Your 2010 MLB Final Vote Winners Are...

Congrats to Nick Swisher and Joey Votto. I hope they represent their respective leagues well this Tuesday Night.

2009 MLB Preview: NL Central

In 2008, The NL Central saw the Chicago Cubs win the division for the second straight season. The remaining teams seemed to stockpile for players for the following season.

What is in store for 2009? Let's take a look.

Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs played well during the 2008 season. However,They ended up their worst baseball of the entire season in the playoffs against the Dodgers. So, what do the Cubs do? They realize that they have to become more left handed, so they end up trading Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians, opening up a roster spot for the Left handed Mike Fontenot. To "replace" De Rosa, the Cubs signed Aaron Miles, a guy who has also played all over the field. The Cubs also signed Milton Bradley, a Switch Hitter who has run into trouble in the past but can really make a difference in a lineup.

The Cubs roatation is still the best in the NL Central. Carlos Zambrano threw a no hitter last year, but despite that, he was a real "tale of two Zambranos" as there were moments when he was lights out, and other times when he couldn't get anybody out.

Ted Lilly won 17 games last season, but the key to how well the Cubs will do in 2009 depends on whethr or not Ryan Dempster can replicate his career season from last season.


Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are getting up there in age. Taht's putting it nicely. Lance Berkman and Miguel Tejada will be tested this season. Carlos Lee swung a hot bat last season. He will have to it again for Houston to hang around. Mike Hampton returns to the Astros, I don't see that working out to good. Everyone in the rotation outside of Roy Oswalt has questionmarks.


St Louis Cardinals
The St Louis Cardinals have a good ammount of young players, but their season will hinge on ALbert Pujols and Chris Carpenter. If Carpenter returns to the Carpenter of old, Yhe Cardinals could battle with the Cubs for the division title.

Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers still have J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun, but the Brewers do not have Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia in their rotation. Expect Milwaukee to take a step back this season.

CINCINNATTI REDS
The Reds could be Baseball's biggest surprise in 2009. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Edinson Volquez, and Johnny Cueto make for an interesting season in 2009.

PIITSBURGH PIRATES
Not this year. Again.
My Division Projections:
1. CHICAGO CUBS
Expect Milton Bradley to help this Cubs lineup return to the playoffs. Their rotation will be key to how well they fare in the division.
2. CINCINATTI REDS
The Reds young talent could hang around.
3. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Cardinals still have baseball's best hitter, but their young players will have to step up for St. Louis to be cometitive.
4. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
It's more about the loss of Sheets and Sabathia that will do in this team.
5. Houston Astros
They had better be thankful for the Pirates.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
They are not going to compete again this season.

Ken Griffey Jr About To Hit 600 Homeruns: Why Isn't There More Attention?

Ken Griffey Jr yesterday hit his 599th Career homerun against the Atlanta Braves, moving him one homerun away from joining the 600 club. While That was supposed to be the highlight of the day, it wasn't. Jay Bruce, the Uber-talented young outfielder for the Reds, hit his first career homerun, a Walkoff Homerun. Bruce said that was his first walkoff homerun...Ever!

Griffey Is About to reach the plateau of 600 homeruns, joining Sammy Sosa, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds as the only players with 600 homeruns. Why isn't there more attention being given to the milestone?

It's not like Griffey was involved in any thing steroid related. Griffey has battled injuries for years, for him to get to 600 homeruns, that should be a huge deal right now. The Reds have finally struck the jackpot with young talent, why isn't more attention being given to them?

As I Type this, the Reds are one game below .500 and 7.5 games behind the NL Central and Major League Leading Chicago Cubs. The Reds have a fantastic young pitching staff. Johnny Cueto is among the NL Leaders in Strikeouts. Edinson Volquez leads the Majors In Earned Run Average! And Let's remember this is in Great American Ballpark, not a Pitcher's Park by any stretch of the imagination!

The Reds have always been among the lead leaders in offense. They have old sluggers like Griffey Jr and Adam Dunn. They have new sluggers like Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce.

The Reds have a manager in Dusty Baker who was close to taking the San Francisco Giants to a World Series Titile in 2002. He was close again in 2003 as he managed the Chicago Cubs to an 89-73 record and had them five outs away from their first World Series Appearance Since 1945. It's not like Dusty's a bad manager. In 2005-2006 injuries to key stars kept the Cubs away from competing. Dusty was run out of The Windy City in 2007, was a broadcaster for ESPN for one season, before managing the Cincinnatti Reds this season.


It looks right now like Chicago is about to run away with the NL Central Title, but it's just June 1st. There's a whole lot of baseball left to be played. If there was one team in the NL Central that could make a huge surge after the All Star Break and make a run at the Cubbies, the Reds would be that team.

Every other team in the NL Central has flaws that are holding them back. The only thing holding the Reds back so far this season is Dusty Baker asking Brandon Phillips and Adam Dunn to bunt with two strikes, only to hit walkoff homeruns!

I Don't get why the Reds and Griffey don't get more attention.

They're too good to be ignored.