OK, fine. The NL Central champ that got unreasonably hot mid-summer can lose in the first round instead of losing to the eventual WS Champs in the NLCS. See, I can compromise! 
I like what the Angels have done. They will contend for the rest of the year.
I do not understand what the Dodgers have done. Why get Victorino when Pence was available?
I was in Vegas a fews ago. My one an only bet was to put some money on the Nationals to win the NL Pennant! It could happen!!
Well fuck that noise too!
The Reds (and really, the Bengals as well) need to take that next step. Both the Reds and the Bengals have made the playoffs twice in the last 3-4 years and lost in the first series or round all four times.
Its time, Dusty Baker and Marvin Lewis. Make it happen! The goal is not just getting there!
Reds win again! Bring on the Pirates!
Damn…the Reds are 17-3 since the All Star break. Pretty damn good! And even more amazing is the offensive production they are getting with Votto (and now Phillips) out of the lineup. Guys like Todd Frazier, Ryan Ludwick, Zack Cozart, Xavier Paul and Drew Stubbs (especially Stubbs, who was horrible until July) are really contributing.
Big news out of the Bronx! (Link to NY Daily News)
Summary please?
Derek Jeter will miss next season to undergo a gender change operation!
He wants to be a man now? I thought there wasn’t any crying in baseball!
Ba-zinga!
The Dodgers finalized a trade for Joe Blanton and claimed Cliff Lee. Yankees west needs all the Phillies pitchers.
The Cliff Lee thing appears to be a useless move since the Phillies aren’t letting him go. I would have gladly taken him over Blanton, despite the ridiculous money.
I’m headed to Chavez Ravine tonight (and possibly tomorrow). It’ll be interesting to see how all of these new pieces fit together. If we can’t get righted against the Cubs this weekend with Arizona breathing down our necks, we are in serious trouble.
The Lee move was probably more to block his trade to other teams than anything, but I like it even as a block. It’s ballsy, and who knows maybe they come to terms. Ned Colleti with money is a totally different GM.
Apparently, the Giants are 1 for 39 as a team with the bases loaded and two outs this year. That’s flagrantly ridiculous, and I can barely comprehend it.
Joe
Reds win yet again. FU Pirates.
Giants, Dodgers and Arizona all win tonight, so no movement in a very crowded NL West this evening.
Tonight was a fun night at Dodger Stadium, starting with William Shatner on the field reading the starting lineup. A.J. Ellis had his first multi-homer game, and the Dodgers looked like a team with some legitimate offensive threats tonight. We really need to take this series.
Blue Jays collapsing.
The trade of Travis Snider obliges the team to play Anthony Gose, who is painfully unready for the major leagues. He’s just 20 and looks like a talented kid who needs two more years in the minors, and this isn’t doing him any good. So in that respect he is quite a bit like Travis Snider was four years ago. They got rid of Snider in order to repeat exactly the same mistake. It’s amazing.
FU again Pirates. Reds win yet again. Aroldis Chapman is the King Of Closers right now.
Reds have now won 22 out of their last 25 games. That’s one hell of a hot streak.
Nats won, Braves lost, Nats’ lead is back up to 3 games. First time they’ve increased their lead since July 23.
I was a little baffled by one thing in the Reds/Pirates game last night. In the first game of the series, Chapman drilled McCutchen in the 9th with a hard fastball. I don’t think it was intentional, but, meh. The talk going into the game last night was about the Pirates retaliating by plunking a Reds hitter, lets move on, yadda yadda. Anyway, last night the Reds starter Mike Leake hit a Pirates batter, Harrison, and the umps warned both benches. I thought that was strange and apparently the Pirates manager Clint Hurdle did too as he immediately leapt out of the dugout to argue and was promptly tossed from the game.
I suppose its standard issue to warn both benches in a situation like that, but the Pirates had done nothing wrong and the Reds pitchers had nailed a Pirates batter two nights in a row. I felt kinda bad for old Clint. I think he had every right to be pissed about the warning. Why not just warn the Reds only?
I realize the Giants are in Colorado, but Jesus. I thought they were supposed to have no offense! I’ve been at Dodger Stadium the last two nights looking at the scoreboard and seeing San Francisco score 26 runs in the last two games. It would be nice if Colorado could just show up for today’s game instead of trying to take it out on the Dodgers this coming week.