Proppin' the AL Central, droppin' the NL Central

FIVE UP

	Chicago's Brian Anderson and Danish author Hans Christian Andersen have a deeper connection than just similar surnames. Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images
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AL Central: It seems like only yesterday that this division was the nationwide butt of every baseball joke (everybody loves some good diamond drollery). But then this ugly duckling was Hans Christian Andersenized: Nowadays the AL Central is no longer clumsy dark gray bird, ugly and hateful to look at, but a -- swan!

The American League has stomped the National League in interleague play, recording a 127-75 record. And it has been a feeding frenzy for the AL Central's top three teams -- Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota -- as they have each won nine of their last 10 games. While the Indians continue to underachieve, the downtrodden Royals have taken nine of their last 13 (pinch yourself, if necessary). Adding to the excitement, the division boasts baseball's leader in average (Joe Mauer at .392), a bevy of All-Star-caliber mashers (Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, Travis Hafner, Justin Morneau and Magglio Ordoñez, to name a few), two viable Cy Young candidates (Johan Santana and Jose Contreras) and baseball's two most electrifying rookie starters (Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander). But most importantly, the division features three teams that can do some damage if they make the postseason. Chicago showed its October savvy last year. Detroit hasn't been to the postseason in almost two decades, and it's easy to think they'd be in over their heads, but the Tigers are well-rounded, with solid pitching from top to bottom and a battle-tested manager. And although Minnesota still has a ton of ground to make up, the Twins would be a scary matchup if they snuck into the postseason. Why? Well, you think any team would enjoy facing Santana and Liriano twice each in a five-game series?  

Red Sox vs. NL East:  Nobody has tormented the NL more than the wicked-hot Sawx. Boston, which has only played NL East teams, holds a 13-1 overall mark in interleague play, including 11 straight wins entering today (the team's first winning streak of more than 10 games since 1995). During the 11-game stretch, Boston's pounded opposing pitching to the tune of a .339 batting average and 87 runs. Combine this with the fact that starting pitchers have posted quality starts in nine of the 11 wins, and the streak is easy to understand. Adding fuel to the fire, Wednesday's win came against former teammate Pedro Martinez, whom the Sox touched up for eight runs in just three innings.

Jason Bay, All-Star Game starter: Pittsburgh may be in the middle of a 13-game losing streak (its worst stretch since 1955), but public support for the Pirates is as high as it's ever been. With All-Star voting ending Thursday night at 11:59 p.m., Jason Bay is currently the leading vote-getter among NL outfielders, ahead of big names such as Carlos Beltran, Alfonso Soriano and Ken Griffey Jr. Bay was nowhere near the top when vote numbers were first released last month, but an aggressive campaign by the small-market team has skyrocketed Bay into the starting lineup for the All-Star Game, which will be held at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. A friend from Pittsburgh told me that the movement has completely overtaken the city: "Vote online up to 25 times daily" has become more prevalent than Steeltown's signature chant, "Here we go, Steelers." Bay, a native of Trail, B.C., has also received much support from his brethren to the North. And according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder recently finished up a concert in Pittsburgh by pleading with fans to "vote for better leadership for the country and Jason Bay for the All-Star Game."

Curtis Granderson: On a team chock full of steady contributors, Granderson's five-tool production gets lost in the shuffle. Besides patrolling center field in flawless fashion (he hasn't made an error in 147 career games), the 25-year-old generates an abundance of offense out of the leadoff spot. Quite possibly the most underrated leadoff hitter in the majors (Kevin Youkilis and Gary Matthews Jr. deserve more props too), Granderson is currently hitting .289 with 11 home runs and 52 runs. He leads regular leadoffs in walks (44), shares the RBI lead with Johnny Damon (42) and ranks third in on-base percentage (.378). But the most impressive thing about the young hitter is the way he sprays balls to all fields with power. He does need to cut back on strikeouts, though, as he ranks third in all of baseball with 86.

Peter Gammons' health: Gloria Gammons released a statement saying her husband "is resting comfortably after surgical repair of a brain aneurysm." Like everyone else, my thoughts are with one of the greatest baseball journalists ever. Among many other achievements, the Hall of Famer pioneered the "Baseball Notes" column. But the thing that has always stood out the most to me about Gammons is a passage from Michael Lewis' Moneyball. In the passage, Lewis chronicles the actions of A's GM Billy Beane right before the trade deadline. After Beane refuses to speak with scoop-hungry reporters all night, Gammons calls and the code of silence abruptly ends:

"It's different when Peter Gammons calls. The difference between Gammons and the other reporters is that Gammons might actually tell him something he doesn't know."

Basically, Gammons has an "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" relationship with general managers. Now that is insider status.