Natties establish Southeast lineal championship

The Washington Nationals consolidated all the shares of the Southeast Conference lineal championship in late August 2019. At the end of 2019, and entering 2021, that championship belongs to the Atlanta Braves.

The Atlanta Braves ended the 2019 season with the Southeastern lineal championship, which had been consolidated at the end of August. The Braves will take the title into the 2021 season.

A mass of the play-down title shares, five of the seven, congealed in Cincinnati May 27-29, when the Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates split a four-game series. The Reds, who entered the series with three shares, prevailed in the total runs tiebreaker (26-22), thus claiming the two shares entered by the Pirates.

By then, Tampa Bay had the other two shares, which they guarded until losing by runs in a four-game split on the road against Baltimore August 22-25. In the meanwhile, the five shares belonging to the Reds were transferred to the Washington Nationals, then to the Braves, then back to the Nationals, then Atlanta again, once more to the Reds and Washington in mid-August.

When the Nationals with five shares met the Orioles with the other two (in Washington, Aug. 27-28), a two-game split ensued. The Natties won the total runs tiebreaker, 8-6, and consolidated the championship.

Cards capture 2018 interleague travel title with torrid finish

The St. Louis Cardinals, who once could not lose the traveling championship among the National League clubs, finally have an undisputed crown across the big leagues after a strong finish to their 2018 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals dominated the early years of the National League traveling championship, topping the standings in each of its first five seasons. But their laurels in the traveling title across all of baseball have been limited to a disputed decision over the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

The Cardinals finally won the big league traveler, decisively, in 2018, with a title run that consumed all of August. The Cards knocked the Cincinnati Reds off the top position long before Cincinnati thwarted their ninth defense attempt Aug. 31-Sept. 2 in St. Louis by winning two of three.

The Reds still could have caught the Cardinals with four or five defenses, but they couldn't even start the first one, losing a three-game sweep to the Pittsburgh Pirates Sept. 3-5 in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals finished with 32 games of title defense, compared with 20 for the Reds. The Cardinals were 28-15 in title games, well ahead of the second-place Reds at 15-10.

The title had spent all but 10 days in the American League when the Reds put a two-game sweep on the Detroit Tigers in Cincinnati June 19-20. The Reds succeeded with three title defenses before dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field July 6-8.

Two strong clubs, but no race, in Happy Chandler East

The Washington Nationals easily won the Happy Chandler East as the Toronto Blue Jays put up little of a fight.

A division with two 2016 playoff clubs in the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals might have produced a tight race for the Happy Chandler East.

Instead, the Nationals won easily, going 49-25 and .662. The Blue Jays, at 44-33 and .571, finished four games back, and they weren't even the second-place team by the percentages.

That was the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were 30-21 and .588.

No challenge for Nats in Warren Giles League

The first year of the Warren Giles League certainly produced a champion, but not a pennant race. The Washington Nationals had it all the way.

The Washington Nationals had no challenge in the first running of the Warren Giles League, romping to the championship by a eight-game cushion over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016.

The Nationals blew through this group with a robust 44-20 output.

Race is on, to the top and from the bottom

The Second Division is shaping up as a tight race to the top and away from the bottom in the final few weeks of the season. The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers are the top clubs bucking for promotion right now, with the Cincinnati Reds in the best position to overtake one of them before it all ends.

Can Joey Votto lead the Cincinnati Reds to a First Division promotion? (BubbaFan/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Of all the competitions across this ersatz universe we're cooking up here, none is tighter than the race for promotion to the First Division for 2016.

Right now, the front runners for those coveted top two spots in the Second Division are the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers have the top percentage at .600 (12-8), but the Royals (27-20, .574) lead in the games column by 1½. The top two clubs by percentage are promoted, unless one team wins by percentage and a different club wins by games, in which case those are the clubs promoted.

Sometimes, the rules will bite a team, like the Angels in 2012, but the Angels bounced back and other clubs can do that, too.

It remains that anything can happen in the Second Division, in which the eight clubs are separated by five games. Additionally, most of the clubs still have around 20 games remaining, so there's much left to shake.

Of the clubs looking to gun up and overtake the Rangers or Royals, the Cincinnati Reds are in the best position. The Reds are 17-17 (.500), with the New York Yankees (12-11, .522) right ahead of them. But the Yankees have only four games remaining in this tier, a set at home against the Cleveland Indians later this month. The Reds have 18 games left.

The Yankees almost have to sweep their remaining games against the Indians for any chance at promotion. If the Reds can win two-thirds of their remaining games, they would finish 29-23 (.558), while the Yankees would be 15-12 (.556) if they win only three of their remaining four against Cleveland.

In those events, the Reds still would need the Rangers or Royals to drop a bit, and they would need the clubs beneath them to stay cool.

All the Rangers have remaining is seven games against Detroit. If the Rangers win only three of those, they would finish 15-12 (.556). Then, we have the Royals, who, at this moment, are .602 across their Major League schedule and .574 in the Second Division. The Royals have 15 games left in the Second Division. If the Royals win eight of them, they finish .565, but if they win only seven, they come in .548.

So, the Reds have some wood to chop, and they also need the clubs in front of them to be a little less than even down the stretch. At the same time, the Reds are in clear danger of demotion. That's the fate of the bottom two clubs in the Second Division, which both fall to the Third Division in 2016.

Right now, the Tigers, Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers all are at or within a half-game of the demotion zone, but the Reds are only a game better than that.

Taking the bottom club in this group, the Brewers, they would have to win two-thirds of their remaining 18 games to finish 26-23 (.531). That probably wouldn't make them promotion material, but it would keep them safely in the Second Division for another year.

