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Tigers vs Indians Picks

2011-08-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Tigers and Indians to Play Three-Game Series in Detroit

When this MLB season began, not many had high hopes for the Cleveland Indians. But a strong first two
months saw them with a 32-20 record and five games up on Detroit.

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Since then, they’ve fallen back to earth and Detroit has taken over the lead in the AL Central by less than
a handful of games. The Bodog Sportsbook has the Tigers with 15/1 odds of winning the World Series
and the Indians set at 50/1 odds.

The Indians hope to get back into first as they visit Detroit for a three-game series starting on Friday
night.

Max Scherzer and his 12-7 record take on Josh Tomlin’s 12-5 mark in game one on Friday night.
Saturday’s likely matchup will see the newest Tiger Doug Fister against David Huff, who has a 0.51 ERA
in 17.2 innings. Sunday features Rick Porcello against Ubaldo Jimenez, who the Indians traded four
prospects to Colorado to get him at the trade deadline.

The Indians outscored the Tigers 16-9 in taking two out of three games from Detroit in a series last week
in Cleveland.

The Tigers have had trouble in the last two weeks, losing as many games as they’ve been winning, but
the Indians haven’t been able to take advantage. Both teams will have to watch out for the White Sox,
who are surging as one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Milwaukee Brewers vs San Francisco Giants Preview

2011-07-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Brewers (53-47) at San Francisco Giants (57-42), 10:15 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Milwaukee - Shaun Marcum (8-3, 3.39) San Francisco - Matt Cain (8-5, 2.99)

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With the July 31 trade deadline looming, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he will go to battle with this current group of guys. And who could blame him after this similar corps captured a World Series title a year ago?
"Right now, these are my guys," Bochy said. "They're doing quite well, and if this is the last move, then we'll go to battle with these guys. I think they've done a nice job."
There are some intriguing names being thrown around as trade bait, in particular New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. Bochy's club, however, looks to remain focused Friday in the opener of a three-game series versus the heavy-hitting Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park.
The Giants had a three-game winning streak stopped in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to rival Los Angeles in the finale of a three-game set, as Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw stymied San Francisco with a season-high 12 strikeouts over eight innings.
Kershaw improved his career record versus San Francisco to 4-1 in 10 games -- nine starts -- while lowering his earned run average to 1.41. He has given up only 12 runs to the Giants over 63 2/3 innings. His performance left an impression on Bochy.
"I've seen it before. Even with our guys healthy, he has shut us out. Not once, either. He's tough," Bochy said. "Kershaw's been tough on us. He was superb. You just tip your cap."
Chris Stewart led the Giants with a team-best two hits and Pablo Sandoval was held out of the lineup because of a sore right quadriceps. Sandoval's streak of consecutive games reaching base at 27 came to an end, but he is expected to be back in the lineup in the series opener with Milwaukee. Sandoval was relegated to a pinch-hit role in the recent loss and is hitting .313 with nine homers and 34 RBI for the NL West-leading Giants, who have won nine of their last 12 games and lead the division by four games ahead of the Diamondbacks. Despite losing to the Dodgers, San Francisco is still a dominant 27-15 within division play.
San Francisco did add a fresh face to the clubhouse in infielder Jeff Keppinger, who pinch-hit in the seventh inning versus Los Angeles and flied out to left field in his only at-bat. Keppinger was recently traded from the Houston Astros to the Bay area.
Giants ace and two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum failed to pitch his team to a seventh straight win over the Dodgers and was outdueled by Kershaw. Lincecum saw his 2011 record dip to 8-8 after he tossed seven innings of one-run ball and allowed five hits, including Dioner Navarro's home run in the seventh inning. Lincecum had not allowed a home run in seven straight contests and has received only 12 runs of support over his previous nine outings.
San Francisco has scored four runs in each of Matt Cain's last two starts and the big right-hander will begin this series on the hill. Barry Zito was supposed to get the start but Bochy pushed him back for Cain. In a 4-3 win at San Diego on Sunday, Cain did not record a decision and yielded three runs -- one earned -- and three hits with nine strikeouts. Cain is 8-5 with a 2.99 earned run average in 20 starts and has won five of his past six decisions. He is 5-2 in nine trips to the AT&T Park mound this season.
Cain lost at Milwaukee back on May 29 and was reached for five runs and 11 hits over six innings of his team's 6-0 setback. Cain is 2-4 lifetime with a lofty 4.73 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers and is counting on getting more support from a Giants squad that has scored four or more runs in six of its last eight contests.
After the Giants close out their homestand on Sunday, they will head east to square off with the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. The Giants and Phillies haven't met since San Francisco punched its ticket to last year's World Series with an NLCS triumph.
The Brewers, who are tied with Pittsburgh atop the NL Central standings, won two of three matchups with San Francisco at Miller Park from May 27-29 and are 4-2 in the previous six contests in this series.
Milwaukee took two of three games at AT&T Park last Sept. 17-19 and received wins from starting pitchers Randy Wolf and Yovani Gallardo -- two hurlers expected to take the Bay area hill this time around.
Shaun Marcum will toe the rubber in Friday's series opener and is 8-3 with a 3.39 earned run average in 20 starts in his first season with Milwaukee. He started his first stint with the Brewers 6-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 10 starts, but is just 2-2 with a 4.67 ERA over the past 10 outings. He got back into the win column with Sunday's 4-3 victory at Colorado, where he held the Rockies to two runs and four hits over five innings before leaving with a strained neck.
"I think I landed a little awkward," Marcum said after the game. "It's a little stiff right now, but I don't think it's anything to be too alarmed about. We'll keep doing our treatment, and I'll be ready to go next time out."
Marcum, a right-hander, lost to the Giants in a 5-4 decision back on May 27 in Brew City, as he was reached for five runs and six hits in six innings. Marcum has faced San Francisco just twice, going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. In his first appearance against the Giants on June 20, 2010 as a member of Toronto, Marcum did not record a decision after he gave up two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in five innings of work.
He won't have Carlos Gomez in his corner any time soon after the center fielder suffered a fractured clavicle in Wednesday's 5-2 win in 10 innings against the Diamondbacks.
The Brewers are 4-4 on an 11-game road trip and lost for just the second time in six tries with Thursday's 4-0 loss to Arizona in the finale of a four-game series at Chase Field. Zack Greinke allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings for the loss and struck out seven batters. Yuniesky Betancourt had a team-high two hits in defeat.
"You're disappointed when you think you're playing pretty good and then you come out and get shut out," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I'm glad we've won some games on the trip, but when you think about this game, it's hard to be happy about what happened the last few days."

The 10 Best Catchers in Major League Baseball History

2011-07-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

10 Best Catchers in Major League Baseball History

While big time home run kings and pitchers with blinding speed often get the glory, the men behind the plate often go unnoticed.

With perhaps the toughest job on the diamond, requiring durability, a solid arm, the mind to call a game and, of course, the ability to hit, catchers are a unique and rare breed.

So, in honor of the men behind the masks, we put together a list of the 10 that did it the best.

Eight of them are in the Hall of Fame because of it, with the two others almost certainly making their way to Cooperstown someday.

So, read on and help us celebrate the 10 best catchers in Major League Baseball history.

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10. Gabby Hartnett-Chicago Cubs (1922-40), New York Giants (1941)

Probably one of the best defensive catchers in the game’s history, Hartnett could hit the ball pretty well too, batting .297 lifetime with 297 homers, including one of the most famous walk-off home runs in baseball folklore --the "Homer in the Gloamin." A famous blast in 1938 that helped lead the Cubs to the pennant. A six-time All-Star, Hartnett was the league’s MVP in 1935, after hitting .344 with 13 homers and 91 RBIs.

9. Gary Carter-Montreal Expos (1974-1984, 1992), New York Mets (1985-1989), San Francisco Giants (1990), Los Angeles Dodgers (1991)

The "Kid" was one of the best all-around catchers of the 1980s, winning three Gold Glove awards and five Silver Slugger awards while surpassing 100 RBIs in a single season four times. Carter finished his career with 324 homers in 19 seasons, and was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2003. The squeaky-clean clutch hitter was an 11-time All-Star who played a key role on the 1986 New York Mets championship team, batting .276 with nine RBIs as the Mets won in seven games over the Boston Red Sox.

8. Bill Dickey-New York Yankees (1928-43, 1946)

Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954 after a 19-year baseball career with the New York Yankees, Dickey posted some of the best offensive performances by a catcher hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBIs in four consecutive seasons. The ragin’ Cajun known for his hot temper, batted 313 in his career, better than .300 in 10 of his first 11 seasons, and hit .362 in 1936, the highest average for a catcher until Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009. With a strong arm and durability, he was also legendary defensively. He made 11 All-Star teams and his Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships.

7. Carlton Fisk-Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971-80), Chicago White Sox (1981-93)

"Pudge"as he was know by his teammates, was considered to be the best American League catcher of the 80s, and probably would have been for the entire league had it not have been for NL catcher Johnny Bench. The 10-time AL All-Star caught 2,226 games in 24 seasons, and he hit 376 homers with a .269 average, second all-time among catchers, and first at the time of his retirement. However, Fisk will be most remembered for hitting a walk-off homer in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, giving the Red Sox a 7–6 win and forcing a seventh and deciding game of the fall classic.

6. Ivan Rodriguez-Texas Rangers (1991-2002, 2009), Florida Marlins (2003), Detroit Tigers (2004-2008), New York Yankees (2008), Houston Astros (2009), Washington Nationals (2010- )

The only active player on our list, Rodriguez holds the record from most games caught by a catcher, passing Carlton Fisk on June 17, 2009, after catching his 2,227th game. With a laser arm and great game calling skills, the native Puerto Rican had tallied more than 300 career home runs and a career batting average of .298 entering 2011. But his best season was in 1999. That year “Pudge” brought home the AL MVP honors after hitting .332 with 35 homers, 113 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and one of his 13 career Gold Gloves. He also led the Marlins to a World Series title in 2003 earning his first ever National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player.

5. Mike Piazza-Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-98), Florida Marlins (1998), New York Mets (1998-2005), San Diego Padres (2006), Oakland A's (2007)

While never considered a great defensive catcher, the 12-time All Star could sure swing the lumber, recording the most home runs ever hit by a catcher with 396, with a career total of 427. However, it was his 1997 season with the Dodgers that would define Piazza’s career, as he hit .362 with 40 home runs, 124 RBIs, and 201 hits. Besides winning the Louisville Silver Slugger Award a record 10 consecutive times, Piazza tied a Mets club record on July 18, 2000 when he hit his third grand slam of the season and had one RBI in 15 consecutive games that same year, the second-longest RBI streak in Mets history.

