Whose the Beast of the NL?

If you didnt realize, last August was the slowest the blog has been in a long time and I really have nothing to blame that on not even the alcohol haha. Well now that class is beginning tomorrow that likely means more of my time will be wasted on this blog. We will hit college football hard in the upcoming days with our first set of picks coming Thursday then "Game of the Week" breakdown on Friday. All next week look forward to the NFL. Lets get going with the National League....

Some people believe that the National League is the "Quadruple A" of baseball but to be honest, I think its somewhat better than people believe. It still doesnt hold a candle to the AL, see John Smoltz or Matt Holiday. Now that all the deals are done and the dust is settle, who is the king of the NL right now... lets take a look.

Philadelphia Phillies: No one can argue that this is the best lineup in baseball right now. They have the deadliest 3-4-5 and a great lead off hitter. In addition, Ryan Howard has been known for his huge Septembers/Octobers. While they seem like the favorite of the NL, they have one large looming problem... their closer Brad Lidge. He is new version of Derrick Turnbow with his ERA in the sevens and he is as bad as closing games as I am closing women, another story for another time. I also am not convinced that past the combination of Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have the ability to win big games. J.A. Happ remember is a rookie and you never know what you are getting come playoff time.

St. Louis Cardinals: My personal favorite to come out of the National League right now. If you watched the Brewers tonight, you got a perfect example of why Matt Holiday makes this team so much better. Its almost like you have to pitch to Albert Pujols in big situation now. Further with add of John Smoltz, their starting pitching staff has been terrifying of late. They had a stat that with their big three (Chris Carpetner, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pinero) have gone 30-4 since July Fourth when pitching. The other big key is they have the most reliable closer in Ryan Franklin who has shut opponents down for the most part.

Los Angeles Dodgers: L.A. has faltered in the past couple of months with no production from Manny Ramirez and a steady decline by Chad Billingsley, fans have began to worry. The one thing that has been consistent is the play of Matt Kemp, he is becoming the leader of this team. Now they bring in Jim Thome to give them a huge bat off their bench during the stretch run and the postseason which I think might prove to be the best acquisition of the season. Also adding Jon Garland who has been pitching very well lately will help out their starting rotation so much.

-Charlie.

Mid Season Report: NL

Alright here is the AL Report if you are interested, same deal with the NL and I will just link you up to the Brewers article when they arrived on my report. So enjoy...

NL EAST
1. Philadelphia Phillies: HOT: Raul Ibanez- I thought when he signed with the Phillies that this had the chance to pay huge dividends for the team and it totally has. Ibanez is having a great year hitting behind Ryan Howard. NOT: Jimmy Rollins- He looks nothing like the MVP of a couple years ago and I really cant figure out what is wrong with Rollins. I wouldnt be surprised if he bats in the 7th hole sometime soon. BUYER: They already got Pedro but I am willing to bet they make a strong push at Roy Halladay plus other pitching. FINISH: First in the AL East, loses to the Dodgers in 7 in the NLCS.

2. Florida Marlins: HOT: Cody Ross- I could easily go with Hanley here but Ross has came out nowhere to have a solid year for the Fish so far. Hitting .278 with 14 homers has been a pleasant surprise. NOT: Starting Pitching not named Josh Johnson- The Marlins have not found a guy in their rotation that can duplicate what Double J does night in night out (how he wasnt an all-star is beyond me) Chris Volstad, and Ricky Nolasco have to get in gear if they want to win. FINISH: Third in the NL East behind the Mets.