In short runs of games, though, wild fluctuations are always in play. During the course of 162 games, no one is going to win three out of four. Over the course of 18 games, it happens all the time.

So, buckle up. We won't be hearing much from any of these clubs, except for the Royals and the Pirates, in the Major League playoff scrum. But in the Second Division, they've all got a lot still on the line.

Second Division standings (through August 12)

	W	L	Pct.	GB
Texas	10	6	.600	1½
Kansas City	27	20	.574	—
New York (AL)	12	11	.522	3
Cincinnati	17	17	.500	3½
Detroit	21	23	.477	4½
Cleveland	20	23	.465	5
Pittsburgh	17	20	.459	5
Milwaukee	14	17	.452	5

Remaining games

Cincinnati (18 games): August 18-19, two at home against Kansas City; August 24, one at home against Detroit; Augut 28-30, three at Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at home against Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at Pittsburgh.

Cleveland (20 games): August 20-23, four at New York (AL); August 25-26, two at home against Milwaukee; September 4-6, three at Detroit; September 10-13, four at home against Detroit; September 14-17, three at home against Kansas City; September 25-27, three at Kansas City.

Detroit (21 games): August 20-23, four at Texas; August 24, one at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Kansas City; September4-6, three at home against Cleveland; September 10-13, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Kansas City; September 28-30, three at Texas.

Kansas City (15 games): August 18-19, two at Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at Detroit; September 14-17, four at Cleveland; September 18-20, three at Detroit; September 25-27, three at home against Cleveland.

Milwaukee (18 games): August 25-26, two at Cleveland; August 28-30, three at home against Cincinnati; September 1-3, three at home against Pittsburgh; September 4-6, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at Pittsburgh; September 18-20, three at Cincinnati.

New York (AL) (four games): August 20-23, four at home against Cleveland.

Pittsburgh (13 games): September 1-3, three at Milwaukee; September 7-9, three at Cincinnati; September 10-13, four at home against Milwaukee; October 2-4, three at home against Cincinnati.

Texas (seven games): August 20-23, four at Detroit; September 28-30, three at home against Detroit.

Second Division: Reds remain in running

By nearly every measure, the Cincinnati Reds are having a difficult season. But they remain strong in the running for promotion to the First Division in 2016 after a walk-off win in the 13th inning Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier says he belongs in the All-Star Game, and it's hard to argue with him (NewJack984/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The last year hasn't been an especially gratifying experience for fans of the Cincinnati Reds, who have seen their favorites fall from contender at the 2014 All-Star break to dismal also-ran under the leadership of manager Bryan Price.

Price has supplied most of the drama for the Reds this year through meltdowns, which have included a profane tirade born of complete ignorance concerning the beat reporter's responsibilities, wandered through a bizarre episode in which the umpires threw him out one day during the exchange of lineups, and stumbled here and there through odd decisions about player utilization.

Only the All-Star performance of third baseman Todd Frazier and the jaw-dropping inadequacy of the Milwaukee Brewers have saved the Reds from the National League Central basement. 

At the All-Star break last season, the Reds were 51-44, 1½ games out of first place in the NL Central. And they had injuries, sure, but they also rolled over in the second half, going 25-42 for the balance of the season. That dive earned the Reds a demotion from the First Division to the Second Division for 2015. When a team rolls over like that, you have to look at the manager.

But the Reds didn't, and now they're 30-35, 13 games out of first place in the NL Central division, and that's after a dramatic, 8-4 win in 13 innings at home against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday night, combined with a loss by the St. Louis Cardinals in Minnesota.

Since the 2014 All-Star break, they are 55-77, a .417 winning percentage that prorates to 68 wins over a 162-game season. That's a last-place team.

But there is hope for the Reds. As badly as this season has gone, they are in the thick of it for promotion to the First Division in 2016 with their competitive performance this season in the Second Division.

The Texas Rangers (10-6) and Kansas City Royals (19-15) lead the Second Division in the games behind column, but the Reds (12-9) are only one-half game behind. By percentage points, the Reds are in second place at .571, trailing Texas (.625), but ahead of Kansas City (.558). The Tigers (15-14) and New York Yankees (7-6) both are one game behind the Reds.

The top two Second Division teams win promotion for next year. The percentage column usually makes that determination, but if one team wins by percentage and the other wins by the games behind column, then those are the two clubs to be promoted.

The Reds have plenty of time left to earn their promotion, as the Second Division includes two other clubs — the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers — that are with them in the National League Central division.

Frazier's walk-off grand slam in the 13th inning Wednesday night gave the Reds their huge victory to keep them in the thick of the Second Division race. For the season, Frazier is batting .294 with 19 doubles, 22 homers, a .639 slugging percentage and a 1.000 OPS. On the Reds postgame television interview, Frazier said he deserves to be on the National League All-Star team. There was no cockiness about it. No coyness, either. Nor should there be.

Dick Allen Award: Cardinals finally fall

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't started the 2015 season with the best run of title defenses in the history of the Dick Allen Award, but they came close. And the only other two times anyone did it better, it was the Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Pirates finally snagged the Allen from the Cardinals last weekend in Pittsburgh after heartbreak the weekend before in St. Louis.

Josh Harrison was batting only .200 for the Pittsburgh Pirates through May 14, but his hitting helped the Pirates hold the Dick Allen Award from the Philadelphia Phillies this week (Keith Allison/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The St. Louis Cardinals finally lost the Dick Allen Award this week, giving it up to the club that probably deserved it more than any other.