4. Roy Campanella-Brooklyn Dodgers (1948-57)

Besides being one of the first players to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, "Campy", was perhaps one of the best catchers in the game’s history, setting a single-season record for the men in masks, with 41 homers and 142 RBIs in 1953. Besides being selected to appear in eight consecutive All-Star games, Campanella was also awarded the NL MVP three times between 1951 and ’55, and in each of his MVP seasons, batted over .300, while tallying over 30 home runs and over 100 RBIs. His career ended because an auto accident in 1958 that left him paralyzed, but not before he left his mark on the game.

3. Gordon Stanley Cochrane-Philadelphia Athletics (1925-33), Detroit Tigers (1934-37)

Known to his teammates as "Mickey", the two two-time AL MVP and Hall of Fame catcher finished his short 12-year MLB career—after being hit in the head by a pitch in 1937--hitting an average .320. He was a cornerstone in the lineup of some great Philadelphia teams in the 1920s and 1930s, winning pennants in three consecutive seasons. He also was player-manager on two pennant winning teams in Detroit, and a World Series-winning team in 1935. In the same year, Cochrane became the first MLB player to ever appear on the cover of Time Magazine.

2. Johnny Bench -Cincinnati Reds (1967-83)

With the right amounts of power at the plate and defensive ability, Bench started his pro career wining the 1968 NL Rookie of the Year and went on to be selected 14-times as an All-Star while leading the league in RBIs three time and being named the NLs Most Valuable Players twice. Bench was no doubt the best offensive and defensive catcher of the 1970s, and perhaps the biggest contributing member on Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” that won six division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships. Bench also won 10 Gold Gloves before retiring as the career home run leader for catchers, a record that stood until surpassed by Carlton Fisk and the current record holder, Mike Piazza.

1. Yogi Berra -New York Yankees (1946-1963), New York Mets (1965)

A three-time AL MVP, Berra was perhaps the purist hitter the game’s has ever seen. He was a champion among the fans, receiving MVP votes for 15 years in a row - and was an 18-time AL All-Star who won 10 World Series as a Yankee in a 16-year span. He hit 358 homers and led the Yankees in RBIs in every season from 1949-55 on teams loaded with future Hall of Famers. He also caught Don Larsen's World Series perfect game in 1956.

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Top 10 Greatest Living Baseball Players

2011-06-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

10 Greatest living baseball players

It’s no doubt a difficult task putting together a list such as this, with over 60 living Hall of Famers and a handful of recently retired players yet to be inducted along former baseball legends in Cooperstown. However, we have decided to celebrate a few of the games most honored players that we are fortunate to still have living among us.

While postseason performances, pennants and the sparkling rings of championships could all be a factor in making our list, why penalize some of the game's best individuals who toiled on teams not good enough for October?

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Of course, you have the sainted likes of Musial, Mays and Aaron, the longevity of Ryan and Ripken Jr. and the brief brilliant bursts of excellence from Koufax. But what about the tarnished excellence of Rose, Bonds and McGuire? Should a lifetime ban for gambling and steroids discolor their careers or diminish their greatness?

Considering all of the above, we have decided to compile our list from the game's retired players and select baseball's 10 greatest living players:

10. Henry Aaron -Braves, Brewers (1954-1976)- The 77-year old Aaron was one of baseball’s true sluggers, and although he never hit 50 homers in a single season, he remains the only player to hit 30 or more homers in at least 15 seasons. He also bested Babe Ruth’s 714 career home runs with 755 while becoming the first player with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. His 6,856 total bases are 722 more than any other player, and his 2,297 RBIs remain a record nearly four decades later, despite his home run record being smashed 30 years later. Aaron still stands as one of the game's most productive hitters, and for this was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1982 and is number 10 on our list.

9. Yogi Berra -Yankees, Mets (1946-1965) – Widely-known as one of the most quoted personalities of our time, by presidents and coaches. Berra's fame will always be as a dugout philosopher with his utterances that created the phrase--"Yogi-isms". But Berra’s numbers precede him as one of the most popular catchers in the game nobody knows. Perhaps, one of the hardest working players the Yankees have ever had, Berra helped build the Bronx Dynasty, winning 10 World Series and 14 American League pennants from 1947 to '63. He was also an 18-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and for seven consecutive seasons finished in the top five in MVP voting. For that, the now 86-year old will remain one of baseball's endearing characters, and sits at number nine on our list.

8. Barry Bonds -Pirates, Giants (1986-2007)-Although Bonds reputation has been irreversibly damaged by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use and a related criminal investigation. His dominance in the 2000s is hard to dismiss. Bonds' seven MVPs are more than twice as many as any other player, his 73 homers in 2001 is the single-season record, and his 762 career homers surpassed Aaron. The now 46-year old All Star reached base an unbelievable 61 percent of his at-bats in 2004 and from 2001- to 2004 he turned in an uncanny .809 slugging average and posted a monster single-season OPS of 1.422, setting a new major league record. Steroids have stained his career while possibly costing his place in Cooperstown, but he still makes it in at number eight.

7. Ricky Henderson -Athletics, Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, Dodgers (1979-2003)- Ala Willie Mays Hayes, the now 52-year old Henderson was beyond a doubt, the game’s best leadoff hitter and base-stealer, setting the single-season record with 130 steals, but kept running after 939 all the way to 1,406. The 1990 MVP also drew more unintentional walks (2,129) than any other player, and scored more runs than anyone, breaking the oldest offensive record by surpassing Ty Cobb's 2,246 and raising the bar to 2,295. No player in baseball got on base as often, got around the bases faster, and got home as often as the 2009 Hall of Famer, earning him number seven on our list of baseball’s 10 greatest living players.

6. Sandy Koufax-Dodgers (1955-1966) - The youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame, Koufax had the best year of his career and then abruptly retired at the age of 30. With an overall record of 165–87, a 2.76 ERA, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 shutouts, he led the NL in ERA in his final five seasons--three times at 1.88 or less. He was the first pitcher to average fewer than seven hits allowed per nine innings pitched and to strike out more than nine batters (9.28) per nine innings pitched in his career.The "Left Hand of God, also became the second pitcher in baseball history to have two games with 18 or more strikeouts, and threw no-hitters in four successive seasons, including a perfect game in 1965. While other legendary hurlers may have won more or pitched longer, the now 75-year old 1972 Hall of Famer makes it in at number six on our list for simply doing it better.

5. Willie Mays -Giants, Mets (1951-1973)-No one played with more fervor for the game than 1979 Hall of Famer Mays. The now 80-year old 24 time All-Star center fielder totaled 3,283 hits, 660 home runs and 338 stolen bases, and he is one of only three right-handed hitters with more than 2,000 runs. Mays is one of five NL players to have eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, while also winning a record-tying 12 Gold Gloves highlighted by the most famous catch in World Series history, in Game 1 of the 1954 championship. The charismatic Mays, is the greatest all-around player of all time, and that is what the “The Say Hey Kid,” comes in at number five on our list of baseball’s 10 greatest living players

4. Stan Musial-Cardinals (1941-1963)-The oldest living player on our list at 90 years of age, "Stan the Man" retired from baseball having set 29 National League records, 17 major-league records and nine All-Star Game records. While many have been surpassed, Musial was voted a record 24-time All-Star (tied with Mays), and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. The three time MVP compiled 3,630 hits (ranking fourth all-time), while racking up 475 home runs during his career, en route to winning three World Series championship titles. For that, Musial was a first-ballot inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 and is currently the longest tenured living Hall of Famer and number four on our list.

3. Frank Robinson-Reds, Orioles, Angels, Indians (1956-1976)- The only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues, perhaps Robinson’s days in the dugout as baseball’s first black manager overshadow what the 1982 Hall of Famer did on the diamond. The now 75-year old tallied 586 home runs--fourth-most when he retired –while ranking in the top 10 in runs scored and was a winner of the ALs triple crown with a .316 average, 49 homers and 122 RBIs in 1966. Robinson also was a member of two teams that won the World Series (the 1966 and 1970 Baltimore Orioles), and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, by 43^rd President George W. Bush. It’s no question why Robinson lands at number three on our list.

2. Tom Seaver -Mets, Reds, White Sox, Red Sox (1967-1986)-The “Franchise” as he was known, compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average during his 20-year career, and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1992 with the highest percentage ever recorded --98.8 percent. Truly, a testament to a pitching great that emerged as hitters took over the game. The now 66-year old right-hander won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1967 and three NL CY Young Awards as the league's best pitcher in 1963, ’73, and ’75. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and inspired a current generation of pitchers with his drop and drive delivery. He is considered by many baseball experts to be one of the best starting pitchers of all time and that’s why he appears second on our list.

Now the Number 1 Pick from Coopers Pick the leading Sports Handicapping Service in the Nation chooses:

1. Mike Schmidt-Phillies (1972-1989)- Voted National League MVP three times, and an All-Star 12 times, the 1995 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee hit more home runs than any player in the 1980s, including four in one game on April 17, 1976--a feat accomplished only 15 times in the history of baseball. Schmidt retired having collected 548 homers while driving in 1,595 runs-- two of the many Phillies career records he holds-- en route to three MVPs and a Word Series title in 1980. He is clearly the best at his position, winning 10 Gold Gloves, including nine consecutive during his 17-year stint at third base with Philadelphia. With an unprecedented combination of power at the plate and consistent defense, The Sporting News named Schmidt Player of the Decade for the 1980s, and now he reappears as number one on our list in 2011.

Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles Picks and Betting Spreads

2011-04-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Detroit Tigers (2-3) vs. Baltimore Orioles (4-1)

MLB Moneyline: Orioles -145 / Tigers +135 / O/U 9.5 runs

By: Barrett Kazmerzack of Coopers Pick CALL NOW 1-888-730-COOP

The Orioles lost their first game of the season last night to the Tigers and many jumped on the Baltimore bandwagon after their 4-0 start, but should they? While their pitching has been stellar their offense only ranks 19^th in the Majors in runs scored and 24^th in team batting average. Conversely the Tigers have had pitching issues and they lead the league in wild pitches (6), but they got a solid outing last night in their win in the 2^nd game in this 3-game series.

Baltimore is in first place in the AL East and after this game they host Tampa Bay and then in their next series face the Yankees in New York. The season is very young and even after a hot start we may see if the Orioles are a legit contender after those 2 series’.

