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If Chris Carpenter had not swung so hard at that pitch earlier this year.

If Ryan Ludwick had not pulled a hammy running down a ball in the gap in Pittsburgh.

If Rick Ankiel had not run into the wall.

 If Khahil Greene was even a shadow of his former self.

The Cardinals—not the Dodgers—would be the talk of baseball.

With a quarter of the 2009 baseball season done, the Cardinals sit right where they want to be. In the thick of the National League Central race.

One of today's topics on ESPN radio's "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd was the television ratings crisis in Major League Baseball. The crisis is apparently so bad that it has prompted a meeting between the commissioners office and the executives at Fox.

How could this be?

I was driving a dead road on the northern part of Ohio, and I turned the radio on; the radio host said something interesting.

"We haven't had a championship in this town since, like, the 1800s, I don't know what's up. Maybe there's an Indian buried in Cleveland and we need to dig him up. Something to release this championship dry spell for Cleveland."

So that got me to thinking: Is there really a curse or bad omen in Cleveland?

"As time passes, my story fades away."

-Dave Dravercky

Dave Dravecky made his major-league debut with the San Diego Padres on June 15th, 1982.

Make no mistake about it, the Phillies are in the market for a pitcher.

Cole Hamels aside, their rotation is a mess; Brett Myers might be heading for the DL, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton have a combined ERA of 6.75, and J.A. Happ is largely unproven. Meanwhile, reports suggest that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has been very busy talking with other clubs about acquiring a starter. 

While the odds of landing Jake Peavy seem slim, the small chance that it could happen is enough to ponder what it would cost. 

Nolan Ryan. Bob Feller. Smokey Joe Wood. What did all these onetime phenomenal pitchers have in common?

They could throw a baseball fast. Really fast...

Hall of Famer Ryan, baseball’s all-time strikeout king, was clocked officially with the fastest pitch of all time, at 100.9 miles per hour in a game played on Aug. 20, 1974 against the Chicago White Sox.

The July 31 trade deadline is still two months away, a relatively small blip on the radar screen, to be sure, but the trade winds seem to always blow in baseball.

The Detroit Tigers, who many presumed would be weak in starting pitching, may soon have a surplus of hurlers ready, willing, and able to take the ball every fifth day. As a result of this reversal of fortunes, the Tigers may be in the rare position of “selling” at the deadline while remaining a strong playoff contender.

There are rumors that the Atlanta Braves are shopping right fielder Jeff Francoeur.

The Boston Red Sox may be looking for a replacement for J.D. Drew, a former Atlanta Brave and Georgia native.

The loss of Frenchy, as his teammates and fans affectionately call Francoeur, would be severe.

Francoeur grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and is one of the most popular Braves on the team. He played with and against Braves catcher Brian McCann on several Little League teams and the two are close friends.

Chances are, if you're not a fan of a team, you're probably not a fan of the announcer. While every announcer has their own style and quirks, some can just get under your skin.

DISCLAIMER: These people are announcing solely to their own fans (where people like me tune in on satellite radio or internet), and I respect them as broadcasters. Thus, my personal perspective likely does not reflect the lovability amongst the hometown fans.

You are about to read the inaugural edition of Reds Report. I am going to do my best to make this a weekly report on the state of baseball's first team, the Cincinnati Reds.  

So, in the words of my pal Kel Mitchell, "Awww, here it goes!"  

Wednesday, the Redlegs finished off a 6-3 home stand with a sweep of the Houston Astros. Bronson Arroyo delivered a 92-pitch complete game. Arroyo allowed just one earned run off of five hits.