Announcement

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:46 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, August 17

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Giants host the Panthers, the Jaguars play in Miami, and the Yankees begin a three-game set on the road in Oakland.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The NFL finishes off its first week of preseason contests on Monday night with Jacksonville at Miami and Carolina at the Giants. The oddsmakers have the Dolphins pegged as 3-point home favorites in that first matchup, with the total set at 31.5 points. Meanwhile, the Giants are also listed as 3-point favorites at home for Monday night, with that total at 32.5 points. ESPN has the Panthers/Giants matchup as its Monday Night Football broadcast, with the kickoff set for 8pm ET.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Max Scherzer (7-6, 3.94 ERA) will take on Tommy Hanson (7-2, 3.05 ERA) on Monday afternoon as the Diamondbacks and Braves play a quick one-game set in Atlanta. Righthander Scherzer beat the Mets in his last trip to the mound, surrendering two earned runs over 6 2-3 innings of work. Righthander Hanson is coming off a strong outing as well, holding the Nationals to one earned run over his 6 2-3 innings. Hanson fanned nine and dropped his ERA to 3.05 in that game.

Also on the National League schedule for Monday: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, San Francisco at the Mets, the Cubs at San Diego, and St. Louis at the Dodgers. Ace Chris Carpenter (12-3, 2.27 ERA) will get the ball for the Cardinals on Monday; righthander Carpenter has won his last four starts, and he hasn't been tagged with a loss since June 30. Charlie Haeger (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his L.A. debut.

Meanwhile, there are just four games on the American League schedule for Monday, with the Angels at Baltimore, Minnesota at Texas, Kansas City at the White Sox, and the Yankees at Oakland. A.J. Burnett (10-5, 3.71 ERA) gets the call for New York; righthander Burnett last won on July 27, but he's allowed just three earned runs over his last 13 2-3 innings of work. The Athletics will counter with righthander Vin Mazzaro (4-8, 5.54 ERA), who has won two straight outings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:46 AM

Six-pack for Monday

Baseball statistical leaders with seven weeks left in the season.......

-- BA: Mauer .377, Suzuki .360, HRamirez .356, Bartlett .342

-- HRs: Pujols 38, Reynolds 37, AdGonzalez 32, Dunn/Pena 31

-- RBI: Fielder 105, Pujols 104, Morneau 94, Longoria 88

-- SBs: Crawford 54, Ellsbury 53, Bourn 44, Morgan 38

-- HR allowed: Looper 30, Guthrie 28, Geer 27, Arroyo/Cahill 25

-- WHIP: Haren 0.89, Carpenter 0.98, Lincecum 1.02, Vazquez 1.04

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up the sports weekend........

13) Yong-eun Yang made Nick Faldo a very happy TV analyst Sunday-- seems like Faldo roots like hell against Eldrick Woods every week.

12) Why is Woods the best golfer ever? Partially because even though he's made $7,688,183 this season, which puts him over $90M in career earnings (not counting endorsements), he'll view this season as a failure because he didn't win a major.

11) If you take all the golfers who made the cut in all four majors in '09, Ross Fisher had the best total score, +2.

10) According to the baseball rule book, there are 13 different ways for a pitcher to balk, which is one top 13 list you won't be seeing here.

9) Cleveland Indians are first team to trade defending Cy Young winners in consecutive seasons; Phillies are first team to add a pair of former Cy Young award winners during the same season.

8) Brad Lidge is 0-5, 7.27 with eight blown saves this season. This has to be fixed/corrected if the Phillies are going to make noise in October.

7) Jimmy Rollins is 6-51 (.118) against the Braves so far this season.

6) Angels scored nine runs in 13th inning to outlast Baltimore 17-8; in the three-game series between pitching-starved teams, 53 runs scored.

5) Ichiro Suzuki is hitting .360, with a .391 OB%. The man can hit.

4) Rangers grabbed the AL Wild Card lead beating Boston the last two days, after they blew a 9th-inning lead to the Red Sox Friday night.

3) If the baseball playoffs started Monday, these would be the teams:
AL-- New York-Detroit-Angels-Texas
NL-- Philadelphia-St Louis-Dodgers-Colorado

2) ESPN's Ron Jaworski said on air Thursday that even though its been 29 years since his Eagles lost to Oakland in Super Bowl XV, he's never watched a film of the game. Said it is still too painful. Interesting.

1) I'm glad Michael Vick gets a second chance and all-- he's paid a debt to society, but I don't give a rat's ass what he thinks about any subject. and that includes football. Why 60 Minutes put him on TV is an interesting question, but I refuse to waste one second listening to the imbecile, and make no mistake, anyone who wasted what he had is an imbecile.

From: Armadillo
----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:48 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Monday, August 17

St. Louis at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EDT). Albert Pujols and the NL Central-leading Cardinals open a three-game series against Manny Ramirez and the West-leading Dodgers.

