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Generally speaking, being in first place on Memorial Day is a good sign of things to come. Memorial Day typically marks the one-third mark for the Major League Baseball season, and by this point you have a pretty good idea of which teams are going to be in the running and which teams are dead and buried.
For instance, it’s fairly common knowledge on May 29 that the Royals aren’t going to be challenging for the AL Central crown at 11-37, 22 1/2 games behind the 35-16 Tigers. Of course, we probably knew that the Royals wouldn’t be contenders entering the season anyway, but now we’re certain of it.
At the same time, there aren’t many people outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth region who expected the Rangers to be in first place come Memorial Day, and I’d be willing to bet that even some of the more loyal Rangers fans would have to be honest with themselves before claiming that they saw it coming.
How good of an indicator of future success is being in first place on Memorial Day? Since 1990 (excluding the strike year of 1994), the 82 division leaders on the last Monday in May have gone on to hold their leads and win their divisions 47 times. That’s a 57% rate.
In 2005, the Marlins, Cardinals, Padres, Orioles, White Sox and Rangers were leading their divisions on Memorial Day. At the end of the year, the Cards, Padres and White Sox held on. while the Braves, Red Sox and Angels rallied up to win theirs.
Three of the six teams leading on Memorial Day in 2004 ended up carrying their divisions at the end of the year as well. Only once since 1990 have all six teams ahead on Memorial Day won their division; that was in 1998, when the Braves, Astros, Padres, Yankees, Indians and Rangers pulled it off. The fewest teams to manage the feat since realignment in 1995 was two, occurring in 1995 and in 2001.
So while a Memorial Day lead is a fairly good indicator, it’s far from a guarantee. Just ask the 2005 Baltimore Orioles, the 2004 Cincinnati Reds or the 2001 Philadelphia Phillies (three teams to suffer huge dropoffs from Memorial Day through the end of their respective seasons).
As of May 29th this season, the Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Mets, Cardinals and Diamondbacks are leading the way. According to the trends of the past 15 full seasons, about half of those teams will end up holding on to win their divisions.
Best Bets
I expect the Tigers, Cardinals and Diamondbacks to hold on their leads.
Though the Tigers only have a two-game lead in the AL Central on the defending World Series champion White Sox, their team is built to hold onto that lead. Detroit's pitching has been superlative, and the Tigers may have a rotation that’s more solid up and down than the White Sox. The Tigers lead MLB with a 3.36 ERA, with the White Sox a distant sixth at 4.13. The Detroit rotation has compiled a 3.39 ERA thus far, led by Justin Verlander’s 2.55 ERA and 7-3 record. Nate Robertson is enjoying a breakout year with a 5-2 mark and a 3.02 ERA. Former 20-game loser Mike Maroth is faring much better in 2006 with a 5-2 record and a 3.56 ERA. Kenny Rogers is 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA. Jeremy Bonderman rounds out the young rotation (other than Rogers), going 5-4 thus far with a 4.61 ERA. In the bullpen, Todd Jones has shown he remains the solid closer he proved to be in Florida last season, saving 16 games with a 3.12 ERA. Joel Zumaya is proving to be the closer of the future, putting up a 3.22 ERA and averaging 10.88 strikeouts per nine innings. It’s safe to assume, based on track record, that the Tigers may be pitching over their heads. The league average for team ERA is hovering around 4.50, meaning that Detroit has pitched a run better than the rest of the league. That’s a historically dominating team pitching performance.
While it’s safe to assume that the pitching will drop off slightly, it’s also reasonable to assume that Detroit's hitting should pick up. The Tigers are currently 12th in baseball in runs scored, seventh in team batting average and eighth in team OPS. Not shabby by any means, but the team is getting next to nothing out of injured Dmitri Young, a .217 batting average from Brandon Inge, a .254 average from Craig Monroe and just three homers from Ivan Rodriguez. Chris Shelton has cooled off slightly, but that has coincided with the resurgence of Magglio Ordonez. Thus the potential is there for the lineup to be even better.
In the NL Central, no team is on the same level as the Cardinals (unless Houston gets Roger Clemens back). The Cards are second in baseball and tops in the NL with a 3.81 team ERA. The Reds, who trail the Cardinals by four games, are way back in 12th in team ERA at 4.44. St. Louis also is tops in the NL Central in runs scored, batting average and team OPS. Oh, and some guy named Pujols is destroying nearly every baseball thrown to him. The Reds are close, but they can’t make up that gap with the pitching being so inferior compared to the Cardinals’ rotation. Chris Carpenter is on the DL, which hurts, but the Cardinals’ rotation is one of the deepest around with Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, Sidney Ponson and Jason Marquis. In the bullpen, St. Louis is led by Jason Isringhausen and his 16 saves. Adam Wainwright, Josh Hancock, Brad Thompson, Randy Flores and Braden Looper round out a pen that hasn’t skipped a beat despite returning just one pitcher from 2005 (Isringhausen). The Reds may wind up holding on to second place in the NL Central, but they’re not going to unseat the Cards.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are a better team than given credit for, and they have the fortune of playing in a weak NL West. The division has played better this season than in 2005, when the 82-80 Padres made the playoffs. This season, all five teams were sporting records at least at .500 entering Memorial Day. That won’t last, as Colorado will surely finish below .500, as will either San Diego or San Francisco. The team best able to give Arizona a run for its money is the Dodgers, and they’re a shaky bet with the injury risks that dot their lineup.
Arizona is a surprisingly balanced team, sitting in seventh place overall with a team ERA of 4.15 and eighth overall with 262 runs scored. The starters have posted a 4.35 ERA, led by Brandon Webb and his 8-0 record and 2.18 ERA. Webb is one of the better pitchers in baseball thus far, and his control so far has been remarkable (walking nine batters in 82.2 innings). Miguel Batista is 4-2 with a 4.60 ERA and has also been pitching well. Claudio Vargas, Juan Cruz and Russ Ortiz round out the rotation and may be question marks, but Arizona has enough minor league depth to swing a trade for a Barry Zito or a Dontrelle Willis to augment a playoff run (unfortunately for them, the Dodgers have that ability as well). The Diamondbacks' 3.79 bullpen ERA has been a pleasant surprise, though they need more consistency from appointed closer Jose Valverde. He has saved 14 games thus far, but his 5.03 ERA isn’t going to get it done down the stretch.
At the plate, the Diamondbacks aren’t going to kill you with the long ball, but they have a solid lineup. Chad Tracy is building on his superb 2005 with eight homers, a .292 average and a .849 OPS so far. Eric Byrnes may wind up the 2006 comeback player of the year and appears to have found a home in the desert. Byrnes went from Oakland to Colorado to Baltimore in 2005, but in 2006 he’s not going anywhere while hitting .322 with six homers and a .938 OPS. Top prospect Conor Jackson is proving that he can live up to the expectations as he’s hitting .297 with five homers and a .861 OPS. Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez are having their usually solid seasons as well. Arizona also plays solid defense. However, it's not going to be easy for the Snakes to hold off the Dodgers (who are outhitting and outpitching them right now), but Arizona has the potential to get better. Keeping that in mind, as well as the fact that Nomar Garciaparra and J.D. Drew will likely spend significant time on the disabled list this season for L.A., and the Diamondbacks should continue to lead the division throughout.
Worst Bets
The Red Sox, Rangers and Mets are the three teams poised to fall out of their present frontrunning spots.
