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05/21/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Now that the manager has been replaced and the Royals are settling back into their customary place toward the bottom of the American League Central standings, the next question is, where do they go from here?
Well, let's take a look at how things are shaping up, both in the short-term and long-term.
For new manager Ned Yost, the good news is that expectations can't get much lower, considering he took over a last-place team on May 13. To his credit, Kansas City has gone 5-2 since Yost began filling out the lineup cards.
The team has a bona fide ace in Zack Greinke, who has established himself as one of the game's best. He is also establishing himself as maybe the most wasted talent in the majors. Greinke boasts a 2.72 ERA, however the bullpen has managed to squander the lead in four of his nine starts on the year. That, quite simply, is amazing.
Along those same lines, the Royals have Joakim Soria, one of the game's premier closers. Like Greinke, the team hasn't quite taken full advantages of his services considering its record (17-25).
Surely, those two names will be floated around at the trade deadline because, let's face it, what's the point in having a top-notch closer if you're only using him once or twice a week? Similarly, what's the point in having a Cy Young pitcher if you're not able to score runs behind him.
Then again, Soria is signed pretty cheap -- he'll make $3 million this season and $4 million next season, with the team holding options from 2012-14 -- and Greinke is locked up through 2012. Both players are in their mid-20s, but how old will they be by the time the Royals are truly ready to contend? Does it make more sense to get value for them now and dive wholeheartedly into this rebuilding thing? At some point, those are questions general manager Dayton Moore will have to consider.
But enough of the gloom and dreary. Let's look at some other guys Moore hopes will be wearing Royals' blue for years to come.
In an interview with the team's website this week, general manager Dayton Moore said the focus is obviously to keep an eye on the future.
"We're going to continue to do what we've been doing with regards to developing players in the farm system," Moore said. "We've got a few players doing well in Triple-A, which is an upgrade from last year. Our Double-A team is doing very well. And we've got to continue to focus on developing quality pitchers that impact our Major League team, and position players as well."
First baseman Billy Butler (.337) continues to hit everything in his path. Second baseman Mike Aviles (.375) is equally hot.
Yost understands that he needs to evaluate the young guys -- first baseman Kila Ka'aihue, second baseman Chris Getz, center fielder Mitch Maier and catcher Brayan Pena, to name a few. Yost also knows first-rounders Mike Moustakas ('07, third base), Eric Hosmer ('08, first base) and Aaron Crow ('08, pitcher) will eventually be worked into the mix. Also making their way up the organization's pipeline are outfielder Derrick Robinson, catcher Wil Myers and pitchers Mike Montgomery and Blaine Hardy.
Understandably, Royals fans have grown weary of the constant eye to the future. But in order to take that step forward, the evaluation process must start now.
YOUNG TIGERS PAYING DIVIDENDS
The influence of the Detroit Tigers' rookies extends beyond mohawk haircuts, and more importantly, to the field.
Recent callup Casper Wells became the latest to join the party during Wednesday's 5-1 win at Oakland as the young outfielder went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI in only his second big league start. Second baseman Danny Worth has gone 4-for-10 in three games since being called up last week.
Center fielder Austin Jackson was with the club to start the year. Jackson, the AL Rookie of the Month for April, is hitting .329 and leads the team with six stolen bases.
Then there is rookie left fielder Brennan Boesch, who is hitting a ridiculous .354 in 22 games this season. His .987 OPS ranks second on the team behind only Miguel Cabrera (1.030), who leads the majors with 38 RBI. Boesch registered an RBI in 12 of his first 19 games, the first time a Tiger had done that since 1920, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"I think the rookies have made a good impression," manager Jim Leyland said on the team's website. "Veteran players like good players. They like good, young players who got talent that can help them win."
TWINS LOOKING TO REGROUP FOLLOWING POOR ROAD TRIP
The Minnesota Twins would be well-advised not to delve too deeply in their just-concluded seven-game road trip against AL East foes New York, Toronto and Boston.
They entered the trip with a 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central and eager to see how they measured up against other top contenders in the league. Over the last two seasons, the Twins have gone just 2-17 in those three cities.
Having gone 2-5 during their latest trip, let's just say the jury is still out.
"Two-and-five is not a great road trip," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It was a tough road trip, we knew that going into it -- facing good pitching, good hitting teams. We battled through it. We had our chances in a few more of them. But overall, not a great trip. We did not swing the bats as well as we're capable of and we didn't pitch as good."