The prize now belongs to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who dropped the Cards two of three last weekend in Pittsburgh. A weekend earlier, the Cardinals prevailed over the Pirates in three consecutive extra-inning, one-run games. That series was quite a scene shifter. One can imagine how different the season would look if these games that could have gone the other way had done so.

But it was just how it is when the Cardinals hold the Dick Allen Award, especially early in the season. Once the Cardinals barely wrestled the prize from the Chicago Cubs in an opening week split, they defended it eight consecutive times, holding it for 29 games. The 29-game reign is the longest within a single season for the Allen Award, but this competition has a history of the Cardinals bridging seasons with their dominance.

For example, the Cardinals won the Allen Sept 6-8, 2013 and held it all the way through the National League Championship Series (NLCS), a run of 27 games. They held it, then, into the 2014 season, first beating the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, for a title defense before losing two-of-three at Pittsburgh. Thus, the Cardinals held the Allen for 33 games over two seasons.

The Cardinals ran a bridge over the 2011 and 2012 seasons that was just as long. That time, the Cardinals won it during the final week of the 2011 regular season and held it through the NLCS, a running title defense of 14 games. Of course, the Cardinals carried the Allen into the 2012 season and immediately launched six more title defenses covering 19 games. Thus, the Cardinals held it, again, for 33 games, total.

Historically, the Cardinals now have held the Allen for 198 games since the competition began in 2011. Second on the list is the Atlanta Braves, who have held it for 69 games. All-time in games for the Allen, the Cardinals are 169-100, with 42 title defenses in 58 attempts.

Once the Pirates took the Allen from the Cardinals, they held it with a four-game split in Philadelphia. The Pirates won the first two and the Phillies took the second two, but the Pirates won the total runs tie-breaker, 15-12. The Pirates basically clinched it by winning the second game, 7-2, keyed by three RBI from Josh Harrison. The Pirates third baseman is struggling this year, batting .200, but he homered and stole a base in that game.

The Pirates are defending the Allen this weekend in Chicago against the Chicago Cubs.

2015 Dick Allen Award results 

Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.

St. Louis 1, Chicago 1 — April 5-8 at Chicago (St. Louis wins total runs tiebreaker, 3-2).

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 10-12 at Cincinnati.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 13-16 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 0 — April 17-19 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 2, Washington 1 — April 21-23 at Washington.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 24-26 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1 — April 27-30 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0 — May 1-3 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 3, Chicago 1 — May 4-7 at St. Louis.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1— May 8-10 at Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 2, Philadelphia 2 — May 11-14 at Philadelphia (Pittsburgh, 15-12).

Center League: Cards cruise to top of loop

The St. Louis Cardinals burned up the last two weeks and overtook the Detroit Tigers for the Center League lead. The crucial moment was three straight one-run, extra-inning wins against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which has marked the early going for both teams.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has his club off to the best start in the Major Leagues (djprybyl/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The St. Louis Cardinals are winning everything else in sight these days, and the Center League is no different.

The Cardinals were 8-3 in the Center League from April 27 through May 12, moving from 1½ games behind the Detroit Tigers to first place, one game ahead of the Tigers. The Kansas City Royals also made a nice move during those two weeks, going 8-5, but they only cut their deficit by one-half game to three games.

The Detroit Tigers have had an especially tough time in May, during which they have yet to win a series. The Tigers split four games with the Royals in Kansas City before losing two of three to the Chicago White Sox on the road and losing two of three at home to the Royals. With all that, the Tigers were 7-8 during the two week period, falling to a game back of first place after being in first by 1½ games.

The Minnesota Twins also made a big move, winning seven of 11 in the Center League during the last two weeks. The Twins climbed from eighth place to fourth place and reduced their deficit by a game, so they now are 5½ games out. The Twins now are even closer in the North Division, where they are in second place, 4½ games behind the Tigers.

The most unfortunate team in the Center League during the last two weeks is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who lost three straight extra-inning, one-run games in St. Louis, then lost two straight at home to the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates lost six of eight games before finally rallying to win two straight against the Cardinals at home this last weekend. But the Pirates have paid for their problems, dropping from 4½ games out of first place two weeks ago to 7½ games out today.

Games of April 27
Kansas City 6, at Cleveland 2.
Detroit 5, at Minnesota 4.
at Chicago (NL) 4, Pittsburgh 0.
at Cincinnati 9, Milwaukee 6.

Games of April 28
Kansas City 11, at Cleveland 5.
at Minnesota 3, Detroit 2.
at Chicago (NL) 6, Pittsburgh 2.
at Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 2.

Games of April 29
at Cleveland 7, Kansas City 5.
Detroit 10, at Minnesota 7.
Pittsburgh 8, at Chicago (NL) 1
Milwaukee 8, at Cincinnati 3.

Games of April 30
at Kansas City 8, Detroit 1.
at Minnesota 12, Chicago (AL) 2.

Games of May 1
at Kansas City 4, Detroit 1.
at Minnesota 1, Chicago (AL) 0.
at Chicago (NL) 1, Milwaukee 0.
at St. Louis 2, Pittsburgh 1, 10 innings.

Games of May 2
Detroit 2, at Kansas City 1.
at Minnesota 5, Chicago (AL) 3.
Milwaukee 6, at Chicago (NL) 1.
at St. Louis 2, Pittsburgh 1, 11 innings.

Games of May 3
Detroit 6, at Kansas City 4.
at Minnesota 13, Chicago (AL) 3.
Milwaukee 5, at Chicago (NL) 3.
at St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 3, 14 innings.

Games of May 4
at St. Louis 10, Chicago (NL) 9.