3. Atlanta Braves: HOT: Jaiver Vasquez- I think Vazquez is one of the more underrated players in todays game, he has a sub 3 ERA right now and has a ton of strikeouts. NOT: Kelly Johnson- They expect him to have a solid year for the Braves and he has amounted to nothing; leading to Martin Prado replacing him. BUYER/SELLER: Like a couple other teams sitting in third, if they start strong in second half they buy and if not, they sell pretty simple. FINISH: Fourth in the NL East

4. New York Mets: HOT: Gary Sheffield- Looked like his career was done and has turned out to be one of the only good things that have gone right for the Mets. He is hitting above .275 with 10 homers and keeping the team together when things are down. NOT: Injuries- I think its pretty simple to see why New York is in fourth, no Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, JJ Putz and Carlos Delgado will do that to a team. BUYER: The Mets could use some starting pitching or middle relief help. In addition if Reyes/Delgado are out for awhile, they may need a bat. FINISH: Second in the NL East, missing out barely on the Wild Card again.

5. Washington Nationals: HOT: Ryan Zimmerman- He has been the only shining star in this organization so far although I do think its awesome that Zimmerman is staying long-term with the team. NOT: The rest of the team- The pitching is horrendous for the most part, and the offense hits at times. SELLERS: If anyone wants the Nats talent, I am sure they are welcomed to have it. FINISH: Dead last in the NL.

NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis Cardinals: HOT: Albert Pujols- I know I could have looked for anyone else to fit this one but the Machine has been a complete beast. Looks like he will have the first clean 60 homer season since Roger Maris and possibly an NL Triple Crown. NOT: Rick Ankiel- A guy who was supposed to protect Pujols has struggled with injury and the ability to not hit anything that isnt a fastball. BUYER: They already got Mark DeRosa who knows what else they will go after. FINISH: First in the NL Central :( , loses to Philadelphia in four.

2. Milwaukee Brewers: I covered it here... I think the Brewers are Buyers but could sell if the team were to go in some sort of tailspin. That being said I think they take the wild card again and lose to the Dodgers in 5.

3. Chicago Cubs: HOT: Derrek Lee- Another big hitting first basemen in the National League and he is carried Chicago so far this season with a .280 batting average and seventeen homers. NOT: Milton Bradley- Oh Milt. He has been awful for the Cubs so far this season in the outfield and hasnt been all that special at the plate. Remember he is there for two more years. BUYER: If they can take on any more money, they might try to get another relief pitcher. Finish: They will push the Crew for the Wild card/Division but will fall just short.

4. Houston Astros: HOT: Miguel Tejada-A guy's career that seemed to be over after all the steroid allegations and yes his homers are way down although he is batting a cool .329 keeping the Stros in the mix. NOT: Jose Valverde- Who knows where the Astros could be if Valverde was healthy. I am assuming he is coming back shortly and in Houston, they hope so because LaTroy Hawinks wont get it done. NEITHER: I dont see them making any moves maybe if they make a push see if a reliever is around maybe a starter. FINISH: The Stros will finish 5th in the NL Central, just not enough.

5. Cincinnati Reds: HOT: Joey Votto-Despite his problems with stress but Votto has had a great second year hitting around .350 with eleven homers. Now with Jay Bruce being out, he will need to carry the team. NOT: Edison Volquez- A rough injury-riddle year for Volquez and anyone surprised that Dusty Baker is ruining young pitching. BUYER: They could use a bat with Bruce being out for two months or so. FINISH: The Reds finish four but they will push real hard for that Wild Card.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: HOT: Andrew McCutchen- Their star young center fielder that has caught the eye of every Pirate fan and I just hope that Pittsburgh signs him long term to start building their franchise. NOT: Ian Snell- The Pirates has had high hopes for Snell after a blazing start to his career and now has spent some time in the minors which could turn the tide for him. SELLER: Already sold away Nyger Morgan and Nate McClouth who knows whose next. FINISH: Another last place finish for the Bucos.

NL WEST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers: HOT: Andre Ethier- Many people thought that he would slow down when Manny Ramirez was gone for fifty games. That didnt happen and now I think Ethier is one of the most underrated players in the game. NOT: Manny Ramirez- This has to be the answer despite the Dodgers still kicking ass without him, you just wonder where they could be if he played those 50 games? BUYER: No doubt about, I wouldnt be surprised if they went after George Sherill. FINISH: NL Pennant winner then they will lose in the World Series in six.

