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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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Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends
We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS. Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned. For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go. As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190). Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet. For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction. On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later. Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick. Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com
New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times.
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons
Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season.
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers
In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS.
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”. With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit. Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.
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Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).
Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.
Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).
Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.
Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.
The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.
What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.
Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.
But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.
In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.
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