Games of May 5
at Chicago (AL) 5, Detroit 2.
at Kansas City 5, Cleveland 3.
Cincinnati 7, at Pittsburgh 1.
at St. Louis 7, Chicago (NL) 4.

Games of May 6
at Chicago (AL) 7, Detroit 6.
Cleveland 10, at Kansas City 3.
Cincinnati 3, at Pittsburgh 0.
Chicago (NL) 6, at St. Louis 5.

Games of May 7
Detroit 4, at Chicago (AL) 1.
at Kansas City 7, Cleveland 4.
at Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 2.
at St. Louis 5, Chicago (NL) 1.

Games of May 8
Minnesota 9, at Cleveland 3.
at Detroit 6, Kansas City 5.
Chicago (NL) 7, Milwaukee 6.
St. Louis 8, Pittsburgh 5.

Games of May 9
Kansas City 6, at Detroit 2.
Cincinnati 10, at Chicago (AL) 4.
at Chicago (AL) 8, Cincinnati 2.
at Milwaukee 12, Chicago (NL) 4.
at Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 5.
Minnesota 7, at Cleveland 4.

Games of May 10
at Chicago (AL) 4, Cincinnati 3.
at Cleveland 8, Minnesota 2.
Kansas City 2, at Detroit 1.
at Milwaukee 3, Chicago (NL) 2.
at Pittsburgh 4, St. Louis 3.

Games of May 11
at Milwaukee 10, Chicago (AL) 7.

Games of May 12
St. Louis 8, at Cleveland 2.
at Detroit 2, Minnesota 1.
Chicago (AL) 4, at Milwaukee 2.

2014 Third Division standings and summary

The Kansas City Royals needed a strong playoff run to secure their promotion to the Second Division for 2015, and they got it. The Baltimore Orioles, who lost four straight to the Royals in the American League Championship Series, got it the other way.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Pittsburgh Pirates became a very good club in 2014, actually good enough to overcome a slow start and barrel into the Major League playoffs. Of course, we also saw what kind of club the Kansas City Royals became in 2014, advancing to the World Series.

Somewhat in parallel, the Pirates and Royals will advance to the Second Division in 2015 after finishing one-two in the 2014 Third Division. The Pirates won by an easy four games over the Royals, who finished three games ahead of their nearest threat, the 18-18 Seattle Mariners.

The Pirates finished 25-11 in the Third Division, and 20-6 of that came against the two teams that just dropped into the tier, the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. The Royals would have thrown second place wide open to the Mariners and Oakland Athletics if they had lost their wildcard playoff game to the A's, but they won that game and their next four against the Baltimore Orioles to solidify their position.

The Orioles, on the flip side, sealed their demotion by losing four straight to the Royals in the American League Championship Series. If the Orioles had won just two games in that series, they would have been saved. Instead, they are going down, along with the Miami Marlins.

2013 Third Division standings and summary

The Toronto Blue Jays finally are moving up from the Third Division after three straight near misses. They are joining the Cleveland Indians, who romped through this group. On the other side, the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies are being demoted together for the second straight season. They're both headed to the Fourth Division in 2014.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Toronto Blue Jays are the perennial bride's maids in the Third Division, never finishing more than two games from promotion in the first three years of these standings.

At last, they move up. The Jays finished 22-18 in 2013, second place in games (five behind), though third in winning percentage (.550). The Pittsburgh Pirates finished 9-7 and would have nosed out the Jays if they had won one more game.

The Cleveland Indians trounced through this group with a 28-14 mark, so they receive the first promotion to the Second Division in 2014. The Indians have climbed slowly, but steadily, needing two years to pass though the Fourth Division, then another two years to pass through the Third Division.

The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies have become partners in futility. Both are being demoted for the second straight year, so they are headed to the Fourth Division in 2014. The Twins have fallen from the First Division to the Fourth Division in the shortest possible time, taking three straight demotions.

Dick Allen Award: No apparent end to Cardinal dominance

The first month of a new season reveals the same general run of results for the Dick Allen Award. The St. Louis Cardinals captured the prize during their first series of the season and they still have not let it go.

Matt Carpenter is batting .379 with a 1.085 OPS as the St. Louis Cardinals, once again, have established their dominance for the Dick Allen Award (Johnmaxmena2/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

One of these seasons, perhaps, the St. Louis Cardinals won't all but own the Dick Allen Award. But that might not be this season.

We've been following this National League traveling prize, privately and otherwise, for five years now, and the Cardinals always hold it more than anyone else. It's got to be a measure of something. It does say this much: The Cardinals are one club that can win series after series after series. They've got a way of holding the Allen as if it had handles.

Look here, now. The Cardinals took the Aaron from the Chicago Cubs in a two-game split to begin the season, and they now have defended it six consecutive times. The most recent defense came this week, when the Cards won three of four against the Philadelphia Phillies in St. Louis.

After winning the Allen from the Cubs in a shortened series to start the season, the Cardinals defended it by winning two of three on the road against the Cincinnati Reds, then winning two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers in St. Louis, then beating the Reds three straight at home, then winning two of three on the road against the Washington Nationals, then winning two of three against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

The Cardinals have the best pitching anywhere right now, leading the National League with a 2.43 staff ERA. It might not last, but we'll see. The one starting pitcher who has proven he can do it all year in the NL, Adam Wainwright, now is expected to miss the remainder of this season after surgery on his left Achilles tendon.

There is no problem to this point with the St. Louis bullpen. While relievers across the NL are tossing a 3.52 ERA, St. Louis relievers are just a little more than half of that, 1.88, best mark in the league through April 28.

Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal still has control problems, walking four hitters in eight innings. But he has only allowed two hits, so his WHIP is an almost nothing 0.692.

