Who Will Win The NL Central In 2004?

[Crash Course]

Who is your pick and why?

[nyy26wc]

My top secret system says the Astros.

[Rajah]

Tight race, but I think that the cubs are actually going for broke, and they have a deep enough farm system to make meaningful additions down the stretch.

[clemente21]

The Cubs for the same reason that Rajah points out. Jim Hendry went out and made the moves he had to make last year when Patterson got hurt and it appeared that Bellhorn was regressing to the mean. He has a pile of minor league pitching talent, and some team is going to break down and pony up around the All Star Break. They might pick up a better hitting SS that can hit leadoff, they might pick up a catching improvement, they might pick up a #3 starter, who knows. But Jim Hendry will not pull a Pat Gillick and do nothing. As we saw last year, the Cardinals and Astros will have a problem matching that.

Their biggest problem is a lack of a true leadoff hitter, and hopefully they won't try to stick Patterson back up there like Baylor did. Their second biggest problem is keeping Carlos Zambrano's arm attached to the rest of his body. Everything else looks solid enough.

[Rajah]

All the indications are that Baker plans to use Patterson (as soon as he becomes available) low in the order. Probably 6th or thereabouts. Baker sees him more as an RBI man.

[Craig S.]

The Astros, assuming the ex-Yankees pitch well. The Astros already had a couple of good starters, so now they're more than solid going 4-deep.

[SmedIndy]

But the Cubs' have 5-deep now! Even without Maddux!

[Crash Course]

I picked the Cubs. Reds, Brewers and Pirates are AAA teams at best. That leaves the Cards, Cubs and Astros.

The Cards are short on pitching. I see the Astros missing Wagner (Dotel flops as closer), Clemens getting injured and missing 8 weeks or more (groin, leg injury) and Pettitte pressing in front of the home town crowd, in the 1st year of a big contract, and going 14-11, instead of 20-5. That leaves the Cubs by default - - and having that SP and Dusty Baker (who wins, despite the complaints) helps.

[Craig S.]

I see the Astros missing Wagner (Dotel flops as closer), Clemens getting injured and missing 8 weeks or more (groin, leg injury) and Pettitte pressing in front of the home town crowd, in the 1st year of a big contract, and going 14-11, instead of 20-5. That leaves the Cubs by default - - and having that SP and Dusty Baker (who wins, despite the complaints) helps.

You see a lot, and in some pretty good detail!

I like the Cubs' pitching, but I can't see them scoring too many runs.

[Crash Course]

As long as MLB wants to look the other way when Sammy misses pee in a cup day, they wil score some. They won't need to score a ton.

[Fatwater Fewl]

I'm going with the Astros in spite of Craig Biggio and Jimy Williams. They got pitching, they got hitting, they got my vote. Cubs a very close second.

[Joseph]

As long as MLB wants to look the other way when Sammy misses pee in a cup day...

Is this some sort of crazy new ballpark promotion?

I picked the cubs, but this really seems close to call. I expect the brewers surprise alot of people and stay within a few games of first until the allstar break.

[sweaver]

Cubs and Astros to the end, with the Cardinals mounting a challenge. My crystal ball says..............Cubs by a nose.

[jvonbokel]

It pains me to say it, but at present it's hard to argue with the Cubs chances. I still think the Cards have a good shot though, better than most people are giving them. Although I'm willing to admit I'm biased. :) I also don't think the Astros are that good. I'm picking the Cards for a close 2nd place, with a wild-card possible.

[Cardman]

So the Cards aren't going to win the division??? That seems funnny to me because the resons they didn't win it last year are gone.. Think about. We we finished 3 games out.... Just three games and we play as bad as we could have possibly played and still finsihed 3 out... I guess you all are saying this because we aren't seeing the big moves that we are acoustom to seeing but use common sense. We aren't that bad!!!! We have 3 of the top 10 players in baseball. one of the Top 5 piutchers and closers. Wiliiams for the cardinals has played like a top five. He lost 5 or 6 of his wins because of the bullpen. So have a little faith.. And if you don't I don't want any of you going to Saint Louis in October and watching them then. Just wait and see.
Meeker

P.S. I pick the Cardinals in the NL Central

[SmedIndy]

Cardman - "We"? So whats your job with the Cards?? J/K! ;)

I checked Woody's game log last year - there were no (0) blown saves during his losses and no decisions, so the pen could not have lost him 5 or 6 games.

[Swan]

But the Cubs' have 5-deep now! Even without Maddux!

And so do the Astros now. They also have Dotel moving into the CL role, and still have a very formidable line up. I like the 'Stros.