Boston's lineup was the premier one in baseball the past two seasons. This season, the Red Sox are seventh in baseball with 265 runs scored. They’re trailing AL East contenders Toronto and New York in that department. The Red Sox currently are 13th in team ERA at 4.47, five spots below the Yankees. Boston's rotation isn’t that good (4.78 ERA), and Jonathan Papelbon is about the only saving grace in the bullpen. Manny Ramirez has finally broken out of his early-season slump, but there are still significant weak spots in the lineup. Jason Varitek is only hitting .232, and Alex Gonzalez is hitting .227 (with a staggering .295 OBP). David Ortiz is hitting homers, but not for the same average or OPS as he has in seasons past (he’s at .270 and .915, respectively, in 2006). Coco Crisp was supposed to be the answer in center field, but he’s played just six games thus far. The Sox have been pleasantly surprised by Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Mark Loretta, and they should wind up closer to the top of the league in runs scored before everything’s said and done.
However, Boston's pitching figures to continue to struggle. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have been good thus far, with Beckett putting up a 7-1 record and a 3.80 ERA, while Schilling has managed an 8-2 record and a 3.93 ERA. The rest of the rotation has been unstable. The Red Sox have five guys in the bullpen that they have been relying on, and only two of them are sure things. The Yankees aren’t much better in the pen, but they are pitching and hitting better so far. The Yankees will likely catch up to Boston and overtake their rival.
The Rangers have a surprising three-game lead over the A’s, but they’re only 26-24, and the other three teams in their division should make up ground. The pitching in Texas isn’t very good, as the Rangers are 18th in baseball with a 4.81 ERA. Both the Mariners and A’s are pitching better than Texas. The Rangers are leading the AL West because they’re outhitting the A’s, Mariners and Angels by a significant margin.
Texas is 9th in the league in runs scored with 258. On the other hand, Seattle is 20th with 234 runs, Oakland is 23rd (223) and the Angels are 25th (221). What’s surprising is that Texas isn’t hitting home runs at its typical pace. Kevin Mench leads the team with 10. Mark Teixeira only has five and is hitting just .284. Michael Young is hitting .311, but can improve on that. Phil Nevin has nine homers, as does Brad Wilkerson. Neither of them are hitting that well (.220 and .262, respectively). The lineup is going to be better, but it’s reasonable to assume the pitching will fall off.
The Texas rotation is running basically four deep at this point. Kevin Millwood is supposed to be the ace, but he’s putting up a 4.88 ERA with a 5-3 record. Vicente Padilla, Kameron Loe and John Koronka are all posting remarkably similar numbers. Every starter is in the mid 4.00 ERA range, all are in the 1.35 WHIP range, and all have about 65 innings pitched under their belts. Akinori Otsuka has taken the closer’s job with his 2.31 ERA and eight saves from Francisco Cordero. The Texas pitching isn’t at the level of Oakland's or even Seattle's. Though the Rangers will outhit both of those teams and the Angels easily, the pitching and the bullpen will come back to bite them. The A’s will likely turn it on around midseason and blow past the Rangers en route to a division title.
The Mets are one of the more talented teams in baseball and have a four-game lead over the Braves in the NL East. They’re even outpitching the Braves by a comfortable margin. The Mets are third in baseball with a 3.89 ERA, while the Braves are 10th with a 4.36 ERA. What’s surprising that the Braves are outhitting the potent Mets, scoring 267 runs compared to the Mets’ 246. But considering how much better the pitching has been, it bodes well for the Mets. So why are they in this category? Because the Braves are the Braves. They were trailing the Marlins at Memorial Day in the previous two seasons and came back to take the division. The Mets have gotten superb production out of the middle of the lineup, but the rest of the squad leaves something to be desired. Carlos Delgado has 15 homers and a .263 average, while David Wright is hitting .333 with eight homers. Carlos Beltran is hitting .277 but has an impressive 14 homers. Even Xavier Nady has gotten into the act with nine homers while batting .270. Cliff Floyd has been a disappointment with his .219 average, as has Jose Reyes with his .322 OBP and Kazuo Matsui with his .250 OBP. The fringe guys need to pick up the production for the Mets to maintain first place.
What the Mets won’t have to worry about is the front of their rotation. Tom Glavine is having a fantastic season with his 8-2 record and his 2.59 ERA. So is Pedro Martinez, 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 80 Ks. Behind Glavine and Martinez, things get shaky. Steve Trachsel has compiled his usual 4.99 ERA. Victor Zambrano may never pitch again, so the Mets went out and traded for Orlando Hernandez. Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez shouldn’t be in a big-league rotation, but both have made three disastrous starts. Brian Bannister pitched well in his five starts, but he’s not a guy that the Mets can depend on yet. The bullpen has been solid, with Aaron Heilman and Duaner Sanchez making names for themselves with ERAs below 2.40. Billy Wagner has saved 11 games, but has been shaky of late. He should settle down. Regardless, the Mets need to find starters and a quality leadoff hitter to hold off the Braves. If not, it seems like it will be another year that the Braves beat a more talented team for the NL East crown.
The Braves loss a game against the Padres that only had two hits and they still manage to get the victory. It was the second time since 1985 that the Padres win a game with only two hits although the Braves had 5 hits only scored once in a game that was played in one of the toughest field to score the Petco Park.
The Braves are having a regular season so far. They are in third place in the NL East just behind the Mets and Philadelphia and if they want to have a chance to reach any of those two teams they’ll need to start playing better baseball. They are having some problems in the bullpen especially with Sosa that hasn’t been the pitcher he was last season at all.
If Sosa manages to play like he did last year that will bring some depth to the bullpen that can give some continuity to this team. Hopefully they’ll get into a winning streak that allows them to get closer to Philadelphia and New York.
Lineup
1. Marcus Giles, 2nd B. 2. Edgar Renteria, SS. 3. Chipper Jones, 3rd B, 4. Andruw Jones, CF. Jeff Francoeur, RF. 6. Ryan Langerhans, LF. 7. Brian Jordan, 1st B. 8. Todd Pratt, C. 9. Jorge Sosa, P.
It seems that lately the Dodgers like to beat up the teams the play against. Last week against the Rockies Kenny Lofton hit a two-run triple, J.D. Drew tripled home another run and the Dodgers extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with an 8-1 victory on Tuesday night.
"It's nice to know that we're going to put up some runs out there," starter Brad Penny said. "You knew Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal were going to come around and start hitting the ball, because they're too good not to. Our defense is playing real good right now. We're not making the stupid mistakes we were earlier, and we're not making the stupid mistakes as pitchers that we were earlier when the team wasn't hitting."
They’re in second place in the NL West behind Arizona and if they continue to play like they’ve been playing, they will certainty reach first place. It should be a good season for the Dodgers that have a great team; they just needed some important hitters like Kenny Lofton, Rafael Furcal and Jeff Kent to come around.
This match up between the Dodgers and Braves will be very exciting for all the sports betting enthusiasts to make some bets, since both teams need the victory it should be a great game.
Lineup
1. Rafael Furcal, SS. 2. Kenny Lofton, CF. 3. Nomar Garciaparra, 1st B. 4. J.D. Drew, RF. 5. Jeff Kent, 2nd B. 6. Willy Aybar, 3rd B. 7. Andre Ethier, LF. 8. Russell Martin, C. 9. Brad Penny, P
The Braves are having a regular season so far. They are in third place in the NL East just behind the Mets and Philadelphia and if they want to have a chance to reach any of those two teams they’ll need to start playing better baseball. They are having some problems in the bullpen especially with Sosa that hasn’t been the pitcher he was last season at all.
