2021 NL Central Preview

We're halfway through Major League Baseball for the 2021 season, and with the West slated for tomorrow, it's time for me to get back to work and start the second half of the preview series for 2021.

Earlier today I attacked the AL Central, so this afternoon I'll swap leagues and attack my home division.

Let's look at the NL Central.

2019 MLB Preview: NL Central

The preview series continues on with, for all intents and purposes, official Opening Day coming on Thursday. And with four divisions left to cover before then... I'd better get to work.

As in prior years, I'm going across the country and alternating leagues, ending with the defending champion's division. That means tomorrow afternoon is when I'll have a gander at the AL East. But for now, let's visit the middle of the country and look at the NL Central.

Unwritten Rules vs Thug Baseball V

Here we go. It's been two months since my last post on the topic, and we need to have this conversation again.

Last night there was a little chaos in the Pirates-Diamondbacks game in Arizona. In the top of the seventh with the Pirates leading 5-0, Diamondbacks reliever Braden Shipley missed up and in on Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison, hitting him in the shoulder.



Shipley would miss up and in on the next batter as well, though this one just missed becoming a hit by pitch. Harrison would ultimately end up leaving the game, as noted in the above video. Now, if this were the end of it, I wouldn't have a post today. But this is how Pirates starter Joe Musgrove and manager Clint Hurdle decided to handle it.



In my repeated posts on this topic, this is the sort of thing I'm referring to when I talk about "thug baseball." The traditionalists, like Hurdle, defend this as "how baseball is supposed to be played" or some nonsense. But I don't care that it was a pitch that hit Owings in the butt; it was assault with a deadly weapon.

Now ultimately, the baseball gods seem to possibly be agreeing with my take on all of this, and karma won in the end.

Poetic justice. Clint Hurdle decided to drill a Diamondback with a 5-0 lead after two fairly obvious slips by Shipley in the top of the inning. That HBP started a 5-run rally. 5-5. Don't use a baseball as a weapon.

— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) June 12, 2018

The Diamondbacks would go on to win 9-5 with a four run rally in the eighth. After the game, Musgrove defended his decision with the above logic, never mind the fact that clearly, Shipley's pitch that hit Harrison was in no way intentional. Hurdle defended the actions as well.

Now while karma took care of this, if I were commissioner of Major League Baseball, I'd be taking heavy handed action on top of the loss the Pirates suffered last night. Musgrove would be facing a lengthy suspension, probably a minimum of ten games, and Clint Hurdle would be looking at possibly a longer amount of time off. This whole pretense of "protecting your teammates" is garbage. If Musgrove's pitch had been wild, it could have hit Owings in the back of the head instead of firmly on his rear. Just because the result ended up positive for the important parties involved doesn't justify Musgrove's actions or Hurdle's orders. This crap needs to stop, and unfortunately I don't think the karmic retribution is going to be enough to get rid of this neanderthal culture.

I keep saying it: eventually, someone is going to get seriously hurt by this outdated culture of thuggish retaliation. I'd like to see it gone before that happens. It would help if cavemen like Hurdle were gone to rid the game of their influence.

2018 MLB Preview: NL Central

We're onto the second day of MLB previews as I've condensed this year's batch down to three days instead of six. We're still working our way across the country, alternating leagues, before ending with the division containing the defending World Series champion.

This brings us to the country's center, and after ending yesterday in the American League, we go to my division of greatest familiarity in the NL Central.

2017 MLB Preview: NL Central

It's the sixth day, which means we're all set on baseball previews after today. As is my tradition, I've been going division by division, alternating leagues, and finishing with the division of our defending champion.

Speaking of our defending champion, they are taking part in my newest project, the MLB Tournament of Champions. You can check out information on that tournament here, and check out the action starting this coming week.

Without further ado, let's get to the NL Central. Let's note once again that both wild cards are taken.

2016 MLB Predictions: NL Central

We're just a day away from the start of the season! The excitement is mounting, and I'm nearing the end of my series of baseball preview posts.

I've handed out one predicted wild card on the National League side of things, and after looking at each coast so far, it's time to come to nation's heartland and preview the final two divisions. Today, it's the NL Central.

Game Notes: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs (5/15/15)

Final Score
Cubs 11, Pirates 10 (12 innings)

Game Summary
In the longest game I've ever been to, both sides failed to cash in on opportunities until the Cubs (20-15) got on the board thanks to a Kris Bryant three run homer. The Pirates (17-19) answered back with a home run, but the Cubs responded with two more, including a solo shot by Anthony Rizzo. A pair of fifth inning runs made it 7-1 Cubs, but then the wheels came off a bit. Pittsburgh strung together a four run rally in the sixth to chase starter Kyle Hendricks, though the Cubs struck back with a run in their half, plus two more in the seventh to make it 10-5. The Pirates didn't go quietly though, scoring four in the eighth before a two out rally plated the tying run. The Cubs threatened in the tenth, loading the bases with one out before a double play on a would-be sacrifice fly ended the chance. It was déjà vu in the 12th though, as the Cubs walked off on maybe the weirdest play we'll see all year.

