The Reds are sitting at 39-38 just one game above .500. Still they are only two games back in the weak National League Central, behind both the Brewers and Cardinals. To put into perspective check out where the Reds would fare in baseball's other five divisions.

AL East
1. Boston (48-30) - Reds would be in 5th place here 8.5 games out of lead and also behind both the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays

AL Central
1. Detroit (43-35) - Reds would be in 4th place here, but only 3.5 games out. Still trailing White Sox and Twins too.

AL West
1. Angels (43-34) - Reds would be in 4th place in this divison, 4 games behind the Angels and also chasing the Rangers and Mariners.

NL East
1. Phillies (39-37) - OK this is the only case where the Reds would be better off as they would only be a 1/2 game back of the Phillies and Marlins and a half a game better than the Mets.

NL West
1. Dodgers (50-29) - The Reds would be 10 games back right now if they were still in the same division as the Dodgers and would fall into a solid fourth place with the Giants and Rockies also better.

MLB nl central, reds, cardinals, brewers

Are you aware that today May 28th? A better question is are the Reds aware of it?

The team just wrapped up a 6-3 homestand to move a season-best six games over .500 at 26-20.

They've done it despite having their best hitter battling dizzy spells. With their best fielder and cleanup hitter dealing with a fracture thumb while sitting on the pain. And with their top winner from last year sidelined with back spasms.

Now, the true test comes with a seven-day, seven-game road trip against the two teams above them in the NL Central Standings.

It starts with a weekend stop in Milwaukee for a showdown with the Brewers, followed by a four-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis.

The Cardinals (28-19) lead the division over the Brewers by one game (27-20) and have a 1.5 game lead over the Reds.

Following a sweep over the last place Astros, Reds' outfielder Jay Bruce made a prediction that summarized the team's enthusiasm.

We're coming home in first," Bruce told the Dayton Daily News.

With the Cubs struggling so much, it appears that the NL Central is up for grabs. Whether or not the Reds can be one of the teams to stay in the race all year remains to be seen, but if you have to like what you've seen so far!

MLB reds, cardinals, brewers, cubs, astros, nl central

The NL Central was pretty much a two-horse race last season, with the Cubs pulling away from the Brewers in the end. However, this off-season helped separate the gap a bit. It wasn’t as much what Chicago did improve, rather what the Brewers lost.

ORDER OF FINISH
Cubs – The Cubbies are nearly a unanimous choice across the websites and blogs across the Internet. I am not prepared to against the grain. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Ryan Dempster are rock solid atop the rotation and if Rich Harden can stay healthy, it will be lights out. The line-up is still solid from top to bottom, but the team will need last year’s import sensation Kosuke Fukudome and this year’s free-agent addition Milton Bradley to fulfill their roles if they are to succeed. While I am picking the Cubs to win the division, I would not be surprised to see them win 8-10 games less in ‘09.

Cardinals – The Cards finished 10 games over .500 last season in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but I think they overachieved. They still have the best player in the division (and maybe all of baseball) in Albert Pujols. Still, Ryan Ludwick is going to be hard-pressed to match 2008’s numbers and forgive me if Khalil Greene doesn’t excite me at shortstop. The staff is the key though. Adam Wainright and Kyle Lohse must match last year’s efforts and former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter needs to get to 100% if they are going to compete. Keep your eyes on rookie outfielder Colby Rasmus, who could make a huge rookie impact.

Reds – For the first time in decades, the Reds boast some of the game’s most promising young arms in Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. However, how staff ace Aaron Harang is able to bounce back from a career-worst season is likely going to be the biggest factor in determining the success of the rotation. The challenge for Dusty Baker this year is getting his team to manufacturer enough run production to compete. With Ken Griffey and Adam Dunn gone, Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce will need to step up in the 3-4-5 spot in the batting order.

Astros – Offense is not a problem for Houston as they boast one of the division’s most potent line-ups. Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee are top-tier run-producers and I like the late-signing of Ivan Rodriguez, who will prove to be valuable. They are going to need to score a ton of runs though as the rotation is weak. Roy Oswalt, who is on the decline, is one of the few dependable options on the mound.

