to guarantee any federal investigation won’t occur, but Bosch appears to have been worn down, even though MLB’s lawsuit against him, Biogenesis, and others, is weak.

Today on Baseball Prospectus, I break down the technical aspects of the suspension process based on the latest Joint Drug Agreement between the league and players. The story talks about the players that could be suspended, the amount of financial cost to players (and savings to clubs) could be involved, and how the MLBPA will react.

After the story was published, Michael Weiner, the Executive Director of the MLBPA released the following statement:

“The Players Association has been in regular contact with the Commissioner’s Office regarding the Biogenesis investigation.  They are in the process of interviewing players and every player has been or will be represented by an attorney from the Players Association.  The Commissioner’s Office has assured us that no decisions regarding discipline have been made or will be made until those interviews are completed.  It would be unfortunate if anyone prejudged those investigations.

The Players Association has every interest in both defending the rights of players and in defending the integrity of our joint program. We trust that the Commissioner’s Office shares these interests.”

As mentioned in the Baseball Prospectus article, the league will have an uphill climb getting the suspensions past the appeals process on just the word of Bosch. At the heart of it, Bosch will be portrayed as someone simply looking to get out legal hot water.

Where the suspensions might gain some traction ties into the number of players involved.

According to multiple reports, a total of 20 players could be potential Biogenesis clients. If all the players were suspended, it would mark the largest number of drug-related suspensions in the history of professional sports, and eclipse the most MLB players suspended in one year. Currently, that number is 12 players in 2005, the first year there was mandatory drug testing in Major League Baseball.

The biggest names allegedly linked to Biogenesis are Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun. Those players aren’t likely to simply cave if Bosch testifies that he supplied PEDs to the players. Where matters could change would be with some of the lesser-known players allegedly involved.

Yasmani Grandal of the Padres may be one such player. Grandal just got done completing a 50-game suspension for elevated levels of testosterone, and a second or third suspension related to the Biogenesis case would have profound implications. For a second offense, Grandal would see a 100 game suspension. A third suspension could mean possible permanent suspension from the league. At the very least, a player has to wait an entire year to apply to be considered for reinstatement and moved off the restricted list for a third suspension of the drug policy, but there’s no guarantee that would happen as it’s tied to the Commissioner’s Office. In that, a player could see permanent banishment from not only MLB but Minor League Baseball.

A player such as Grandal could add credibility to any testimony that Bosch has. He or others could corroborate information in interviews with Bosch, and therefore make a more compelling and credible case on the league’s side. The league is already looking to interview other associates of Biogenesis to bolster their case. If other players were to turn, it could make a suspension for Rodriguez and/or Braun—the two “big fish” implicated— more likely.

There’s a lot of “what ifs” to consider, which makes the idea of any quick resolution to the suspension process in the case seem unlikely. What is certain is that Bosch appears ready to cooperate, something federal investigators could not get out of Barry Bond’s trainer Greg Anderson in the BALCO case from beginning in 2002. From that standpoint, Bosch is similar to the Roger Clemens case with Brian McNamee. The difference was McNamee was the lone witness in the case against Clemens. If MLB is able to pull in not only Bosch, but other Biogenesis associates, and possibly one or more players being implicated, then MLB’s case to uphold any suspensions in a grievance become much stronger. It will be several weeks before any of this fully unfolds, so stay tuned.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here.

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The uniforms that athletes in sports wear are more than just some random selection. In pro sports, a design can define a club for generations. Many designs are a reflection of a city or region, while others instill a sense of competitiveness or have some deep tie to history.

And then there are the redesigns.

Beyond general tweaking to add some flavor and drive up new merchandise sales, there are rebranding efforts that are done for other, more direct reasons, according to Todd Radom, a graphics designer that has created logos for the Washington Nationals, Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Los Angeles Angels redesign in 2002, the World Baseball Classic logo, and many more (see http://www.toddradom.com/, he also designed The Biz of Baseball logo). With the psychology of uniform change occurring often in pro sports (the Carolina Hurricanes introduced new ones today), I thought it would be interesting to get Radom’s take on the psychology behind rebranding in sports. - Maury Brown

Are there psychological reasons an established club changes uniform branding?

