NL Central: Cards a force, Astros old, Sosa's gone

[CincyRedsFan30]

Cards a force, Astros old, Sosa's gone

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

The National League Central continues to be one of baseball's most competitive divisions. But it also is a division split by the haves and the have-nots — St. Louis, Chicago and Houston being the haves, with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee being the have-nots.

Where do the Cincinnati Reds fit? For the past few seasons, they've been sandwiched in the middle.

What are they up against this year besides fear itself? This is what they are facing this season, with information furnished by several scouts who follow the teams closely, pen, clipboard and speed guns close at hand.

Chicago Cubs

Key starters Kerry Wood (shoulder) and Mark Prior (elbow) were injured most of the spring, but the Cubs believe both will be as fit as a Stradivarius. There are, though, lingering memories of 2004 when injuries to Wood and Prior pointed the Cubs away from the playoffs.

Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou are gone, but Nomar Garciaparra gets a full season at shortstop to offset those losses.

And the Cubs do still have the pitching Da Vinci, Greg Maddux, and Carlos Zambrano as sparkling starters.

Houston Astros

Gone is second baseman Jeff Kent, gone is center fielder Carlos Beltran, gone is pitcher Wade Miller. What's left are The Ancient Astros — pitcher Roger Clemens, first baseball Jeff Bagwell, left fielder Craig Biggio.

Clemens shows no signs of creakiness, but Bagwell and Biggio do. Plus their best hitter, right fielder Lance Berkman, is injured and won't open the season.

As one observer said, "Biggio is 38. He has no defensive position. He doesn't walk. He's got young Chris Burke right behind him. Bagwell has a position, first base, the only one he can play. Looks like a long year in Houston to me."

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers seem to be in constant construction — rebuild, tear down, rebuild, tear down . . . and lose.

Rookie J.J. Hardy won the starting job at shortstop and former Reds infielder Russell Branyan and Wes Helms played well enough to make manager Ned Yost decide to platoon them, which pleases neither.

Second baseman Junior Spivey missed the second half of last season with a dislocated left shoulder that required surgery. He has yet to scrape all the rust off his game, but the Brewers are counting on him to make a difference.

When you say pitching for the Brewers, it begins and ends with Ben Sheets.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates had the Rookie of the Year in left fielder Jason Bay and an All-Star shortstop in Jumpin' Jack Flash Wilson, but not much else. Oh, they do have Cincinnati Killer (K as in strikeout) Oliver Perez.

They went to camp looking for a center fielder, but stuck with Tike Redman.

Pitcher Kip Wells is trying to come back from an elbow injury that limited to one-third of an inning in the last seven weeks of last season.

The Pirates have been waiting for Wells to emerge as an ace, and their patience is wearing thin.

St. Louis Cardinals

Pitcher Matt Morris bounced back quickly from off-season shoulder surgery and appears to be a force again. But one-time pitching star Rick Ankiel, who suddenly couldn't throw a ball into the same area code of home plate, gave up pitching and is trying to start over in the minors as an outfielder.

The Cardinals lost catcher Mike Matheny and shortstop Edgar Renteria, but remain more than potent with first baseman Albert Pujols, outfielder Jim Edmonds and third baseman Scott Rolen.

The pitching could be better with the addition of Mark Mulder from the Oakland A's. He pitched like an All-Star the first half of last season, winning 13 games, but won only four in the second half.

[griffeyfan3]

this division may be a lil weaker but all in all still competitve.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Agreed.

[redsrbetter]

I say it is still stronger than both the NL West and East.

[volzok]

I say it is still stronger than both the NL West and East.

I agree. The east received too much press for offseason moves but it still isnt as good as the central.