2. San Francisco Giants: HOT: Starting Pitching- Tim Linecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez have all been great for the Giants this season so far and have carried them to second spot. NOT: Edgar Renteria- They brought him in hopes he could revive his career and it was an epic fail so far. BUYER: They would love to bring a bat in such as Matt Holiday. FINISH: Second in the NL West but they will lose out on a tight wild card race.

3. Colorado Rockies: HOT: Brad Hawpe- He has had a great year for the Rockies so far this season and has done wonders for their comeback year so far. Hawpe will need to stay consistent to push for the Wild Card. NOT: Jorge De La Rosa- I dont understand why Colorado still thinks this guy has any potential, he is awful. BUYER: They could use some pitching to push for the chance for the wild card. FINISH: Third in the NL West but wont have enough to get the wild card.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks: HOT: Dan Haren- He has been just awesome for the struggling D-Backs so far with an almost sub two ERA so far this season. NOT: Chris Young-A promising center fielder has dipped below the Mendoza line and looks like he completely lost it. I wouldnt be surprised if he heads down to AAA for awhile. SELLER: I am sure they will look to deal Doug Davis, Felipe Lopez, and maybe even Dan Haren, they will be involved big time. FINISH: Fourth in the NL West.

5.San Diego Padres: HOT: Adrian Gonzalez- He has been awesome and he has proven people wrong with hitting twenty-four homers out of the impossible Petco Park. NOT: The rest of the offense- They are just woeful with numbers that are worse than the Nationals, enough said. SELLER: They dont really have that much pieces to move but I am sure some teams would like Heath Bell. FINISH: Fifth in the NL West.

-Charlie.

Prince Saves the All Star for Me.

I have to be honest with all of you here at Chucks Corner. I am done with the All Star game for the most part. I dont know why but I just find no more interest in watching these guys play an exhibition against each other. I found myself bored many times unless Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, or Trevor Hoffman was in the game from my Milwaukee Brewers. Other than that, I really could give a damn about watching Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees shutting the door for the AL who have now won 14 times straight with one magical tie in Milwaukee.

Despite my mean sentiments towards the All Star Week, I still feel it is vital for the MLB to stick with the option of every team gets a player on the roster. I think that is the coolest thing because like I say in the title, Prince really was the only reason to watch throughout the two days.

On Monday at the Home Run Derby, he put on a complete display of his home run hitting abilities by belting blasts around the 450 range and even getting one out 500 feet (Prince claims that the first time he has ever sent one that far). It was sheer strength watching Prince pound the ball into the Busch Stadium lights and beyond. Nelson Cruz was the only guy who came close to touching Prince but if Fielder needed to he probably could have sent five more out in the final round.

Now on Tuesday, I was worried if Prince stepped to the plate, he would attempt to hit another one out but instead ripped an RBI double down the left field line which was the last run for the National League. I hate to criticize managers for an exhibition game but I wish Charlie Manuel would waited to put Prince in for Albert Pujols in the fifth inning. Trever Hoffman looked good in his inning of work and Braun made good contact although went 0-2.

On to the second half... should be fun.

-Charlie.

NL Preview

I know the season has begun but I would like to get it done before all the games start on Monday. Also at the end of this, I will give my overall prediction on what will happen when playoffs roll around in October.

NL East
1. Philadelphia Phillies- The World Champions are looking to make a repeat this year and they very well could. I loved the addition of Raul Ibanez and their pitching staff is very good. Dont be surprised if Cole Hamels is the NL Cy Young. The big question will be does Brad Lidge come down to earth or does he continue his dominance?