If Sosa manages to play like he did last year that will bring some depth to the bullpen that can give some continuity to this team. Hopefully they’ll get into a winning streak that allows them to get closer to Philadelphia and New York.
Lineup
1. Marcus Giles, 2nd B. 2. Edgar Renteria, SS. 3. Chipper Jones, 3rd B, 4. Andruw Jones, CF. Jeff Francoeur, RF. 6. Ryan Langerhans, LF. 7. Brian Jordan, 1st B. 8. Todd Pratt, C. 9. Jorge Sosa, P.
It seems that lately the Dodgers like to beat up the teams the play against. Last week against the Rockies Kenny Lofton hit a two-run triple, J.D. Drew tripled home another run and the Dodgers extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with an 8-1 victory on Tuesday night.
"It's nice to know that we're going to put up some runs out there," starter Brad Penny said. "You knew Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal were going to come around and start hitting the ball, because they're too good not to. Our defense is playing real good right now. We're not making the stupid mistakes we were earlier, and we're not making the stupid mistakes as pitchers that we were earlier when the team wasn't hitting."
They’re in second place in the NL West behind Arizona and if they continue to play like they’ve been playing, they will certainty reach first place. It should be a good season for the Dodgers that have a great team; they just needed some important hitters like Kenny Lofton, Rafael Furcal and Jeff Kent to come around.
This match up between the Dodgers and Braves will be very exciting for all the sports betting enthusiasts to make some bets, since both teams need the victory it should be a great game.
Lineup
1. Rafael Furcal, SS. 2. Kenny Lofton, CF. 3. Nomar Garciaparra, 1st B. 4. J.D. Drew, RF. 5. Jeff Kent, 2nd B. 6. Willy Aybar, 3rd B. 7. Andre Ethier, LF. 8. Russell Martin, C. 9. Brad Penny, P
PNC Park
The Houston Astros got back on track Friday night behind an unlikely standout and the return of an old one. Adam Everett hit a two-out, three-run double in the eighth inning and closer Brad Lidge retired three straight in the ninth to get the save in the Houston Astros' 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
It was about time for the Houston Astros to get a victory. It was a much needed one because after the sweep they suffered at home the players weren’t that motivated. With the victory at least the Astros got a little boost in their morale to continue fighting for that first place in their division.
"I was just trying to prolong the inning and get the next guy up there," said Everett, who bats eighth. "It's one of those at-bats that I'll always remember because it was my first game-winning hit. That's pretty exciting."
Oswalt pitched 6 strong innings allowing a season high 11 hits, but with all that he did a pretty good job and got the victory fro m the Rangers.
Lineup
1. Willy Taveras, CF. 2.Craig Biggio, 2nd B. 3. Lance Berkman, RF. 4.Morgan Ensberg, 3rd B. 5. Mike Lamb, 1st B. 6. Brad Ausmus, C. 7.Preston Wilson, LF. 8. Adam Everett, SS. 9.Roy Oswalt, P.
Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a loss against a very focus and talented Indians team lead by C.C Sabathia. The Pirates went down 4-1 on Friday night. “The way (Sabathia) was throwing, it felt like we were down by 10," said Pirates left fielder Jason Bay, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and had a 10-game hitting streak stopped.
Zach Duke pitched 7 innings for the Pirates; he got 4 hits, 3 runs and 3 errors that cost them a lot. Duke allowed only one hit over his final six innings but lost his third consecutive start. He issued two walks in both the fourth and fifth innings but escaped those jams in his first career start against an AL team. The left-hander walked six and struck out six over seven innings.
"I made bad pitches in the first inning, but I was very happy with the way I pitched after that," Duke said.
This week the Pirates match-up against the Astros and they have the opportunity to add some victories that will do a lot of good to this team that’s struggling in NL Central. So if you like a sport betting this is a good opportunity to bet in what many expect to be a very exciting game.
Lineup
1. Jose Bautista, CF. 2.Jack Wilson, SS. 3.Freddy Sanchez, 3rd B. 4. Jason Bay, LF. 5. Craig Wilson, 1st B. 6. Ryan Doumit, DH. 7. Jeromy Burnitz, RF. 8.Ronny Paulino, C. 9.Jose Castillo, 2nd B.
The Houston Astros got back on track Friday night behind an unlikely standout and the return of an old one. Adam Everett hit a two-out, three-run double in the eighth inning and closer Brad Lidge retired three straight in the ninth to get the save in the Houston Astros' 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
It was about time for the Houston Astros to get a victory. It was a much needed one because after the sweep they suffered at home the players weren’t that motivated. With the victory at least the Astros got a little boost in their morale to continue fighting for that first place in their division.
"I was just trying to prolong the inning and get the next guy up there," said Everett, who bats eighth. "It's one of those at-bats that I'll always remember because it was my first game-winning hit. That's pretty exciting."
Oswalt pitched 6 strong innings allowing a season high 11 hits, but with all that he did a pretty good job and got the victory fro m the Rangers.
Lineup
1. Willy Taveras, CF. 2.Craig Biggio, 2nd B. 3. Lance Berkman, RF. 4.Morgan Ensberg, 3rd B. 5. Mike Lamb, 1st B. 6. Brad Ausmus, C. 7.Preston Wilson, LF. 8. Adam Everett, SS. 9.Roy Oswalt, P.
Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a loss against a very focus and talented Indians team lead by C.C Sabathia. The Pirates went down 4-1 on Friday night. “The way (Sabathia) was throwing, it felt like we were down by 10," said Pirates left fielder Jason Bay, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and had a 10-game hitting streak stopped.
Zach Duke pitched 7 innings for the Pirates; he got 4 hits, 3 runs and 3 errors that cost them a lot. Duke allowed only one hit over his final six innings but lost his third consecutive start. He issued two walks in both the fourth and fifth innings but escaped those jams in his first career start against an AL team. The left-hander walked six and struck out six over seven innings.
"I made bad pitches in the first inning, but I was very happy with the way I pitched after that," Duke said.
This week the Pirates match-up against the Astros and they have the opportunity to add some victories that will do a lot of good to this team that’s struggling in NL Central. So if you like a sport betting this is a good opportunity to bet in what many expect to be a very exciting game.
Lineup
1. Jose Bautista, CF. 2.Jack Wilson, SS. 3.Freddy Sanchez, 3rd B. 4. Jason Bay, LF. 5. Craig Wilson, 1st B. 6. Ryan Doumit, DH. 7. Jeromy Burnitz, RF. 8.Ronny Paulino, C. 9.Jose Castillo, 2nd B.
Barry Zito from the A’s is looking now like in his best days back in 2002 when he won the Cy Young award. Zito allowed eight hits over seven scoreless innings and the A's patiently battered Jamie Moyer in their third straight victory 7-2 over the Seattle Mariners last week.
"I just have a mentality where I'm going out there and not trying to be too fine, not thinking too much," Zito said. "I'm just letting my stuff work for me. Just trust my stuff, trust myself."
With five key players on the disabled list after a rash of injuries, the A's are back above .500 at 20-19 and in a first-place tie with Texas in the AL West. Despite those injuries, they’re a team that has plenty of talent and will to get back to the winning side of the record. If they play good with all there key players injured imagine what they will play like once everybody is back and healthy.
Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2.Jason Kendall, C. 3.Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4.Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6.Nick Swisher, 1stB. 7. Jay Payton, LF. 8. Bobby Kielty, RF. 9.Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.
