Central Park: Brett Myers, Robbery, The Hawk, and Mike Quade

A look around the rest of the NL Central this week focuses on some positive news about the Astros and Cubs despite tough seasons and some bad news for one Brewers star. Lately, it’s been all bad news for the Cards as they try to stay afloat in the pennant race. Check out some of the big stories as we head into September.

Houston Astros

J.A. Happ added to the Cards misery with a two-hit shutout last night. Happ came to Houston in the Oswalt deal with Philadelphia. He’s not the only former Phillies hurler to find success on this team. Brett Myers has been a workhorse for the club all season.

Alex found some interesting info surrounding his year.

While there hasn’t been very much to cheer about this year for Astros fans, they were treated to some franchise history from an unlikely source on Saturday night. Houston pitcher Brett Myers became the first Astros player to pitch at least six innings in 27 consecutive starts. Myers is quietly having a solid season with 10 wins an ERA under 3.00. This is truly a remarkable accomplishment in my opinion. Most starters will get roughed up now and then and be forced to hand the game over to the bullpen early, but this has not been the case with Brett Myers, who played down the achievement and was concerned only with the team’s success. This shows that Myers limits the damage when he does allow runs and also that his manager has a lot of trust in him to work out of tough situations. Things are looking better by the day for the Astros as they have fought to within two games of the Brewers for third in the NL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers

Although they make millions of dollars, professional athletes are still vulnerable to the dangers of everyday society. This Sports Illustrated story is an example of just that as Milwaukee Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo was robbed at gunpoint just hours after pitching Friday night. Gallardo explains just how scary this trip to the grocery store with clubhouse attendant Alex Sanchez turned out to be. It seems that this type of situation is becoming more and more frequent for athletes recently. Unfortunately, their wealth makes them a great target for robberies. I am glad that Gallardo was not hurt in any way, especially considering he is having a great year and he became an all star for the first time.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have made it clear they want to make a splash when they hire a new manager this fall. They want someone who can generate a buzz, someone who understands the Cubs culture, and someone who can turn this thing around. Ryne Sandberg is the early favorite and seems to fit the organization’s needs. Joe Girardi also fits the bill and he has a World Series ring which always intrigues and wows during the process. But could Mike Quade, the longtime coach in the Cubs system and interim manager be the man for the job?

Andre Dawson may have gone into the Hall of Fame wearing a Montreal Expos cap, but Chicago will always be home for the Hawk. The city showed Dawson what passion for baseball was all about and rejuvenated his career. Dawson called Chicago and the Cubs faithful the wind beneath the Hawk’s wings during his induction speech in July. Monday, he was honored at Wrigley Field on “Andre Dawson Day.” He threw out the ceremonial first pitch and enjoyed his return home.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Jim McLennan breaks down the Historic Awfulness of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Not much else to say for the Bucs at this point.

Cincinnati Reds

I assume you’ve had enough of the Reds by now. And this weekend will only bring reminders of how Cincinnati is in control of the division. I’ll avoid posting any exciting links for the Red Machine of 2010 this time around. Maybe next week, the Redbirds will have made a dent in the lead.

Either way, who else is excited for Pete Rose’s celebration in Cincinnati later this month?