Last night the Tigers beat the Orioles 7-3.

The Tigers have the league’s 28^th ranked team ERA and tonight off-season acquisition Brad Penny (0-1 16.62 ERA) will take the mound. He was rocked in his first outing of the season giving up 7 hits and 8 earned runs in only 4 innings of work. Chris Tillman (0-0 0.00 ERA) is making the start for Baltimore and in his first start he pitched great giving up 0 hits and 0 runs in 6 innings and got a no-decision in a 3-1 Orioles win.

Last season Tillman went 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 2 starts against the Tigers holding them to a .091 batting average.

Penny is 1-0 with an ERA of 7.71 ERA in 2 career starts against Baltimore.

With the offensive problems the Orioles are having they may have to rely on their pitching, which ranks 1^st in the Majors in team ERA and 1^st in opponents’ batting average.

Baltimore’s big additions to their offense have not panned out with Vladimir Guerrero (.200) and David Lee (.222) struggling, even though Lee went deep for the first time in the loss last night. Lee has had success against Penny is his career going 6/16 off him with 3 doubles.

Detroit’s pitching has not only struggled, but their leadoff and 2^nd slot hitters in Austin Jackson (.150) and Will Rhymes (.143) have cold bats and they need to get on base since slugger Miguel Cabrera (.368 3 HR 6 RBI) has began the season on fire.

This season the Tigers have an O/U record of 4-1 and the Orioles are at 1-4.

The Tigers are only 2-7 in their last 11 games as an underdog and the Orioles are 7-1 in their last 8 games as a favorite.

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MLB World Series Betting Futures

2011-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

MLB World Series Betting Futures

By: Barrett Kazmerzack of Coopers Pick CALL NOW 1-888-730-COOP

The MLB regular season begins in only a few months and the Phillies have the best odds and with the staff they will have it is easy to see why.

Philadelphia Phillies 2/1 – The Phillies have defending Cy Young winner Roy Halladay and in the off-season added the most coveted free agent in ex Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. Their staff will be awesome if they can stay healthy and their offense, which scored the 2nd most runs in the NL last season, will be formidable.

Boston Red Sox 4/1 – The Red Sox shored up their bullpen in the off-season, but the big moves they made was on offense. Boston signed free agent OF Carl Crawford and traded for 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who should put up some great power numbers after playing in San Diego’s pitching park for the last few years. There are issues in Beantown heading into the season, as they lost 3B Adrian Beltre and the pitching staff, especially the starting rotation, has to bounce back from a sub-par season.

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New York Yankees 6/1 – The Yankees missed out on signing Cliff Lee and unlike the last few season they have not made any big moves. They did re-sign closer Mariano Rivera and SS Derek Jeter and brought in C Russell Martin and closer and now set-up-man Rafael Soriano. New York may not be done spending, as they will likely pick up another big free agent or two.

San Francisco Giants 15/1 – The Defending champion Giants have not made much noise in the off-season and, once again, they will rely on their great pitching staff to take them to the playoffs. They did add SS Miguel Tejada to add some power to the lineup, but they will only go as far as pitchers Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Brian Wilson carry them.

St. Louis Cardinals 16/1 – Superstar Albert Pujols is looking for a new deal and that may be a distraction this season. In the off-season they signed OF-1B Lance Berkman and RHP Jake Westbrook, but their offense still needs some help. Their pitching was solid last season with the 5th lowest team ERA and they could use some more bullpen help and maybe another starter.

Texas Rangers 20/1 – Last season’s Cinderella team made a World Series run last season, but they have some questions coming into this season. Can they get by without Ace Cliff Lee? Can free agent acquisition Adrian Beltre put up numbers like he did last season in Boston? Can they find someone to put up stats that departing DH DH Vladimir Guerrero did last season? The Rangers are talented, but those are some big questions.

Atlanta Braves 20/1 – How will the Braves play now that long time manager Bobby Cox is no longer in the dugout? 2B Dan Uggla was a good pickup and they have the pitching, but the offense is an issue. Chipper Jones will come back for one more year he will have to help a Braves’ offense that only ranked 13th in the Majors last season in runs scored.

Minnesota Twins 20/1 – The Twins are still trying to re-sign P Carl Pavano and if he leaves it will be a big blow to the staff. Minnesota has to stay healthy to make a post season run, which they could not do last season.

Here are the odds as of January 25th at Sportsbook.com to win the World Series.

Philadelphia Phillies 2/1
Boston Red Sox 4/1
New York Yankees 6/1
San Francisco Giants 15/1
St Louis Cardinals 16/1
Texas Rangers 20/1
Atlanta Braves 20/1
Minnesota Twins 20/1
Chicago White Sox 25/1
Detroit Tigers 25/1
Los Angeles Angels 25/1
Cincinnati Reds 25/1
Colorado Rockies 30/1
Milwaukee Brewers 30/1
Tampa Bay Rays 30/1
Los Angeles Dodgers 30/1
Chicago Cubs 30/1
Florida Marlins 35/1
Oakland Athletics 50/1
New York Mets 60/1
Toronto Blue Jays 60/1
Baltimore Orioles 100/1
San Diego Padres 100/1
Houston Astros 100/1
Arizona Diamondbacks 100/1
Kansas City Royals 100/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 100/1
Cleveland Indians 100/1
Washington Nationals 100/1

Is there any value in betting on the Nats or the Astros? Many are still asking whether there was value in taking the Boston Celtics right before Kevin Garnett signed. None the less there are no opportunities like this but futures betting can be lucrative but if you want to make real money this baseball season check out our winning MLB picks and live MLB odds all season long here at Coopers Sports Picks. Also if you wish to get our big plays over the phone you can call us at 1-888-730-2667

MLB World Series Preview

2010-10-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

In Short

6:55 PM ET	W/L	Units	Home	Away	O/U	RL W/L	RL Units
San Francisco	101-73	21.58	54-34	47-39	80-86-8	87-87	-0.46
Texas	97-78	0.15	53-33	44-45	81-85-9	80-95	-19.52

Logans.com Betting Trends

	SF	TEX

Moneyline	37%	63%
Runline	19%	81%
Total (O/U)	58%	42%


San Francisco	329-1046	23.93%
Texas	1046-329	76.07%

Team Expert picks for this game \| In Depth
Picks for San Francisco	3
Picks for Texas	5
Picks for the Over	6
Picks for the Under	2

Game Discussion

Join in on the latest game chat from the Covers community.
Official Game Thread	MLB Handicapping Forum
ProSportsDaily.com: Giants Team Forum	ProSportsDaily.com: Rangers Team Forum

Recent Trends | In Depth

San Francisco:	SF are 8-2 in their last 10 games as an underdog. SF are 10-3 in Sanchezs last 13 road starts.
Texas:	Over is 6-1-1 in TEX last 8 on grass. Over is 6-1-1 in TEX last 8 overall. Over is 6-1-1 in TEX last 8 playoff games.
Head to Head:	SF are 13-3 in the last 16 meetings.

Covers Recommended

Starters

Overall	W-L	Tm W-L	IP	H	WHIP	ERA	AF	AA	OU
Jonathan Sanchez (L) Colby Lewis (R)	13-10 14-13	23-13 16-19	208.2 219.2	152 185	1.22 1.19	3.06 3.52	4.9 4.2	3.2 4.0	17-17 11-21
Last 3	W-L	Tm W-L	IP	H	WHIP	ERA	AF	AA	OU
Jonathan Sanchez (L) Colby Lewis (R)	0-1 2-0	2-1 2-1	15.1 18.2	10 11	1.04 1.18	2.93 1.45	2.3 5.3	3.3 3.0	0-2 1-1

Game Results

Recent Meetings
Date	Home/Away	M/L	O/U	Home Starter	IP	Away Starter	IP
10/28/10	SF 9 - TEX 0	SF -115	O 7	Matt Cain	7.2	C.J. Wilson	6.0
10/27/10	SF 11 - TEX 7	SF 116	O 5.5	Tim Lincecum	5.2	Cliff Lee	4.2
2009 Season
06/21/09	SF 3 - TEX 2	SF 131	U 8	Barry Zito	7.0	Kevin Millwood	7.0
06/20/09	SF 2 - TEX 1 x	SF -138	U 8	Matt Cain	8.0	Derek Holland	7.0
06/19/09	SF 6 - TEX 4	SF -101	O 8	Randy Johnson	5.2	Scott Feldman	6.0
2006 Season
06/29/06	SF 2 - TEX 1	SF -160	U 8	Jason Schmidt	7.0	John Koronka	6.0
06/28/06	SF 5 - TEX 1	SF -115	U 9	Noah Lowry	7.2	John Rheinecker	4.0
06/27/06	SF 5 - TEX 3	SF 128	U 8.5	Matt Morris	8.0	Kevin Millwood	6.0
2001 Season
07/17/01	TEX 2 - SF 10	SF -110	O 11	Kenny Rogers	5.0	Kirk Rueter	6.2
07/16/01	TEX 2 - SF 0	TEX -105	U 12	Rob Bell	8.2	Ryan Jensen	4.1
07/15/01	TEX 6 - SF 7	SF -105	O 11.5	Darren Oliver	5.1	Livan Hernandez	7.0
2000 Season
07/18/00	SF 5 - TEX 3	SF -110	U 10.5	Russ Ortiz	6.1	Rick Helling	7.1
07/17/00	SF 10 - TEX 8	SF -145	O 10.5	Livan Hernandez	7.0	Ryan Glynn	5.2
07/16/00	SF 6 - TEX 4	SF -150	U 10.5	Shawn Estes	6.1	Esteban Loaiza	5.0
1999 Season
07/20/99	TEX 6 - SF 3	TEX -165	U 11.5	Rick Helling	6.2	Shawn Estes	5.2
07/19/99	TEX 14 - SF 7	TEX -110	O 12	Ryan Glynn	4.1	C. Brock	1.1
07/18/99	TEX 5 - SF 4	TEX -120	U 12	M. Morgan	6.1	M. Gardner	6.0

