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07/21/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a 38-56 record and a 14-game deficit to make up in the National League Central standings, it's safe to say the Houston Astros aren't going anywhere this season. But will Roy Oswalt?
With the Seattle Mariners having shipped away Cliff Lee earlier this month, Oswalt now becomes the most accomplished starting pitcher available at the upcoming July 31 trade deadline. And while it's clear the Astros are looking to move their longtime ace in order to accelerate the rebuilding process, there are a few outside factors that make it less certain as to whether or not they'll be able to pull off an acceptable deal.
One would think that the market would be great for a three-time All-Star and former League Championship Series MVP with a career 143-81 record, but Houston has had some difficulty in finding potential takers for Oswalt. The veteran right-hander's contract -- he's owed around $25 million on a pact that runs through the 2011 season -- looms as one obstacle, and the Astros don't seem inclined to pay a good chunk of that remaining salary unless they can get a top-tier prospect in return.
Oswalt also has a full no-trade clause that most insiders believe he'd only be willing to waive for a select number of teams, which would likely take such pitching-needy contenders as the Tigers and White Sox out of the mix. The Rangers, whom Oswalt did have an interest in joining, are also no longer an option with Lee now in the fold.
In essence, Oswalt's suitors figure to be limited to the big spenders able to take on his hefty contract, and that select pool could be further reduced if teams like the Red Sox and Mets opt not to pursue a starting pitcher at the deadline. The Yankees may be more intrigued, however, now that one-time Astro Andy Pettitte will miss at least a month after straining his groin in his latest start, and the Phillies have been mentioned as a possible fit as well.
Oswalt has done his best to enhance his value in recent weeks. The 32-year-old racked up 16 scoreless innings over his final two starts prior to the All-Star break, including a one-hit shutout against Pittsburgh on July 8, and has produced a quality start in 15 of his 19 assignments this year. He was forced to exit Sunday's outing against the Pirates after four innings due to taking a line drive off his left ankle, but isn't expected to miss any additional time.
BREWERS' HART ON THE BLOCK AS WELL
Another NL Central player on the radar of playoff-hopeful teams is Milwaukee Brewers slugger Corey Hart, and for good reason. The power-hitting outfielder is presently among the NL leaders with 22 homers, while his 70 RBI trails only Philadelphia's Ryan Howard for tops among Senior Circuit players. With the Brewers still treading water in the division race and Hart in line for a sizeable raise through arbitration next season, it's quite conceivable the 2010 All-Star will be playing in another city come August.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that the Giants have considerable interest in Hart, and the Padres and Rays are also believed to be high on the athletic 28-year-old. All three of those teams are well stocked with talented young pitching, a commodity Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is coveting as he attempts to shore up one of his club's most glaring weaknesses.
Hart, who started in right field for the NL in last Tuesday's All-Star Game, hasn't seemed to be too bothered by the persistent rumors. He went 7-for-16 with five RBI in Milwaukee's four-game series at Atlanta following the break and had hit safely in nine straight contests before going 0-for-4 in Monday's matchup at Pittsburgh. In 17 games thus far in July, Hart is batting .319 (23- for-72) with four home runs.
"They told me he was a streaky guy," manager Ken Macha recently told the Brewers' official site. "This has been a long streak, so maybe it's a trend and not a streak."
Hart was one of three Milwaukee players, along with left fielder Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo, selected to this year's NL All-Star squad. Gallardo was unable to participate because of an oblique strain that's landed him on the disabled list, but the standout right-hander is expected to be activated to pitch Thursday's finale of a four-game series with the Pirates.
CARDINALS COME OUT FLYING AFTER THE BREAK
The St. Louis Cardinals were able to regain first place in the division after coming through with an impressive four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. The performance also continued a history of success for the team under longtime skipper Tony La Russa to begin the season's second half.
The Cardinals' official site pointed out prior to Sunday's 5-4 victory over the Dodgers that St. Louis has won 12 of its 14 series that have immediately followed the All-Star break under La Russa's direction. After posting a 7-1 decision in Thursday's opener, the defending NL Central champions are an astounding 13-1 in their initial game after the hiatus.
