NL Central

At the time of this writing the Reds are nine games out of first place, pending what the Milwaukee Brewers do later. They have just lost the series to the upstart Chicago Cubs and try (I hope) to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon.

Since making his MLB debut in 2007, Cincinnati Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan has without a doubt been a valuable asset to the Reds organization.

As both a backup catcher and a spot starter, Hanigan has proven himself to be a clutch hitter and a solid defender behind the plate.

Despite the recent dry spell that has seen the team lose eight straight, the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2011 season will be defined by the total cultural turnaround that saw the team stay in contention for the NL Central Division lead through June and July.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates riding a hot streak and sitting near the top of the National League Central standings, much mention has been made of the 1992 Pirates team.

Everyone knows how that season came to an end for the Pirates, and the Bucs haven't hit the .500 mark since.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is having a good season after an awful start, no question. But it's fool's gold, with the gold going to Ramirez and Cubs GM Jim Hendry the fool.

For if Ramirez's season leads Hendry to either pick up his club option at $16 million for 2012, or motivates him to sign an extension, then this otherwise solid season by Ramirez will actually be a negative for the Cubs in the long run.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in the NL Central.  In July.

Take a minute to let that sink in.

July is the month when rival GM's are usually calling Neal Huntington to see which established major league players are available for trade.  Not this year.  The Pirates are in a position to be buyers rather than sellers at the trade deadline.

Ryan Dempster was Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade's biggest supporter last season, openly lobbying for Quade to get the interim tag removed from his title. But perhaps he's second-guessing himself now.

The WGN cameras caught Dempster and Quade in a heated argument after Quade informed the Cubs starter that he was being lifted for a pinch-hitter after the fifth inning.

Brewing Trouble: Identifying 5 Things the Milwaukee Brewers Must Improve If a Playoff Run Is in Store

Less than a week ago, the scorching-hot Milwaukee Brewers were coming off a sweep of their interleague rival Minnesota Twins, and had Brewers nation (including myself) clamoring for some well-deserved respect.

Who could blame us?

The MLB All-Star game also known as The Mid-Summer Classic is designed for the fans, right?

I mean, we are the ones who ultimately pay at the gate, buy the drinks and dogs, which pays the wages of the men we come to see.

You may call Cincinnati a small market city, but let’s call Mr. Peabody and have him fire up the Wayback Machine to 1957.

The National League was replete with major stars, some established and some still in the making. Stan Musial, who would go on to set a record for All-Star appearances, was 15 years into his illustrious career.

Ryan Dempster was a roller coaster ride last year. Check out his ERA by month:

April: 2.75
May: 4.54
June: 3.24
July: 5.03
August: 2.89
September/October: 4.59

This year Dempster started off in the outhouse with a 9.58 ERA in April. He then went 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA in May and 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA in June. I wouldn’t quite call that the penthouse, but he has his numbers at least looking respectable at 5-6 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.