SF's Last 10 \| Season				OPS	AVG	Starter	IP	Opp Starter	IP
10/28/10	TEX 9-0	W -115	O 7	.837	.250	Matt Cain	7.2	C.J. Wilson	6.0
10/27/10	TEX 11-7	W 116	O 5.5	1.020	.368	Tim Lincecum	5.2	Cliff Lee	4.2
10/23/10	@ PHI 3-2	W 149	U 7	.886	.351	Jonathan Sanchez	2.0	Roy Oswalt	6.0
10/21/10	PHI 2-4	L 108	O 5.5	.515	.206	Tim Lincecum	7.0	Roy Halladay	6.0
10/20/10	PHI 6-5	W 101	O 7.5	.819	.314	Madison Bumgarner	4.2	Joe Blanton	4.2
10/19/10	PHI 3-0	W 113	U 6.5	.421	.179	Matt Cain	7.0	Cole Hamels	6.0
10/17/10	@ PHI 1-6	L 149	P 7	.454	.129	Jonathan Sanchez	6.0	Roy Oswalt	8.0
10/16/10	@ PHI 4-3	W 153	O 5.5	.734	.250	Tim Lincecum	7.0	Roy Halladay	7.0
10/11/10	@ ATL 3-2	W 123	U 7	.485	.167	Madison Bumgarner	6.0	Derek Lowe	6.1
10/10/10	@ ATL 3-2	W 122	U 7	.595	.222	Jonathan Sanchez	7.1	Tim Hudson	7.0

TEX's Last 10 \| Season				OPS	AVG	Starter	IP	Opp Starter	IP
10/28/10	@ SF 0-9	L 108	O 7	.379	.133	C.J. Wilson	6.0	Matt Cain	7.2
10/27/10	@ SF 7-11	L -123	O 5.5	.774	.306	Cliff Lee	4.2	Tim Lincecum	5.2
10/22/10	NYY 6-1	W 101	U 9	.818	.233	Colby Lewis	8.0	Philip Hughes	4.2
10/20/10	@ NYY 2-7	L 162	O 8	.811	.351	C.J. Wilson	5.0	CC Sabathia	6.0
10/19/10	@ NYY 10-3	W 148	O 9.5	1.145	.351	Tommy Hunter	3.1	A.J. Burnett	6.0
10/18/10	@ NYY 8-0	W -110	O 7.5	.729	.289	Cliff Lee	8.0	Andy Pettitte	7.0
10/16/10	NYY 7-2	W 109	P 9	1.128	.364	Colby Lewis	5.2	Philip Hughes	4.0
10/15/10	NYY 5-6	L 125	O 8.5	.686	.219	C.J. Wilson	7.0	CC Sabathia	4.0
10/12/10	@ TB 5-1	W 113	U 6.5	.730	.297	Cliff Lee	9.0	David Price	6.0
10/10/10	TB 2-5	L -107	U 9	.680	.235	Tommy Hunter	4.0	Wade Davis	5.0

Bullpens | In Depth

	Total			Available
	IP	WHIP	ERA	IP	WHIP	ERA
SF	411.1	1.19	2.65	411.1	1.19	2.65
Last 3	17.2	0.96	3.57	17.2	0.96	3.57
	IP	WHIP	ERA	IP	WHIP	ERA
TEX	287.2	1.09	2.63	287.2	1.09	2.63
Last 3	16.0	1.75	6.75	16.0	1.75	6.75

Umpire | Profile | vs. Team/Pitchers

	W/L	O/U	Runs	Str. %	HR	Pit.
Bill Miller	23-12	13-21	8.37	64.3	2.0	281.4

Injuries

San Francisco Giants \| In-Depth
				W/L*	O/U*
Fielders		Status/Updated		Current	Current
No injuries to report.
Pitcher		Status/Updated
Tim Lincecum	SP	day-to-day - Hamstring - 10/29/10	notesLincecum said he felt fine after taking a comebacker off his left shin and another on the back of his left hamstring during Game 1 of the World Series against the Rangers. He remains probable for his next start.

Texas Rangers \| In Depth
		W/L*	O/U*
Fielders	Status/Updated	Current	Current

MLB Season Against The Spread Stats

2010-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Major League Baseball season is coming to a close and we always find it interesting to keep up with in depth stats looking at the ATS percentages throughout the season, as well as Over/Under betting percentages. So here are the statistics for the season through late September and heading into October for all MLB teams. Of course if you want to check out our live MLB odds and MLB Picks we are offering them up to the final game in the world series.

2010 Pro Baseball Team Report Sorted by Team
Team #G W L Win % Units Ov-Un-P Over % Under % RF RA Diff
ARIZONA 156 64 92 0.410 -21.7 87-65-4 57.2% 42.8% 4.5 5.2 -0.7
ATLANTA 156 87 69 0.558 -1.2 72-75-9 49.0% 51.0% 4.6 3.8 +0.7
BALTIMORE 155 61 94 0.394 -5.9 62-86-7 41.9% 58.1% 3.8 5.0 -1.1
BOSTON 155 86 69 0.555 -1.3 75-72-8 51.0% 49.0% 5.1 4.6 +0.5
CHI WHITE SOX 155 83 72 0.535 +7.1 79-70-6 53.0% 47.0% 4.6 4.4 +0.3
CHICAGO CUBS 155 70 85 0.452 -21.4 67-77-11 46.5% 53.5% 4.3 4.9 -0.6
CINCINNATI 156 87 69 0.558 +13.1 74-68-14 52.1% 47.9% 4.9 4.3 +0.6
CLEVELAND 156 65 91 0.417 -7.6 69-81-6 46.0% 54.0% 4.0 4.7 -0.7
COLORADO 155 83 72 0.535 -3.3 74-78-3 48.7% 51.3% 4.9 4.4 +0.5
DETROIT 155 80 75 0.516 +2.2 77-68-10 53.1% 46.9% 4.7 4.6 +0.1
FLORIDA 155 77 78 0.497 -0.1 79-70-6 53.0% 47.0% 4.5 4.5 +0.0
HOUSTON 156 74 82 0.474 +12.6 66-83-7 44.3% 55.7% 3.8 4.5 -0.7
KANSAS CITY 155 63 92 0.406 -11.5 80-70-5 53.3% 46.7% 4.1 5.3 -1.2
LA ANGELS 155 75 80 0.484 -12.3 66-80-9 45.2% 54.8% 4.2 4.4 -0.2
LA DODGERS 156 75 81 0.481 -17.9 73-78-5 48.3% 51.7% 4.1 4.3 -0.2
MILWAUKEE 155 73 82 0.471 -9.2 78-70-7 52.7% 47.3% 4.6 5.0 -0.4
MINNESOTA 155 92 63 0.594 +17.4 72-74-9 49.3% 50.7% 4.9 4.0 +0.9
NY METS 155 76 79 0.490 -4.0 66-83-6 44.3% 55.7% 4.1 4.0 +0.1
NY YANKEES 156 93 63 0.596 -3.4 79-70-7 53.0% 47.0% 5.3 4.2 +1.1
OAKLAND 155 77 78 0.497 -2.2 64-81-10 44.1% 55.9% 4.1 3.9 +0.1
PHILADELPHIA 156 93 63 0.596 +6.1 71-82-3 46.4% 53.6% 4.7 4.0 +0.7
PITTSBURGH 155 55 100 0.355 -20.3 71-74-10 49.0% 51.0% 3.6 5.4 -1.8
SAN DIEGO 155 87 68 0.561 +20.4 68-77-10 46.9% 53.1% 4.2 3.6 +0.5
SAN FRANCISCO 156 88 68 0.564 +12.0 73-76-7 49.0% 51.0% 4.3 3.6 +0.7
SEATTLE 155 59 96 0.381 -35.4 61-83-11 42.4% 57.6% 3.2 4.3 -1.1
ST LOUIS 155 80 75 0.516 -26.3 69-79-7 46.6% 53.4% 4.6 4.0 +0.5
TAMPA BAY 155 93 62 0.600 +4.6 73-75-7 49.3% 50.7% 5.1 4.1 +1.0
TEXAS 155 87 68 0.561 -0.8 71-78-6 47.7% 52.3% 4.9 4.2 +0.7
TORONTO 155 80 75 0.516 +9.8 78-68-9 53.4% 46.6% 4.6 4.5 +0.1
WASHINGTON 156 67 89 0.429 -7.8 70-81-5 46.4% 53.6% 4.1 4.6 -0.4

Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals

2010-08-10T09:07:00.001-07:00

Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals
Tuesday, 7:05 pm Eastern

Stephen Strasburg makes his return to the Washington Nationals rotation on Tuesday as the Nationals host the Florida Marlins. Strasburg had been on the disabled list but he had no problems in his bullpen sessions and he will be favored against the Marlins on Tuesday. Strasburg will be on a pitch count so the bullpen will be a factor in this contest.

SBG Global current line: Nationals - 182, Total 7 Under - 125.

Strasburg is reported to be on a 90 pitch limit for Tuesday’s game. That probably means he won’t go more than six innings. Strasburg has been very good this season with a 2.32 ERA and a 5-2 record. He shut out the Marlins in six innings last month and struck out seven. He is 3-0 in his last three starts with a 2.04 ERA.

Anibal Sanchez gets the start for Florida on Tuesday. He is 8-7 with a 3.50 ERA this baseball betting season. He had his routine messed up in his last start due to rain and he gave up four runs on seven hits against the Phillies. His previous start was a one-hit shutout of the Giants. Sanchez is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 2.79 ERA. He has pitched very well in his career against the Nationals going 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA.

Florida has not played well recently and the stats are that out. The Marlins are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. the National League East. The Marlins are 1-5 in their last 6 overall. The Marlins are 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Marlins are 2-5 in Sanchez’s last 7 starts. The Marlins are 35-17 in the last 52 meetings between the two baseball betting teams.

The Nationals are 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter. The Nationals are 4-0 in Strasburg’s last 4 starts.

The Over is 4-0 in the Marlins last 4 overall. The Over is 10-1 in the Marlins last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Over is 4-1 in Sanchez’s last 5 starts overall. The Under is 22-7-2 in Sanchez’s last 31 road starts. The Over is 3-1-1 in the Nationals last 5 overall. The Over is 10-4 in the Nationals last 14 home games. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between the two teams but the Over is 35-14-3 in the last 52 meetings in Washington.