After an impressive game held on Tuesday against the Yankees in which the score was 14-13 in favor of the Yankees, the Rangers fell again on Tuesday 4-3. It wasn’t such an exciting game like the one on Tuesday but it still was good. It seems that the games between this two are becoming more and more interesting because both teams play really good against each other.
The Yankees were winning 4-1 in the in the seventh, but Gary Matthews Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Texas, cutting it to 4-3. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
"It's tough to lose like that. I didn't think they hit me very hard. They just found holes at opportune times," Loe said. "I felt like I was making my pitches. I felt like I was in control. Maybe my pitch selection could have been better."
In both games the Rangers were very close to get the victory but the powerful offense of the Yankees was better than theirs. Maybe they can change the story this week as they face the Oakland A’s, a team with a lot of injuries right now. That can give some advantage to the Rangers, so if you like sports betting this is a perfect opportunity to bet on a great game as I’m sure it will be between these two teams.
Lineup
1. Gary Matthews Jr., CF. 2.Michael Young, SS. 3.Mark Teixeira, 1st B. 4. Phil Nevin, DH. 5. Hank Blalock, 3rdB. 6. Kevin Mench, RF. 7.Brad Wilkerson, LF. 8. Mark DeRosa, 2nd B. 9. Gerald Laird, C.
"I just have a mentality where I'm going out there and not trying to be too fine, not thinking too much," Zito said. "I'm just letting my stuff work for me. Just trust my stuff, trust myself."
With five key players on the disabled list after a rash of injuries, the A's are back above .500 at 20-19 and in a first-place tie with Texas in the AL West. Despite those injuries, they’re a team that has plenty of talent and will to get back to the winning side of the record. If they play good with all there key players injured imagine what they will play like once everybody is back and healthy.
Lineup
1. Mark Kotsay, CF. 2.Jason Kendall, C. 3.Eric Chavez, 3rd B. 4.Frank Thomas, DH. 5. Bobby Crosby, SS. 6.Nick Swisher, 1stB. 7. Jay Payton, LF. 8. Bobby Kielty, RF. 9.Marco Scutaro, 2nd B.
After an impressive game held on Tuesday against the Yankees in which the score was 14-13 in favor of the Yankees, the Rangers fell again on Tuesday 4-3. It wasn’t such an exciting game like the one on Tuesday but it still was good. It seems that the games between this two are becoming more and more interesting because both teams play really good against each other.
The Yankees were winning 4-1 in the in the seventh, but Gary Matthews Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Texas, cutting it to 4-3. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.
"It's tough to lose like that. I didn't think they hit me very hard. They just found holes at opportune times," Loe said. "I felt like I was making my pitches. I felt like I was in control. Maybe my pitch selection could have been better."
In both games the Rangers were very close to get the victory but the powerful offense of the Yankees was better than theirs. Maybe they can change the story this week as they face the Oakland A’s, a team with a lot of injuries right now. That can give some advantage to the Rangers, so if you like sports betting this is a perfect opportunity to bet on a great game as I’m sure it will be between these two teams.
Lineup
1. Gary Matthews Jr., CF. 2.Michael Young, SS. 3.Mark Teixeira, 1st B. 4. Phil Nevin, DH. 5. Hank Blalock, 3rdB. 6. Kevin Mench, RF. 7.Brad Wilkerson, LF. 8. Mark DeRosa, 2nd B. 9. Gerald Laird, C.
Busch Stadium
Tom Glavine from the Mets had a great game against the Phillies that ended a nine game winning streak; Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night.
The Mets pounded Phillies starter Cory Lidle (3-4) early, with eight players getting hits and all nine scoring while building a 10-0 lead through three innings. The NL East-leading Mets pushed their lead back to four games over the second-place Phillies, who were on their longest winning streak since a 13-game run in 1991.
"It was a nice game for me to have an early lead and have the guys keep tacking them in the way they did," Glavine said.
It was a great game that showed everybody why they have the best record in the NL East; they have a powerful offense and great pitchers that can get this team very far this season.
"That's the way we have to play, come out and be aggressive and make things happen," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.
Lineup
1. Jose Reyes, SS. 2.Paul Lo Duca, C. 3. Carlos Beltran, CF. 4.Carlos Delgado, 1st B. 5. David Wright, 3rd B. 6.Cliff Floyd, LF. 7.Xavier Nady, RF. 8.Kazuo Matsui, 2nd B. 9. Tom Glavine, P.
Pujols hit his major league-leading 18th homer and Jeff Suppan won his fourth straight start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-4 victory against the Rockies last week. Juan Encarnacion also homered for the Cardinals, who took two of three from the NL West leaders and have won five of six overall.
"I'm being patient at the plate and just taking what they give me," Pujols said. "There's nothing secret."
It’s impressive the way the Cardinals offense is playing, they have the one of the highest run scoring record in the league; and they will have it as long as the offense keeps playing like they are playing now. Lead by Pujols they also have great players like Encarnacion and Rodriguez that can have RBI’s in any game and any situation which has been a great formula so far for them.
So expect this game against the Mets to be a heart pounding one, filled with emotion and excitement. Most sports book will have lines and props for the game and the whole series; you can start your study and take your pick in this great match up.
Lineup
1. David Eckstein, SS. 2. John Rodriguez, LF. 3. Albert Pujols, 1st B. 4. Jim Edmonds, CF. 5. Scott Rolen, 3rd B. 6. Juan Encarnacion, RF. 7. Gary Bennett, C. 8. Aaron Miles, 2nd B. 9. Jeff Suppan, P.
Tom Glavine from the Mets had a great game against the Phillies that ended a nine game winning streak; Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night.
The Mets pounded Phillies starter Cory Lidle (3-4) early, with eight players getting hits and all nine scoring while building a 10-0 lead through three innings. The NL East-leading Mets pushed their lead back to four games over the second-place Phillies, who were on their longest winning streak since a 13-game run in 1991.
"It was a nice game for me to have an early lead and have the guys keep tacking them in the way they did," Glavine said.
It was a great game that showed everybody why they have the best record in the NL East; they have a powerful offense and great pitchers that can get this team very far this season.
"That's the way we have to play, come out and be aggressive and make things happen," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.
Lineup
1. Jose Reyes, SS. 2.Paul Lo Duca, C. 3. Carlos Beltran, CF. 4.Carlos Delgado, 1st B. 5. David Wright, 3rd B. 6.Cliff Floyd, LF. 7.Xavier Nady, RF. 8.Kazuo Matsui, 2nd B. 9. Tom Glavine, P.
Pujols hit his major league-leading 18th homer and Jeff Suppan won his fourth straight start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-4 victory against the Rockies last week. Juan Encarnacion also homered for the Cardinals, who took two of three from the NL West leaders and have won five of six overall.
"I'm being patient at the plate and just taking what they give me," Pujols said. "There's nothing secret."
It’s impressive the way the Cardinals offense is playing, they have the one of the highest run scoring record in the league; and they will have it as long as the offense keeps playing like they are playing now. Lead by Pujols they also have great players like Encarnacion and Rodriguez that can have RBI’s in any game and any situation which has been a great formula so far for them.
So expect this game against the Mets to be a heart pounding one, filled with emotion and excitement. Most sports book will have lines and props for the game and the whole series; you can start your study and take your pick in this great match up.
Lineup
1. David Eckstein, SS. 2. John Rodriguez, LF. 3. Albert Pujols, 1st B. 4. Jim Edmonds, CF. 5. Scott Rolen, 3rd B. 6. Juan Encarnacion, RF. 7. Gary Bennett, C. 8. Aaron Miles, 2nd B. 9. Jeff Suppan, P.
