1984 National League Central Division Preview

Cincinnati Reds - 1983 Record: 102-60, 1st in NL Central

The Cincinnati Reds continued their tradition of winning last year, notching their 6th 100-win season in 7 years. However, they did not have much success in the Postseason; they were eliminated in the Division Series by the New York Mets.

Immediately following the playoffs, they shook things up quite a bit. They traded away franchise cornerstones Mitch Woodward and Antonio Perez to the San Francisco Giants, and they lost starters Max Fulkerson and Kiyoteru Ogura to free agency. The subtraction of these four players amounted to a lofty 15.9 WAR lost.

Despite these losses, Cincinnati still looks to compete. Much of the core that made up the great Reds teams of the past few years is still here. They can also expect some help coming from the farm system, with Doug DeSautel and others hoping to make the big league club at some point. All-in-all, the Cincinnati Reds are weaker than in past years, but still a well-balanced team that will compete for the division

Preseason Projected Record: 89-73, 1st in NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals - 1983 Record: 87-76, 2nd in NL Central

The St. Louis Cardinals saw a similar fate to the Reds in the 1983 Postseason, suffering a Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of those pesky Mets, after squeaking by in game 163 versus Pittsburgh. Also similarly to Cincinnati, they saw a bit of turn-over from their 1983 roster. The Cardinals shipped out former all-star first baseman Brent Wagner and brought in Jeff Childress from San Francisco to replace him. They also lost starters Sean Clark and Jeremiah Stubbs to free agency.

St. Louis was fairly dormant during the off-season. They made only minor additions through the Rule 5 Draft and trade. If the Cardinals want to replicate their past success, they will need contributions from a few key groups of players.

First, they will need their veterans to continue playing at a high level. Guys like reliever Jorge Gonzalez, middle infielders Roger MacNeill and Garrett Myron, outfielders Shane Herrera and Gerry Buckby, and third baseman Bill Underwood will have to dial in and play like they have proven they can. Second, they need the plethora of young guys on the team to make the leap and really establish themselves. The Cardinals are sporting youth at many positions on the team, and will be looking to get veteran production out of them. Finally, they need the ever-talented duo of Jesse Duch and Ken Brown to stay healthy. Duch is recovering from a torn labrum that abruptly ended his great rookie season in late September, and Ken Brown has struggled with a host of various injuries over the past few seasons.

If everything comes together for St. Louis, there is no reason to doubt that they will be in the running for the NL Central division crown once again. They have a diversity of talent, both young and old, hitting and pitching. The 1984 rendition of the Cardinals is fundamentally different from the team that won the World Series a few years ago, but there is enough the same that they can hope to set their sights on the same heights.

Preseason Projected Record: 80-82, 4th in NL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates - 1983 Record: 86-77, 3rd in NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in the playoff hunt up until the final day of the regular season; in fact, they were so in the hunt that they added a Game 163 to their schedule versus St. Louis. Unfortunately, they fell short in their final game, and the question, “What if?” will surely be left on the minds of Pittsburgh fans for a long time to come.

Following this disappointing end to the 1983 season, the Pirates went out and geared up to push for the playoffs harder. Pittsburgh made one of the biggest deals of the off-season early on, when they traded for ace pitcher Rich Hare from the Chicago White Sox. They also added many more players at a variety of positions: top pitching prospect Mike Howard; infielder Aaron Brands; Silvestre Sotto Mayor at third base; Carlos Carranza at shortstop; and Brett Gomez, Chris Cabrera, and Josh Heim in the outfield. These additions, combined with a weakening of the other top teams in the divisions, put the Pittsburgh Pirates in a prime spot to get back to the Postseason.

Preseason Projected Record: 87-75, 2nd in NL Central

Houston Astros - 1983 Record: 83-79, 4th in NL Central

Like most teams in the National League, the Houston Astros were in the running for a Wildcard spot in September, and they landed only a few games short. They mostly stayed put over the winter. The Astros only made a few significant additions to their major league roster: first baseman Antonio Rodriguez, who has shown promise in limited playing time for the Cubs; and Paul Seaver, a catcher with some quality major league experience under his belt with the Brewers.

While the projections are a bit low on the Astros, they should not be that bad. They boast an above-average pitching staff, but there will still be questions about their offensive production that their few additions can hopefully address. Houston also has some prospects that will be knocking on the door this upcoming season, namely Bob Schloss, Jeff Kelbley, and Charlie Allen. It is a safe assumption that the Houston Astros will hover around .500, with a chance to overachieve.

Preseason Projected Record: 75-87, 5th in NL Central

Chicago Cubs - 1983 Record: 77-85, 5th in NL Central

Last season was a disappointing one for the Chicago Cubs. The pitching staff and defense faltered (although there were some suspect managerial decisions), and their hitting numbers were not enough to make up for it. The Cubs managed to hold on in the Wildcard race, but fell off significantly in September to slip four games below .500.

Like the Astros, not much changed for Chicago during the off-season. The Cubs added and lost a few pieces, but nothing major. They are hoping a few things can go right this upcoming season. First, the Cubs are hoping for a return to playing above-average defense. The hope is that Justin Williams and Mike Colich can come in and revamp the infield. Second, the Cubs need some more production out of their pitching staff. They have an abundance of young pitching talent that has just not been able to translate their potential into results. Finally, Chicago just needs to wish for some big offensive seasons from their great hitters. Jeff Maske, Sam Davis, and Jared McCombs all showed great promise in 1983, and they need to find a way to do even better. If everything comes together for this team, they can hope to eye a Wildcard spot again this season.

Preseason Projected Record: 82-80, 3rd in NL Central

Conclusion

All signs point to the NL Central continuing to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. The ceiling has gotten lower, and the floor has raised a bit. There should be a good race involving all five teams for the NL Central crown. We just have to wait and see how things shake out on the field.