MLB Recent Transactions

2010-08-06T08:54:00.001-07:00

Major League Baseball Transactions
For The Last 7 Days

* Date
* Team

Date Player Transaction
08/05/2010 [Toronto] John Buck, C Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/05/2010 [Toronto] J.P. Arencibia, C Called up from Las Vegas (PCL)
08/05/2010 [Florida] Brett Hayes, C Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/05/2010 [Florida] Brad Davis, C Optioned to New Orleans (PCL)
08/05/2010 [San Diego] Quintin Berry, CF Outrighted to San Antonio (TEX)
08/05/2010 [Kansas City] Jose Guillen, DH Designated for assignment
08/05/2010 [Kansas City] Philip Humber, SP Recalled from Omaha (PCL)
08/05/2010 [Philadelphia] Cody Ransom, 3B Designated for assignment
08/05/2010 [Atlanta] Cristhian Martinez, RP Recalled from Gwinnett (IL)
08/05/2010 [Boston] Argenis Reyes, 2B Traded to Cleveland
08/05/2010 [Cleveland] Argenis Reyes, 2B Acquired from Boston
08/05/2010 [Boston] Juan Apodaca, C Traded to Cleveland
08/05/2010 [Cleveland] Juan Apodaca, C Acquired from Boston
08/05/2010 [San Francisco] Denny Bautista, RP Designated for assignment
08/05/2010 [Baltimore] David Hernandez, SP Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/05/2010 [Florida] Chad Tracy, 3B Signed
08/05/2010 [Florida] Bryan Petersen, LF Optioned to New Orleans (PCL)
08/05/2010 [Baltimore] Armando Gabino, SP Recalled from Norfolk (INT)
08/05/2010 [San Francisco] Todd Wellemeyer, SP Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/05/2010 [Colorado] Aaron Cook, SP Placed on 15-day disabled list
08/05/2010 [Colorado] Jhoulys Chacin, SP Recalled from Colorado Springs (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Chicago WSox] Carlos Torres, SP Optioned to Charlotte (INT)
08/04/2010 [St. Louis] Jason Motte, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 3
08/04/2010 [St. Louis] Fernando Salas, RP Recalled from Memphis (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Detroit] Danny Worth, SS Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [Detroit] Brandon Inge, 3B Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [Pittsburgh] Chris Resop, RP Claimed off waivers from Atlanta
08/04/2010 [Arizona] Tony Abreu, SS Optioned to Reno (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Arizona] Rafael Rodriguez, RP Recalled from Reno (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Daniel Nava, LF Optioned to Pawtucket (INT)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Jacoby Ellsbury, CF Activated off the 15-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [Chicago WSox] Chris Sale, RP Called up from Charlotte (INT)
08/04/2010 [Los Angeles] Reed Johnson, RF Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [Los Angeles] Russell Martin, C Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [Los Angeles] Xavier Paul, LF Optioned to Albuquerque (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Los Angeles] A.J. Ellis, C Recalled from Albuquerque (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Los Angeles] Juan Castro, SS Assigned to Albuquerque (PCL)
08/04/2010 [Seattle] Mike Sweeney, 1B Traded to Philadelphia
08/04/2010 [Philadelphia] Mike Sweeney, 1B Acquired from Seattle
08/04/2010 [Pittsburgh] Chan Ho Park, RP Claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees
08/04/2010 [Pittsburgh] Steven Jackson, RP Designated for assignment
08/04/2010 [Pittsburgh] Steve Pearce, 1B Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
08/04/2010 [St. Louis] Mike Folli, 2B Traded to Tampa Bay
08/04/2010 [Tampa Bay] Mike Folli, 2B Acquired from St. Louis
08/04/2010 [Florida] Jorge Sosa, RP Outrighted to New Orleans (PCL)
08/04/2010 [LA Angels] Anthony Ortega, RP Optioned to Arkansas (TEX)
08/04/2010 [Cleveland] Jensen Lewis, RP Fined by (MLB)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Josh Beckett, SP Fined by (MLB)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Mike Cameron, CF Fined by (MLB)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Jacoby Ellsbury, CF Fined by (MLB)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Dustin Pedroia, 2B Fined by (MLB)
08/04/2010 [Boston] Kevin Youkilis, 1B Fined by (MLB)
08/03/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Mitch Atkins, RP Recalled from Iowa (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Brian Schlitter, RP Optioned to Iowa (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Colorado] Todd Helton, 1B Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Colorado] Jonathan Herrera, 2B Optioned to Colorado Springs (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Florida] Jorge Sosa, RP Designated for assignment
08/03/2010 [Houston] Geoff Blum, 1B Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Houston] Anderson Hernandez, 2B Designated for assignment
08/03/2010 [LA Angels] Robert Cassevah, RP Optioned to Salt Lake (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Los Angeles] Jeff Weaver, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Los Angeles] Ramon Troncoso, RP Recalled from Albuquerque (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Los Angeles] Jack Taschner, RP Filed for free agency
08/03/2010 [Oakland] Adam Heether, 3B Designated for assignment
08/03/2010 [Philadelphia] Ryan Howard, 1B Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 2
08/03/2010 [Philadelphia] John Mayberry, RF Recalled from Lehigh Valley (INT)
08/03/2010 [St. Louis] Nick Stavinoha, RF Optioned to Memphis (PCL)
08/03/2010 [St. Louis] Allen Craig, LF Recalled from Memphis (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Arizona] Juan Gutierrez, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Arizona] Ryan Church, CF Activated
08/03/2010 [San Francisco] Ramon Ramirez, RP Activated
08/03/2010 [Colorado] Matt Daley, RP Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Tampa Bay] Jeremy Hellickson, SP Optioned to Durham (INT)
08/03/2010 [Tampa Bay] Dan Johnson, 1B Called up from Durham (INT)
08/03/2010 [Los Angeles] Reed Johnson, RF Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/03/2010 [Chicago WSox] Carlos Torres, SP Called up from Charlotte (IL)
08/03/2010 [Florida] Sean West, SP Recalled from New Orleans (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Chicago WSox] Erick Threets, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 31
08/03/2010 [LA Angels] Peter Bourjos, CF Recalled from Salt Lake (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Seattle] Rob Johnson, C Optioned to Tacoma (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Oakland] Jeff Larish, DH Claimed off waivers from Detroit and optioned to Sacramento (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Seattle] Adam Moore, C Recalled from Tacoma (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Cincinnati] Juan Francisco, 3B Recalled from Louisville (INT)
08/03/2010 [Cincinnati] Orlando Cabrera, SS Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Detroit] Brandon Inge, 3B Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/03/2010 [Washington] Adam Dunn, 1B Placed on waivers
08/03/2010 [Cleveland] Jensen Lewis, RP Optioned to Columbus (INT)
08/03/2010 [Cleveland] David Huff, SP Recalled from Columbus (INT)
08/03/2010 [Cleveland] Travis Hafner, DH Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 29
08/03/2010 [Cleveland] Lou Marson, C Recalled from Columbus (IL)
08/03/2010 [Colorado] Wes Hodges, 3B Claimed off waivers from Cleveland and optioned to Colorado Springs (PCL)
08/03/2010 [Boston] Mike Lowell, 1B Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Boston] Kevin Youkilis, 1B Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/03/2010 [Cleveland] Carlos Santana, C Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/02/2010 [Milwaukee] Corey Hart, RF Signed to a three-year contract extension
08/02/2010 [Pittsburgh] Jason Jaramillo, C Optioned to Indianapolis (INT)
08/02/2010 [Tampa Bay] Andy Sonnanstine, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 23
08/02/2010 [Philadelphia] Ryne White, 1B Signed as free agent
08/02/2010 [Kansas City] Jeff Howell, C Traded to Minnesota
08/02/2010 [Minnesota] Jeff Howell, C Acquired from Kansas City
08/02/2010 [Cincinnati] Carlos Fisher, RP Optioned to Louisville (INT)
08/02/2010 [Cincinnati] Russ Springer, RP Called up from Louisville (INT)
08/02/2010 [Tampa Bay] Jeremy Hellickson, SP Called up from Durham (INT)
08/02/2010 [Houston] Jeff Fulchino, RP Activated from the 15-day disabled list
08/02/2010 [Houston] Fernando Abad, RP Optioned to Round Rock (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Washington] Atahualpa Severino, RP Optioned to Syracuse (INT)
08/02/2010 [Washington] Justin Maxwell, CF Recalled from Syracuse (INT)
08/02/2010 [Atlanta] Martin Prado, 2B Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 31
08/02/2010 [Atlanta] Diory Hernandez, 2B Recalled from Gwinnett (INT)
08/02/2010 [Boston] Mike Cameron, CF Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 31
08/02/2010 [Boston] Daniel Nava, LF Recalled from Pawtucket (INT)
08/02/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Carlos Silva, SP Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/02/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Thomas Diamond, RP Called up from Iowa (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Casey Coleman, SP Called up from Iowa (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Pittsburgh] James McDonald, SP Activated
08/02/2010 [St. Louis] Nate Robertson, SP Agreed to terms and assigned to Memphis (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Washington] Tyler Walker, RP Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
08/02/2010 [Pittsburgh] Brandon Jones, LF Traded to Detroit
08/02/2010 [Detroit] Brandon Jones, LF Acquired from Pittsburgh
08/02/2010 [San Francisco] Ryan Rohlinger, 3B Optioned to Fresno (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Baltimore] Jim Johnson, RP Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/02/2010 [LA Angels] Scott Kazmir, SP Sent to the minors for rehabilitation
08/02/2010 [Colorado] Eric Young Jr., CF Optioned to Colorado Springs (PCL)
08/02/2010 [San Diego] Mike Koplove, RP Assigned to Portland (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Texas] Derek Holland, SP Optioned to Oklahoma City (PCL)
08/02/2010 [Pittsburgh] Jose Ascanio, RP Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/02/2010 [Pittsburgh] Ryan Doumit, C Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/01/2010 [Florida] Alex Sanabia, SP Optioned to New Orleans (PCL)
08/01/2010 [Houston] Brett Myers, SP Signed to a two-year contract extension
08/01/2010 [St. Louis] David Freese, 3B Sent to minors for rehabilitation
08/01/2010 [Cleveland] Jeanmar Gomez, RP Recalled from Columbus (IL)
08/01/2010 [Pittsburgh] Justin Thomas, RP Recalled from Indianapolis (IL)
08/01/2010 [St. Louis] Tyler Greene, SS Placed on the 15-day disabled list
08/01/2010 [Washington] Jordan Zimmermann, SP Optioned to Syracuse (INT)
08/01/2010 [Washington] John Lannan, SP Recalled from Harrisburg (EAS)
08/01/2010 [Arizona] Cole Gillespie, LF Optioned to Reno (PCL)
08/01/2010 [Kansas City] Robinson Tejeda, RP Placed on 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 30
08/01/2010 [Kansas City] Kila Ka`aihue, 1B Recalled from Omaha (PCL)
08/01/2010 [San Diego] Oscar Salazar, 2B Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 30
08/01/2010 [Los Angeles] Bobby Livingston, SP Assigned to Albuquerque (PCL)
08/01/2010 [Los Angeles] Travis Schlichting, SP Optioned to Albuquerque (PCL)
08/01/2010 [Baltimore] Troy Patton, RP Recalled from Norfolk (IL)
08/01/2010 [San Diego] Mike Koplove, RP Signed as free agent
07/31/2010 [Baltimore] Rick VandenHurk, RP Acquired from Florida and optioned to Norfolk (INT)
07/31/2010 [Florida] Rick VandenHurk, RP Traded to Baltimore
07/31/2010 [Florida] Will Ohman, RP Acquired from Baltimore
07/31/2010 [Baltimore] Will Ohman, RP Traded to Florida
07/31/2010 [Texas] Rich Harden, SP Activated from the 15-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [Texas] Joaquin Arias, 2B Placed on the 15-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [Texas] Doug Mathis, RP Optioned to Oklahoma City (PCL)
07/31/2010 [Seattle] Milton Bradley, DH Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 27
07/31/2010 [Seattle] Justin Smoak, 1B Optioned to Tacoma (PCL)
07/31/2010 [Seattle] Sean White, RP Recalled from Tacoma (PCL)
07/31/2010 [Seattle] Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B Recalled from Tacoma (PCL)
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Alfredo Aceves, RP Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Chan Ho Park, RP Designated for assignment
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Colin Curtis, RF Optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL)
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Juan Miranda, 1B Optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL)
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Austin Kearns, RF Acquired from Cleveland
07/31/2010 [Cleveland] Austin Kearns, RF Traded to the New York Yankees
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Kerry Wood, RP Acquired from Cleveland
07/31/2010 [Cleveland] Kerry Wood, RP Traded to the New York Yankees
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Lance Berkman, 1B Acquired from Houston
07/31/2010 [Houston] Lance Berkman, 1B Traded to the New York Yankees
07/31/2010 [Houston] Mark Melancon, RP Acquired from the New York Yankees
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Mark Melancon, RP Traded to Houston
07/31/2010 [Houston] Jimmy Paredes, 2B Acquired from the New York Yankees
07/31/2010 [NY Yankees] Jimmy Paredes, 2B Traded to Houston
07/31/2010 [Cleveland] Jordan Brown, LF Recalled from Columbus (IL)
07/31/2010 [St. Louis] Jake Westbrook, SP Acquired from Cleveland
07/31/2010 [Cleveland] Jake Westbrook, SP Traded to St. Louis
07/31/2010 [San Diego] Ryan Ludwick, RF Acquired from St. Louis
07/31/2010 [St. Louis] Ryan Ludwick, RF Traded to San Diego
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Joe Martinez, RP Acquired from San Francisco and optioned to Indianapolis (INT)
07/31/2010 [San Francisco] Joe Martinez, SP Traded to Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] John Bowker, RF Acquired from San Francisco and optioned to Indianapolis (INT)
07/31/2010 [San Francisco] John Bowker, RF Traded to Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Pedro Ciriaco, SS Acquired from Arizona and optioned to Indianapolis (INT)
07/31/2010 [Arizona] Pedro Ciriaco, SS Traded to Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Arizona] Bobby Crosby, SS Acquired from Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Bobby Crosby, 1B Traded to Arizona
07/31/2010 [Arizona] D.J. Carrasco, RP Acquired from Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] D.J. Carrasco, RP Traded to Arizona
07/31/2010 [Arizona] Ryan Church, CF Acquired from Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Ryan Church, CF Traded to Arizona
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Chris Snyder, C Acquired from Arizona
07/31/2010 [Arizona] Chris Snyder, C Traded to Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Los Angeles] Octavio Dotel, RP Acquired from Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Octavio Dotel, RP Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] James McDonald, SP Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers
07/31/2010 [Los Angeles] James McDonald, SP Traded to Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [San Francisco] Javier Lopez, RP Acquired from Pittsburgh
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Javier Lopez, RP Traded to San Francisco
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Daniel McCutchen, SP Recalled from Indianapolis (IL)
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Jeff Clement, C Recalled from Indianapolis (INT)
07/31/2010 [Pittsburgh] Argenis Diaz, SS Recalled from Indianapolis (INT)
07/31/2010 [Boston] Jeremy Hermida, LF Designated for assignment
07/31/2010 [Boston] Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C Acquired from Texas and optioned to Pawtucket (INT)
07/31/2010 [Texas] Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C Traded to Boston
07/31/2010 [Boston] Dustin Richardson, SP Recalled from Pawtucket (IL)
07/31/2010 [San Francisco] Ramon Ramirez, RP Acquired from Boston
07/31/2010 [Boston] Ramon Ramirez, RP Traded to San Francisco
07/31/2010 [Boston] Ryan Kalish, RF Called up from Pawtucket (INT)
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Rick Ankiel, CF Acquired from Kansas City
07/31/2010 [Kansas City] Rick Ankiel, CF Traded to Atlanta
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Kyle Farnsworth, RP Acquired from Kansas City
07/31/2010 [Kansas City] Kyle Farnsworth, RP Traded to Atlanta
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Brent Clevlen, LF Designated for assignment
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Wilkin Ramirez, LF Acquired from Detroit
07/31/2010 [Detroit] Wilkin Ramirez, LF Traded to Atlanta
07/31/2010 [Kansas City] Gregor Blanco, CF Acquired from Atlanta
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Gregor Blanco, CF Traded to Kansas City
07/31/2010 [Kansas City] Jesse Chavez, RP Acquired from Atlanta
07/31/2010 [Atlanta] Jesse Chavez, RP Traded to Kansas City
07/31/2010 [Tampa Bay] Grant Balfour, RP Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive July 29
07/31/2010 [Tampa Bay] Chad Qualls, RP Acquired from Arizona
07/31/2010 [Arizona] Chad Qualls, RP Traded to Tampa Bay
07/31/2010 [Los Angeles] Ted Lilly, SP Acquired from the Chicago Cubs
07/31/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Ted Lilly, SP Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
07/31/2010 [Los Angeles] Ryan Theriot, 2B Acquired from the Chicago Cubs
07/31/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Ryan Theriot, 2B Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
07/31/2010 [Chicago Cubs] Blake DeWitt, 2B Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers
07/31/2010 [Los Angeles] Blake DeWitt, 2B Traded to the Chicago Cubs
07/31/2010 [Houston] Felipe Paulino, RP Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [Houston] Brett Wallace, 3B Called up from Round Rock (PCL)
07/31/2010 [St. Louis] Nick Stavinoha, RF Activated from the 15-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [Washington] Yuneski Maya, SP Signed as free agent
07/31/2010 [Arizona] John Hester, C Recalled from Reno (PCL)
07/31/2010 [Oakland] Ben Sheets, SP Transferred to the 60-day disabled list
07/31/2010 [Oakland] Cedrick Bowers, RP Optioned to Sacramento (PCL)
07/31/2010 [Oakland] Boof Bonser, RP Called up from Sacramento (PCL)
07/31/2010 [San Diego] Quintin Berry, CF Designated for assignment
07/31/2010 [Chicago WSox] Lucas Harrell, SP Optioned to Charlotte (INT)

