Series Wrapup

Story

The National League featured repeat-winners in the Eastern and Western Divisions in 2009, and a St. Louis Cardinals team that returned to the postseason after a two-year absence.

The Cardinals overcame injuries to several key players to claim their first division title since 2006, compiling a regular-season record of 91-71 that left them 7 ½ games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs, who they replaced at the top of the division standings.  St. Louis lost starting third baseman Troy Glaus for all but 14 games, southpaw hurler Mark Mulder for the entire year, and staff ace Chris Carpenter for the season’s first month.  Fortunately, Carpenter returned in time to team up with Adam Wainwright, to give the Cardinals the most formidable pitching duo in the senior circuit.  Carpenter finished 17-4 with a league-leading 2.24 ERA.  Wainwright compiled a record of 19-8, to lead all N.L. hurlers in victories.  He also topped the circuit with 233 innings pitched, compiled an outstanding 2.63 ERA, and struck out 212 batters.  Joel Pineiro contributed another 15 wins, and closer Ryan Franklin compiled a 1.92 ERA and converted 38 of his 43 save opportunities. 

Although the Cardinals finished near the middle of the league rankings in most offensive statistical categories, they featured the senior circuit’s best player in Albert Pujols.  The slugging first baseman earned his second straight MVP trophy, and the third of his career, by batting .327, driving in 135 runs, and leading the league with 47 home runs, 124 runs scored, 374 total bases, a .443 on-base percentage, and a .658 slugging average.  Matt Holliday also gave the team a huge lift after coming over from Oakland during the season’s second half, batting .353, hitting 13 homers, and driving in 55 runs in his 63 games with the club.

Despite finishing third in the division, 11 games behind the first-place Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers featured two of the league’s top performers.  Prince Fielder batted .299, scored 103 runs, tied for the league lead with 141 runs batted in, and placed second in the circuit to Pujols with 46 home runs, 356 total bases, and a .602 slugging average.  Ryan Braun also had an exceptional year for the Brewers, hitting 32 home runs and finishing among the league leaders with 114 runs batted in, 113 runs scored, and a .320 batting average. 

While the Cardinals returned to the top of the N.L. Central after a two-year hiatus, the Los Angeles Dodgers captured their second straight Western Division title, edging out the runner-up Colorado Rockies by a slim three-game margin with a league-best record of 95-67.  The Rockies, though, advanced to the postseason as the senior circuit’s wild-card entry.

The Rockies’ powerful offense enabled them to make the playoffs for just the third time in their 17-year history.  Colorado finished second in the league with 804 runs scored and 190 home runs.  Outfielder Brad Hawpe batted .285, hit 23 homers, knocked in 86 runs, and scored 82 others.  First baseman Todd Helton drove in 86 runs and placed among the league leaders with a .325 batting average.  Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki earned a top-five finish in the N.L. MVP balloting by batting .297, hitting 32 homers, driving in 92 runs, and scoring 101 others.

Los Angeles remained the division's most well-balanced team, compiling a league-high .270 team batting average, placing fourth in the circuit with 780 runs scored, and leading the league with a 3.41 team ERA.  Although no Dodger hurler won more than 12 games, the team received solid performances from three young pitchers who showed a great deal of promise.  Chad Billingsley led the staff with 12 victories and struck out 179 batters in 196 innings of work.  Hard-throwing 21-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw finished the year just 8-8, but he led the team with a 2.79 ERA and 185 strikeouts.  Closer Jonathan Broxton won seven games and converted 36 of his 42 save opportunities. 

The trio of James Loney, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier paced the Dodgers on offense.  First baseman Loney batted .281 and knocked in 90 runs.  Centerfielder Kemp hit 26 homers, knocked in 101 runs, scored 97 others, and batted .297.  Right-fielder Ethier batted .272, scored 92 runs, and led the team with 31 home runs and 106 runs batted in. 