Rebranding generally happens for one of two reasons. Either, 1) a change in ownership and the desire to institute proprietary look, or; 2) a visual reboot in a time of failure on the field of play. Relocation is also a reason, of course, as is the move to a new facility (Twins in 2010, Brooklyn Nets.)

What, in your opinion, are some good examples?

For ownership, take a look at the recent Jacksonville Jaguars change, the New Orleans Pelicans scenario, and the Houston Astros. For the desire to reconnect with the fan base look no further than what's happening in Dallas with the Stars today, look at the Tampa Bay Lightning, or the Cleveland Cavaliers a couple of years back, etc.

How many of the rebrands are tied to getting fans to remember"the good old days?"

Right now it's the thing to do. I have a theory that difficult economic times and societal uncertainty lead all sorts of consumer brands-including sports franchises-to look backwards. Consumers crave "comfort food" in times like these. The Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Buffalo Bills and Sabres-all have retrenched toward imagery from their respective pasts. When the Atlanta Braves essentially threw back to their Milwaukee roots in 1987 they started a movement that cannot really be called a trend-trends are by nature fleeting and ephemeral.

What are the best uniform redesigns?

This is a purely subjective question! I personally love what the Blue Jays did a couple of years back-a wonderful refresh of all of the elements that made their original identity great; both relevant and reverent to their unique visual culture.

Read The Biz of Baseball interview with Todd Radom from 2009, plus our interview with him from 2006.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here.

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Since it became a regular facet of Major League Baseball in 1997, the question has been, does interleague play in Major League Baseball have a higher level of popularity than traditional intraleague play? The question has always been difficult to answer as the league had pegged a short series of interleague games in May followed by a longer stretch in June. Prior to 2005, all interleague play occurred in June prior to the All-Star Game, so factors such as weather, weekend play, school being out, and key match-ups were difficult to match-up with attendance across the rest of the season.

This season that all changed. With the Houston Astros moving into the AL West, and the league looking for a balanced schedule, “daily” interleague play was added to the schedule. There would still be “rival” play—those stretches of games in May and June that feature predominantly local and regional match-ups, but as soon as the season started, at least one interleague series would take place alongside intraleague play.

Beginning on April 1 of 2013, the Los Angeles Angels played the Reds in Cincinnati on Opening Day, and paid attendance numbers started racking up.

Leading up to the first set of rival interleague games that started on Memorial Day (May 27), a total of 57 interleague games were sprinkled amongst intraleague play. Those games saw an average paid attendance of 29,479 compared to an average of 28,896 for intraleague play. The data shows that interleague at the beginning of the season leading up to Memorial Day was averaging 583 more in paid attendance per game than intraleague, an increase of 2 percent. So, there is slightly more interest in interleague than intraleague play in the first year of having interleague play on a daily basis.

What has skewed the numbers in prior years still holds true in 2013: the time set aside for “rival interleague” play is more popular than traditional intraleague, and also more popular than daily interleague.

A total of 58 interleague games were played from Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day) to Thursday, May 30 (the schedule had 60 games slated, but there were two rainouts). Those games that saw local and regional rivalries such as the Orioles against the Nationals, Mets vs Yankees, and Angels vs. the Dodgers drew an average of 30,876 or an increase of 1,980 per game more than intraleague and more than 1,397 more than daily interleague.

The numbers skew further toward rival interleague when just looking at May when rival interleague occurs. Daily interleague in May saw an average 27,591 or an average of 3,286 less than interleague during rival week. The numbers need to be tempered with knowing that there were some series that didn’t scream box office seller. The Indians were in Philadelphia, the Rays in Colorado, the Mariners in Pittsburgh, and the Padres were in Tampa Bay. Still, rival week continues to see the Mariners and Padres match-up, even though few see the pairing as “rivalry” based on history or locations of the markets.

