Division a Day IV: NL Central

The Cubs begin their second hundred years in search of that elusive World Series title. They should be in contention again but it would be nice for them just to get to the Fall Classic first, since they've been waiting for 54 years. The Cubs have won back-to-back division titles but got swept in the division series both times (by the Diamondbacks and Dodgers).

I still wonder some about the offense in the wake of the loss of Mark DeRosa to Cleveland and I wonder how Lou Piniella (right) will work with fellow powderkeg Milton Bradley. That could be one combustible relationship. But there's just too much pitching in house for the Cubbies to fall apart and the duo of Kevin Gregg and Carlos Marmol should make up for the loss of Kerry Wood.

Who can beat the Cubs? The Brewers think so but I'm skeptical without CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. The Cardinals think so, especially with Chris Carpenter back after two years of battling shoulder trouble. The young-and-coming Reds have a lot of young talent and old friend Brandon Phillips should finally get his well-deserved call to the All-Star Game this year.

The Astros went 0-16-3 in one stretch this spring and the Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992. Should we really bother even mentioning them?

So my picks are: 1-Cubs; 2-Cardinals; 3-Brewers; 4-Reds; 5-Pirates; 6-Astros.

Choose your NL Central winner below. Next: AL West

---Mike Harrington

poll by twiigs.com

Comments

[mark]

You forgot to put the Brewers in as an option to vote for. I pretty much agree with your analysis..I think the Cubs will win the division while the Cards and Brewers will be in contention for the wild card. The Pirates are the sorriest excuse for a franchise in all of professional sports, even worse than the Lions.

[Mike Harrington]

I like Huntington. Know him well from his Cleveland days when he was farm director and built a couple Bisons playoff teams. But until you break your 16-season run of losing seasons, you can't be in a division title discussion.

And the Cardinals are surely the frontrunner? Um, no. The Cubs have won the last two titles. 'Nuff said.

[Lamarfish]

The fact that you left two teams out of the mix proves to me that you didn't do your homework on the entire division which further shows that you are either lazy or stupid. While the Bucs have been woeful for almost two decades, the current management has done a remarkable job in a relatively short amount of time of rebuilding the farm system with a good stable of young talent. Unlike the previous regime led by Dave Littlefield, which depleted and ruined untold young players by bringing up guys too early and poor utilization of these rookie pitchers and position players as well, current GM Huntington is dedicated to rebuilding the entire organization from the farm up.
For the first time since the Steroid King left Pittsburgh, the Pirates actually have some potential at breaking through the .500 barrier that has escaped them for so long and with the strengthening of the AAA level talent they also have some trade bait with which to entice other teams into deals when faced with plugging roster holes. The most encouraging thing for these young guns is that the organization isn't rushing any of them to the majors and is allowing them to develop under a better system of teaching and grooming, a complete reversal since Littlefield's days of GM. While it is a stretch to pick them to win the division, to discount them or the 'Stros in the division race where the Scrubbies are one injury away from ending up in fourth place for the year is laughable. LaRussa's Cards are surely the front runner but it's a long season and if anything happens to Pujols, it would throw some mighty obstacles in their pennant hopes as well.