High & Inside: NL Notes

While this city was cheering its team's NL East-Division-clinching win Monday, down at the other end of the standings, the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates were putting the finishing touches on capturing the worst record in baseball.

No other team in baseball can mathematically finish lower than the Buccos, who are at 56-102 after Wednesday's 4-1 loss to St. Louis.

But there is a silver lining to clinching the "Vile Card": The Pirates get the first pick in the 2011 June amateur draft. And, too, those poor Pirates fans, the hardy 19,919 per game that showed up this season, saw a better product at PNC Park this season, where the Bucs were an almost-decent 40-41. On the road, the team has been a horrid 16-61, with four games to play.

The Pirates cannot match their all-time worst season of 113 losses, set in 1890. Their modern futility record, 112 losses in 1952, is also out of reach. But if they drop three of their final four games against Florida, they would have 105 losses, eclipsing their 1985 mark of 104 defeats.

Former Houston Astros pitcher Brandon Backe is suing Galveston, Texas police, claiming his rights were violated in 2008 by police, who broke up a fight after a wedding.

Backe is among a dozen people suing Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley and City Manager Steven LeBlanc, alleging excessive force.

The city responded that events associated with the lawsuits were investigated and there is no factual support for the claims.

Wiley has said 13 officers were disciplined for paperwork failures over the incident.

Backe, a member of the wedding party, ignored police orders to back away from the fight, and struggled with officers who attempted to handcuff him, according to police reports.

One officer said he hit Backe twice in the face before handcuffing him. Both the officer and Backe suffered minor injuries during the fight, according to the police report.

Backe and two others in February pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of interfering with a police officer and failing to appear in court.

Backe, 32, was released by the Astros in June 2009 and did not play in the majors this season.

Now that the Cincinnati Reds have clinched the NL Central, joining the Phillies, who again rule the East, only one NL division remains unsolved: the West. The San Francisco Giants held a two-game lead over the fading San Diego Padres, following Tuesday night's 4-2 Giants win over the Diamondbacks, coupled with the Padres' 5-2 loss to the Cubs. Each team had five games remaining heading into Wednesday night's late games.

And the wild card? Our old chums, the Atlanta Braves, held a two-game lead over the Padres after Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Florida Marlins, pending the outcome of San Diego's game.