St. Louis followed up its dismantling of the Dodgers with back-to-back victories over Philadelphia and has now come out on top in seven consecutive contests, the franchise's longest win streak since a seven-gamer during its world championship season of 2006. The surge, which came after the Cards lost seven times in a 10-game stretch from June 30-July 10, has moved La Russa's charges a half-game in front of Cincinnati for the Central's top spot.
The Cardinals displayed both excellent pitching and plenty of resolve in their sweep of the struggling Dodgers. Co-staff ace Chris Carpenter fired eight dominant innings to lead the way in Thursday's win, while fellow All-Star Adam Wainwright teamed with three relievers on a six-hit shutout as St. Louis registered a 2-0 triumph on Saturday. In Sunday's finale, the Cardinals scored five times over the final two innings to erase a 4-0 deficit, with Allen Craig and Matt Holliday coming through with back-to-back RBI singles with two out in the bottom of the ninth.
"Just a heck of an effort and it got better and better," said La Russa after Sunday's game. "Can't give them enough credit for how they hung in there."
Craig also had a key two-run double during the eighth inning while making a spot start at first base in place of Albert Pujols, with La Russa giving the three-time NL MVP the afternoon off in order to keep him fresh.
VOLQUEZ PROVIDES INSTANT BOOST FOR REDS
Despite having fallen behind the scorching Cardinals in the Central standings, Cincinnati made a move capable of shifting the balance of power in the NL playoff chance this past weekend. And the Reds didn't have to give up anything to do so.
Saturday's game with the Colorado Rockies marked the highly-anticipated return of Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez from an elbow injury that had knocked the gifted right-hander out of action for more than a year. It was well worth the wait, as the 2008 All-Star delivered six dazzling innings in leading Cincy to an 8-1 win.
Volquez held the Rockies to one run and three hits while racking up nine strikeouts in his first time on a major league mound since June 1 of last season. The hard-throwing Dominican also displayed very good command in his comeback start, walking just two batters and throwing 60-of-96 pitches for strikes.
"He was terrific," pitching coach Bryan Price said of Volquez on the Cincinnati website. "You never know what to expect with guys that are coming off this type of a situation. As well as he pitched in his rehab in his last few starts in Triple-A, you still have to deal with the emotions. The team's been playing well, and I'm sure he doesn't want to let them down. I thought he handled it really well."
Volquez, a 17-game winner with over 200 strikeouts for the Reds in 2008, joins a formidable rotation that also contains lynchpins Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto as well as Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Leake. And with youngster Travis Wood acquitting himself well during a recent callup and veteran Aaron Harang nearing a return from a back injury, Cincinnati suddenly sports one of the deepest starting staffs in the National League.
That depth could very well handy in a race where the Reds and Cardinals are among seven teams presently separated by 4 1/2 games competing for the NL's Wild Card berth.
SWEET LOU TO SAY SO LONG
Speculation about Lou Piniella's future was finally put to rest on Tuesday, when the Chicago Cubs manager publicly declared that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2010 season. The announcement hardly comes as a surprise, with the fiery field general set to turn 67 years old next month and in the final year of a contract he signed prior to the 2007 campaign.
"I've had four wonderful years here that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world," said Piniella in a statement. "I've grown to love the city and the fans, but at my age it will be time to enter a new phase in my life. It will enable me to spend more valuable time with my family - my wife, my kids and my grandchildren."
This season is Piniella's 23rd as a big-league skipper, and he entered Wednesday's game with Houston ranked 14th on baseball's all-time wins list with a 1,827-1,691 record. One of only five men in major league history to capture three Manager of the Year Awards, the former outfielder has led teams to six division titles -- including back-to-back NL Central crowns with the Cubs in 2007 and 2008 -- and seven postseason appearances as well as a 1990 world championship with the Cincinnati Reds. His 2001 Seattle Mariners tied a regular-season mark with 116 victories that year.