The Cardinals also have some hitting going on, particularly outfielder Matt Holliday (.379 batting average, .985 OPS) and second baseman Matt Carpenter (.379, 1.085). Even with those performances, though, the Cardinals still were only eighth in the NL with 92 runs.

The Cardinals are putting the Allen on the line this weekend with three at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2015 Dick Allen (National League) standings and results

Standings

                        W    L    P    T    G    D    A

St. Louis          15    6    7     1    19    6     6

Chicago            1     1    1     0     2     0     1

Milwaukee         2     4    2     0     0     0     0

Washington       1     2    1     0     0     0     0

Philadelphia       1     3    1     0     0     0     0

Cincinnati          1     5    2     0     0     0     0

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts.

Results

St. Louis 1, Chicago 1 — April 5-8 at Chicago (St. Louis wins total runs tiebreaker, 3-2.)

St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1 — April 10-12 at Cincinnati.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 13-16 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 0 — April 17-19 at St. Louis.

St. Louis 2, Washington 1 — April 21-23 at Washington.

St. Louis 2, Milwaukee 1 — April 24-26 at Milwaukee.

St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1 — April 27-30 at St. Louis.

2011 Fourth Division standings and summary

The Milwaukee Brewers cruised through the Fourth Division with an .800 winning percentage, not surprising, considering they also had the second-best record in the National League. Two years into these standings, the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates still haven't even produced winning records against this bottom tier.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Milwaukee Brewers tacked up a 96-66 record during the 2011 Major League season, the second best mark in the National League. It stands to reason that they would ease through the low-class Fourth Division competition, which they did.

Thus, the Brewers, freshly relegated to the fourth tier entering the 2011 season, now will be promoted back to the Third Division for 2012. They won the Fourth Division in 2011 with a 24-6 record. Their .800 winning percentage is the best of any team in the first two years of this promotion-and-relegation scheme.

It doesn't take much of a team to be promoted out of this bunch, and the Cleveland Indians (80-82 in the Major Leagues) weren't much of a team. But they finished 20-8 in the Fourth Division and won promotion to the Third Division.

The bottom team in this group, the Houston Astros, weren't even the worst team in the Third Division in 2010. But they turned up a Fourth Division mark of 10-23 in 2011. With their .303 winning percentage, the Astros were even worse against the Fourth Division than they were during their dreadful Major League season (56-106, .346).

Two years into these standings, the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates have yet to break even in the Fourth Division, let alone win promotion to the Third Division.

Are the Giants and Dodgers cooking a greater rivalry?

The Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are always in each other's business. But they have too seldom, in the last several decades, both been in the business of winning the championship at the same time. This year, now that it's all but certain that both clubs will be in the playoffs, they might be getting back to what once made the rivalry great.

Juan Marichal's 1965 attack against Dodgers catcher John Roseboro was a peak moment in hostilities between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants way back when these clubs often tangled for the National League pennant (Copyright holder unknown. It is believed that this low resolution image of an event in the Dodgers-Giants rivalry that is referenced in this text about the rivalry constitutes fair use in the absence of a public domain image.).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Dodgers and San Francisco Giants came to the final week with the National League West on the line, and it's been a while since these long-time rivals really fought over anything important.

Been a while?

It almost never happens.

It's all but sacrilegious to say so in these parts, but that's just the way it is. Whatever places in the standings these clubs have occupied through the years, they somehow always shadow each other, always getting into each other's business. But as far as being a rivalry of importance throughout the game, we might just as well have written it off as an artifact of the 20th century. Twice before in the 21st century, the Dodgers and Giants finished first and second, in whatever order, in the NL West, and only one other time has that been the case since 1971. Of the episodes in which the Dodgers or Giants came up big to spoil the other's chances, they were 20th century events.

So, the Dodgers and Giants met just now at Dodger Stadium with first place on the line in the final week of the season. The Dodgers entered the series with a 4 1/2 game lead, meaning the Giants could have whittled it to 1 1/2 game with a three-game sweep going to the final weekend. It could have come off the way it has happened so many times back in history, with the Dodgers entering as the big men in the standings only to be brought back to earth by the Giants, or vice versa.

It didn't actually happen that way this time because the Dodgers have Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, two forces greater than history in today's baseball. Greinke and Kershaw won the last two games of the series, with Kershaw playing his characteristic all-around game Wednesday night as the Dodgers won the clincher, 9-1, in front of their home crowd.

So, the Dodgers won two of three to put the NL West in the bag for this year, but the Giants still are all but in the playoffs, needing either one win or a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers in the final weekend of the season to clinch the National League's second wildcard, in which case they are headed to Pittsburgh for the wildcard game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. And that raises the possibility that the Dodgers and Giants really aren't done with each other, yet, because they still could meet in the playoffs.

The rivalry, great as it is and has been for about the last 100-odd years, could do with that boost.

A great national rivalry is about championships. A lesser local rivalry is about Schadenfreude. That's the basic flavor of the Dodgers and Giants for about the last four decades. It's usually been about one club struggling before rising to ruin the other's aspirations. The Giants have done it more often to the Dodgers than the other way around. The Giants did it to the Dodgers in 1980, 1982, 1991 and 1997, in each case coming up from the bottom to keep the Dodgers from the top in late-season events. The Dodgers did it to the Giants in 1982 (they actually did it to each other in 1982), 1993 and 2001. We might also put 2012 in the column for the Giants, who beat the Dodgers only once in the final three-game series of the season at Dodger Stadium, but it was enough to keep the Dodgers out of wildcard contention and the Giants went on to win the World Series.