All this is looking at paid attendance data till the end of May. We’re not into summer yet, the real pennant races don’t even begin to become clear until after the All-Star break, and differing daily interleague and intraleague data will provide more context by the end of the 2013 regular season. But, if the early numbers hold throughout, MLB will have a compelling case to make that interleague—at least in 2013—is more popular than intraleage play. We’ll look at this again at the All-Star break.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here.

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The long-sought international amateur draft in Major League Baseball will be waiting further. The sides could not reach certain aspects of it by the June 1 deadline that is outlined in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Without an international draft, the status quo will be retained for the acquisition of prospects outside North America.

A statement by the league said, “The Office of the Commissioner and the Players Association have discussed various issues regarding international amateur players, including the possibility of an international draft. While both parties discussed an international draft, an agreement was not reached on some of the mechanics and procedures related to such a draft. Thus, an international draft will not be implemented in 2014. The parties intend to continue to discuss international amateur talent issues, and the current system of international talent acquisition as described in the Collective Bargaining Agreement will remain in place at this time.”

The union for the players seemed to edge more toward saying there was concerns from the players about the addition of the new draft, not just to mechanics of it.

 “At this time, the players are not prepared to accept an international draft,” stated MLBPA Executive Director Michael Weiner. “The MLBPA will continue to discuss with players and the Commissioner’s Office the many issues facing its international members.”

As defined in the latest labor agreement, Michael Weiner, as well as Rob Manfred, the MLB Executive Vice President for Labor and Human Resources where the two served as co-chairs of the International Talent Committee to try and hammer out a draft. Each of them had three additional members of the Committee. Those members included Mets GM Sandy Alderson, Tampa Bay Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman, and Kim Ng from the Commissioner’s Office. For the MLBPA Weiner was joined by Tony Clark, Stan Javier, and MLBPA senior adviser Rick Shapiro

The complexities of implementing an international draft are vast. The CBA outlines what the International Talent Committee needs to tackle:

1. If there is an international draft, whether international players should be part of a single worldwide draft (including players currently covered by the Rule 4 Draft) or a separate draft (or drafts).

2. The appropriate age at which international amateur players should be signed to professional contracts.

3. If there are to be multiple drafts, whether players from Puerto Rico should remain in the Rule 4 Draft or instead be part of an international draft.

4. The development of appropriate country-by-country plans for playing and development opportunities for players prior to draft eligibility, including expansion of the El Torneo Supremo.

5. The development of appropriate plans to provide undrafted or unsigned players (including players age 18 to 21) from Latin America with an opportunity to continue their development, including the creation of a new league or leagues, or the addition of centrally-operated Clubs in the Dominican Summer League (“DSL”).

6. Whether and how regulations should be put in place regarding representation of international amateur players (e.g., “independent trainers” and agents).

7. Improving the education and acculturation programs of Clubs at their international academies.

8. What safeguards should be established in relation to any signing bonus payments made to international amateur players.

9. The laws of the countries from which international players are signed and how those laws should affect the actions of the parties.

10. What actions are necessary in order to achieve the negotiation of a revised agreement between MLB and the Mexican League that allows players greater choice of where to play and promotes a fair and open system of player movement.

11. What actions are necessary in order to achieve the negotiation of revisions to the protocol agreements with the Korean Professional Baseball League, the Japanese Professional Baseball League, and the Taiwan R.O.C. League to accommodate a draft.

12. How Cuban players should be treated under an amateur talent system in light of the legal and political factors that affect their signability.

A key part of the international draft would have been the implementation of a slotting system such as the current First-Year Player (Rule 4) Draft now sees.

This isn’t the first time MLB and the MLBPA have discussed an international draft. As part discussions leading up to, and after the 2003 CBA was reached, an international draft was discussed with the creation of a "World-Wide Draft Committee." As was the case now, the sides could not get past some of the technical hurdles and talks withered on the vine. Whether that is the case now after missing the June 1 deadline remains to be seen. The current labor agreement between the players and the league expires on December 1, 2016.

better to base their opinions around the strength or weakness of a league’s popularity.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He writes for Baseball Prospectus and is a contributor to Forbes. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here.

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