2. New York Mets (Wildcard) When I was thinking about the preview, I felt like the Mets were the bonafide number two and the wildcard team now I am unsure about all of this. Reason being is their starting pitching sucks, I mean Johan Santana is great but Mike Pelfery as a number two? Thats not going to get it done but if they make a deal to get someone it changes alot of things. I doubt they have bullpen problems though. Except the Mets to be challenged for the Wildcard and that two spot.

3. Florida Marlins- One of my personal favorite teams outside of Milwaukee with Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez as the best hitting middle infield. They do need better defensive play if they expect to win games. I feel they have one of the better pitching staffs with Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson, and Chris Volstad. They could easily grab the wildcard this year

4. Atlanta Braves- The Braves are trying to recapture the magic of the previous years and they have a couple strong points in Brian McCann and Chipper Jones. Plus if Jeff Francouer could get going that would be huge for them. Their pitching staff isnt bad but they are a bunch of 3-4 guys, no true ace.

5. Washington Nationals- Wow do they suck. There are no other words that really should be wasted for this hopeless team. They do have a couple great young players in Lastings Milledge and Ellijah Dukes.

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers- SEE HERE AND HERE

2. Chicago Cubs- Some of you reading this believe that is biased but heres the deal, Carlos Zambrano's numbers have been down for the last three years in ERA, IP, and Ks so I dont think he will be very successful this year. I also feel Milton Bradley will cause way more problems for Chicago. This team will be only as good as how healthy they are.

3. Cincinnati Reds- The next two teams I think will be 3-4 interchangeable. I think Edinson Volquez or Johnny Cueto will have injury problems this year because simply Dusty Baker cannot manage pitching. Joey Votto/Jay Bruce should also be very good for the offense.

4. St. Louis Cardinals- If there was one team that will live/die by injuries is the Cardinals. They have a pretty delepeted pitching staff with Adam Wainwright as the Opening Day starter and their lineup is a pretty young one who are very unproven. This could be an ugly year for the Cards.

5. Houston Astros- I dont know what it is about teams in Texas but they do not have any pitching to save their souls. The Stros do have Roy Oswalt and Jose Valverde which helps although after that its a significant drop off. They do have a ton of guys who can pound the shit out of the ball.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates- They have some up and coming prospects although I dont think any of us should expect them to be higher than five in this division. It will be interesting to see if Nate McClouth has the same sort of year that he did last year or it was just an one-year wonder.

NL WEST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers- The NL West is the definitely the ugly girl at the party when it comes to division. They are just awful but the Dodgers have a chance to get it done with a pretty solid pitching staff then add Manny Ramirez to the mix. I think they still need one more hitter to protect Manny.

2. San Francisco Giants- This is probably the best pitching staff in the big leagues with Tim Linecum, Matt Cain, and the Big Unit Randy Johnson. They might make a push to get into the playoffs but if they do not have an offense, they will be in big trouble. Pablo Sandoval could win Rookie of the Year, he is a big threat at third base.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks- They could be a team that also competes in the NL West because they have a good one-two punch in Brandon Webb and Dan Haren and include Mark Reynolds/Stephan Drew, they could be impressive. I would worry about Chad Qualls closing games though.

4. Colorado Rockies- I think Troy Tulowitzki will have a bounce back year but the Rockies really dont have much else. It will be intriguing to see if Aaron Cook has a good year again and if Todd Helton recovers.

5. San Diego Padres- Another team who is waste of typing but they have probably the hottest trade option in Jake Peavy who will be sought after all year by all sorts of teams. Chase Headley could have a big year for the Padres as well.

AL:
Boston beats Minnesota 3-1
New York beats Los Angeles 3-2
New York beats Boston 4-2

NL
Philadelphia beats Los Angeles 3-1
Milwaukee beats New York 3-1
Philadelphia beats Milwaukee 4-2

World Series: Philadelphia beats New York 4-3- It might because I think the American League is much more open than it has been in the last couple of years so there could be alot of teams that make it out of the American League while on the other hand, the Phillies are the best overall team.