Casey Blake from the Indians drove in two runs and extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games to help lift the Cleveland Indians to a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
"I don't really know why I did it," Blake said of his surprise bunt single in the second inning. "I guess when you feel confident you just do things without second guessing."
Aaron Boone also had two hits as the Indians won their third in a row and delivered the sixth straight loss for the Royals. Cliff Lee (3-4) overcame a first-inning dizzy spell to pitch six-plus innings for the win. Avoiding a career-high fourth straight loss and improving to 7-2 in his career against the Royals.
This Cleveland team is playing better every day and they’re improving their game as the season goes by. If they continue with this regularity throughout the season they can get back to being one of baseball best like they were a few years ago.
Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2.Jason Michaels, LF. 3.Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4.Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Casey Blake, RF. 6.Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7.Ronnie Belliard, 2nd B. 8. Aaron Boone, 3rd B. 9. Kelly Shoppach, C.
Detroit Tigers with one of the best season starts in years are at the peak of their game so far. Detroit Tigers haven't had a winning streak like this in more than a dozen years. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco homered and the Tigers won their seventh straight game beating the Minnesota Twins 5-3 last week for their longest winning streak since 1993.
"It's pretty good, but nobody will care about that tomorrow," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who has made all the right moves in his first season back in the dugout in seven years.
Detroit it’s 27-13 now and competing for the first place overall with the defending World Champions White Sox, nobody thought the Tigers would have such a good start in the season, but this young and talented team has proved to everybody that they are up for big things this year.
This series against a rising Cleveland Indians promises nothing but great baseball giving the opportunity to the entire sports betting community out there to enjoy a great series between these two.
Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, CF. 2. Placido Polanco, 2nd B. 3. Ivan Rodriguez, C. 4. Magglio Ordonez, RF. 5. Carlos Guillen, SS. 6. Chris Shelton, 1st B. 7. Marcus Thames, DH. 8. Craig Monroe, LF. 9. Brandon Inge, 3rd B.
"I don't really know why I did it," Blake said of his surprise bunt single in the second inning. "I guess when you feel confident you just do things without second guessing."
Aaron Boone also had two hits as the Indians won their third in a row and delivered the sixth straight loss for the Royals. Cliff Lee (3-4) overcame a first-inning dizzy spell to pitch six-plus innings for the win. Avoiding a career-high fourth straight loss and improving to 7-2 in his career against the Royals.
This Cleveland team is playing better every day and they’re improving their game as the season goes by. If they continue with this regularity throughout the season they can get back to being one of baseball best like they were a few years ago.
Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2.Jason Michaels, LF. 3.Jhonny Peralta, SS. 4.Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Casey Blake, RF. 6.Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7.Ronnie Belliard, 2nd B. 8. Aaron Boone, 3rd B. 9. Kelly Shoppach, C.
Detroit Tigers with one of the best season starts in years are at the peak of their game so far. Detroit Tigers haven't had a winning streak like this in more than a dozen years. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco homered and the Tigers won their seventh straight game beating the Minnesota Twins 5-3 last week for their longest winning streak since 1993.
"It's pretty good, but nobody will care about that tomorrow," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who has made all the right moves in his first season back in the dugout in seven years.
Detroit it’s 27-13 now and competing for the first place overall with the defending World Champions White Sox, nobody thought the Tigers would have such a good start in the season, but this young and talented team has proved to everybody that they are up for big things this year.
This series against a rising Cleveland Indians promises nothing but great baseball giving the opportunity to the entire sports betting community out there to enjoy a great series between these two.
Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, CF. 2. Placido Polanco, 2nd B. 3. Ivan Rodriguez, C. 4. Magglio Ordonez, RF. 5. Carlos Guillen, SS. 6. Chris Shelton, 1st B. 7. Marcus Thames, DH. 8. Craig Monroe, LF. 9. Brandon Inge, 3rd B.
Miller Park
The Philadelphia Phillies ended their longest winning streak since a 13 game streak in 1991. Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night, snapping the Phillies nine-game winning streak.
It had been quite a turnaround for the Phillies, who opened 1-6 and finished 10-14 in April. The winning streak began on April 30 with a 5-1 victory in Pittsburgh that avoided a three-game sweep against the woeful Pirates.
"We just have to throw this one out the window and bounce back tomorrow," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
In other news Cole Hamels is no longer only in Philadelphia's future plans. The Phillies will call up the 22-year-old Hamels, their first-round pick in 2002, to make his major league debut Friday against the Cincinnati Reds and the Phillies hope this new prospect will help them to get a place in the playoffs.
Lineup
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS. 2.Chase Utley, 2nd B. 3. Aaron Rowand, CF. 4.Bobby Abreu, RF. 5.Pat Burrell, LF. 6. Ryan Howard, 1st B. 7. David Bell, 3rd B. 8. Carlos Joaquin Ruiz, C. 9.Cory Lidle, P.
Milwaukee didn’t have a good time against the Padres last week. Losing on Wednesday night 3-0 in a game that was completely dominated by Chan Ho Park who didn’t allowed any runs in the 6 innings he pitched.
Park credited outfielders Mike Cameron and Brian Giles for making great catches. "And also, I had a good catcher back there calling the right pitches, so that helps and makes me more comfortable and confident," Park said.
The Brewers that have a 17-17 record were playing really good baseball up until they faced the Padres, which outplay them in two of the three games of the series. The Brewers had a phenomenal season start but lately they’re in a hole and might get down the .500 average.
Milwaukee will face this week against Philadelphia in a series that will be very exciting, since both teams need to win. Expect nothing but great baseball games between these two in this series. If you like sports’ betting this is a great opportunity to give more emotion to the All-American sport by making some bets on the series.
Lineup
1. Rickie Weeks, 2nd B. 2. Bill Hall, SS. 3.Geoff Jenkins, RF. 4.Carlos Lee, LF. 5. Prince Fielder, 1st B. 6. Corey Koskie, 3rd B. 7. Damian Miller, C. 8.Brady Clark, CF. 9.Chris Capuano, P.
The Philadelphia Phillies ended their longest winning streak since a 13 game streak in 1991. Glavine pitched seven strong innings and drove in a pair of runs to help the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 13-4 Wednesday night, snapping the Phillies nine-game winning streak.
It had been quite a turnaround for the Phillies, who opened 1-6 and finished 10-14 in April. The winning streak began on April 30 with a 5-1 victory in Pittsburgh that avoided a three-game sweep against the woeful Pirates.
"We just have to throw this one out the window and bounce back tomorrow," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
In other news Cole Hamels is no longer only in Philadelphia's future plans. The Phillies will call up the 22-year-old Hamels, their first-round pick in 2002, to make his major league debut Friday against the Cincinnati Reds and the Phillies hope this new prospect will help them to get a place in the playoffs.
Lineup
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS. 2.Chase Utley, 2nd B. 3. Aaron Rowand, CF. 4.Bobby Abreu, RF. 5.Pat Burrell, LF. 6. Ryan Howard, 1st B. 7. David Bell, 3rd B. 8. Carlos Joaquin Ruiz, C. 9.Cory Lidle, P.
Milwaukee didn’t have a good time against the Padres last week. Losing on Wednesday night 3-0 in a game that was completely dominated by Chan Ho Park who didn’t allowed any runs in the 6 innings he pitched.
Park credited outfielders Mike Cameron and Brian Giles for making great catches. "And also, I had a good catcher back there calling the right pitches, so that helps and makes me more comfortable and confident," Park said.
