It’s time to go over the National League and see how teams are trending. What’s a trends sheet? Basically, I will run down each team in the National League and alert you to what teams are hot, heating up, cooling down or cold. The game is heating up as teams start to get desperate. Let’s take a look at the National League to see who’s worth putting down some hard earned money on.

New York Mets: The New York Mets have had the NL East wrapped up for most of the season. As of this writing, their lead was 15.5 games with just a handful to go. They look to be resting somewhat. They are not as hot as they once were and are bouncing up and down.

Florida Marlins: They continue to be one of the hottest teams in baseball. They are winning at a 70% clip and look to be in a prime spot for the NL Wildcard.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have cooled down slightly. They are still treading waterwinning about 50% of their games. They are battling for the NL Wildcard.

Atlanta Braves: The dream of going back to the playoffs is fading fast. They gave it a run recently, but they have cooled some in the past two weeks.

Washington Nationals: They are winning 45-50% of their games and are pretty predictable.

National League Central

St. Louis Cardinals: After a brief scare from Cincinnati, the Cardinals are now back in first by a handful of games. Their play is up and down, but so is the rest of the division.

Cincinnati Reds: They are right in the thick of things for the NL Wildcard, but they are just treading water, which means they are slowly losing ground.

Houston Astros: They have been cooling off over the past two weeks. The writing appears to be on the wall.

Milwaukee Brewers: This team has continues to spiral down over the past two weeks. I won’t say they are ice cold, but there are pretty close.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates are no longer in last places thanks to their better play recently. They are heating up.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs are freezing cold. They are winning about 20% of their games of late.

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers: Just when it looked like the Dodgers were going to catch fire and run away with the West, they cool down. They are winning about 50% of their games now.

San Diego Padres: The Padres are primed to take the NL Wildcard spot and they are heating up.

San Francisco Giants: The Giants are hoping it’s not too little too late. They are on fire right nowwinning about 70% of their games.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The season is pretty move over for them and they know it. Their play has deteriorated of late. They are cooling off.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies are up and down. They were cooling down, but they have played well over the past week. Count on them to win about 45-50% of their games from here on out.

Author blogs on internet sports betting at SportsGamblingReview.com – sportsbook reviews site and blogs on baseball betting.

The Hero’s Journey is THE template upon which the most successful stories are based – ALL of the Academy Award winners (Best Film) of the past fifteen years (at least) are based upon it.

The Hero’s Journey is also simply a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. This is incredibly useful for screenwriters – it is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Below are some examples:

In Gladiator (2000) and Dances with Wolves (1990) – both Academy Award Winners Best Film – a Mentor or Supernatural Aid observes the hero from above a hilltop (from a distance, from above, afar). In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Marcus observes Indy from the edge of the classroom. In The Matrix (1999), Morpheus tells Neo “he has been watching him.”

Often the Mentor observes the hero engaged in an activity that demonstrates his capability or worthiness to pursue the Call to Adventure. The general observes John Dunbar carry out an extraordinary act of bravery (Dances with Wolves, 1990); Marcus Aurelius observes Maximus in battle (Gladiator, 2000); Marcus observes Indy display his capability as an archaeologist in the classroom Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981); Morpheus has observed Neo’s activites on the Net (The Matrix, 1999).

In The Incredibles (2004) and Star Wars (1977), both heroes are frustrated as they are prevented from following the Call to Adventure by a figure of authority and under the threat of some punishment (the Interdictor); Uncle Owen wants Luke to stay another harvest and Mr Incredible’s boss and the government do not allow Mr Incredible to act on his superhero impulses.

In both the above examples, an intolerable antagonism persuades the hero to consciously agree to the adventure. In The Incredibles (2004), Mr Incredible explodes when he sees an innocent being mugged in the street. In Star Wars (1977), Luke is persuaded after seeing the burnt bodies of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru.

The detailed deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.managing-creativity.com