But none of those events were titan struggles. They all were one club keeping the other from celebrating, which isn't nothing, but it isn't enough to establish a championship rivalry, either. The Dodgers and Giants may be central adversaries in each other's narratives, but the central rivalries in the narrative of Major League Baseball are elsewhere. There has been, really, only one of those in the last generation, and it has all but died, as well.

We mean, of course, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who always worked a peculiar backyard antagonism, but never became a championship rivalry – a rivalry of  importance across the game – until the Red Sox finally were just about good enough to take down the Yankees for high stakes and, then, actually were good enough to finish the job. All of America rolled its eyes at times over the national media's promotion of the Yankees and Red Sox as the only two clubs that really mattered – in relation to each other and across the game – but the national media wasn't wrong.

Starting with the first wildcard playoffs in 1995, the Yankees and Red Sox both were in the playoffs eight times in 15 seasons (1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009), meaning they finished, in whichever order, first and second in the American League East. In 2000, the Yankees beat the second-place Red Sox by 2 1/2 games for the division, so the Yankees went to the playoffs and the Red Sox didn't.

In every season of wildcard playoffs except for this year, at least one of those clubs went to the playoffs. During the height of that rivalry, the Yankees and Red Sox met in the playoffs three times in six years (1999, 2003 and 2004), the winner of that series ultimately winning the World Series in 1999 and 2004. That rivalry mattered up until now, when it doesn't.

Those with the West Coast bias often shrugged about the Yankees and Red Sox, saying the rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants is better. But they had to argue using history, ancient history by today's short attention standards. The Dodgers and Giants have a much longer and deeper championship rivalry, and we might even say it has been broader, taking place, as it has, along two different coasts. But that was a while ago.

The Dodgers and Giants had their best days as a rivalry during the 1950s and the 1960s, finishing first and second, in whichever order, six time in 15 years across the National League, which didn't have divisions (1951, 1952, 1954, 1962, 1965 and 1966). Those days produced some of the game's most enduring moments, like Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 to complete the Giants' surge to overtake the Dodgers in 1951, or the ghastly bat beating by Giants pitcher Juan Marichal against Dodgers catcher John Roseboro in 1965, as these clubs fought over the pennant. Those days were the height of the rivalry. When the leagues divided into divisions, the Giants and Dodgers finished one-two in the NL West in 1971.

But then came down times for the Giants, and the Dodgers wrestled with the Cincinnati Reds for the NL West through the 1970s. The rivalry made a brief comeback, of sorts, in 1982, but the Atlanta Braves prevailed, with the Dodgers finishing a game behind them and the Giants finishing a game behind the Dodgers. The Dodgers and Giants met for the final three games of the season and, after the Dodgers won the first two to eliminate the Giants, Joe Morgan hit a two-run homer for the Giants in the eighth on the last day of the season, giving his club a 5-3 win to eliminate the Dodgers.

Now, though, we've come to something like the real deal, for we're looking at the likelihood of the Dodgers and Giants both going to the playoffs, along with the possibility that they could face each other some time in October. That gave the Yankees and Red Sox real spice, those years when those two clubs would play each other 25 times.

We love the Dodgers and Giants out here. Vin Scully grew up in New York loving the Giants before launching his career of 65 years broadcasting the Dodgers, and he still always has one eye on the Giants, and that's part of what makes the whole thing work. But he doesn't often get to put both eyes on both teams playing against each other for everything. None of us do, either along the West Coast or across the country. But, maybe, that is changing this year.

NL Central: Cardinals, until someone else

The St. Louis Cardinals have transitioned comfortably out of their Tony LaRussa-Albert Pujols period, taking their run to the World Series in 2013. The Cardinals have challenges from within the division in the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. All three went to the playoffs last year.

Michael Wacha is emblematic of the St. Louis Cardinals these days, a young pitcher who mows them down (Eric Fischer/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).


By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

At the end of the 2013 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals already had been to the Fall Classic without Albert Pujols and they had the unmistakable mark of a young club getting better.

So, it's going to be hard to pick against the Cardinals in the National League Central until someone beats them. The Cincinnati Reds, who have shared division titles with the Cardinals for the last four years, are still around. And now they are joined by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Together, those three clubs presented the best divisional race across the game in 2013.

By 2013 WAR, the Cardinals have seven of the best 120 pitchers in the game, well more than their fair share, and six of them are kids. And they've added 6.3 in 2013 WAR to their infield by bringing in Mark Ellis and Jhonny Peralta.

If Ryan Braun can come back with a big year for the Milwaukee Brewers, they could enter the mix. The only club in this group with no chance of playoff contention is the Chicago Cubs.

Following is a list of each team in the division, giving each club's "top half" position players by 2013 WAR, its "second-level" position players, its top-level pitchers and second-level pitchers. For the top-half position players, we give the player's position and where he ranked at the position across big league baseball in 2013 WAR, then the actual WAR value for the player. For every other category, we give the player's overall 2013 WAR ranking, understanding that pitchers and position players are ranked separately.

More about all of this, including some important clarifications, can be found here. Bear in mind, though, that the 2013 WAR totals for each club only include these top players, and every club will have players with little, no or negative WAR value that actually would drag down its totals.

St. Louis Cardinals (50.3 in 2014 WAR)

Top-half position players — 2B: Mark Ellis, 10, 3.0; SS: Jhonny Peralta, 8, 3.3; 3B: Matt Carpenter, 2, 6.6; RF: Allen Craig, 15, 2.3; LF: Matt Holliday, 9, 2.7; C; Yadier Molina, 1, 5.7. Totals: six players, 23.9 WAR.

