NL Central Standings

**guitarchitect7** · 09-23-2011, 10:50 AM

Checking up on the Cubs, I took a glance at the current standings in regards to the battle between the Cards and Brewers. What by my surprise did I see, the Cubs moved ahead of Pittsburgh in the standings.

How does this happen? I'll be the first to admit, the Cubs have been bad all year, so their record is not unexpected. But if I wasn't mistaken, the Pirates were in contention at the All-Star break, making offensive trades to keep that ball rolling. Now, they manage to fall 22.0 games back with more games to come.

**cychhosis** · 09-23-2011, 11:29 AM

Cards are two games out of the wild card w/ 6 games left. Can they do it?

**Prone2Clone** · 09-23-2011, 11:31 AM

First half of the season was the Pirates' Super Bowl.

**chuckd4735** · 09-23-2011, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by cychhosis

Cards are two games out of the wild card w/ 6 games left. Can they do it?

Its gonna be tough after they get swept this weekend...

**kentkel** · 09-23-2011, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by chuckd4735

Its gonna be tough after they get swept this weekend...

I can only hope!

**chuckd4735** · 09-23-2011, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by kentkel

I can only hope!

As a Brewers fan, I would think you would be hoping for the exact opposite. I would think you would want the Braves in the Divisional Series.

**Clark** · 09-23-2011, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by chuckd4735

Its gonna be tough after they get swept this weekend...

If the Cubs can't get into the playoffs, beating the Cards so they can't get in either is a nice consolation prize.

**kentkel** · 09-23-2011, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by chuckd4735

As a Brewers fan, I would think you would be hoping for the exact opposite. I would think you would want the Braves in the Divisional Series.

I am hoping that the Cards are swept by the Cubs, so that the Braves will make it to the playoffs instead of the Cards. No disrespect intended to Cards fans (because they have a proven quality club), but I rarely root for them - still upset over the '82 World Series outcome.

**Naughtius** · 09-23-2011, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by kentkel

I am hoping that the Cards are swept by the Cubs, so that the Braves will make it to the playoffs instead of the Cards. No disrespect intended to Cards fans (because they have a proven quality club), but I rarely root for them - still upset over the '82 World Series outcome.

None taken. I'm seeing a lot of promos featuring the '82 Wallbangers. As a Cards fan, I'd like to be the ones to send them home empty handed again.

**tejasclone** · 09-23-2011, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by cychhosis

Cards are two games out of the wild card w/ 6 games left. Can they do it?

I'd have felt better about the Cards chances if they hadn't blown a 6-2 lead in the 9th yesterday. They could be 1 game down today and not 2. Cards pretty much need to win every game from here on out to have a chance.

Cards don't really deserve to win the wildcard after all the saves they blew earlier this year, but I'll still take it if they can pull it off.

**kentkel** · 09-23-2011, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by tejasclone

I'd have felt better about the Cards chances if they hadn't blown a 6-2 lead in the 9th yesterday. They could be 1 game down today and not 2. Cards pretty much need to win every game from here on out to have a chance.

Cards don't really deserve to win the wildcard after all the saves they blew earlier this year, but I'll still take it if they can pull it off.

Yet, here's the thing. For a while I thought that Atlanta was making a great case for being the 2nd best team in the NL (behind the Phillies and possibly ahead of my Brewers). Lately, they haven't done as well. The Cards have really come on as of late and seem to be one of the most dangerous clubs right now. So do the Cards not really deserve the wildcard because of problems in August, or do the Braves not deserve it because they have been "choking" away their lead the last couple weeks? I will say, it is always great to be on a hot streak at the end of the year and full of confidence going into the playoffs.

As a Brewers fan, I hope that the Crew doesn't choke away the Central but, instead, puts together a "hot streak" of their own during the remaining games. I've been feeling a little uneasy lately - not as confident as I was earlier in the month with about a 10 game lead.

**rebecacy** · 09-23-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by cychhosis

Cards are two games out of the wild card w/ 6 games left. Can they do it?

Blowing it last night hurt our chances a great deal -- really ****** me off. Furcal........sheesh!

**rebecacy** · 09-23-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Clark

If the Cubs can't get into the playoffs, beating the Cards so they can't get in either is a nice consolation prize.

1908. Spoken like a true cubs fan.

**Wesley** · 09-23-2011, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by kentkel

Yet, here's the thing. For a while I thought that Atlanta was making a great case for being the 2nd best team in the NL (behind the Phillies and possibly ahead of my Brewers). Lately, they haven't done as well. The Cards have really come on as of late and seem to be one of the most dangerous clubs right now. So do the Cards not really deserve the wildcard because of problems in August, or do the Braves not deserve it because they have been "choking" away their lead the last couple weeks? I will say, it is always great to be on a hot streak at the end of the year and full of confidence going into the playoffs.

As a Brewers fan, I hope that the Crew doesn't choke away the Central but, instead, puts together a "hot streak" of their own during the remaining games. I've been feeling a little uneasy lately - not as confident as I was earlier in the month with about a 10 game lead.

Craig Kimbrel now has 7 blown saves for the braves. That is a problem.

**tejasclone** · 09-23-2011, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by kentkel

Yet, here's the thing. For a while I thought that Atlanta was making a great case for being the 2nd best team in the NL (behind the Phillies and possibly ahead of my Brewers). Lately, they haven't done as well. The Cards have really come on as of late and seem to be one of the most dangerous clubs right now. So do the Cards not really deserve the wildcard because of problems in August, or do the Braves not deserve it because they have been "choking" away their lead the last couple weeks? I will say, it is always great to be on a hot streak at the end of the year and full of confidence going into the playoffs.

As a Brewers fan, I hope that the Crew doesn't choke away the Central but, instead, puts together a "hot streak" of their own during the remaining games. I've been feeling a little uneasy lately - not as confident as I was earlier in the month with about a 10 game lead.

The Cards have been very competitive with the Braves and Phillies all year. If the playoffs started today and the Cards were in it, I'd feel OK about their chances going up against anyone. The Cards' inability to put away teams like the Cubs, Pirates, and Astros all year long has been extremely aggravating, given that they dial it up against the better clubs.

You're right that it's likely better to end the season on a hot streak than on a cold one, but that's not always the case. In 2006, the Cards coasted into the postseason on fumes, winning the division by default by half a game despite losing more than half of their games in September. Then they turned it on when the playoffs started and they won the WS.

If the Brewers can tap into the magic that won them like 20 straight games in August, they'll be fine.