[deadguy]

Something tells me this is Houston's year, finally.

On a personal level, I loathe Clemens and as such it would only make sense that his team win. That being said, I just see the Cubs as having more implosion potential. Between Dusty's abuse of the starters and the increasingly fragile corner outfielders, the Cubs' train could jump the rails at any time. Besides, Chicago may have more resources, but that doesn't mean the Tribune Company's going to want to use them. McLane, on the other hand, is rumored to be gearing up to sell, and flags are a neat bullet point on the back of the box.

[Gosfgiants]

The Cubs still have the best staff in the division even with the Astros pitching additions. I think that Chicago takes it in another close race.

[Skip]

I picked the Cubs. Reds, Brewers and Pirates are AAA teams at best. That leaves the Cards, Cubs and Astros.

The Cards are short on pitching. I see the Astros missing Wagner (Dotel flops as closer), Clemens getting injured and missing 8 weeks or more (groin, leg injury) and Pettitte pressing in front of the home town crowd, in the 1st year of a big contract, and going 14-11, instead of 20-5. That leaves the Cubs by default - - and having that SP and Dusty Baker (who wins, despite the complaints) helps.My gut call is to agree with you across the board. I hate it when that happens.

[clemente21]

... We aren't that bad!!!! We have 3 of the top 10 players in baseball. one of the Top 5 piutchers and closers. ...And I think the Cardinals can hang around through the All-Star-Break. But the Cardinals are sort of like the Yankees - what Cardinal prospects can be traded for a couple of solid players during the stretch run, or promoted to fill a gap? Last year, for example, the Giants were able to move Kurt Ainsworth, the Cubs were able to move Bobby Hill, and the Marlins were about to promote Miguel Cabrera (sp?).

The Cardinals don't have the extra gear they need.

[Sugbear72]

I would love to be wrong on this as I'm a Card fan, but Houston has really improved their pitching on the front side, probably enough to hold off the Cubs. I like Houston in a two team race (Saint Louis prove me wrong, please) ;)

Jim

[redhand]

My top secret system says the Astros.
I agree. My secret system says it's pitching, pitching, pitching and the Cubs will be stranded at roadside with a couple of blown arms.

[TimmyB]

I see Astros Cubs Cardinals in my crystal ball (but it is hazy... any one of those three could win it -- it's also the division I follow the least... so... I don't really have much in any meaningful sense to add to the conversation).

[jvonbokel]

So have a little faith.. And if you don't I don't want any of you going to Saint Louis in October and watching them then. Just wait and see.
I do have a little faith, a lot even perhaps, but you have to admit that right now the chances don't look that good. I'll agree with you for the most part on the bullpen. I've been trumpeting the difference between the '03 relievers and the '04 relievers more than anybody I know, but there are still a couple giant question marks in the rotation, whereas the Cubs and Astros have more exclamation points. Who knows, maybe by October our rotation will have revealed itself to have 4 exclamation points, and we'll waltz our way into the playoffs where we can get felled by our own over-management. :)

[manny tortolero]

This year will be a dog fight between these three teams with the Cards by their offensive power and Cubs and Astros by pitching their staff. Probably the quality of Prior would be the difference for the Cubs but still they need some LHB in the middle of the lineup.

[JamesI]

The Astros, but it will be close with the Cub. No one else has a chance.

[LisaG]

I picked the Cubs. Reds, Brewers and Pirates are AAA teams at best. That leaves the Cards, Cubs and Astros.

The Cards are short on pitching. I see the Astros missing Wagner (Dotel flops as closer), Clemens getting injured and missing 8 weeks or more (groin, leg injury) and Pettitte pressing in front of the home town crowd, in the 1st year of a big contract, and going 14-11, instead of 20-5. That leaves the Cubs by default - - and having that SP and Dusty Baker (who wins, despite the complaints) helps.

like if i like wrote like i u know talked it um might could you know not well if u see what i mean sound as well um said right if u know what i mean cuz i like say the same things like over in the same sentence a couple times not to mention using slang when i talk because i write better than i u know talk if u see what i mean.

[LisaG]

this is the year for my stros!!! finally!!! at least i know that jimy won't abuse the starters, as dusty will. i'm hoping that biggio will spend a lot more time on the bench and jason lane a lot more time in the field.

i think it will be very close with the cubs.

i doubt the cards will have/find enough pitching to compete. great hitting will not get you in the winner's circle without enough pitching (see rangers, texas)

[gyb13]

cubbies for now....

[rcartman28]

Cubs, since I think they are more likely to make moves during the season to bolster the team......