STARS

Sunday

-Ryan Howard, Phillies, hit two homers and drove in all of Philadelphia's runs in a 4-1 victory against Atlanta.

-Gregg Zaun, Rays, had a pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning, leading Tampa Bay past Toronto 5-2.

-Daniel Murphy, Mets, hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning and New York beat San Francisco 3-2.

-Ian Kinsler, Rangers, homered and drove in two runs, and Texas beat Boston 4-3.

-Torii Hunter, Angels, celebrated his return from the disabled list by driving in the go-ahead run in a nine-run 13th inning, and Los Angeles outlasted Baltimore 17-8.

-Mark Ellis, Athletics, lined a home run just over the left-field wall with two outs in the ninth inning and Oakland avoided a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.

-Geoff Blum, Astros, hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs as Houston rallied to beat Milwaukee 8-5.

-Randy Wolf, Dodgers, finished a triple short of the cycle and pitched neatly into the eighth inning, leading Los Angeles to a 9-3 victory over Arizona.

-Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, hit a two-run homer to cap a three-run ninth inning, giving St. Louis a 7-5 victory over San Diego.

HEAD INJURIES

Mets slugger David Wright was released from the hospital and put on the disabled list, one day after he was hit square on the helmet by a 94 mph fastball. Team spokesman Jay Horwitz said the All-Star third baseman was examined by a neurologist Saturday night and again Sunday morning before being sent home. Wright still had a headache and was experiencing "post-concussion symptoms.'' ... Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda was released from the hospital and cleared to fly home with the team after taking a liner off his head in the sixth inning of Saturday night's game against the Diamondbacks. Kuroda's CT scan was negative and he was scheduled for more tests by Los Angeles neurologist Dr. Vernon Williams on Monday.

HIT MAN

Derek Jeter passed Luis Aparicio for most hits by a shortstop when he fought off a pitch on his hands from Seattle rookie Doug Fister and sent it down the right-field line for an RBI double in the third inning of New York's 10-3 loss to the Mariners. His 2,674th hit as a shortstop came two innings after he had singled leading off the game. Jeter also has 13 hits as a designated hitter in his career. His 2,688 hits are second in Yankees history, 33 behind Lou Gehrig.

FADING FAST

The Twins, who lost the rubber-match to Cleveland 7-4, have dropped five series in a row, the last four coming against AL Central opponents. Minnesota now trails Detroit by six games in the division and Texas by 10 1/2 in the wild-card race.

PRINCE RULES

Prince Fielder became the first Brewers player to record three consecutive seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs when he hit a long two-run shot in the sixth inning of an 8-5 loss to Houston.

LONG-TIME COMING

Colby Rasmus is the first St. Louis rookie to hit two game-winning homers since Bill Virdon in 1955. He hit a two-run shot in the ninth to give the Cardinals a 7-5 win over San Diego.

299 TO GO

Seattle's Doug Fister, making his second career start, held one of baseball's best lineups to three runs in seven innings for his first major league win. The Mariners beat the Yankees 10-3.

STATS

Aaron Laffey is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA over his last five starts. He went 5 1-3 innings on Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits in a 7-4 win over the Twins. Minnesota's Nick Blackburn is 0-4 with a 10.17 ERA in six starts. ... Chone Figgins had four hits for the Angels, including the 1,000th of his career. ... The Mets' Luis Castillo connected for his first homer since May 30, 2008, at Shea Stadium. ... Cody Ross went a combined 6 for 9 in a doubleheader split with Colorado, setting a Florida record for hits in a doubleheader. Josh Willingham held the previous record with five July 30, 2006.

SPEAKING

"My legs are tired and I'm pretty exhausted. It's like 'Welcome back!' But I have a few games to make up. It was almost like a doubleheader out there.'' - The Angels' Torii Hunter on getting the go-ahead hit in the 13th inning of a 17-8 win over Baltimore in his return from the disabled list.

SEASONS

Aug. 17

1904 - Jesse Tannehill of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-0.

1920 - Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died from a beaning by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees on Aug. 16. This was the only on-field fatality in major league history.

1933 - Lou Gehrig played in his 1,308th straight game to break Everett Scott's record of 1,307.

1944 - Johnny Lindell of the New York Yankees hit four consecutive doubles in a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Lindell drove in two runs and scored twice.

1972 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies won his 15th consecutive game with a 9-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1990 - Carlton Fisk broke Johnny Bench's major league record for catchers with his 328th home run as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 for a split of a doubleheader.

1992 - Kevin Gross pitched a no-hitter as Los Angeles beat San Francisco 2-0 at Dodgers Stadium.