The Brewers that have a 17-17 record were playing really good baseball up until they faced the Padres, which outplay them in two of the three games of the series. The Brewers had a phenomenal season start but lately they’re in a hole and might get down the .500 average.
Milwaukee will face this week against Philadelphia in a series that will be very exciting, since both teams need to win. Expect nothing but great baseball games between these two in this series. If you like sports’ betting this is a great opportunity to give more emotion to the All-American sport by making some bets on the series.
Lineup
1. Rickie Weeks, 2nd B. 2. Bill Hall, SS. 3.Geoff Jenkins, RF. 4.Carlos Lee, LF. 5. Prince Fielder, 1st B. 6. Corey Koskie, 3rd B. 7. Damian Miller, C. 8.Brady Clark, CF. 9.Chris Capuano, P.
Bonds’ alleged cheating scandal hurting baseball history
Posted on
Jumat, 14 Januari 2011 |
0
komentar
Having just finished reading Game of Shadows – the alleged tell-all book in which the authors claim to have records detailing Barry Bonds’, as well as other athletes’, use of performance-enhancing drugs – it has become crystal clear that Bonds cheated, continues to cheat, and could not care less about it.
Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present. And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.
When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.
But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition. It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.
For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third. Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.
Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.
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Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.
One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.
As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.
And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?
MLB Baseball Betting Odds and Player Props @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook
Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present. And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.
When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.
But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition. It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.
For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third. Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.
Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.
Bet MLB Baseball Player Props @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook
Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.
One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.
As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.
And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?
MLB Baseball Betting Odds and Player Props @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook
In a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett was frustrated for being called for an offensive foul and reacted by tossing the basketball into the first few rows underneath the basket. The ball apparently hit a male fan, who was wheeled away to the sound of loud booing. Despite the fact that the fan appeared to be uninjured, Garnett was ejected from the game. Today he was fined $5,000 by the NBA.
Garnett’s teammate, Ricky Davis, was also fined $5,000 by the NBA for kicking a ball into the stands in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was also fined today for throwing an elbow at Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who needed five stitches on his bleeding forehead. The incident occurred in the first quarter of the game on Sunday when Ilgauskas drove to the hoop. Wallace was called for a flagrant foul, which was subsequently upgraded to a flagrant foul two by the NBA.
Wallace did not appear to deny that the elbow was intentional, saying “I’m not going to start the game by cracking a cat in the skull if I don’t get elbowed first.”
Asked if Wallace should have been suspended, Ilgauskas said, “It’s not up to me. You just leave it up to the league.”
Wallace and Ilgauskas will meet again Monday night, as the Pistons and Cavs play in Cleveland.
Garnett’s teammate, Ricky Davis, was also fined $5,000 by the NBA for kicking a ball into the stands in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was also fined today for throwing an elbow at Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who needed five stitches on his bleeding forehead. The incident occurred in the first quarter of the game on Sunday when Ilgauskas drove to the hoop. Wallace was called for a flagrant foul, which was subsequently upgraded to a flagrant foul two by the NBA.
Wallace did not appear to deny that the elbow was intentional, saying “I’m not going to start the game by cracking a cat in the skull if I don’t get elbowed first.”
Asked if Wallace should have been suspended, Ilgauskas said, “It’s not up to me. You just leave it up to the league.”
Wallace and Ilgauskas will meet again Monday night, as the Pistons and Cavs play in Cleveland.
Patriotism is a Feeling Standing out in the World Baseball Classic
Posted on
Rabu, 20 Oktober 2010 |
0
komentar
Dontrelle Willis is quite a professional baseball player; he has participated in the World Series, pitched in an All-Star Game and nearly won a Cy Young Award in his brief but brilliant career. But, he has still never played for his country, but that comes to an end when the Marlins pitcher will play with Team USA take the field against Mexico in a first-round game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in Phoenix.
Playing for your country means a lot more than just playing. You have to play hard; you have to make the people feel proud that is why patriotism takes up on this World Baseball Classic event. Miguel Cabrera is another example of an MLB player who will be experiencing some of these feelings playing for his country, Venezuela, in its WBC debut this afternoon wondering what it would be to lead his home.
For all that patriotism, though, Cuba is one of the teams that is compromised to make a good show. Their history of three-time Olympic championships and 25-time World Cup wins clearly makes them the best amateur team, but they have never played a team of top professionals aside from a pair of exhibitions against the Baltimore Orioles seven years ago.
Playing for your country means a lot more than just playing. You have to play hard; you have to make the people feel proud that is why patriotism takes up on this World Baseball Classic event. Miguel Cabrera is another example of an MLB player who will be experiencing some of these feelings playing for his country, Venezuela, in its WBC debut this afternoon wondering what it would be to lead his home.
For all that patriotism, though, Cuba is one of the teams that is compromised to make a good show. Their history of three-time Olympic championships and 25-time World Cup wins clearly makes them the best amateur team, but they have never played a team of top professionals aside from a pair of exhibitions against the Baltimore Orioles seven years ago.
The calendar has turned on the first month of the 2006 baseball season. While there is plenty of season left, it’s a good time to evaluate who has the early lead on baseball’s top awards.
American League MVP:
1) Jim Thome – While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.
2) Jason Giambi – His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.
3) Vernon Wells – The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.
National League MVP:
1) Albert Pujols – Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.
2) Lance Berkman – The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.
3) Carlos Delgado – The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.
American League Cy Young:
1) Jose Contreras – His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.
2) Curt Schilling – Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.
3) Kenny Rogers – The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).
National League Cy Young:
1) Greg Maddux – Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).
2) Pedro Martinez – The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.
3) Bronson Arroyo – Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.
Rookies of the Year:
American League:
Jonathan Papelbon – Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.
National League:
Prince Fielder – Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.
Bet MLB Baseball @ http://www.wagerweb.com
American League MVP:
1) Jim Thome – While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.
2) Jason Giambi – His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.
3) Vernon Wells – The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.
National League MVP:
1) Albert Pujols – Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.
2) Lance Berkman – The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.
3) Carlos Delgado – The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.
American League Cy Young:
1) Jose Contreras – His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.
2) Curt Schilling – Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.
3) Kenny Rogers – The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).
National League Cy Young:
1) Greg Maddux – Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).
2) Pedro Martinez – The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.
3) Bronson Arroyo – Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.
Rookies of the Year:
American League:
Jonathan Papelbon – Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.
National League:
Prince Fielder – Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.
Bet MLB Baseball @ http://www.wagerweb.com
I will give Barry Bonds the benefit of the doubt and consider him innocent until proven guilty. There is simply too much public "trying" of cases due to the "seriousness of the allegations" whereby people are tried, convicted, and sentenced by members of the media or by everyday citizens.
Yet, the case against Barry Bonds seems to be compelling, especially if he lied to a Grand Jury in 2003 about his steroid use, as alleged. If convicted, will he do jail time? Probably not. Instead, perhaps his record will expunged and Bonds be forever banned from Cooperstown.
Sometimes jail time is the right punishment for lawbreakers. In other cases, the removal of one's legacy is the more appropriate punishment as it sends a strong message to others to not even consider going down that path. What a solid message this could send to youth who look up to a superstar like Bonds and attempt to emulate him in all of his ways...except for steroid use.
Baseball needs some serious governance. If the commisioner's office doesn't have the will to oversee what goes on, then Congress will certainly rise to the task. Not many people favor government intervention, but if professional baseball cannot regulate itself, then outside governance becomes all the more important.
