I guess I could review other Divisions. Heck, I could even pontification about the Junior Circuit, the one that does not even play real baseball. But as a die-hard Cardinals Fan, the only Division that holds my interest is the NL Central, or, as the National Media likes to call it, the Comedy Central.
The experts have had their say, and they certainly like the Cubs and the Brewers. As well they should. Both made great strides in 2007 to the top two spots in the Division. But the pundits are also talking the Reds and the Astros as potential first division residents, and that’s where you have to ask yourself “Just what the HELL are these guys smoking?”
So, with that said, let’s get to the review of the pretenders and contenders in the Division that challenge the beloved Birds on Bat:
Starting from the bottom up – THE DIVISION PRETENDERS
The Pittsburgh Pirates [2007 Record 68 - 94, 17.0 Games Back, 6th Place]
Well, the Pirates changed some faces in their front office {Guess that means no more talent pipeline to the Cubs – Jim Hendry cannot be pleased}; but, other than that, stood pat.
In the field:
- Jason Bay
- Nate McLouth
- Xavier Nady
- Jose Bautista
- Jack Wilson
- Freddy Sanchez [appears to be headed to the DL to start the season]
- Adam LaRoche
- Ronny Paulino
Starting Rotation:
- Ian Snell
- Tom Gorzelanny
- Paul Maholm
- Matt Morris
- Zack Duke
Bullpen:
- Matt Caps
- Damaso Marte
- John Grabow
- Who Knows
- Who Cares
- Meat
- Meat II
Listen, these Pirates are destined to be in the cellar again for 2008 and for the foreseeable future. Sure, they have some nice young players in the rotation, but the talent level just does not compare with the rest of the Division. Couple that with a middle of the order that does not scare anyone and Jason Bay coming off his worst year due to a balky knee, they will do well to stay under 100 losses.
The Cincinnati Reds [2007 Record 72 - 90, 13.0 Games Back, 5th Place]
In Dusty we Trusty! The new slogan for the Reds for 2008 somehow, someway, has the media “experts” salivating for good things to come in Cincy. I ask how. In my opinion, they have downgraded the team that they will put in the field, and their rotation will be a huge question mark once you get past Harang and Arroyo. It will be young and unproven, with a Fogg in the middle of it. Yes they have upgraded at closer with Cordero, but what really have they done with the rest of that awful collection? And they had better hope that Cordero finds Great American Ballpark to his liking, because his home and away splits last year were scary.
In the field:
- Adam Dunn
- Corey Patterson [tough name to type while laughing so hard]
- Ken Griffey Jr
- Edwin Encarnacion
- Alex Gonzalez/Jeff Keppinger
- Brandon Phillips
- Joey Votto/Scott Hatteberg
- David Ross/Javier Valentin
Starting Rotation:
- Aaron Harang
- Bronson Arroyo
- Josh Fogg
- Edinson Volquez
- Johnny Cueto
In the Bully:
- Francisco Cordero
- David Weathers
- Matt Belisle
- Jared Burton
- Bill Bray
- Mike Stanton
- Jeremy Affledt
3rd place? Contenders? Come on people. Does anyone think that a 38 year old Ken Griffey Jr will play anywhere near 140+ games with the type of production he had last year? Corey Patterson? How in the world do you trade Josh Hamilton and then insert that guy in his place? They are a downgraded offensive club from last year, so will the pitching pick that up?
Hard to say. Volquez and Cueto are said to have excellent stuff, however, neither one has done it for 30 starts in an MLB season. So they are a complete unknown at this time. Josh Fogg coming to Great American Ballpark? Could get ugly. Harang is a stud, a true #1, but he needs help and a lot of it if this team is even going to sniff 4th place in the division. But 4th is attainable for them this year because the Astros are heading down.
The Houston Astros [2007 Record 73 - 89, 12.0 Games Back, 4th Place]
Ed Wade is now on the scene in Houston. And the scene is playing out like a train wreck. And we will all be gawkers as we watch the Astros continue to sink in this division. Sure, they added Miguel Tejada. So? The staff in Houston will need all the defensive help they can get and Tejada is a huge defensive downgrade from Adam Everett, and his offensive will not completely offset the difference.
In the field:
- Carlos Lee
- Michael Bourn
- Hunter Pence
- Ty Wiggington
- Miguel Tejada
- Kaz Matsui/Mark Loretta
- Lance Berkman
- JR Towles/Brad Ausmus
Starting Rotation:
- Roy Oswalt
- Brandon Backe
- Wandy Rodriguez
- Shawn Chacon
- Woody Williams/Chris Sampson
In the Bully:
- Jose Valverde
- Doug Brocail
- Dave Borkowski
- Geoff Geary
- Wesley Wright
- Oscar Villarreal
- Chad Pronto
Roy Oswalt is a stud, a true #1. Here is the rub. 4 straight years of over 210 IP. He will need to stay healthy for them to be competitive. After him, the rotation could be absolutely horrid. Backe would need to recapture his form from 2004. Williams does not have much left in the tank, Rodriguez has never been consistent and Chacon is back to starting after doing creditable work out of the Pirate pen last year. Chacon’s last season of starting (2006) ended with a 6+ ERA. Ugh.
And will this lineup really produce runs? Bourn is an unknown in CF, Pence fell off in the 2nd half last year after being an absolute monster before the All-Star Break, so which one will he be in 2008? Will Matsui continue to play at the level he did for Colorado in 2007, or will he backslide? What does Tejada bring to the table? Will Towles stick, or will Ausmus end up catching the majority of games, and, if that is so, another offensive downgrade. Sorry, but I do not see this team finishing above anyone other than the Pirates in this division. And, with one of the worst farm systems going after Fast Eddie trading away a bunch this off season, not much help is on the horizon. Look for John Patterson and his Blue Cross Blue Shield card to land in Houston before the season starts.
Coming soon: A look at THE DIVISION CONTENDERS.