Brewers – After losing both C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers are looking for answers in the rotation. The team’s quick fix at closer with the signing of veteran Trevor Hoffman was derailed also when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury. The offense is still lights out with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart paving the way.

Pirates – As much as the Cubs are the consensus #1 pick in the division, the Bucs have earned that recognition as the division’s last place team. They do have some young and intriguing players, led by Nate McClouth, but are missing way too many pieces to be taken seriously. It looks like yet another losing season ahead in the Iron City.


AWARDS
MVP – Alfonso Soriano (CHC)

Cy Young Candidate – Carlos Zambrano (CHC)

Biggest Bust – Khalil Greene (STL)

Biggest Breakout – Joey Votto (CIN)

Comeback Player – Chris Carpenter (STL)

Rookie of Year – Colby Rasmus (STL)

MLB 2009 mlb predictions, nl central, cubs, cardinals, reds, astros, brewers, pirates

Let's check out some of the latest headlines from around MLB...

HOWARD, PHILLIES REACH AGREEMENT (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Philadelphia Phillies locked up slugger Ryan Howard, avoiding arbritation. Howard passed a physical examination in Clearwater, Fla., and signed a three-year, $54 million contract that will take him through the 2011 season, when he will be eligible for free agency. He led the majors in homers (48) and RBIs (146) while helping the Philly win the 2008 World Series...MORE

A-ROD ADMITS, REGRETS STEROIDS (ESPN.com)
On the heels of a story that broke this weekend which revealed that he tested positive for steroids in 2003, Yankees' 3B Alex Rodriguez broke his silence on the matter on Monday saying that he did take performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001. "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an interview in Miami Beach, Fla. "Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful." ...MORE

JONES FINDS A HOME IN TEXAS (Dallas Morning News)
Free agent outfielder Andruw Jones has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, according to the Dallas Morning News. The 32-year old struggled during his one season as a Dodger as he batted just .158 in an injury-riddled and disappointing campaign. Los Angeles ate $21 million to cut him, making him a cheap low-risk, high-reward signing for the Rangers. Jones, a five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, can opt out of his contract March 20. But he could give the Rangers another big, right-handed bat to throw into a lefty-heavy lineup...MORE

GRIFFEY LIKELY TO SIGN SOON (1530Homer.com)
It appears that free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr could have a new home soon. C Trent Rosecrans reported on his blog on Monday that Griffey's agent Brian Cashman is optimistic his client will participate fully in someone's spring training camp. "We're still talking to a few teams, there are two that are more serious than the others," Goldberg said on Monday. "I really do expect Junior to have something this time next week." ...MORE

ASTROS NOT IN DUNN MARKET (ESPN.com)
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Astros are not interested in signing Adam Dunn despite a story in Sunday's Chicago Tribune that stated otherwise. "It was never an item of discussion for us," the team's GM Ed Wade told the website. "And even if we had greater resources available, we would have continued to be working the starting pitching market. We have MVP-caliber players in left field and at first base, and we think Michael Bourn deserves the opportunity to play on an everyday basis [in center field]." ...MORE

BREWERS SET TO SIGN LOOPER (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told beat writer Tom Haudricourt that a deal with free agent right-hander Braden Looper was done but said he was "optimistic" that it would be. Melvin said it probably wouldn't be announced until later in the week. Looper has posted a 24-26 record and a 4.52 ERA in over the past two years since transitioning from a reliever to a starter. He would join Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush in the Brewers' rotation...MORE

Fantasy Baseball, MLB phillies, ryan howard, yankees, rangers, alex rodriguez, andruw jones, ken grifffey jr., astros, adam dunn, brewers, brandon looper

Here are some of the latest headlines from around the MLB Hot Stove to heat you up:

DODGERS STILL WAITING FOR MANNY (ESPN.com)
The Dodgers made a $45 million offer to Ramirez in November and then withdrew it when Boras did not respond, and then the Dodgers made an offer of arbitration, and again, Boras did not respond, according to L.A. officials. So the Dodgers have sat back and waited for any other serious bidder for Ramirez to emerge, waited to see if there was any reason to extend their own offer...MORE

VARITEK STAYING IN BOSTON (Boston Globe)
The captain is not going anywhere. Ending a three-month saga hours before a team-imposed deadline, the Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek agreed to a one-year contract with a team option for 2010, two sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed yesterday. Varitek, who turns 37 in April, will receive $5 million in 2009. The Sox hold a $5 million option for 2010...MORE

SHEETS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS (MLB.com)
Ben Sheets and the Brewers have not spoken since the Brewers asked whether Sheets would consider an incentive-based contract similar to John Smoltz's ($4.5MM in incentives) or Brad Penny's ($3MM in incentives). It appears that Sheets was not open to an similar offer, but the Brewers won't offer a multi-year deal. GM Doug Melvin maintains the club isn't likely to sign Sheets, but he hasn't completely ruled out the possibility...MORE

CUBS SHOPPING HILL (Baltimore Sun)
The Orioles and Chicago Cubs are again involved in trade talks, this time about Cubs left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill. According to industry sources, the teams have had talks about Hill, a one-time top prospect who is struggling to regain his command. Tne industry source said it's a "strong possibility" that Hill will wind up with the Orioles, perhaps as early as next week. The Orioles will likely give up a player to be named, who could be contingent on Hill's success in Baltimore...MORE

IT'S OFFICIAL, CUBS ADD BAKO (Cubs.com)
The Cubs signed catcher Paul Bako, who had been with the Reds, to a one-year, $725,000 contract. The deal was done a month ago, but Bako had to wait for the Cubs to open a roster spot before it was made official. Bako was no longer a fit for Cincinnati with the emergence of Ryan Hanigan and following the trade for veteran Ramon Hernandez...MORE

FOGG LANDS IN COLORADO (ColoradoRockies.com)
Rockies signed RHP Josh Fogg to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. With Jeff Francis potentially starting the year on the DL, there could be room for Fogg at the back of the rotation. Fogg, 32, went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 2007 and won several matchups with big-name pitchers. Fogg signed with the Reds last season and went 2-7 with a 7.58 ERA in 22 games, including 14 starts...MORE

MLB dodgers, giants, manny ramirez, red sox, jason varitek, brewers, ben sheets, cubs, ken hill, paul bako, rockies, josh fogg

Let's check out some of the latest Hot Stove rumors and moves:

BREWERS GET CLOSER (Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel)
The Brewers have agreed to terms with free agent Trevor Hoffman on a one-year, $6 million contract. The deal carries $1.5 million in incentives, but it does not carry an option for 2010. Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, posted a 3.77 ERA last season while closing out 30 games in 34 opportunities. This is a win-win move for the veteran who could still cash in next year with a good effort and for the Brew Crew, who struggled after losing Francisco Cordero last off-season...MORE

MANNY LIKELY TO GET THREE-YEAR DEAL (SI.com)
The Giants "look like a major threat" to the Dodgers for Manny Ramirez and are "making a serious run at him." Former teammate J.T. Snow apparently raved about him. Nonetheless Heyman says the Dodgers are "probably still considered the favorite." Heyman lists the Rangers as "intrigued." He believes Ramirez will get three guaranteed years somewhere. The Giants are in excellent position to outbid the cautious Dodgers if so inclined. San Francisco has an excellent TV situation and has now paid off more than half its debt on its beautiful franchise-owned AT&T Park...MORE

RED SOX SIGN SMOLTZ, PENNY, AND BALDELLI (Boston Herald)
The Yankees may be spending the big buck, but the Red Sox are going bargain shopping in this slow baseball economy.  With the signing of outfielder Rocco Baldelli, and deals with starters Brad Penny and John Smoltz, as well as first baseman-outfielder Mark Kotsay close to being finalized, the Red Sox' offseason kicked into another gear yesterday. Considering the Yankees already entered hyperspace with three high-profile signings at the end of last year, the Red Sox’ non-splashy entry, with catching still on the docket, puts the three-way American League East battle in 2009 with the Yankees and Rays into better focus...MORE