Yet, the case against Barry Bonds seems to be compelling, especially if he lied to a Grand Jury in 2003 about his steroid use, as alleged. If convicted, will he do jail time? Probably not. Instead, perhaps his record will expunged and Bonds be forever banned from Cooperstown.
Sometimes jail time is the right punishment for lawbreakers. In other cases, the removal of one's legacy is the more appropriate punishment as it sends a strong message to others to not even consider going down that path. What a solid message this could send to youth who look up to a superstar like Bonds and attempt to emulate him in all of his ways...except for steroid use.
Baseball needs some serious governance. If the commisioner's office doesn't have the will to oversee what goes on, then Congress will certainly rise to the task. Not many people favor government intervention, but if professional baseball cannot regulate itself, then outside governance becomes all the more important.
The Orioles had a long time without picking up a victory from the Red Sox. Finally they did it last week at Baltimore. Erik Bedard pitched seven effective innings for the Orioles, who had lost 13 straight to Boston -- including eight this season -- since Sept. 2, 2005. The victory also enabled Baltimore to end an eight-game home skid against the Red Sox.
Bedard (5-2) gave up one run, a pair of doubles and three walks. The left-hander who came in with a 7.57 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox struck out three. It was his first victory in five starts since April 20.
"It's a win that we needed to have, but it's also special because I competed with these guys the last three years," said Millar, whose two-run homer gave Baltimore a lead it never lost Wednesday night in a 4-3 victory. "It was a lot of fun."
This victory will give a confidence boost to the Orioles players. They really need this win because of what it represent, the ending of the losing streak against Boston and also the opportunity to try and reach Toronto for the third place of their division.
Lineup
1. Eddie Rogers, 2nd B. 2. Melvin Mora, 3rd B. 3. Miguel Tejada, SS. 4.Jay Gibbons, RF. 5.Ramon Hernandez, C. 6.Javy Lopez. 7. Kevin Millar, 1st B. 8. Corey Patterson, CF. 9.Luis Matos, LF.
The Mariners suffered a three game sweep in Oakland last week. The last game was played on Thursday and they fell 6-3 in a game they started winning in the first inning one run up. But the A’s contested with three in the bottom of the first and from that point they held the lead through the whole game.
The Mariners, who are 13th in the American League in hitting against lefties got eight hits but no runs off the left-handed Zito and fell to 4-10 against left-handed starters. Meanwhile Jamie Moyer turned in his poorest start of the season giving up seven runs (five earned) in six innings. In his career he is 10-7 against Oakland but the Mariners have lost the last five times he's started against the A's.
Seattle at the bottom of the AL West could’ve used the victory to try and climb to reach the teams on top of the standings. Unfortunately for them it just didn’t happened; they’ll have a chance to improve their record this week against the Orioles. They just need to focus and try no to commit so many mistakes in the games that could cost them a lot.
The team that make fewest mistakes and play focused will win this series. Since both teams are so compared it will be an interesting series to bet on because the lines will be very low. If you like sports betting take some time and study your picks to try and beat the house as these two teams face each other.
Lineup
1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF. 2.Jose Lopez, 2nd B. 3. Raul Ibanez, LF. 4. Richie Sexson, 1st B. 5. Carl Everett, DH. 6. Adrian Beltre, 3rd B. 7. Kenji Johjima, C. 8.Willie Bloomquist, CF. 9.Yuniesky Betancourt, SS.
Bedard (5-2) gave up one run, a pair of doubles and three walks. The left-hander who came in with a 7.57 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox struck out three. It was his first victory in five starts since April 20.
"It's a win that we needed to have, but it's also special because I competed with these guys the last three years," said Millar, whose two-run homer gave Baltimore a lead it never lost Wednesday night in a 4-3 victory. "It was a lot of fun."
This victory will give a confidence boost to the Orioles players. They really need this win because of what it represent, the ending of the losing streak against Boston and also the opportunity to try and reach Toronto for the third place of their division.
Lineup
1. Eddie Rogers, 2nd B. 2. Melvin Mora, 3rd B. 3. Miguel Tejada, SS. 4.Jay Gibbons, RF. 5.Ramon Hernandez, C. 6.Javy Lopez. 7. Kevin Millar, 1st B. 8. Corey Patterson, CF. 9.Luis Matos, LF.
The Mariners suffered a three game sweep in Oakland last week. The last game was played on Thursday and they fell 6-3 in a game they started winning in the first inning one run up. But the A’s contested with three in the bottom of the first and from that point they held the lead through the whole game.
The Mariners, who are 13th in the American League in hitting against lefties got eight hits but no runs off the left-handed Zito and fell to 4-10 against left-handed starters. Meanwhile Jamie Moyer turned in his poorest start of the season giving up seven runs (five earned) in six innings. In his career he is 10-7 against Oakland but the Mariners have lost the last five times he's started against the A's.
Seattle at the bottom of the AL West could’ve used the victory to try and climb to reach the teams on top of the standings. Unfortunately for them it just didn’t happened; they’ll have a chance to improve their record this week against the Orioles. They just need to focus and try no to commit so many mistakes in the games that could cost them a lot.
The team that make fewest mistakes and play focused will win this series. Since both teams are so compared it will be an interesting series to bet on because the lines will be very low. If you like sports betting take some time and study your picks to try and beat the house as these two teams face each other.
Lineup
1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF. 2.Jose Lopez, 2nd B. 3. Raul Ibanez, LF. 4. Richie Sexson, 1st B. 5. Carl Everett, DH. 6. Adrian Beltre, 3rd B. 7. Kenji Johjima, C. 8.Willie Bloomquist, CF. 9.Yuniesky Betancourt, SS.
"I just had a bad day," said Cruz, who allowed the nine, runs in five hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. "That was the worst game in my entire career." But the D’Backs can’t worry too much about this game because they had their share of runs too, it was just a bad first inning for Arizona, and there’s a long season still ahead.
Lineup
1. Craig Counsell, SS. 2.Eric Byrnes, CF. 3.Chad Tracy, 3rd B. 4. Luis Gonzalez, LF. 5. Conor Jackson, 1st B. 6. Shawn Green, RF. 7.Johnny Estrada, C. 8.Orlando Hudson, 2nd B. 9. Juan Cruz, P.
Last week against the Pirates the Reds were trailing 6-0 and finished 9-8 in a game that was thrilling from beginning to end, The Cincinnati Reds seemed out of this one early. They were down by six runs in the first inning and a sixth consecutive loss looked all but certain.
Ken Griffey Jr.'s soft line drive single drove in two runs during a four-run seventh inning and the Reds ended a five-game losing streak, rallying from the early deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
"There was no panic at all -- the last thing we needed to do was panic," catcher Jason LaRue said. "We needed to go out and get some hits, get guys over and get them into scoring position and do the little things. Today, we were able to capitalize on that."
The Reds need to keep playing like they did in this game and like they were playing at the beginning of the season if they want to get somewhere this year, hopefully this series against the D’Backs will be very good, if you like sports betting don’t miss the chance to bet on a series such exciting as this one.
Lineup
1. Felipe Lopez, SS. 2. Adam Dunn, LF. Ken Griffey Jr., CF. 4. Austin Kearns, RF. 5. Scott Hatteberg, 1st B. 6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3rd B. 7. Jason LaRue, C. 8. Ryan Freel, 2nd B. 9. Dave Williams, P.
Lineup
1. Craig Counsell, SS. 2.Eric Byrnes, CF. 3.Chad Tracy, 3rd B. 4. Luis Gonzalez, LF. 5. Conor Jackson, 1st B. 6. Shawn Green, RF. 7.Johnny Estrada, C. 8.Orlando Hudson, 2nd B. 9. Juan Cruz, P.
