NL CENTRAL RECAP
Remember a week ago, the fun of the trade deadline. We were able to watch the Pirates actually acquiring players. A time so strange that Jim Rome invited Andrew McCutchen on his show to enlighten his “clones” on the phenomenon. We watched the Cubs keep promising young talent, and build for the future. We watched Astros giving players away and paying teams to do so…you are welcome, Philly. We watched the Cardinals turn into Sybil and go from “you will obey the all knowing Tony La Russa” (the Rasmus trade), to “our starting pitching needs an upgrade, we need an inconsistent Edwin Jackson who’s contract is up at the end of the year”, to “let’s play Ryan Theriot /Brendon Ryan musical chairs”, to crying “we need another bat and will reach for anyone (Rafael Furcal)”. Seriously, the Cardinals took a page from the prom playbook and put on as many moves as they could possible to land the big score. We watched the Reds sit on their thumbs, and move only struggling fan favorite, inexpensive Johnny Gomes for prospects (potentially to make room for Michael Bourn, but the deal fell through …your welcome, Atlanta), and the Reds went on a downward spiral. Finally, we watched the Brew Crew executives taping their fingers on their desks like a Bond villain after changing the KROD contract giving them two amazing closers.
FLASH FORWARD ONE WEEK…
The Brewers are on top of the division, the St. Lunitics are trailing by 3 games, then the once hopeful Pirates are 8 back and the underperforming Red Legs are 9 games back after dropping the previous series to the depleted Astros (25.5 games behind), and losing the second in a row to the confused Cubbies (14.5 games back). The cream is rising to the top and the moves made at the deadline make more sense. The Brew Crew made one major move to bring in KROD, which was a bit puzzling because they had good talent in Axford but it appears it is a case of the rich getting richer and the young closer having a support system for a playoff run.
It appears the Cardinals freaked out that someone other than the Mighty La Russa could possibly be on top of the NL Central and went anti-Jockety (former Cards GM who finds and grows talent rather than making drastic short-term moves) and acquired anyone who knew where St. Louis was on a map. That is, unless your name was Colby Rasmus. I happened to be driving through St. Louis the day that Edwin Jackson made his premier in a Cards uniform and caught the pre-game radio call-in show. The fans were panicked, drunk, and acted like the world was ending. Even though that is the job of a sports fan, it seemed odd that a town so rich in baseball fortitude would be screaming “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” At any rate, the broadcast also offered an interview with Colby Rasmus’s father, who was accused of coaching his son and offending baseball legend and completely arrogant (I bat pitchers in the 8 spot and somehow everyone is ok with it) Tony LaRussa, who shipped him out for a bag of baseballs and 15% off of a Moon’s Over My Hammy at any Toronto area Denny’s…and Edwin Jackson. Senior Rasmus pled his case that he was in fact encouraging his son, who hit a slump at the end of last year, during batting practices, but offered nothing in the way of correcting mechanics. The Cards also picked up outfielder Corey Patterson in the deal, for the potential of that working out for them you can call the Chicago Cubs or Cincinnati Reds. Is it just me or has Patterson just taken the Jim Edmond’s title of NL Central town bicycle?
Then there is the rest of the pack. Are they out of it? Not mathematically, but we have reached the part of the season where teams either lustfully chase after the top of the division like Ducky in ‘Pretty in Pink’ or their own reality comes crashing down and they shut it down for this year and prepare for next season. The Pirates went all out so they are going to make a likely embarrassing “the little engine that could” effort to overtake both the Cards and Brewers. The Reds are only a game behind the Pirates, but are in 4th in the division and have played with as much emotion this season as Ben Affleck in Gilgi. The Red Legs are also bringing up AAA players to fill in for injuries/get experience for the future. I believe that is the white flag. The Cubs are seemingly lost, but playing good baseball at the moment. Finally, the most exciting thing in Houston may be the prospect of being moved to the AL in baseballs potential re-alignment that seems to be on the horizon. At least these clubs can find peace in at least one regard made famous by the Chicago-land area, “there’s always next year”.
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