Second-level position players — Jon Jay, 167, 1.5; Matt Adams, 187, 1.2; Shane Robinson, 208, 1.0; Peter Bourjos, 227. 0.8. Totals: four players, 4.5 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Adam Wainwright, 8, 6.2; Shelby Miller, 32, 3.4; Joe Kelly, 61, 2.6; Kevin Siegrist, 95, 2.0; Lance Lynn, 102, 1.8; Michael Wacha, 111, 1.7; Seth Maness, 114, 1.6. Totals: seven pitchers, 19.3 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Trevor Rosenthal, 135, 1.4; Randy Choate, 165, 1.2. Totals: two pitchers, 2.6 WAR.

Of this club's players, 19 were top-half performers by WAR in 2013. They might miss the magic bat of Carlos Beltran, who tided them over for a couple of years without Pujols, but the Cardinals seem to be doing well as a team without stars.

Well, they have one star. Molina might be the best baseball player in the world right now. The Cardinals' young pitching staff very likely isn't as good without him. Molina may be the one player who his club can least do without. If he were to go missing, this club might be a house of cards.

Pittsburgh Pirates (44.0 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — 2B: Neil Walker, 6, 3.9; 3B: Pedro Alvarez, 11, 3.4; CF: Andrew McCutchen, 3, 8.2; LF: Starling Marte, 1, 5.5; C; Russell Martin, 6, 4.3. Totals: five players, 25.8 WAR.

Second-level position players — Jordy Mercer, 133, 2.1; Jose Tabata, 191, 1.2, Clint Barmes, 201, 1.1; Gaby Sanchez, 225, 0.8. Totals: four players, 5.2 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Francisco Liriano, 49, 3.0; Mark Melancon, 94, 2.0; Justin Wilson, 108, 1.7. Totals: three pitchers, 6.7 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Tony Watson, 146, 1.4; Gerrit Cole, 151, 1.3; Jeff Locke, 172, 1.1; Vin Mazzaro, 190, 0.9; Jason Grilli, 206, 0.8; Brandon Cumpton, 209, 0.8; (6, 6.3)

The 2013 numbers don't reveal an ace pitcher, but Cole will become one very soon. With Liriano behind him, the Pirates are good at No. 1 and No. 2. But the next three spots in the rotation are iffy. Fortunately for the Pirates, Melancon, Wilson, Mazzaro, Watson, Wilson, Crumpton and Grilli make up one of the deepest relief staffs around.

Hard to believe there were two center fielders more productive than McCutchen last year. Alvarez ranked only 11th among third basemen, but he was the big bopper in this lineup. Martin is a plus behind the plate wherever he goes.

Cincinnati Reds (40.1 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — 1B: Joey Votto, 3, 6.4; 3B: Todd Frazier, 13, 2.7; RF: Jay Bruce, 2, 5.1. Totals: three players, 14.2 WAR.

Second-level position players — Brandon Phillips, 160, 1.7; Zack Cozart, 161, 1.6; Ramon Santiago, 214, 0.9; Billy Hamilton, 232. 0.7; Derrick Robinson, 241, 0.7. Totals: five players, 5.6 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Mat Latos, 27, 3.8; Homer Bailey, 43, 3.2; Mike Leake, 51, 3.0; Tony Cingrani, 75, 2.2; Aroldis Chapman, 93, 2.0. Totals: five pitchers, 14.2 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Sam LeCure, 126, 1.5; J.J. Hoover, 131, 1.4; Johnny Cueto, 135, 1.4; Alfredo Simon, 161, 1.2; Manny Parra, 237, 0.6. Totals: five pitchers, 6.1 WAR.

The Reds only have three position players in the top half across the majors in 2013. The average club has four. Problem here is that Phillips apparently began his decline in 2013, and Frazier doesn't seem likely to repeat as a top-half third baseman. Shin Soo Choo was a good player for the Reds last year. Now, they're counting on Hamilton to take his place.

But the Reds are very strong across their pitching staff, with five good starters and five tough relievers. The preseason injury to Chapman figures to be a terrible blow to this club.

Milwaukee Brewers (35.0 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — SS: Jean Segura, 5, 3.9; CF: Carlos Gomez, 2, 8.4; LF: Ryan Braun, 15, 2.0; C: Jonathan Lucroy, 9, 2.9. Totals: four players: 17.2 WAR.

Second-level position players — Scooter Gennett, 130, 2.1; Khris Davis, 180, 1.3; Jeff Bianchi, 203, 1.1; Logan Schafer, 235, 0.7. Totals: four players, 5.1 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Kyle Lohse, 40, 3.3; Tyler Thornburg, 97, 1.9. Totals: two pitchers, 5.2 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Marco Estrada, 121, 1.5; Matt Garza, 126, 1.5; Jim Henderson, 143, 1.4; Brandon Kintsler, 158, 1.2; Francisco Rodriguez, 169, 1.2; Donovan Hand, 225, 0.7. Totals: six pitchers, 7.5 WAR.

Braun and Gomez are excellent players with warts. If they can put it together, and if Lohse, Estrada and Garza are a bit better, this team figures to win some games. But they do not appear capable of matching the Cardinals, Pirates or Reds in general weaponry.

This club also needs a first baseman worse than any other club across the game. On those frequent days when they were writing in Yuniesky Betancourt at first base, they were punting.