MLB Wildcard Race

2010-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

American League Wild Card Standings
W L PCT GB Home Away DIV Streak
Tampa Bay 64 39 .621 --- 31-21 33-18 26-14 Lost 1
Boston 59 45 .567 5 1/2 31-21 28-24 20-21 Won 1
Minnesota 58 46 .558 6 1/2 32-20 26-26 27-15 Won 7
Toronto 54 50 .519 10 1/2 27-21 27-29 20-16 Lost 1
Detroit 52 51 .505 12 35-17 17-34 16-21 Lost 1
Oakland 52 51 .505 12 30-22 22-29 16-15 Won 1
LA Angels 53 53 .500 12 1/2 28-25 25-28 21-16 Lost 1
Kansas City 44 60 .423 20 1/2 22-29 22-31 16-22 Won 2
Cleveland 43 61 .413 21 1/2 23-27 20-34 20-18 Won 1
Seattle 39 66 .371 26 24-28 15-38 8-24 Lost 6
Baltimore 32 72 .308 32 1/2 18-33 14-39 10-35 Lost 2

National League Wild Card Standings
W L PCT GB Home Away DIV Streak
San Francisco 60 45 .571 --- 32-20 28-25 17-21 Won 2
Cincinnati 58 47 .552 2 32-23 26-24 29-17 Won 1
Philadelphia 56 48 .538 3 1/2 34-18 22-30 15-19 Lost 2
Colorado 54 50 .519 5 1/2 34-18 20-32 21-16 Won 3
Los Angeles 54 50 .519 5 1/2 32-21 22-29 25-12 Lost 4
Florida 53 51 .510 6 1/2 28-26 25-25 21-18 Won 3
NY Mets 53 51 .510 6 1/2 33-18 20-33 19-20 Won 1
Milwaukee 48 57 .457 12 24-28 24-29 21-26 Lost 4
Chicago Cubs 46 58 .442 13 1/2 26-27 20-31 19-30 Lost 4
Washington 46 58 .442 13 1/2 29-22 17-36 20-18 Won 3
Houston 44 59 .427 15 25-29 19-30 27-20 Won 4
Arizona 38 66 .365 21 1/2 24-29 14-37 10-29 Lost 1
Pittsburgh 36 67 .350 23 23-26 13-41 21-30 Lost 3

With a couple months left to go in the season the race is already heating up but time will tell who makes it into the post-season and who does not. For winning MLB Picks and Baseball odds check out the rest of Coopers Pick.

George Steinbrenner has a heart attack

2010-07-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

We are looking into this but it appears that the famed New York Yankees owner has had a heart attack and passed away. More news coming as we look into this tragedy.

