National League Central Preview

Chicago Cubs

New Manager Dusty Baker is looking to bring the magic he had with him in San Francisco to the Windy City. The Cubs have been lovable losers for far too long. The talent at hand is good enough to compete in the division. The pitching staff, which includes Kerry Wood, Matt Clement, Mark Prior and a re-made bullpen, is a strength. If Moises Alou can bounce back with a solid season and second baseman Bobby Hill and center fielder Corey Patterson come through, Chicago may smile again. Of course, they still need Sammy Sosa to be Sammy Sosa and another power year from surprising Mark Bellhorn should help.

St. Louis Cardinals

Albert Pujols might be the best run producer in the game. The Cardinals have a talented lineup but there are cracks and this team could be had. Manager Tony LaRussa will keep the team near the top and a full season of third baseman is certain to help. They've re-tooled the bench and shook up the starting staff. Those changes aren't necessarily for the good. The Cardinals held together through much worse in 2002. It's tough to count St. Louis out of anything.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Can the losing continue forever? Some think so. The sense is, though, the Pirates are on the move upward. They're not contenders just yet but they have enough pitching – particularly if Kris Benson becomes the ace most think he can be – and have improved the offense enough to make a little bit of noise and reach the .500 mark for the first time since 1992. A return to 2001 offense form by third baseman Aramis Ramirez will go a long way in helping the Pirates shed the loser's tag in 2003.

Houston Astros

They've tweaked the team, adding Jeff Kent among others. But the Astros always seem like a team on the verge of being really good and what they seem to do best is really disappoint. Manager Jimy Williams is solid but the feeling here is this situation is not going to work out the way everyone planned. Houston potentially could be the best team in the division. But potential doesn't win games and the Astros won't win nearly enough of them this season.

Cincinnati Reds

A glut of solid offensive players makes the Reds a dangerous opponent. The bullpen is strong as well. But Cincinnati doesn't have enough positions for all of its hitters and the starting pitching rotation is suspect at best. They're actually thinking about Jimmy Anderson. The Reds should move an outfielder or two and try to gain some starting pitching. Manager Bob Boone may be on a short leash with Bobby Valentine, a favorite of General Manager Jim Bowden, available.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers are coming off their worst season ever. A lot of the faces have changed. But Manager Ned Yost, President Ulice Payne and General Manager Doug Melvin are climbing a huge hill. Milwaukee has jettisoned a number of players as well. But when you're adding the likes of Keith Osik, John Vander Wal and Todd Ritchie, among others, that's not going to result in a whole lot more good fortune or victories.