The composition of the division has changes as teams have moved around
and other divisions have been formed. Here is how the NL Central has
looked over time.
Result: Swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in Divisional Series, swept by
the Atlanta Braves in Championship Series
1996: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Swept the San Diego Padres in Divisional Series, lost to
Atlanta 4-3 in Championship Series
1997: Houston Astros
Result: Swept by Atlanta in Divisional Series
1998: Houston Astros
Result: Lost to San Diego 3-1 in Divisional Series
1999: Houston Astros
Result: Lost to Atlanta 3-1 in Divisional Series
2000: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Swept Atlanta in Divisional Series, lost to the New York Mets
4-1 in Championship Series
2001: Houston Astros†
Result: Swept by Atlanta in Divisional Series
2002: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in Divisional Series, lost to
the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in Championship Series
2003: Chicago Cubs
Result: Won Divisional Series 3-2 over Atlanta, lost to the Florida
Marlins 4-3 in Championship Series
2004: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Won Divisional Series 3-1 over Los Angeles, Won Championship
Series 4-3 over Houston, Swept by the Boston Red Sox in World Series
2005: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Swept San Diego in Divisional Series, Lost to Houston 4-2 in
Championship Series
† - The Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals finished the 2001
season tied for first place with identical records. Houston won the season
series against St. Louis and was awarded the tie-breaker; St. Louis was
awarded the wild card berth. Had a team from another division won the wild
card, a one game playoff would have decided the division champion.
Wildcards
The wildcard is given to
the team in each league with the best record that did not win its division
and was first introduced in 1995. Since then four NL Central teams have
won this award.
1998: Chicago Cubs
Result: Swept by Atlanta in Divisional Series
2001: St. Louis Cardinals
Result: Lost to Arizona 3-2 in Divisional Series
2004: Houston Astros
Result: Won the Divisional Series 3-2 over Atlanta, Lost to St. Louis
4-3 in Championship Series
2005: Houston Astros
Result: Won the Divisional Series 3-1 over Atlanta, won the
Championship Series 4-2 over St. Louis, swept by the Chicago White Sox in
the World Series
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