2012 NL Central Odds at Allpro. The National League Central is full of history. You have three of the oldest teams in all of baseball: The Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, along with the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers, who have enough history to go around them. The thing is, for teams that have so much history; you have a Division that has only been around since the advent of the Wild Card in 1995. And while it might not always be pretty, you have a division that is typically hard fought and full of surprises years in and year out.

In its 16 year history, the NL East has had four of its five teams take division titles. The Cardinals have the most with seven having captured the division crown in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004-2006 and 2009. The Astros follow with four titles in 1997-1999 and 2001. The Chicago Cubs have three titles in 2003, 2007 and 2008 while the Reds have won in 1995 and 2010. The Brewers have never won a NL Central crown, though they did get the Wild Card in 2008. In addition, the Cardinals (2001), the Astros (2004, 2005) and the Cubs (1998) have all represented the National League in the Wild Card.

The only team to win the World Series from the NL Central has been the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the title in 2006 after only winning 83 games during the season. The Cardinals defeated the equally surprising Detroit Tigers 4-1 in the Series. The Cardinals previously came up short in their 2004 World Series appearance, losing to the Boston Red Sox, who were that year’s team of destiny winning their first title in eight decades. Besides the Cardinals, the only other team from the NL Central to make an appearance in the World Series was the Astros. The Wild Card Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series.

In 2003, the Chicago Cubs were a mere 7 outs from making their first World Series 1908 when they fell apart in game 6 of the National League Championship Series and eventually lost to the Florida Marlins in seven games. The earlier first round win in the NLDS represented the Cubs first playoff series win since 1908.