Atlanta, St. Louis boast five all-stars each

Central

The Cincinnati Reds were recognized with three all-stars when the National and American league teams were announced. That’s two less than the Cardinals, who trail the Reds by two games in the NL Central standings.

The Reds have won seven of their last 10 and the Cardinals split a four game series with the Brewers.

Cincinnati will be represented at the all-star game by reliever Arthur Rhodes as well as Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen.

St. Louis’ Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols were named starters on the National League team. Pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright were named to the team in addition to Matt Holliday.

Other NL Central representatives include Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (starter), Yovani Gallardo and Corey Hart; Pittsburgh’s Evan Meek; Houston’s Michael Bourn; and Chicago’s Marlon Byrd.

The NL Central’s 14 all-stars is best among NL divisions.

West

With eight all-star selections, the NL West had the fewest in the league.

The Padres, who lead the West with a National League best 49-33 record, received only one all-star recognition.

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez will represent San Diego as a reserve.

The second placed Dodgers will send Andre Eithier (starter) and Jonathan Broxton. Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez was named to the team. The Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki was named an all-star but will not play.

San Francisco pitchers Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson will represent the Giants while Chris Young will be Arizona’s lone representative.

East

The Atlanta Braves tied the Cardinals for the most all-star selections with five. Outfielder Jason Heyward was voted a starter for the Braves and second baseman Martin Prado will replace Chase Utley as the starter. Tim Hudson, Brian McCann and Omar Infate will also represent Atlanta at the all-star game.

Utley was voted a starter for the Phillies but is unable to play due to injury. Pitcher Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard will also represent Philly.

Other NL East players include David Wright (starter) and Jose Reyes (replacement player) of the Mets; Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez (starter) of the Marlins; and Matt Capps of the Nationals.

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg was not included on the NL Roster despite his 2.45 ERA and 53 strikeouts in six starts.

Weekly Top-5

Atlanta – The team to beat in a top-to-bottom talented division.

San Diego – Best record in the NL.

Cincinnati – Done doubting this team.

New York – Only two games back of Atlanta.

St. Louis – The Cardinals and their five all-stars could make a big second half push.

Atlanta can't lose at home, San Diego playing consistently

Central

The Cincinnati Reds hold a half-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. However, if the Reds hope to be contenders down the stretch, they need to gap St. Louis as much as possible now. St. Louis pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse will be returning from the disabled list soon and will give the Cardinals more weapons to chase down Cincy.

Lohse is on schedule to come off the 60-day disabled list in late July. Penny is expected to rejoin the team when he is removed from the 15-day list after the all-star break.

Both the Cardinals and Reds have won six of their last 10, and so has the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have been lifted by their starting pitching, which has delivered 10 quality starts in the Crew’s last 15 games. Starter Yovani Gallardo has improved his ERA to 2.36. Plus outfielder Corey Hart is leading the NL with 18 dingers to go with 60 RBIs.

The Chicago Cubs are imploding. AS they sit in fourth place with a 33-43 record, their season took an ugly turn Friday when Carlos Zambrano went on a tirade in the dugout. Zambrano’s frustration was directed toward first baseman Derek Lee and the two were separated. It was announced Zambrano received an indefinite suspension, and he has since been put on the restricted list. If he returns to the Cubs he will pitch out of the bullpen.

West

Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter for the Diamondbacks Friday marks the fourth of the year and the second time the Tampa Rays were victimized by another hitless day at the plate.

Jackson’s no-hitter was anything but routine – or as routine as a no-hitter can be. It took the right-hander 149 pitches to complete the feat, and he walked eight Rays in the process.

Nevertheless, Jackson joins Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden (and it deserves mentioning Amrando Galarraga’s near perfect game) as pitchers to throw a no-no this season. Jackson is now 5-6 on the season.

Jimenez is still dominating on the mound for the Rockies. His 14 wins and 1.83 ERA are still tops in the Majors.

Though pitchers have been a hot topic recently for the two teams Colorado and Arizona are fourth and fifth, respectively, in their division. The Rockies’ are battered injuries to Brad Hawpe, Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki, though.

The San Diego Padres, who have won an NL best seven of their last 10, have the top record in the National League at 43-31. The Padres are sitting a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Braves (see below) for the No. 1 record in the NL.