The Philadelphia Phillies also repeated as division champions in the East, claiming their third straight division title by finishing the season with a record of 93-69, six games ahead of the runner-up Florida Marlins, and seven games in front of the third-place Atlanta Braves.  The young Marlins featured the division’s finest all-around player in shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who hit 24 home runs, knocked in 106 runs, scored 101 others, stole 27 bases, and led the league with a .342 batting average.  His exceptional play earned him a second-place finish in the N.L. MVP voting.

In spite of the efforts of Ramirez, the Phillies remained the class of the division.  Philadelphia possessed only mediocre pitching, ranking sixth in the league with a 4.16 team ERA and lacking a true staff ace for much of the season.  However, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians just prior to the trading deadline, giving them the quality starter they so desperately needed at the top of their rotation.  Lee compiled a record of 7-4 and an ERA of 3.39 for Philadelphia over the season’s final two months.

The Phillies’ greatest strength remained their potent offense, which topped the senior circuit with 820 runs scored and 224 home runs.  Left-fielder Raul Ibanez hit 34 home runs, knocked in 93 runs, and scored 93 others.  Right-fielder Jayson Werth blossomed into a star, hitting 36 homers, driving in 99 runs, and scoring 98 times.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino batted .292, scored 102 runs, and stole 25 bases.  Shortstop Jimmy Rollins had something of an off year, batting only .250 and compiling just a .296 on-base percentage.  But he still managed to hit 21 homers, drive in 77 runs, steal 31 bases, and score 100 runs.  Second baseman Chase Utley had another outstanding year, batting .282, compiling a .397 on-base percentage, homering 31 times, knocking in 93 runs, and scoring 112 times.  Slugging first baseman Ryan Howard earned a third-place finish in the N.L. MVP voting by batting .279, scoring 105 runs, tying for the league lead with 141 runs batted in, and finishing among the leaders with 45 home runs and a .571 slugging percentage.

The Phillies experienced few problems in earning a return-trip to the World Series.  They first defeated the Colorado Rockies in four games in the first round of the postseason tournament.  They then needed only five games to dispose of a Dodger team that earlier swept the Cardinals in three straight games in the other Division Series. 

However, the Phillies met their match when they faced the New York Yankees in the World Series.  Led by the powerful hitting of Hideki Matsui, the Yankees defeated their National League counterparts in six games.  Cliff Lee and Chase Utley starred in defeat for the Phillies.  Lee posted Philadelphia’s only two victories, handcuffing New York’s lineup in Games One and Five.  Meanwhile, Utley hammered Yankee pitching for five home runs and eight runs batted in.

Other outstanding performers, notable events, and points of interest from around the league follow:

• January 22 -Jeff Kent announced his retirement after 17 seasons.  He hit more home runs than any other second baseman in major league history.

• April 13 - Harry Kalas, play-by-play announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies, died of a heart attack after collapsing in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park before the game with the Washington Nationals.

• April 17 - Gary Sheffield of the New York Mets hit his 500th career home run while pinch-hitting against the Milwaukee Brewers.

• June 4 – San Francisco’s Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher in major league history to win 300 games.

• June 9 – The Washington Nationals selected San Diego State right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.

• June 21 – The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 12-5 at Kauffman Stadium, giving Tony La Russa his 2,500th victory as a manager.  La Russa became just the third manager in major league history to reach the 2,500-win plateau, joining Connie Mack (3,831) and John McGraw (2,763).

• July 10 – At AT&T Park, San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres, shutting them out 8-0.
 
• September 23 – The Atlanta Braves announced that Bobby Cox intended to retire from his managerial position at the conclusion of the 2010 campaign and immediately thereafter enter into a five-year contract with the club that would enable him to continue serving as a consultant within the organization.

• Chicago’s Derrek Lee hit 35 home runs, knocked in 111 runs, and batted .306.

• San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez hit 40 homers, drove in 99 runs, scored 90 others, and batted .277.

• San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum earned his second consecutive Cy Young Award by going 15-7, with a 2.48 ERA and a league-leading 261 strikeouts.

• Giants teammate Pablo Sandoval hit 25 home runs, knocked in 90 runs, and placed second in the league with a .330 batting average.

Seasons of the National League

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