How Andruw got his groove back
Baseball Betting Lines
07/21/2007 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For most of the first half of the 2007 MLB season, Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag
with scissors in his hand.
Forget that Jones is a treasure chest full of talent in the outfield because
he was not producing offensively to help his team reach the win column on
a regular basis. Not that he has to do all of the work, but from June
10 - 25 Jones did not record a home run or an RBI and was mired in an 0-
for-21 hitless streak.
Then the sleeping giant awoke from his slumber and began making contact with
the ball similar to his days as a teenage rookie. Since June 26 Jones
has hit safely in 17-of-19 games with eight home runs, 23 RBI and a .303
batting average (23-for-76). Over his last 10 games, the nine-time Gold
Glove award winner is batting .385 (15-for-39) with five homers and 16 runs
batted in.
In Thursday's series-opening 10-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, Jones
homered and knocked in three runs. However, his season marks are still low
with a .220 batting average, 19 home runs and 65 RBI. But what do you expect
from a player who opened the first eight weeks of the season hitting much
like former Golden Girls star Betty White circa 2007?
Jones, a five-time All-Star, is on pace for his 10th straight season with at
least 25 home runs and will most likely add a 10th Gold Glove to his name.
Manager Bobby Cox surely hopes so since his ballclub is only 2 1/2 games off
the lead in the National League East standings. And don't forget Jones is in
his contract year so big numbers will bring in big bucks.
Jones and the Braves have won 13 of their last 20 games, and put the brakes on
a three-game losing streak with last night's nine-run triumph over the
defending World Series-champion Cardinals.
CHIPPER RIPPIN' IT UP/ FRANCO RETURNS
Chipper Jones has been on a tear since coming off the disabled list on June 13
because of sore hands.
Jones is batting .388 (45-for-116) and has hit safely in 26 of his last 30
games, including 14 multi-hit games. Jones went 2-for-3 in last night's win.
Meanwhile, ageless veteran Julio Franco made his return to the Atlanta Braves
on Wednesday after the New York Mets placed him on waivers.
"If it wouldn't have been Atlanta, I would have gone home because I know this
is one organization that I can trust to know what I'm capable of doing and how
to use me," said, Franco, who started at first base on Thursday and drove in a
pair of runs with a single.
The 48-year-old Franco batted .292 with the Braves from 2001-2005 and has
already earned the trust and confidence from his manager.
"It's nice to see his smiling face in that clubhouse," longtime skipper Bobby
Cox said. "He looks good. He loves the game of baseball and he has fun with
it. Plus he's a winner. He was a big cog in our wheel during the years that he
was here."
Franco will be primarily used as a pinch-hitter and will also get most of his
starts at first base against left-handed starters. Rookie Jarrod
Saltalamacchia will play first base against right-handed starting pitchers.
To make room for Franco on the roster, the Braves sent starting pitcher Kyle
Davies to Triple-A Richmond. Davies was 4-8 with a 5.76 ERA in 17 starts this
season, but was 1-5 with a 7.31 ERA in his past seven trips to the mound.
"He's just got to be more consistent," Cox said of Davies. "He's got
everything going for him. He's a sharp kid. He's got all the pitches. He's a
great athlete."
SMOLTZ BACK IN ACTION
Veteran starting pitcher John Smoltz was activated off the disabled list this
week because of shoulder inflammation.
Smoltz, who was shelved on July 6, pitched seven shutout innings and gave up
five hits in a 5-4 15-inning loss to the Reds. He struck out 11 and walked
just two, and even struck out five consecutive batters during the game.
"Mentally I was as good as I've ever been -- you have to be when you've had a
long layoff," Smoltz said after the game. "The physical part will click back
in when I get back in a five-day routine.
"I guess it was best that it was a day game, to get really hot and be able to
stay loose."
The right-hander was named to his eighth All-Star Game but couldn't play
because of injury.
He is 2-2 over his last five outings with a 3.00 ERA.
WHO'S HOT
Andruw Jones. (See above)
Also, starting pitcher Tim Hudson is riding a five-game unbeaten streak.
Hudson is 4-0 with a 2.61 earned run average in his last five starts, with his
only poor performance during that stretch coming on July 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That day Hudson yielded six runs and 10 hits in three innings
of an 8-6 Atlanta victory.
The right-hander is currently riding a personal two-game winning streak.
WHO'S NOT
Starting pitcher Kyle Davies was certainly not doing well as of late and the
recent acquisition of Julio Franco made him expendable.
ON DECK
Atlanta is 4-3 on a 10-game homestand and will wrap it up with three more
games against the St. Louis Cardinals.
After the Braves close out the stand on Sunday, they will open a seven-game
road trip to San Francisco and Arizona.
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having lost nine of their last 10 games. The A's are a pathetic 1-6 since
the All-Star break and now trail the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by 11 1/2
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The three-time major champion shot a six-over-par 77 at the British Open
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The Angels finished up the first half of the season with a Major League-best
53 wins
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
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