Royals disable DeJesus, recall Gordon
Baseball Betting Lines
07/23/2010 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have placed outfielder David DeJesus on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right thumb.
DeJesus suffered the injury and left Thursday's game against the Yankees after crashing into the center field wall in the third inning while trying to track down a Derek Jeter drive that eventually wound up as an inside-the-park home run.
Jeter sent a Bruce Chen pitch deep toward the wall, and DeJesus initially appeared to make a great backhanded catch. His wrist, though, bent at nearly a 90-degree angle while hitting the wall, and the ball came loose.
The 30-year-old DeJesus, who has been the subject of trade speculation, is batting .318 with five home runs and 37 runs driven in over 91 games.
To fill the roster spot, the Royals have recalled outfielder Alex Gordon from Triple-A Omaha.
Gordon started the season in the major leagues and hit just .194 in 31 at-bats before being sent to the minor leagues to learn how to play the outfield after coming up and playing as a third baseman.
The former number-one overall selection in the 2005 draft was batting .310 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 75 combined games between Single-A Wilmington and Omaha.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - REPORT DATE: July 26th (Rookies), July 28th (Veterans) SITE: McDaniel College, Westminster, MD CAMP OBJECTIVES: If you're only as strong as your weakest link, than the Super Bowl-hopeful Ravens have some critical summ
<< Pittsburgh Steelers 2010 Training Camp Preview
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REPORT DATE: July 30th
SITE: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA
CAMP OBJECTIVES: The Steelers' season could hinge on how they play in the four
(or six) games that Ben Roethlisberger is serving his suspension, and inas
<< Houston Texans 2010 Training Camp Preview
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REPORT DATES: July 30th
SITE: Methodist Training Center, Houston, TX
CAMP OBJECTIVES: If the Texans wish to build off last year's 9-7 finish and
make the playoffs for the first time in team history, they will need to
<< Tennessee Titans 2010 Training Camp Preview
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REPORT DATE: July 31st
SITE: Baptist Sports Park, Nashville, TN
CAMP OBJECTIVES: With the Chris Johnson drama having been extinguished by the
extra money the Titans put in his pocket earlier this week, Jeff Fisher can
<< Sunderland completes Bramble capture
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is
adamant that the capture of Titus Bramble is a great deal for the club after
completing the signing of the Wigan defender on a three-year deal.
Bramble played
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - REPORT DATE: July 28th SITE: Napa Valley Marriott, Napa Valley, CA CAMP OBJECTIVES: Raiders fans are grateful that the JaMarcus Russell experiment is over, but that doesn't mean they'll have great patience if Jason Ca
Alcaraz finally completes Wigan move >>
Wigan, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wigan have finally completed the signing of
Paraguay's World Cup defender Antolin Alcaraz from Club Brugge on a three-year
deal.
The 27-year-old center back stood out in South Africa, heading home his side'
New York Jets 2010 Training Camp Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
REPORT DATES: July 29th (Rookies), Aug. 1st (Veterans)
SITE: SUNY Cortland, Cortland, NY
CAMP OBJECTIVES: Expectations are sky-high for the 2010 Jets, but unforeseen
struggles or injuries during training camp could al
Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Training Camp Preview >>
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REPORT DATE: July 29th
SITE: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
CAMP OBJECTIVES: The two biggest questions for the Jaguars are who is going to
catch the football, and who is going to help prevent other t
Miami Dolphins 2010 Training Camp Preview >>
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REPORT DATE: July 30th
SITE: Miami Dolphins Training Facility, Davie, FL
CAMP OBJECTIVES: As is appropriate for a team that finished in the bottom half
of the league in most meaningful defensive categories last season
MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one.
(September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977. Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded.
Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer. In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season.
MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season. Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite. After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up.
Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions. They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
Horse Betting
(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.