GIAMBI RETURNS TO OAKLAND (Oakland Tribune)
Athletics signed first baseman Jason Giambi, who had been with the Yankees, to a one-year, $5.25 million contract with a club option for 2010. Giambi, who already received a $5 million buyout from the Yankees, will make $4 million this season. The option for 2010 is worth $6.5 million and includes a $1.25 million buytout.  Giambi batted .247 with 32 home runs and 96 RBI in 145 games with New York last year, reaching the 30-homer plateau for the eighth time in his career. He tied for eighth in the American League in home runs and was second in at bats per home run (14.3) and at bats per RBI (4.8)...MORE

YANKEES READY TO DEAL OUTFIELDER? (FoxSports.com)
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reports that the Yankees would prefer to trade Xavier Nady rather than Nick Swisher for three reasons, according to a rival executive. Swisher is A) under control for four years and Nady only one, B) a switch-hitter while Nady is right-handed and C) a more versatile defender, playing all three outfield positions and first base. Nady does not play center...MORE

METS ADD A STARTER (ESPN.com)
The New York Mets have agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract Friday with free-agent starter Tim Redding, a baseball official told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. He must pass a physical before the deal will be official. Redding, 30, posted a 10-11 record with a 4.95 ERA in 182 innings covering 33 starts with Washington last season. The right-hander has a career record of 34-51 in seven seasons with Houston, San Diego, the Yankees and Nationals...MORE

MLB brewers, trevor hoffman, giants, dodgers, rangers, manny ramirez, red sox, john smoltz, brad penny, rocco baldelli, a's, jason giambi, yankees, xavier nady, nick swisher, mets, tim redding

The Milwaukee Brewers went out on a limb to trade for C.C. Sabathia in quest for their first playoff appearence in 25 years. Despite the fact they didn't fare well they did make the playoffs and Sabathia, was his part, delivered on his promise. In fact, he still gets my vote for NL Cy Young and I could make a strong argument for him winning the league's MVP. The 28-year-old left-hander went 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA overall and 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA with Milwaukee.

The Brewers have made an offer to the soon-to-be free-agent pitcher that is believed to be in the $100-million range, according to SI.com.

It's hard to imagine a small-market team landing a guy that could do down as the highest-paid pitcher ever, but at least they are making a run at it. Is it a smart move though? As valuable as Sabathia is and as much as I like him and believe he's worth every penny I just can't agree with a team with such limited resources can invest so much into one player.

Brewers' GM Bob Melvin declined to categorize the Brewers' chances but acknowledged the difficulty of any team retaining a major free agent once it gets to this stage.

"I don't remember the last time a club re-signed their own free agent,'' Melvin said. "We have a better opportunity than we would have thought. We probably wouldn't have made an offer for CC if he didn't do what he did for our club and seen what kind of individual he is.''

If they don't get Sabathia to return don't be surprised to see them make a bid to re-sign Ben Sheets, another front-line pitcher they stand to lose in free agency. 

MLB brewers, c.c. sabathia, doug melvin, ben sheets

Considering this was supposed to be the playoffs where everything was wide open and every team had a shot to win the World Series, it's pretty disappointing to see all four divisional playoff series are sitting at 2-0 heading into Game 3.

• The Red Sox continues to own the Angels and rallied to win 7-5 on Friday night in Game 2 of their series.  J.D. Drew stepped up once again and drilled a two-run HR in the top of the ninth to propel Boston to their second straight win in Anaheim. The Angels tied it the bottom of the 8th innning after Chaun Figgins tripled and later scored on a sacrifice fly. Now the series goes to Fenway for two, making it an uphill battle for the Angels.
  
