NL Central

Billy Bob Thornton. Bob Knight. Nelly. Bill Clinton.

Recently another big name has been added to the above list. Apparently, Roy Oswalt is a Cardinals fan.

The Astros' ace has stated on numerous occasions that he'd favor a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals, and because Oswalt has a full no-trade clause, he holds all the cards.

So now it's up to St. Louis to make a move. With a farm system that has been depleted by several trades over the past few years, the Cardinals cannot afford to make a mistake here.

It was fun while it lasted.  But as scripted, the Reds season is over.

But much like the malaise one feels before the onset of the flu, it's just an all-too-familiar feeling.

Entering Friday, our beloved Redlegs find themselves only 1.5 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals and a half-game back of the San Francisco Giants for the NL Wild Card.

Non-Reds fans just read that and laughed, maybe thought to themselves, "Has this guy been stealing his Granny's morphine?"

No, only her anti-anxiety medication.

It was an up and down night for the Yankees last night as they beat the Royals 10-4 , but not before making it interesting as they only blew open the game in the bottom of the eigth inning.

Here are some notes:

Rivalries have always played a huge role in sports, and we all know the fun in rooting against a team we hate.

In the past, rivals have been compared in a number of ways, from who has the best current team to who has won the most championships to who has the best fans.

In a comment to my recent article article about Josh Lueke , someone commented that the public at large has a short memory when it comes to ballplayers’ past transgressions.  I was reminded of that fact today when I read about how Pirates’ rookie Jose Tabata’s estranged wife pleaded guilty to kidnapping today.

At least the Pirates' starter gave up fewer runs than the other guy. That was enough for an 11-9 victory over the Brewers last night.

Brad Lincoln gave up seven runs in 2.1 innings. That ordinarily means "loss," but that wasn't the case here.

That's because Milwaukee's Dave Bush gave up 10 runs in four innings. Nine of those came in the first inning, the first time in 117 years that the Bucs scored that many runs at home in the opening frame.

For those who remember the old Lou Piniella, Tuesday's new conference was a sure sign that the one-time volatile skipper had mellowed.

Today, Lou Piniella, after 46 years on the baseball field as a player and manager, quietly decided to retire at the conclusion of this season.

That's Jay Bruce trying to use his Jedi mind trick on an umpire, "No, you did not just see me swing at a ball that was three-feet over my head."

There is no doubt Bruce has potential. Unfortunately, potential and seven bucks will only buy you a hopper full of movie theater popcorn.

The Reds have around a three year window before they start going broke with big money extension or arbitration cases.

If Cincinnati does not lock Joey Votto down to a multi-year deal, the improving but already paltry attendance will drop to Florida Marlins level.

A little over a year removed from having Tommy John surgery, Cincinnati Reds RHP Edinson Volquez is set to make his season debut tomorrow night at home against the Colorado Rockies.

It’s like the Reds are getting a pitcher back without giving up anything.

But what type of pitcher are the Reds getting? Tommy John surgery is pretty common these days, but how do pitchers fare when they first come back from the surgery?

For Major League Baseball's General Managers, the trading deadline can be one of the most stressful times of the year. St. Louis's John Mozeliak can breathe a little easier, knowing that he'll have a job for the next three years.

The Cardinals should breathe easier too, knowing that they've retained one of the key pieces in keeping Albert Pujols in a Cardinals uniform, and one of the top front office brains in all of baseball.