National League Injuries

2010-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

NL Injuries

Arizona Diamondbacks
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
No significant injuries
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Kris Benson SP 04/29/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right shoulder
Leo Rosales RP 04/29/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right foot surgery
Brandon Webb SP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right shoulder surgery

Atlanta Braves
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Brent Clevlen OF 05/24/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out sprained right big toe
Troy Glaus 1B 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against Philadelphia Probable sore left knee
Jason Heyward RF 06/27/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out bone bruise in left thumb
Nate McLouth CF 06/10/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out concussion-like symptoms
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Chris Resop RP 06/16/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained left oblique

Chicago Cubs
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Derrek Lee 1B 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against Arizona Probable sore back
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Esmailin Caridad RP 05/19/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right elbow
John Grabow RP 06/29/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out sprained left knee
Angel Guzman RP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and will miss the entire season Out right shoulder surgery
Carlos Zambrano SP 06/29/2010 is on the restricted list Out disciplinary/personal

Cincinnati Reds
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Chris Dickerson CF 04/30/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right hand/wrist surgery
Ryan Hanigan C 05/29/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out broken left thumb
Ramon Hernandez C 07/06/2010 missed Tuesday's game against New York Out sore left knee
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Homer Bailey SP 05/24/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right shoulder inflammation
Aaron Harang SP 07/01/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out lower back spasms
Mike Lincoln RP 06/01/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right lat muscle
Edinson Volquez SP 02/22/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out right elbow surgery

Colorado Rockies
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Brad Hawpe RF 07/06/2010 is doubtful for Tuesday's game against St. Louis Doubtful bruised right rib cage
Todd Helton 1B 07/06/2010 is doubtful for Tuesday's game against St. Louis Doubtful sore lower back
Ian Stewart 3B 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against St. Louis Probable bruised left elbow
Troy Tulowitzki SS 06/18/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss at least six weeks Out broken left wrist
Eric Young Jr. OF 05/13/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out stress fracture in right tibia
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Taylor Buchholz RP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right elbow surgery
Matt Daley RP 06/11/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right shoulder inflammation
Jorge De La Rosa SP 04/26/2010 is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list for Friday's game against San Diego Out torn flexor tendon in left middle finger

Florida Marlins
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
John Baker C 05/13/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out strained right forearm/elbow
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
No significant injuries

Houston Astros
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Geoff Blum IF 07/02/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out to undergo arthroscopic right elbow surgery
Tommy Manzella SS 06/23/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss six weeks Out broken left index finger
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Alberto Arias RP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and will miss the entire season Out right shoulder surgery
Jeff Fulchino RP 06/29/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right elbow tendinitis
Felipe Paulino SP 06/21/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right shoulder tendinitis

Los Angeles Dodgers
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Brad Ausmus C 04/09/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out back surgery
Manny Ramirez LF 06/30/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right hamstring
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Carlos Monasterios SP 06/19/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out blister on right index finger

Milwaukee Brewers
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Jody Gerut CF 05/23/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out bruised left heel
Gregg Zaun C 05/21/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and will miss the remainder of the season Out right shoulder surgery
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Doug Davis SP 07/06/2010 was activated from the 15-day disabled list Probable heart/tissue inflammation
Marco Estrada RP 06/01/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right shoulder fatigue
Yovani Gallardo SP 07/05/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained left oblique
LaTroy Hawkins RP 05/07/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right shoulder fatigue

New York Mets
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Carlos Beltran CF 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out arthroscopic right knee surgery
Luis Castillo 2B 06/02/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out bruised right heel/bone bruise in left foot
Jose Reyes SS 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against Cincinnati Probable sore right oblique/lower back
Fernando Tatis IF 07/05/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out sprained right shoulder
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Kelvim Escobar RP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and will miss the entire season Out right shoulder surgery
Sean Green RP 04/08/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out stress fracture in right rib cage
John Maine SP 05/21/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right rotator cuff tendinitis
Oliver Perez RP 06/01/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right knee tendinitis

Philadelphia Phillies
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Placido Polanco 3B 06/26/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out left elbow inflammation/bone spur
Carlos Ruiz C 06/19/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out concussion
Brian Schneider C 07/06/2010 missed Tuesday's game against Atlanta Out sprained left thumb
Chase Utley 2B 06/29/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss at least two months Out right thumb surgery
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Antonio Bastardo RP 06/16/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out ulnar neuritis in left elbow
Chad Durbin RP 06/24/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right hamstring
Ryan Madson RP 04/29/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right big toe surgery

Pittsburgh Pirates
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Steve Pearce 1B 05/25/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out sprained right ankle/left knee tendinitis
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Jose Ascanio RP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right shoulder surgery
Zach Duke SP 06/17/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained left elbow
Chris Jakubauskas SP 04/25/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out concussion/head contusion

San Diego Padres
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Matt Antonelli 2B 04/30/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out broken left hand
Kyle Blanks LF 05/18/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right elbow
David Eckstein 2B 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against Washington Probable strained right calf
Will Venable RF 07/02/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained lower back
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Chris Young SP 04/07/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out strained right shoulder

San Francisco Giants
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Mark DeRosa LF 05/09/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list and will miss the remainder of the season Out to undergo left wrist surgery
Juan Uribe IF 07/06/2010 is doubtful for Tuesday's game against Milwaukee Doubtful sprained left ring finger
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Todd Wellemeyer SP 06/11/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right quadriceps

St. Louis Cardinals
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
David Freese 3B 06/28/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out bone bruise in right ankle
Ryan Ludwick RF 06/26/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right calf
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Kyle Lohse SP 05/23/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right forearm surgery
Brad Penny SP 05/22/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out strained right lat muscle/upper back

Washington Nationals
Fielders Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Roger Bernadina RF 07/06/2010 played Tuesday against San Diego Probable tightness in lower back
Jesus Flores C 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right shoulder surgery
Pitcher Pos. Date Details Status Injury
Jason Marquis SP 04/19/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list and is out indefinitely Out right elbow surgery
Garrett Mock SP 04/11/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out arthroscopic neck surgery
Scott Olsen SP 05/22/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out left shoulder inflammation
Tyler Walker RP 06/20/2010 is on the 15-day disabled list Out right shoulder inflammation
Chien-Ming Wang SP 03/26/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right shoulder surgery
Jordan Zimmermann SP 02/19/2010 is on the 60-day disabled list Out right elbow surgery

Armando Galarraga's Perfect Game

2010-06-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

There will have to be an asterik from now on next to Armando Galarraga's name as he was finishing out a perfect game in the 9th inning with 2 outs leading his team the Detroit Tigers up 3-0 against the Cleveland Indians.

Every fan left in the stadium was on their feet cheering and than the unthinkable happened, no not a base hit but rather a ground ball to the first base and a throw to the pitcher who caught the ball with maybe only the slightest bobble in the world and the umpire remarked SAFE :(

The crowd was angry and Armando obviously just had his night ruined by this call and said after the game that he feels worse for veteran umpire Jim Joyce's call which he admitted after watching the tape that it was a bad call and the runner was out.

So now the question begs what will happen with the replay in Major League Baseball and when will the commission come to a decision on how to handle this miscall?

This blog has moved

2010-04-20T23:21:00.001-07:00

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March Sadness: Is televised poker dead?

2010-04-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

The nationally televised 2003 World Series of Poker victory by everyman Chris Moneymaker inspired a boom in poker that produced impressive results: everyone from Don Cheadle to George Constanza was lining up to register for exponentially growing tournament fields.

Seven years later, the honeymoon is over. The dwindling fields at nearly every major poker circuit are evidence that dead money dreamers are no longer willing to take blind shots at being the next Mikey McDermott. Rich flounders once willing to plop down 10K for a casual afternoon of degeneracy suddenly find themselves pinching pennies at the Circus Circus buffet line. The donkeys are officially dead.

On the surface, the 2010 Heads Up Poker championship provides the perfect remedy: the opportunity to market poker's brightest stars in a 64-player free for all on national television. What better event to revive the dormant mainstream interest in poker than watching Cheadle's gutshot take down an irate Phil Hellmuth's pocket aces?

The problem is no one's watching. Ratings for the star-studded event (by poker standards) have dropped over 54% since it's inaugural 2006 season. Both the WPT and High Stakes Poker (a favorite in the poker community) were dropped by their respective networks for the second straight season. The quick hook NBC gave poorly produced Face the Ace after just two episodes is further proof that poker's biggest names aren't appealing to audiences outside of die-hard poker fans.

The 2010 heads up championship provided its usual array of bracket busting upsets: Annette Obrestad took down Hellmuth in the first round, Monkeymaker toppled Patrick Antonius and Leo Wolpert to fight his way into the sweet sixteen. How about Jerry Yang deposing of Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman, and Barry Greenstein? Such earth shattering upsets have to help spike the ratings when the event airs in mid-April, right?

Expect the heads up championship to be dealt in last regardless. Here's why:

1. The spoiler effect: Joe public already knows who won. While the diehards will watch anyways, the casual fans televised poker needs lose interest because they already know the outcome. This is a problem poker producers have been trying to solve by shortening the gap between the actual event and airdates but the necessity of editing holecam footage make delays unavoidable. Imagine the dip in NFL ratings if fans already had access to final boxscores or the difference in box office returns for a movie if the audience already knew the final twist when deciding to watch the film?

2. The underdog factor just isn't the same. In the poker world, Jerry Yang beating Barry Greenstein in a best of three heads up match is the equivalent of your local community college beating UNC in the first round of the NCAA tourney. The rub here is that David beating Goliath in a couple hands of tournament poker doesn't generate buzz because upsets are more the norm than exception in poker. Post Moneymaker, we've seen an abundance of questionable poker talents win bracelet after bracelet and the public has grown immune to their rags to riches stories. When a recognizable pro manages to navigate a minefield of amateurs and win it's great for poker but when an anonymous logger from West Virginia wins it's no longer newsworthy. Guess which happens more often?

3. Poker remains taboo. The UIGEA continues to wreak havoc on the bread and butter of the game, online poker. A 2009 episode where the US government unexpectedly seized $34 million in online player's funds certainly stunted the online growth poker desperately relies on. Poker-related programming is blacked out in certain areas (Utah, of course) of the country due to local gaming laws. The bottom line is that for every Hellmuth Milwaukee's Best advertisement you see on TV there are five networks who turned down sponsorship in fear of reprisal from anti-poker conservatives. Last week's brazen armed robbery of the $1.1 million cash prize during a televised European Poker Tour event doesn't help either.

While it's obvious poker will never take over primetime TV, it still has a few rebuys left. Producers for the World Series of Poker show a willingness to tweak their presentation with innovative ideas such as creating the marketing friendly November Nine concept or switching the final table of the 50K H.O.R.S.E event into an viewer friendly format of no-limit hold 'em shootout.

While adjustments such as these dilute the purity of poker, the game is entering an era where everyone needs to make concessions to keep poker on TV. Producers and tournament directors need to lower expectations of monolithic televised events bringing in American Idol worthy numbers and create a more realistic and sustainable model that can keep networks happy. If they continue to push gimmicky shows featuring an overweight plumber going heads up with Phil Ivey, poker fans can expect to be playing an excruciatingly long game of 52-card pick up in the future. Well at least we have baseball handicapping now!