The Padres aren’t a tremendously flashy team, but they are getting the job done. San Diego is the only team in the NL West with a winning record on the road, which has helped them build a four-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego is getting consistency from the closer role as Heath Bell is now tied for second in the Majors with 21 saves.

East

The Braves are still the team garnering the most buzz in the National League. Atlanta is a gaudy 27-8 at home!

Atlanta beat Washington’s Stephen Strasburg, 5-0, to move 1.5 games ahead of the Mets. More on Strasburg in a minute. Martin Prado still leads the NL with a .331 batting average

Now that the Braves have gotten past the Nationals; biggest threat, the rest of the series should be a cinch and the division lead should grow with New York playing division rival Florida.

The Mets are playing well, considering Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo are on the DL. They are also without utility player Angel Pagan. As players get healthy, the Mets should improve. Third baseman David Wright does lead the National League with 61 RBIs.

The Nationals’ Strasburg has made a strong case to be an all-star even after just five starts. Strasburg is now 2-2, but has received one run of support over his last three starts. He has a 2.27 ERA and 48 strikeouts. The strikeout mark is two shy of the record for most Ks in a pitcher’s first five starts. It should also be noted his 48 strikeouts have been accompanied by just seven walks, and he boasts a WHIP of 1.01.

Weekly Top-5

Atlanta – 27-8?! Who would want to play at Turner Field – except for the Braves that is.

San Diego – Consistency is the name of the game for the Padres.

New York – Hanging around despite Atlanta’s tear through the league.

Cincinnati – Looks to be for real, but how long will the pitching last, and how long can they hold off St. Louie?

St. Louis – No. 5 by default. After the Cards and Phillies, not much to talk about in the NL.

St. Louis still tops in NL

Central

Another week gone by, another week of the Cardinals atop the NL Central. St. Louis swept Atlanta in a four-game series and took two of three from Cincinnati. The Cards have won eight of their last 10 games and are 10-3 at Busch Stadium.

The Cubs have fought back to a .500 record, but remain streaky. In Milwaukee (10-15), there is already talks about Ken Macha and whether he should keep his job as manager.

West

San Diego and San Francisco are duking it out in the NL West with Colorado close behind. Arizona took two of three from the Rockies and have a great opportunity to gain ground on the rest of the division during the team’s four-game series at Houston.

Likewise, the division leading Padres can get fat on the Astros this weekend.

East

New York has lost three games straight, but had won the seven before that. The three-game slide has put the Mets a half game back of the Phillies, who have struggled at home.

The Marlins are only a game back of Philadelphia with series against San Francisco and Washington this week.

Weekly Top-5

St. Louis – Best record in the majors; great home record.

San Diego – 10-4 at home; can make early statement in the West with series vs. Colorado.

Philadelphia – Big hitters in the lineup, leading the team back to top of East.

New York – Hanging around the top of the East division; Johan Santana looking better as of late.

Chicago – Starting pitching looks good; Alfonso Soriano on a hot streak.

Wainwright gives Cards' bullpen much needed rest

Adam Wainwright’s complete game was huge for the Cardinals. It allows the bullpen to get an extra day of rest, and it keeps arms fresh for the next series.

After a 20 inning heartbreaking loss to the New York Mets on Saturday, Wainwright not only helped the Cardinals bounce back with a series win, but he gave them another long start. He has gone at least seven innings in all three starts, and he is 3-0 – only giving up four earned runs in 24 innings.

The New York Mets cannot say the same thing. They had to bring in Tobi Stoner from Triple-A to help the bullpen, which was exhausted in the marathon game. With John Maine only going five innings, Jerry Manuel had no other option. He had to use Stoner.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals didn’t have to worry. Wainwright was dominant with nine strikeouts, and the bullpen was able to be spectators.

The Mets need a long start in the next game. They cannot afford to go deep in their bullpen, which lacks depth. It was interesting to see how these two teams responded after the long game.

The Cardinals looked ready, and the Mets looked tired.

Yesterday's April Fools jokes don't match SI's 1985 hoax

Today is April 2, which, if you’re keeping track at home, means yesterday was April 1 – April Fools Day.

April Fools Day is a great opportunity to have some fun at your friends’ expense, and at the same time, trying to avoid any pranks coming your way.

Yesterday, following a 109-92 victory over the Portland Trailblazers, the Denver Nuggets should have been celebrating. However, the opposite happened when Kenyon Martin lost his cool over a practical joke.

