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06/25/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Don Baylor and Cookie Rojas have been named managers for the Futures Game, which will be a part of the All-Star Game festivities in Anaheim.
The contest will take place on Sunday, July 11 at Angel Stadium, where Baylor will manage the U.S. squad and Rojas will be at the helm of the World team.
Baylor spent six years as a player in Anaheim and was named the 1979 American League Most Valuable Player with the Angels. He played for 19 years in the big leagues and is one of only 18 players to collect at least 250 home runs and steal at least 250 bases.
He was the first manager in Colorado history and guided the Rockies to the National League playoffs as a wild card in 1995 in their third year of existence. During his six seasons as the skipper in Denver, he posted a record of 440-469.
Baylor returned to the dugout in 2000 to begin a two and a half-year run as the Cubs manager during which he led them to a 187-220 mark before being relieved of his duties after 83 games in the 2002 season.
Rojas played in the major leagues for 16 seasons and is currently a Spanish language broadcaster for the Florida Marlins.
He worked in the front office and served as a scout for the Angels before getting the chance to manage the team in 1988, when he posted a 75-79 record before being replaced for the final eight games of the season. He also stepped in as an interim manager for the Florida Marlins during the 1996 campaign, winning once and losing once.
The World team has won the last three games and leads the all-time series, 6-5.
Both managers will be joined by a six-man coaching staff comprised of Minor League coaches and managers.
<< Eagles looking into shooting outside Vick's birthday party
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles released a
statement Friday regarding a reported shooting incident that occurred outside
a Virginia Beach restaurant celebrating Michael Vick's 30th birthday.
The Virginia
<< Bruins give Recchi one more year
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins brought back 42-year-old
forward Mark Recchi on a one-year deal Friday.
The Boston Herald reported the deal is for $1 million with possible
incentives.
Recchi posted 18 goal
<< Montoya wins second straight New Hampshire pole
Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Juan Pablo Montoya edged Kasey Kahne in Friday's
qualifying for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 to claim his second consecutive
pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Montoya, who won the pole last September a
<< Columbus signs Carroll to four-year extension
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Crew signed midfielder Brian
Carroll to a four-year contract extension on Friday.
Carroll has been a stalwart in the Crew's midfield since joining the club,
starting and appearing in 73
Rose cruising at Travelers >>
Cromwell, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Rose fired an eight-under 62 on Friday
to take a commanding lead after the second round of the Travelers
Championship.
The Englishman established a new 36-hole record with his 14-under 1
LeBron's manager: No tour >>
LeBron James is not going on a free-agent tour.The NBA superstar's business manager told ESPN.com on Friday that James has no plans to go on a recruiting trip when free agency opens on July 1. There had been speculation that the two-time MVP would h
Galaxy aim to end TFC's unbeaten home streak >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy travel to take on
Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday as Major League Soccer ends its two-week
FIFA World Cup break this weekend.
The Galaxy (10-1-2) have a comfortable lead
Giants safety Chad Jones has surgery following car accident >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants rookie safety Chad
Jones underwent surgery Friday for injuries sustained in a reported early-
morning one-car accident in New Orleans.
According to the team's website, Jones s
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
It’s time to see how the biggest NFL free agent signings will perform for their news teams. Some will work out and could be the difference that makes a difference in the win column.
We look at the best off-season signings and if they should influence your NFL betting this season. Julius Peppers – Peppers was the biggest prize available on the 2010 NFL free agent market and the Chicago Bears opened the bank to bring his talents to the south side.
Peppers is explosive, he can get around blockers and cause quarterbacks to lose their minds. We all remember the classic Peppers game last year against the Vikings where he hounded Brett Favre into his worst game of the season. Peppers joining the Bears could be the reason Favre retired for good Tuesday morning. In addition to Peppers, the Bears added Chester Taylor to back up Matt Forte, Forte didn’t have the same intensity in 2009 compared to 2008 and bringing in Taylor will challenge Forte to bring it every game or he’ll risk losing carries to Taylor.
Betting on the Bears is a good option this season because of Julius Peppers and to a lesser extent Taylor. Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens – The Cincinnati Bengals signed two former number one wide receivers to line up with Chad Ocho Cinco. Antonio Bryant had a huge season in 2008 catching 83 passes for over 1200 yards but regressed last season. Playing for the Tampa Bay Bucs last season was a large part of the regression, everyone was bad in TB last season.
Bryant should have a bounce back season if he can win the number two spot from Terrell Owens. If Bryant wins the number 2 WR spot, it will open up a completely new set of problems for the Bengals. If Owens is forced to the bench in favor of Bryant, his attitude will create trouble for Carson Palmer and head coach Marv Lewis. If Owens is the number two receiver, it means Bryant can’t live up to his past numbers and the Bengals are still limited in the passing game. NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. 2010 football betting lines for this can be found at this top online sportsbook. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense.
NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense. They signed away the Arizona Cardinals top linebacker Karlos Danby. In the past two seasons, Danby has totaled 228 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The Dolphins are the forgotten team of the AFC East with the second longest odds to win the division but with the addition of Karlos Danby and a trade for WR Brandon Marshall makes the Miami Dolphins legitimate contenders in the AFC East and in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
The Dolphins will make NFL wagering fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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