  
• The Rays went up two games in their series with the White Sox with a 6-2 on Friday night. Staff ace Scott Kazmir struggled in the first inning, but eventually settled down and gave Tampa Bay six strong innings. It continues to be a total team effort for the young Rays. They head to Chicago now and will only need one of the next three games to advance to the ALCS.
  
  
• Both NLDS series were in a hiatus on Friday for travel. The Cubs dropped both of their first two games against the Dodgers and now must travel to LA and try to win back-to-back games just for the chance to get the series back to Wrigley. The beleagured Brewers are also down 0-2, but at least they are headed home to Miller Park and will hope to avoid the sweep against the Phillies.

History is not in the favor of teams that fall behind 0-2 in the divisional round. Of the 32 teams that have taken 2-0 leads in division series play, 27 have won, 21 by sweeps. Let's take a look though at some execptions to the rule...

1995 ALDS, Mariners vs. Yankees

1999 ALDS, Red Sox vs. Indians

2001 ALDS, Yankees vs. Athletics

2003 ALDS, Red Sox vs. Athletics

MORE: TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE (MLB.com)

MLB playoffs, red sox, angels, rays, white sox, phillies, brewers, cubs, dodgers

GetSportsRadio.com: Playoff Primer

Its October 1st. That means its playoff baseball time! It was a great season that saw the underdog become the big dog in the yard with the Tampa Bay Rays having their first winning season ever and taking the AL East away from the Red Sox and Yankees. I don't think there has ever been as much on the line in the last weekend of the season as there was this season.

Six teams (if you count the Arizona Diamondbacks) had their fates decided in just a few days. The Brewers squeaked in thanks to another meltdown by the New York Mets and their acquisition of CC Sabbathia. The Phillies were helped by the Mets’ collapse as well. The Rays won the AL East with just a few games to go. The Dodgers took the NL West thanks to the D-Backs struggling down the stretch as well and thanks to the addition of one named Manny Ramirez. Even the Cubs had to wait a little long than expected to lock down the NL Central after having dominated the division for most of the season. (If ever they were primed to end their 100 year championship drought, it would be this year.) The only team that had everything locked down and were on cruise control for that last month or so of the season were the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
 
To add to the drama, we got an extra game last night to decide the winner of the AL Central when the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins met in what turned out to be one of the best and most dramatic games of the season. So after a dramatic last couple days on the South side of Chicago, we’re finally ready to get the postseason started. Naturally that means its time to make picks.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Divisional Series:
Red Sox over Angels
Rays over White Sox

League Championship Series:
Red Sox over Rays
 

NATIONAL LEAGUE
 
Divisional Series:
Cubs over Dodgers
Phillies over Brewers

League Championship Series
Cubs over Phillies

WORLD SERIES
Cubs over Red Sox in 6 games (in the highest TV ratings for the World Series ever!).

******
Yeah, I went chalk for the most part, and picked a series I would really like to see. At the same time I’d love to see the Rays make it. I’m not ruling it out because I truly think that could happen as well. Had to give the Cubs their due though, it has to be their time finally…right?

MLB red sox, angels, rays, white sox, cubs, dodgers, phillies, brewers, yankees, diamondbacks, mets, twins, cc sabbathia, manny ramirez, world series, playoff baseball

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel... 

It wouldn't have happened if not for the arrival of CC Sabathia, the big lefty who cemented his place in Brewers lore forever more. Acquired in early July from Cleveland in a move designed to put the team over the top, Sabathia proved to be exactly that.

Pitching on short rest for the third consecutive start, Sabathia tossed a four-hitter against the Cubs, who played many of their regulars despite having clinched the NL Central crown several days ago. Sabathia walked one and struck out seven, showing no weariness during his 122-pitch masterpiece.

When Derrek Lee grounded into a double play to end the game, Sabathia punched the air with his fist and let out a mighty roar as the already substantial noise in the ballpark became deafening.

"I didn't even know I was that excited," said Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a 1.65 earned run average and seven complete games in 17 starts with the Brewers. 'Sheeter' (Ben Sheets) said, 'I like the emotion that you showed.' I didn't know what he was talking about.

MLB brewers, c.c sabathia