Rangers Sign 14 players

2010-03-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Well I guess everything really is bigger in Texas. Including spring training signing. Only thing is it happened in Arizona. So the Arlington, Texas baseball team now has 14 new players for 2010.

The players that they signed were SS Elvis Andrus, infielder Joaquin Arias, OF Nelson Cruz, 1st baseman Chris Davis, pitchers Matt Harrison, Eric Hurley, Warner Madrigal, Guillermo Moscoso, Darren O'Day, Alexi Ogando and Pedro Strop and catchers Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden.

Andrus played his rookie campaign in 2009 and batted .267 with six homers and 40 RBI in 145 games.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz has played 5 seasons as of last year and has a career-high 128 games batted .260 with 33 home runs and 76 RBI.

Davis took over the starting role at first base last season for Texas and over 113 games batted .238 with 21 homers and 59 RBI.

Harrison started 11 games and went 4-5 with a 6.11 earned run average in 2009.

Saltalamacchia played in 84 games last year, his 3rd in MLB, and had a batting average of .233 with nine homers and 34 RBI, while Teagarden played 60 games and had a .217 average with 6 home runs & 24 runs batted in for his 2nd season in the majors.

Around the Horn iPhone Application

2010-02-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

Our good friends over at Around the Horn have just made the iPhone world that much greater of a place in the world. They have just released their brand new iPhone application.

So if you have an iphone application please feel free to check it out and you can see their website as well below:

Ecogra Release

2010-02-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

While we wait for Baseball to start up again we are going to keep you in the loop in whats going on in our world thanks to our friends over at the APCW.

Frank Thomas Retires (finally)

2010-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

The all time Chicago White sox great who had one of the greatest eyes in the game known as the Big Hurt calls it quits. Sox to retire uniform number

Two-time American League MVP Frank Thomas, one of the most feared hitters of his generation, has announced his retirement after playing 19 seasons in the majors.

Thomas made the announcement Thursday at a function in Chicago and the White Sox, the team for which he spent the majority of his career, said Friday they would honor him with a special day next August and retire his uniform number.

"I am officially retired. It's time. It's in my heart and it's time to move on," Thomas told Chicago's Comcast SportsNet Thursday night. "I'm proud to say I'm ready to retire. I enjoyed a wonderful career and have nothing left to prove. It's a young man's game now."

A five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Thomas spent 16 seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1990-2005) before finishing up in Toronto and Oakland. He hit a combined eight homers with 30 RBI in 71 games in 2008 and failed to land a team last season.

The burly 6-foot-5 Thomas, who played first base when he wasn't penciled in as a designated hitter, compiled a lifetime .301 batting average with 521 home runs and 1,704 RBI.

He won back-to-back AL MVP honors in 1993 and '94 with Chicago, which will officially retire his No. 35 on August 29. In those award-winning seasons, he cranked out a combined 79 homers with 229 RBI and hit a career-high .353 in 1994. His last year with the White Sox ended with a World Series championship, the first for the franchise since 1917.

"Everyone who enjoyed watching Frank Thomas perform during his outstanding career with the White Sox quickly realized we were watching one of the greatest offensive players of all-time, a player destined to re-write our club's record books," said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox. "When your career comes to an end and your body of work is compared to Hall of Famers like Mel Ott, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, you truly rank among baseball royalty. I believe it is only a matter of time until Frank receives the game's greatest honor in Cooperstown and he unquestionably deserves the honor of being recognized among the elite White Sox players in this franchise's history by having his No. 35 retired."

Thomas, now 41, wound up with 2,468 hits and 1,667 walks and a robust .419 on- base percentage, good for 21st all-time.

He'll become eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

This post was made possible by our fellow friends at ZonQ Sports

Offseason baseball trading Action

2010-01-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dodgers avoid arbitration with Billingsley and Kemp

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have avoided arbitration with two of their young stars, as they signed right-hander Chad Billingsley to a one-year deal and outfielder Matt Kemp to two-year pact.

Financial details were not known.

Billingsley, whose offseason a year ago was marred by a broken tibia suffered from a fall on the ice, posted a 9-4 mark with a 3.38 earned run average over the first half of last season, earning him a spot on the National League All- Star team. However, he struggled after the break, going 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA and was winless in his final seven starts of the year.

The 25-year-old hurler, who was a first round pick of the Dodgers in 2003, is 47-30 lifetime with a 3.55 ERA in 129 games, 100 of which have been starts.

Kemp, meanwhile, becomes the first arbitration-eligible Dodger to receive a multi-year contract since 2005. He is coming off his best full year as a pro, as he posted career bests with 26 home runs and 101 RBI, while hitting .297.

For his career, the 25-year-old Kemp is a .299 hitter with a 61 home runs and 242 RBI in 464 games.

Report: Lowell needs surgery, trade to Texas is off

2009-12-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

Report: Lowell needs surgery, trade to Texas is off

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Boston Red Sox third baseman reportedly needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb, and the previously reported trade that would send him to Texas has now been called off.

According to the Boston Globe, Lowell will have surgery after Christmas and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks. He should be ready in time for spring training.

The trade was expected to send Texas catcher Max Ramirez to Boston.

Lowell is entering the final season of a three-year, $37.5 million contract in which he will make $12 million in 2010.

The 35-year-old Lowell, a four-time All-Star and the 2007 World Series MVP, batted .290 with 17 homers and 75 RBI in 119 games last season. He was out for 2 1/2 weeks in the middle of the season with a hip injury.

Over the course of his career, with the Yankees (1998), Marlins (1999-2005) and Red Sox (2006-09), Lowell has hit .280 with 218 homers and 926 RBI. He won a Gold Glove at third base in 2005.

The 25-year-old Ramirez was acquired by the Rangers from Cleveland in the deal that sent Kenny Lofton back to the Indians in July 2007. Ramirez played in just 17 games in 2008 with the Rangers and spent most of 2009 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .234 with five homers and 43 RBI in 76 games for the RedHawks.

Report: Blockbuster trade has Phillies landing Halladay

2009-12-14T15:47:00.000-08:00

Report: Blockbuster trade has Phillies landing Halladay

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly agreed on a blockbuster three-team trade that has a pair of former Cy Young Award winners on the move.

According to SI.com on Monday, the Phillies will acquire Roy Halladay from Toronto and will send last year's mid-season acquisition Cliff Lee to Seattle.

The report indicates the trade will not be completed on Monday but says Halladay is in contract-extension talks with Philadelphia, as both he and Lee are eligible for free agency after the 2010 campaign.

Toronto is expected to add prospects in the deal, while the Phillies are reportedly gaining minor-league talent from the Mariners.

Halladay, 32, has spent his entire 12-year career in Toronto and has yet to pitch in the postseason. The veteran made it known prior to last season's trade deadline that he desired to join a contender, though the Blue Jays general manager at the time, J.P. Ricciardi, failed to pull the trigger on shipping the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner.

The right-hander, who Toronto selected with the 17th overall pick in the 1995 draft, had another sublime season in 2009, pitching to a 2.79 earned-run average while compiling a 17-10 record for the Jays.

The six-time All-Star has logged a 148-76 record throughout his career, coupled with a 3.43 ERA and 1,495 strikeouts in 313 games, 287 of those starts. He has finished in the top five of the AL Cy Young voting in each of the past four seasons.

The Phillies were one of those teams pining for Halladay's services at the trade deadline last year but shifted gears and landed Lee, along with outfielder Ben Francisco, for four prospects from the Cleveland Indians.

Lee didn't disappoint in his short time in Philadelphia, going 7-4 in 12 starts down the stretch with a 3.39 ERA, and carrying the National League champions in the postseason with a 4-0 record and 1.56 ERA in five starts.

The 31-year-old lefty had an incredible 2008 season in Cleveland, where he went 22-3 with a league-best 2.54 ERA in 31 starts to win the AL Cy Young Award that year.

The product of the University of Arkansas has enjoyed an up-and-down career that began in 2002, having a 90-52 record with a 3.97 ERA in 194 games -- 190 starts -- with the Indians and Phillies.

Yankees vs. Red Sox for 2010 Baseball Opener whats your Baseball Pick for 2010?

2009-12-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yankees, Red Sox to open 2010 MLB season in Boston

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Major League Baseball has announced the opening game of the 2010 season will take place between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox on April 4 at Fenway Park.

The game will take place at 8:00 p.m. (et).

The Yankees, the defending World Series champions, will play their fifth season-opening Sunday night game in six seasons.

Boston and New York have previously opened their seasons against one another 29 times, with the Yankees holding an 18-10-1 record in those games. These teams will also end the regular season together at Fenway, which is hosting its first Yankees-Red Sox season opener since 1985.

Recent Offseason Baseball Transactions

2009-12-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Please visit our friends over at oddsshark

Date Player Transaction
12/02/2009 [Oakland] Joey Devine, P Signed to a one-year contract
12/02/2009 [Cleveland] Jason Grilli, RP Signed as free agent
12/02/2009 [Atlanta] Billy Wagner, RP Agreed to terms on a one-year contract
12/01/2009 [Tampa Bay] Jeff Bennett, RP Designated for assignment
12/01/2009 [Tampa Bay] Kelly Shoppach, C Acquired from Cleveland
12/01/2009 [Cleveland] Kelly Shoppach, C Traded to Tampa Bay
12/01/2009 [Cleveland] Masa Kobayashi, P Signed to play in Japan, (Yomiuri Giants)
12/01/2009 [Philadelphia] Brian Schneider, C Signed to a two-year contract
11/30/2009 [NY Mets] Chris Coste, C Signed as free agent
11/30/2009 [NY Mets] Alex Cora, SS Signed to a one-year contract
11/30/2009 [St. Louis] Ruben Gotay, 2B Signed to a one-year contract
11/30/2009 [St. Louis] Jason LaRue, C Signed to a one-year contract
11/30/2009 [Pittsburgh] Robinzon Diaz, C Released
11/30/2009 [Pittsburgh] Justin Thomas, RP Outrighted to Indianapolis (IL)
11/30/2009 [Pittsburgh] Jeff Karstens, P Outrighted to Indianapolis (IL)
11/30/2009 [Pittsburgh] Wilfredo Ledezma, RP Signed to a minor league contract
11/26/2009 [Toronto] Alex Gonzalez, SS Signed to a one-year contract