Believe it or not, a former ball-boy filled Martin’s vehicle with popcorn. Martin didn’t find it so funny, considering the car’s interior was white. The Nugget went off on an expletive-filled rant to find out who did it.

The ball-boy apologized and offered to pay for the damage. This particular joke did not go over particularly well, but that doesn’t mean April Fools jokes have no place in sports.

On a more positive note, yesterday, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre and general manager Ned Colletti brought third basemen Blake DeWitt into Toree’s office for a chat.

DeWitt, who was the starter at the hot-corner in 2008 and spent last year shifting between AAA and MLB, sat down to hear the duo say he just didn’t have what it took to start the season in the big leagues.

DeWitt didn’t blow up like Martin, and then Toree and Colletti asked him what the date was. Reported stories said DeWitt was unaware it was the first of April.

It was a little cruel, but all worked out for DeWitt and he’ll be with the club on opening day.

Perhaps the best sports related April Fools joke was played, not by an athlete, ball-boy, manager or GM, was by a sports magazine. In 1985 Sports Illustrated ran a story about a phenomenal pitching prospect in the New York Mets camp by the name of Hayden “Sidd” Finch.

Finch, who had the ability to hit 168 mph on the radar gun with his pitching, was a practicing Buddhist and a talented French horn player. He lived quietly and simply.

Finch, as writer George Plimpton would lead you to believe, was an orphan who studied at Harvard briefly, and wasn’t sure if he even wanted to play baseball. That’s why he worked out behind a canvass covering and few people knew he was at the training complex.

Plimpton made the incredible story seem believable with his attention to detail, like the pitcher’s idiosyncrasy of wearing one hiking boot while throwing; interviews with psychiatrists, a philharmonic symphony director and baseball scouts; and why he insisted on spelling Sidd with two Ds (it is short for Siddhartha).

The biggest hint that it was a joke lied within the first letters of the author’s subtitle: "He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent lifestyle, Sidd's deciding about yoga -- and his future in baseball." (Happy April Fools Day. Ah fib.)

Philadelphia is still best in the east

Atlanta Braves

2009: 86-76 third place

Key Players

3B Chipper Jones .264 avg., 18 HR, 71 RBI, .388 OBP

CF Nate McClouth .256 avg., 20 HR, 70 RBI, 19 SB

C Brian McCann .281 avg., 21 HR, 94 RBI, 137 runs

Key Additions

LF Melky Cabrera

RP Takashi Saito

RP Billy Wagner

Cabrera bolsters a talented outfield for the Braves, which already includes McClouth and Matt Diaz. Eric Hinske was also brought in to spell those three. Both Saito and Wagner can close and gives Atlanta some options late in games.

Key Subtractions

OF Garret Anderson

OF Ryan Church

SP Tom Glavine

1B Adam LaRoche

SP Javier Vazquez

RP Rafael Soriano

Anderson and Glavine were past their prime last season, so no harm there. With the additions in the outfield and veteran Troy Glaus, the Braves won’t miss Church or LaRoche

Stats breakdown

Pitching 3

Offense 3

Defense 3

Overall 9

The Braves were a winning team last year and they should be again in 2010. They are, however, a far cry from division rival Philadelphia. Atlanta could surprise some people if their young talent learns from the experienced veterans.

Florida Marlins

2009: 87-75 2nd place

Key Players

SS Hanley Ramirez .342 avg., 24 HR, 106 RBI, 27 SB

2B Dan Uggla .243 avg., 31 HR, 90 RBI, 92 BB

3B Jorge Cantu .289 avg., 16 HR 100 RBI, 42 2B

SP Josh Johnson 209 IP, 3.23 ERA, 2 CG, 191 Ks

Key Additions

RP Hunter Jones

The Marlins retained several of their core players and haven’t made much noise on the free agent front. They traded Jeremy Hermida for reliever Hunter Jones.

Key Subtractions

1B Ross Gload

OF Jeremy Hermida

1B Nick Johnson

The Marlins shouldn’t worry too much about the guys who have gone. Their core of infielders and young pitching have produced the last few seasons and should continue to do so this year.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 3

Offense 4

Defense 3

Overall 10

Around the horn - with Cantu, Ramirez and Uggla – Florida is tough. All-star Josh Johnson leads a young pitching staff that only has room to grow. Outfielders Chris Coughlan and Cody Ross seem to fit the mold of young talented players coming up in the Marlin’s system.