Chicago Cubs (25.1 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — 1B: Anthony Rizzo, 14, 2.6; C: Welington Castillo, 5, 4.4; (2, 7.0)

Second-level position players — Luis Valbuena, 163, 1.6; Nate Schierholtz, 171, 1.4; Emilio Bonifacio,184, 1.3; Donnie Murphy, 207, 1.0; Junior Lake, 222, 0.8; (5, 6.1)

Top-level pitchers — Travis Wood, 17, 4.4; (1, 4.4)

Second-level pitchers — Jose Veras, 135, 1.4; Carlos Villanueva, 144, 1.4; Jeff Samardzija, 185, 1.0; Chris Rusin, 211, 0.7; Wesley Wright, 214, 0.7; Blake Parker, 222, 0.7; James Russell, 225, 0.7; (7, 6.6)

It's easy to tell that the Cubs are sadly lacking in top-half position players and top-level pitchers. The Cubs have three total. The average club has eight.

One might expect to see a concentration of talent on those second levels for a rebuilding club, but it's not obvious that the Cubs can expect much growth from the names we see here. Of this club's position players, Castillo is the best. Rizzo receives much critical praise, and he might settle into a long career as a top-half first baseman, but it's not obvious that he will reach the upper echelon. Lake looks like a nice player, kind of the way a lot of guys look like they might be nice players.

Cards, Bucs making up for lost rivalry

Somehow, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been good at the same time in more than 80 years, so they haven't been rivals. But are they ever making up for it now, playing for the 24th and final time this season Wednesday in Game 5 of their National League Division Series.

Adam Wainwright, one of the National League's very best pitchers of the last five years, will take the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 Wednesday (Johnmaxmena2/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike Unported 3.0 Generic license).


By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

What a way to end it. Two teams that have chased and hammered on each other in the National League Central division for the entire season are coming down to one game Wednesday, a game that will end the season for one of them and keep hope alive for the other.

It's the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals playing Game 5 of their National League Division Series (NLDS) in St. Louis. As Pirates manager Clint Hurdle mentioned to reporters, his team will be playing its 168th game of the season -- and its 24th against the Cardinals. The Pirates won the majority of their regular season meetings, but the edge was only 10-9. Now, they're 2-2 in the NLDS.

And the great peculiarity about this, as if to point out that novelty and possibility always are alive in baseball, however long it has been around, this great peculiarity is that the Cardinals and Pirates have never been rivals. They have been in the same division continuously for 45 straight seasons, and in the same league almost since the beginning of time, and they have never been rivals. Two very similar towns, industrial river cities on different edges of the Midwest and near the edges of different mountains, two similarly sized markets, and they have never been rivals.

We have to go back to the mid-1920s since the Pirates and Cardinals have ever been good at the same time. In 1926, the Cardinals won the National League pennant, the Cincinnati Reds finished second (two games out), and the Pirates were third (4 1/2 games out). In 1927, the Pirates won the pennant, finishing 1 1/2 games in front of the Cardinals. Since then, they have never been good at the same time. Until now.

How many generations have died away or been born to the world in the 85ish years since 1927? Eight, nine or ten, depending on how we parse the generations? People watching the game last time the Pirates and Cardinals duked it out for anything big could have been born 25 years before the Civil War, 30 years before the first avowedly professional baseball team.

It is remarkable. These are two cities with enough similar qualities to be the most natural rivals, and it has never happened. In our times, starting with the first divisional alignment in 1969, the Pirates were top-notch in the 1970s and the Cardinals were down, then the Cardinals came up in the 1980s and the Pirates were down, then the Pirates had their run with Barry Bonds and Jim Leyland while the Cardinals were down, and the Pirates have been down since and the Cardinals have been mostly prosperous.

But now, all of a sudden, we see these great Midwesternish National League legacy franchises banging hard on each other from April into October. It's a little like what happened between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who always had a certain backyard mutual antagonism, but they didn't become the rivals we've come to know until three factors coalesced by the late 1990s: 1) Both clubs were good at the same time; 2) expanded playoffs set it up so they could meet in the postseason, and, as a result of 1 and 2, we got; 3) two regional rivals playing each other two dozen times in many years for very high stakes.

The Cardinals and Pirates are really blowing it up this year, and now it's coming down to this one game with, by the way, a very intriguing match-up of starting pitchers. To no surprise, each team is sending out its best guy: Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals and Gerrit Cole for the Pirates.

Excepting one blow-up in last year's NLDS against the Washington Nationals, Wainwright is a postseason stalwart for the Cardinals. Even with that game, Wainwright is all but bulletproof in the postseason. Recall that he allowed six runs and only got seven men out in his Game 5 start against the Nationals. The Cards won that game, anyway, 9-7, and advanced to the next round against the San Francisco Giants.

If we could throw that one out, here's Wainwright in his postseason career: 37 1/3 innings, four earned runs (0.96 ERA), 45 strikeouts and six walks. Even with that bad start, he's 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in the postseason. And he wasn't even around when the Cardinals won it all in 2011 because he was recovering from surgery. In 2013, Wainwright led the NL in wins (19) and innings (241 2/3). Wainwright has never won a Cy Young, but he is a Cy Young quality pitcher year after year.

Cole is the obvious choice for Hurdle, especially after his victory against the Cardinals in Game 2. He's a rookie, but he gets it up there as hard as it can get and he won 10 games despite taking his first start on June 11. And, again, he's 7-1 with a 2.37 ERA after Pittsburgh losses. As it happens, this series is going to Game 5 only because the Pirates lost Game 4, 2-1, Monday afternoon.

The Pirates and the Cardinals have never been rivals, but they're working up a game for the ages here. And here's something else about how it shapes up: the winner will take on the Dodgers, who already are advantaged, in a sense. However this one ends, the Dodgers won't have to face either of these pitchers twice in the National League Championship Series -- at least, not on regular rest -- unless it goes to Game 7.