Piniella said his decision to reveal his future plans now instead of at season's end is "what's best for the organization in the long run." The move gives general manager Jim Hendry a head start on evaluating potential successors for Piniella's post, in addition to eliminating any media distractions the uncertainty had been creating.
Guesswork has already begun on whom Hendry will tab as the team's next manager, with Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg thought to be a leading candidate. The Hall of Fame second baseman is currently piloting Chicago's Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and has the I-Cubs in first place in the Pacific Coast League's American North Division.
PIRATES' ALVAREZ HEATING UP
The early results of the Pedro Alvarez era may not have been encouraging, but the Pittsburgh Pirates' prized prospect is beginning to show why he's widely regarded as one of baseball's premier up-and-coming players.
Alvarez, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 draft, began his tenure in the majors mired in a 4-for-35 slump, but the talented third baseman has hit safely in 15-of-18 starts since that poor first impression. The 23-year-old has really turned it up a notch as of late, having amassed a .327 average (16- for-49) and belting five homers while knocking in 11 runs over his last 13 games.
The former Vanderbilt star put forth his best showing since his mid-June promotion on Tuesday, swatting a pair of homers and driving in five runs to help the Pirates to a wild 11-9 win over Milwaukee. Alvarez's first long ball of the night was a grand slam that keyed a nine-run first-inning for the Bucs.
The early outburst marked the first time Pittsburgh had scored nine times in the opening frame since the club put up 10 runs in an eventual 15-11 loss at Philadelphia on June 8, 1989.
Alvarez wasn't the only Pirate youngster to make a significant contribution to Tuesday's verdict. Second baseman Neil Walker, Pittsburgh's first-round choice in 2004, went 5-for-5 to raise his season average to .311, while promising outfielder Jose Tabata had a two-run double during the team's first-inning barrage.
"Hitting is contagious, and we certainly showed that," said Walker afterward. "This is certainly something that we are capable of -- big innings like that one."
Walker became the first Pirates rookie to collect five hits in a game since John Wehner did so against Atlanta on July 23, 1991, and the converted catcher has gone a torrid 12-for-19 at the plate over his past four outings.
<< Blues re-sign Perron
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues have re-signed
forward David Perron to a two-year contract.
The 22-year-old netted a career-high 20 goals last season and added 27 assists
while playing in all 82 games.
Duri
<< Mets extend partnership with Triple-A Buffalo through 2012
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets and the Triple-A Buffalo
Bisons announced a two-year extension of their player development partnership
through the 2012 season.
The Bisons began their affiliation with the Mets in 2009 a
<< Sixers sign C Battie
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers added some depth to
the front court by signing veteran center Tony Battie on Wednesday.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"We see Tony Battie as a player who can come in
<< Sabres reach 2-year deal with RW Patrick Kaleta
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -Right wing Patrick Kaleta gave up an opportunity to go to arbitration by agreeing to a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres.Terms were not immediately available, but Kaleta was expected to earn a raise over the $522,000 he m
76ers sign free agent Battie >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The Philadelphia 76ers have signed free-agent center Tony Battie.Team president Ed Stafanski said Wednesday that the 76ers want Battie to provide frontcourt depth and a ``veteran presence'' for younger players.Terms of his contrac
Warriors sign undrafted free agent Jeremy Lin >>
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -The Golden State Warriors have signed undrafted free agent guard Jeremy Lin.The team announced the deal with the former Harvard star and Bay Area native on Wednesday.The 21-year-old Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4
Spurs officially re-sign F Jefferson >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs officially re-signed
Richard Jefferson on Wednesday, reportedly to a contract at least three-years
in length according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Jefferson opted out of the f
Reds option Owings, recall Fisher >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds optioned Micah Owings to
Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday and recalled pitcher Carlos Fisher from the
same club.
Owings, in his second season with the Reds, is 3-2 with a 5.40 earn
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP
With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.
There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to check out the complete odds for NFL MVP as well as all of the new football related futures. With the popularity of NFL futures, these betting lines will be sure to change as the money comes in; get the early sports lines now.
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MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.
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