NL Central

The Cincinnati Reds played well Saturday in narrow victory at Yankee Stadium.  Homer Bailey is showing signs of being the starter that, for years, fans were told he was.  The bats were alive, and the Reds made the most of their opportunities.  

Joey Votto is looking hot, Heisey and Phillips are heating up and talents like Costanzo are revealing their worth.  But that's not all the 6-5 win over New York revealed.

Anthony Rizzo is far and away the most exciting player in the Cubs organization. 

Rizzo is hitting .353 with 14 home runs, has a .416 OBP in 150 at-bats and is getting hot again, hitting .350 in his last 10 games with seven home runs, 14 RBI, four extra-base hits and a K-BB ratio of 6-to-4. 

There is no doubt Rizzo will be joining the Cubs in the very near future. Their upcoming schedule forces the front office to consider the options.

It seems more and more these days one can turn to the sports section of the newspaper on any given morning, or tune in to SportsCenter at any time and be assaulted by stories highlighting professional athletes, baseball players in particular, engaging in behaviors that are not only egregious and loathsome but unfortunate fodder for self righteous pundits and cynics alike—angry critics who claim that sports and their lionized idols are nothing more than a blight on our culture and embody an egocentric, selfish entitlement that threaten

At .237, the Cincinnati Reds rank 25th in baseball (11th in the NL) in hitting. This has come as a bit of a shock through 38 games, as everyone seemed to think Joey Votto would head an offensive juggernaut.

I remember the Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago Cubs interleague baseball game in 1998 like it were yesterday.

It was June 25. And my friends and I had recently graduated high school at Southgate Anderson High School in suburban Detroit.

This was the second full season that Major League Baseball had implemented interleague play.

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most talented rosters in all of Major League Baseball.

Stars like Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran fill the batting order and pitchers like Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter are the anchors of the rotation.

But, that doesn’t mean this team is perfect. Like all teams, there are some holes on the St. Louis roster.

The Cincinnati Reds started the season on the wrong foot—poor starting pitching, over-usage of the bullpen, shady defense at times, ice cold bats and some questionable managerial decisions.

However, as of late, the Cincinnati ball club has looked to be righting their ship. The pitching has begun to come together and the bats are finding their way.

Being a Chicago Cubs ball girl comes with certain perks, one of which may very well be getting in touch with the opposition to get your flirt on. 

Shelby Miller might need another year or two in the minors before he's ready for a big league rotation. 

The Cardinals' 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year has struggled this season in Triple-A in Memphis. The former first-round pick sports a 3-2 record with a 4.45 ERA, giving up half an earned run per inning played. 

In his short 2012 season, Miller has given up four runs in five innings or less three times. 

Raise your hand if your team has been hit by the injured closer epidemic spreading like wildfire around Major League Baseball this season.

Most of you should have your hands up, for what it's worth.

That's why teams willing to sell at the trade deadline this year might be able to acquire premium returns for their closers. One such team might be the Houston Astros, and one such player could be Brett Myers.