That 2 1/2-game cushion has now vanished, as Minnesota enters the weekend tied with Detroit (24-17) for first place. Most alarmingly, starting pitcher Francisco Liriano, who was so dominant in April (3-0, 0.93), is now 1-3 with a 6.08 ERA in four starts. Being that it's still only May, it's not time to start panicking just yet.
The Twins kick off a nine-game homestand beginning with Milwaukee tonight, and they'll get another crack at the Yankees during a three-game set next week.
WHITE SOX G.M. TO TEAM: RELAX
The message earlier this week from Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams to his team was simple: pay attention to details and fundamentals, but also lighten up and have some fun.
Sensing some frustration and uncertainty in the wake of the team's 16-22 start, Williams called an impromptu 25-minute meeting prior to Wednesday's game against the Angels. Rather than flip over tables and demand accountability, the tone was much more light-hearted as Williams told the players to allow themselves to have a little fun. He even went as far as to nix early trade concerns, though he acknowledged that other GMs have called.
"I told them, 'Wait a second, we usually make these calls, you're calling me?'" Williams said. "'No it doesn't work that way.' So they've been told, 'Thank you, but no thank you.' That's the end of it. We still expect to win."
Manager Ozzie Guillen, not surprisingly, has a different take on team meetings.
"Good teams win games, bad teams have meetings," Guillen told local reporters on Wednesday. "We've already had two."
CLEVELAND'S LINEUP SHUFFLING DUE TO INJURIES
Cleveland Indians' leadoff man Asdrubal Cabrera (fractured left forearm) is likely out until August while No. 2 hitter Grady Sizemore (left knee contusion) is hoping to return from the disabled list in June. That is, if Sizemore doesn't need surgery on his balky knee.
With Cleveland (15-24) already in last place in the AL Central, manager Manny Acta is in the unenviable position of playing mix-and-match with the top of his lineup.
"It's tough, it's very tough," Acta said. "I don't think anybody anticipated losing two of our best players here. But everybody has their problems. Nobody said it would be easy."
Recent call up Trevor Crowe is expected to hold down the leadoff spot for the foreseeable future, while Mark Grudzielanek is likely to bat second whenever he is in the lineup at second base. Jason Donald was called up on Tuesday to fill Cabrera's roster spot. Donald was penciled into the No. 2 spot in Thursday's lineup, though Acta said he would be moved down in the order.
"We don't want to put too much pressure on these kids," Acta told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We want to see if they can get something going, but we also have to understand those are two important spots in the lineup and you need some production out of them."
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Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.
The most popular sports to bet on are NFL and college football along with NBA and NCAA basketball. There are multiple betting opportunities within those sports, beginning with the basic wager on a game’s outcome (also called betting the side). College Football Point spreads are used in both football and basketball in an attempt to even the attractiveness of each team in a match-up. ( See our article detailing how and why point spreads are made)
But you could also simply bet on the money line, or straight-up winner of the game. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides. While money line gambling is an attractive option for football and basketball bettors who only care about picking a winner, it is the primary option for those bettors who enjoy wagering on MLB baseball and individual sports like boxing, tennis, golf and racing events such as NASCAR. ( More details on playing the Money Line)
Another bet across all major team sports including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey involves wagering on the amount of scoring in a game, called an Over/Under total. For example, the Over/Under total on Super Bowl XXXIX was 48, which means a bettor could wager whether there would be more or less than 48 points scored by both teams combined in the game.
The final score of Super Bowl XXXIX was 24-21; the scoring of both teams added up to 45, which means the game went Under . So Under bettors won, and Over bettors lost.
Sports gambling doesn’t end there. Betting sides and totals are the most common wagers available everywhere, but many sportsbooks also offer future bets on big upcoming events like who will win next year’s Super Bowl and what movie will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The main advantage of futures is that you can get appealing odds by betting far in advance. For example, with NFL futures you often can get much higher odds on a team by betting before the season even starts. A NFL future bet on a team to win the Super Bowl odds might be 20/1 in the preseason; but by midseason, their odds might decrease to 10/1 if they turn out to be legitimate championship contenders.
Involves one individual wager, whether it be on your team to cover the point spread, to win the game straight-up on the money line, or to go over/under the total.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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