New York Mets

2009: 70-92 4th place

Key Players

3B David Wright .307 avg., 10 HR, 72 RBI, 27 SB

SS Jose Reyes .279 avg., 147 AB (injured)

2B Luis Castillo .302 avg., 40 RBI, 77 runs

CF Carlos Beltran .325 avg., 100 hits, 48 RBI

SP Johan Santana 3.13 ERA,166.2 IP, 146 Ks

Key Additions

OF Jason Bay

OF Gary Mathews Jr.

P Kelvim Escoba

P Josh Fogg

The Mets wrote some checks to bring in the big names listed above. But, history has shown us that just because a pay roll is increased, doesn’t mean the win column will increase.

Key Subtractions

1b Carlos Delgado

RP JJ Putz

OF Gary Sheffield

RP Brian Stokes

If there is such a thing as addition by subtraction, the Mets may have found it. Sheffield and Delgado are old and Putz isn’t needed when Francisco Rodriguez is in the bullpen.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 3

Offense 3

Defense 2

Overall 8

Recently, the Mets have fallen below expectations. The big-name signings feel a little desperate. New York has found a way to lose lately, and something in the air says the Mets will fall flat again in 2010.

Philadelphia Phillies

2009: 93-69 1st place

Key Players

P Cole Hamels 4.32 ERA, 193.2 IP, 168 Ks

P Joe Blanton 4.05 ERA, 195.1 IP, 163 Ks

P Brad Lidge 61 Ks, 31-of-42 Saves

CF Shane Victorino .292 avg., 102 runs, 62 RBI, 25 SB

2B Chase Utley .282 avg., 31 HR, 93 RBI, 112 runs

SS Jimmy Rollins .250 avg., 21 HR, 77 RBI, 31 SB

1B Ryan Howard .279 avg., 45 HR, 141 RBI, .360 OBP

Key Additions

SP Roy Halladay

P Jose Contreras

IF Placido Polanco

RP Danys Baez

The biggest player move of the offseason was Halladay coming to Philly. He will bolster an already stellar starting rotation that features Hamels, Blanton, JA Happ and Jamie Moyer. Polanco will start at third, but his ability to fill the utility-man role gives Philadelphia injury insurance.

Key Subtractions

SS Miguel Cairo

SP Cliff Lee

SP Brett Myers

Cliff Lee was a big part of the Phillies’ post-season run, but Philadelphia had to give him up to secure Halladay. Philadelphia still came out ahead.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 5

Offense 5

Defense 4

Overall 14

After a pair of World Series appearance, it comes as no surprise the Phillies are the team to beat in the east, and maybe even the NL. Starting and relief pitching are stacked and Howard, Utley, Rollins, Werth and Victorino are studs at the plate.

Washington Nationals

2009: 59-113 5th place

Key Players

1B Adam Dunn .267 avg., 38 HR, 105 RBI

3B Ryan Zimmerman .292 avg., 33 HR, 106 RBI

CF Nyger Morgan .307 avg., 144 hits, 7 3Bs, 43 SB

Key Additions

SP Jason Marquis

RP Matt Capps

2B Adam Kennedy

C Ivan Rodriguez

The Nationals made some noise this offseason, with their biggest signing being Marquis. The right-hander got off to a great start with Colorado last year. It will be much easier to pitch in Washington. Speaking of pitchers, the Nationals also drafted highly-touted and crazy-talented Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 overall draft pick. If he develops the way scouts think he can, look out.

Key Subtractions

C Josh Bard

OF Austin Kearns

P Livan Hernandez

Bard only batted .230 last season. With Pudge Rodriguez behind the plate, offering veteran leadership, Bard won’t be missed.

Stats breakdown

Pitching 2

Offense 3

Defense 3

Overall 8

The Nationals are certainly improved, but hold off the celebratory parade in D.C. until it can be seen how the many new faces will gel with the guys in clubhouse. All in all, a lot of upside for the Nats.

Final NL East breakdown

Champion: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are the best team in the NL East. That’s why they’ve won the division the last three years running and gone to consecutive World Series. Florida (because of youth) and Washington (because of free agent signings) are on the rise though. The Mets signed plenty of big names, but will probably remain about a .500 team. Atlanta is treading water in the middle of the pack.