Pitchers of Record
W: Edwin Jackson (2-1)- 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 K. Not the most effective outing, but Jackson was able to get out of trouble. This is where you see how much the win stat is overrated, but he earned it with the scoreless 12th. Now, terrifying side note from former Major Leaguer Fernando Tatis:

Edwin Jackson has 10% of the Cubs wins

— Fernando Tatis (@FTatis23) May 15, 2015

L: Radhames Liz (1-3)- 0.1 IP, 1 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K. It should be noted that one of Liz's walks was intentional (to Soler to load the bases), and really, he can't be faulted too much for the loss. He struck out Kris Bryant, Destroyer of Baseballs to start the inning before it all fell apart, really through no fault of his own.

Key Stats

• Matt Szczur (CHC): 2-7, 3 RBI. Szczur had kind of a weird day at the plate. He had a two run single in the fifth to make it 7-1, but didn't do much else until extra innings. He twice had bases loaded, one out at bats because the Pirates wanted no part of Jorge Soler and intentionally walked him to load it up both times. The first time Szczur came up in that situation, he hit a fly ball into shallow right field, which Gregory Polanco caught, then threw an absolute strike to nail Starlin Castro at the plate. The second time, he hit it to almost the exact same spot, only this time his feet gave way. You take that every time, though.
• Kris Bryant (CHC): 1-4, HR (4), 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB. Note to the Cubs: Kris Bryant, Destroyer of Baseballs has hit four home runs so far this season. I've been present for two of them. Tickets. Now. Anyway, his home run was pretty majestic even though it only got a couple rows into the bleachers, and it came after he fell behind 0-2 in the count and worked it full. He also drew those couple of walks, which is crazy to think about from a 23-year-old rookie.
• Josh Harrison (PIT): 4-6, HR (4), 2 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R. Harrison was retired his first two times up, then proceeded to hit the ball really well. His homer made it 10-6 and set the stage for the comeback, and he scored the tying run in the top of the ninth after a two out double.

Mrs. Mitzel's Food Roundup
This section is written by Kristen Mitzel, and focuses on the food at the ballpark, because ballpark food.

"You can't go anywhere in Chicago without having a Vienna Beef hot dog. This is especially true at Wrigley, where the smell of grilled onions and other ballpark treats make the taste of a steamed bun and a Vienna Beef hot dog even more enjoyable. The nachos are your typical fast food nachos; they're good for a nice crunchy snack. Don't waste your money on the chocolate malt cup; it didn't taste like a malt at all. As a surprising addition, there was Nuts on Clark popcorn, but Garrett's would have been preferred. I'd like to see Wrigley get some Dippin' Dots as an ice cream option. Cheese curds can't hurt, either."

Final Thoughts

Photo by Kristen Mitzel

This was a long, long game. The sixth inning took forever, and even with the new pace of play rules, with some mid-inning pitching changes, it kind of dragged on. We sat in front of a couple Pirates fans, who put it pretty well: the Cubs need pitching, especially in the bullpen, but their offense is in great shape. They got contributions from all over today, including from starter Kyle Hendricks, who doubled (the lesson, as always: the designated hitter is for sissies). But really, any time you can pull out a game like that, especially in a manner where your fans are used to losing that way, you take it and run with it.

It's still very early in the season, but the Cubs have won five in a row and are on pace for a 93-win season. We'll have to see to what degree the league adjusts to guys like Bryant though, and whether he can adjust back. Overall though, there's a lot to be excited about on the North Side.

This might be it for me for Cubs baseball in person this season, though I will end up in Arlington for a Rangers game in August. Hopefully I'll get to see more of this team though, because this is fun!

2015 MLB Preview: NL Central

First things first: Happy birthday to my dad, who helped nurture my love of sports in general and baseball in particular. He also helped birth my love of the Cubs, which may or may not be a good thing given history.

We're onto the National League Central as we move past the halfway point of the division previews. If you want to refer back to my predictions from last year, you can find them here.

2014 MLB Preview: NL Central

We're moving right along in this year's series of MLB previews. The West Coast is done, and now I'm heading to America's heartland and my homeland.

I pegged the top of the division right last year, if only because it seemed to be a given. St. Louis was the division winner last year, but Pittsburgh outperformed expectations and finally became that feel-good story, making the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. Maybe there will be a changing of the guard? We'll have to see this summer. For now, here's how I think the division shakes out.