Last week against the Pirates the Reds were trailing 6-0 and finished 9-8 in a game that was thrilling from beginning to end, The Cincinnati Reds seemed out of this one early. They were down by six runs in the first inning and a sixth consecutive loss looked all but certain.
Ken Griffey Jr.'s soft line drive single drove in two runs during a four-run seventh inning and the Reds ended a five-game losing streak, rallying from the early deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
"There was no panic at all -- the last thing we needed to do was panic," catcher Jason LaRue said. "We needed to go out and get some hits, get guys over and get them into scoring position and do the little things. Today, we were able to capitalize on that."
The Reds need to keep playing like they did in this game and like they were playing at the beginning of the season if they want to get somewhere this year, hopefully this series against the D’Backs will be very good, if you like sports betting don’t miss the chance to bet on a series such exciting as this one.
Lineup
1. Felipe Lopez, SS. 2. Adam Dunn, LF. Ken Griffey Jr., CF. 4. Austin Kearns, RF. 5. Scott Hatteberg, 1st B. 6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3rd B. 7. Jason LaRue, C. 8. Ryan Freel, 2nd B. 9. Dave Williams, P.
Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to.
Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to. Clemens is clearly enjoying the attention he is garnering from his four suitors. Let’s take a look at how Clemens has played this situation thus far, and how it will play out at the end.
THE EASY MARK:
Roger Clemens enjoyed opening day in Arlington Stadium, sitting next to owner Tom Hicks. When Clemens was introduced and shown on the scoreboard, the fans went crazy. Do the Rangers, who have gone all these years searching for pitching, really have a shot at Roger Clemens? Well, the Rangers are an improved team, with Kevin Millwood leading some young up-and-coming pitchers. And it would do wonders for Clemens’ legend to ride into Arlington on his horse and lead them to their first World Series. Is it going to happen? No. Why would Clemens pitch in a hitter’s park for a team which, despite their improvements, is not a serious World Series contender? More likely, Roger was paying attention when Tom Hicks bid against himself to sign Alex Rodriguez to his franchise-crippling $250 million dollar contract. This is exactly the type of guy you want to draw into the bidding. Wagerweb.com has the odds on Clemens going to the Rangers at 6-1. Trust me, it’s far longer than that.
AN OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE:
Roger Clemens still keeps in touch with buddies Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, and there were reports that Jeter had his ear during the World Baseball Classic. And if Clemens is looking for a sure bet to get to the playoffs, it’s been a while since the Yanks sat out October. Can Clemens return to the Yankees? Probably not. Roger Clemens already got a Hummer as a retirement gift, and you have to figure, after feasting on weaker National League number eight hitters, and pitchers’ feeble attempts to catch up to his fastball, he might not be dying to face more formidable American League lineups. If Randy Johnson keeps looking his age, can George Steinbrenner make Roger Clemens an offer he can’t refuse? Could happen, but George will never let Clemens skip road trips in fear that all of his stable of superstars will demand the same special treatment. At 1:2, this is not a good bet.
FINISH WHERE HE STARTED
Imagine the nostalgic feeling of coming back where you began your career, and leading that team to a World Series. What a perfect symmetry to a career. Almost like a movie script. Only the impact of leading the Red Sox to a World Series is not nearly what it was two years ago. The Red Sox already have had a hero who started in their organization come back and lead them to the Promised Land. And that hero wore a bloody Red Sock. How can Clemens possibly top that? Besides, if the Red Sox really get close, Mr. Steinbrenner may very well make him an offer he can’t refuse. At 1:1, I just can’t see this as a good bet.
FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
The first year, Clemens led the Astros to the playoffs. His second year, he helped them to their first World Series. Why not finish what he started? The Astros are off to a great start. Besides, the Mets, Cardinals and, possibly the Phillies, who can you remotely predict can stop them from at least getting there? His best friend Andy Pettitte has mentioned the possibility of retirement after this year (Don’t bet on that, though). Houston offers him a chance to stay close to home and it lets him skip those pesky road trips. They have already made him a generous contract offer. The odds are 2:1.
After all that analysis, it must come down to this: If you could work closer to home, travel less, and not have to work as hard, for similar money, what would you do? Come on, this may be Roger Clemens, but it is not rocket science. Bet the 2:1 on him returning to the Astros. It may be the best bet available on the entire website.
Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to. Clemens is clearly enjoying the attention he is garnering from his four suitors. Let’s take a look at how Clemens has played this situation thus far, and how it will play out at the end.
THE EASY MARK:
Roger Clemens enjoyed opening day in Arlington Stadium, sitting next to owner Tom Hicks. When Clemens was introduced and shown on the scoreboard, the fans went crazy. Do the Rangers, who have gone all these years searching for pitching, really have a shot at Roger Clemens? Well, the Rangers are an improved team, with Kevin Millwood leading some young up-and-coming pitchers. And it would do wonders for Clemens’ legend to ride into Arlington on his horse and lead them to their first World Series. Is it going to happen? No. Why would Clemens pitch in a hitter’s park for a team which, despite their improvements, is not a serious World Series contender? More likely, Roger was paying attention when Tom Hicks bid against himself to sign Alex Rodriguez to his franchise-crippling $250 million dollar contract. This is exactly the type of guy you want to draw into the bidding. Wagerweb.com has the odds on Clemens going to the Rangers at 6-1. Trust me, it’s far longer than that.
AN OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE:
Roger Clemens still keeps in touch with buddies Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, and there were reports that Jeter had his ear during the World Baseball Classic. And if Clemens is looking for a sure bet to get to the playoffs, it’s been a while since the Yanks sat out October. Can Clemens return to the Yankees? Probably not. Roger Clemens already got a Hummer as a retirement gift, and you have to figure, after feasting on weaker National League number eight hitters, and pitchers’ feeble attempts to catch up to his fastball, he might not be dying to face more formidable American League lineups. If Randy Johnson keeps looking his age, can George Steinbrenner make Roger Clemens an offer he can’t refuse? Could happen, but George will never let Clemens skip road trips in fear that all of his stable of superstars will demand the same special treatment. At 1:2, this is not a good bet.
FINISH WHERE HE STARTED
Imagine the nostalgic feeling of coming back where you began your career, and leading that team to a World Series. What a perfect symmetry to a career. Almost like a movie script. Only the impact of leading the Red Sox to a World Series is not nearly what it was two years ago. The Red Sox already have had a hero who started in their organization come back and lead them to the Promised Land. And that hero wore a bloody Red Sock. How can Clemens possibly top that? Besides, if the Red Sox really get close, Mr. Steinbrenner may very well make him an offer he can’t refuse. At 1:1, I just can’t see this as a good bet.
FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
The first year, Clemens led the Astros to the playoffs. His second year, he helped them to their first World Series. Why not finish what he started? The Astros are off to a great start. Besides, the Mets, Cardinals and, possibly the Phillies, who can you remotely predict can stop them from at least getting there? His best friend Andy Pettitte has mentioned the possibility of retirement after this year (Don’t bet on that, though). Houston offers him a chance to stay close to home and it lets him skip those pesky road trips. They have already made him a generous contract offer. The odds are 2:1.
After all that analysis, it must come down to this: If you could work closer to home, travel less, and not have to work as hard, for similar money, what would you do? Come on, this may be Roger Clemens, but it is not rocket science. Bet the 2:1 on him returning to the Astros. It may be the best bet available on the entire website.
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