1999 - Jesse Orosco set a major league record by pitching in his 1,072nd game, breaking a tie with Dennis Eckersley atop the career list. The 42-year-old Orosco took the mound with two outs in the seventh inning of Baltimore's victory over Minnesota.

2001 - Jeff Frye became the second Toronto player to hit for the cycle as the Blue Jays beat Texas 11-3. Frye tripled in the second inning, doubled in the fifth, homered in the sixth and hit a shot to the right-center field gap in the seventh. With the game in hand, he held up at first.

2002 - Alex Rodriguez became the sixth player in major league history to have five straight 40-homer seasons.

2004 - Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton, 19, became the first teenager in more than six years to homer in a major league game, helping Tampa Bay snap a six-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Anaheim.

2008 - Melvin Mora had two homers and two doubles among his five hits and drove in a career-high six runs to pace Baltimore's 22-hit attack in a 16-8 win over Detroit.

2008 - Alex Rios went 5-for-6 and matched a club record with four doubles, and Toronto knocked Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett out after 2 1-3 innings in a 15-4 victory.

Today's birthdays: Dustin Pedroia 26; Brett Myers 29; Chad Qualls 31; Jorge Posada 38

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:48 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On August 17 in Baseball History...

1882 - In what is considered one of the greatest games of the century, Providence beats Detroit 1-0 on an 18th-inning home run by right fielder Old Hoss Radbourn. This National League game will serve as the longest shutout in major league history until September 1, 1967, when San Francisco will blank Cincinnati 1-0 in twenty innings.

1891 - The American Association franchise in Cincinnati folds. Milwaukee of the Western Association is elected to take its place, a move that dooms that minor league. The American Association will be subsumed by the National League over the winter.

1894 - Jack Wadsworth of the National League's Louisville club set a record that still stands by giving up twenty-eight singles in one game.

1920 - Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died from a beaning by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees on Aug. 16. This was the only on-field fatality in major league history.

1933 - Lou Gehrig plays his 1,308th consecutive game to break Everett Scott's mark as the Browns edge the Yankees 7-6 in ten innings.

1944 - Johnny Lindell of the New York Yankees hit four consecutive doubles in a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Lindell drove in two runs and scored twice.

1948 - Tommy Henrich hits his fourth grand slam of the season to tie the American League mark. Henrich, who broke in with the Yankees in 1937, had never hit a grand slam before this season.

1957 - Richie Ashburn, known for his ability to foul pitches off, hits spectator Alice Roth twice in the same at bat. The first one breaks her nose, and the second one hits her while she is being removed from her seat on a stretcher. Ironically, she is the wife of Earl Roth, the sports editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin. The Phils win 3-1 over New York.

1966 - Willie Mays takes second place on the all-time home run list with a fourth-inning blast off Ray Washburn. San Francisco is one-half game out of first place after beating the Cards 4-3.

1972 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies won his 15th consecutive game with a 9-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1973 - Willie Mays hits the 660th, and last, home run of his major league career off Don Gullett of Cincinnati.

1980 - George Brett has four hits and five RBI in Kansas City's 8-3 win over Texas, raising his batting average to .401 and extending his hitting streak to 29 consecutive games.

1990 - In Chicago's 4-2 win over Texas, Carlton Fisk homers off Charlie Hough to become the all-time home run leader (with 187) in White Sox history and the all-time leader in home runs by a catcher (328).

1992 - Kevin Gross pitched a no-hitter as Los Angeles beat San Francisco 2-0 at Dodgers Stadium.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:51 AM

MLB
Write-up

Monday, August 17

Hot Pitchers
-- Hanson is 2-0, 2.13 in his last couple starts.
-- Padres won five of Correia's last seven starts.
-- Carpenter is 5-0, 1.91 in his last six starts.

-- ESantana is 2-0, 2.40 in his last two starts.
-- Hunter is 5-1, 2.25 in his last seven starts.
-- Burnett is 5-1, 3.07 in his last nine starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Scherzer has an 8.38 RA in his last four road starts.
-- Villanueva is 0-2, 5.03 in four starts for Milwaukee. Hart is 0-1, 6.35 in two starts for the Pirates.
-- Mets lost last three LHernandez starts (0-2, 8.40). Martinex has 6.75 RA in two starts for the Giants.
-- Lilly is 2-3, 5.79 in his last six starts.
-- Haeger was 11-5, 3.55 in 22 starts at AAA this year; he started one game for the 2006 White Sox.

-- DHernandez is 1-2, 5.94 in his last three starts.
-- Liriano is 1-3, 5.87 in his last six starts.
-- Buehrle is 0-3, 6.15 in his last four starts. Bannister is 1-2, 6.49 in his last six starts.
-- Tomko was 0-0, 7.94 in two starts for AAA Sacramento; he started this season buried in the Bronx bullpen, but has made 260 MLB starts, last of which were 10 starts for the '08 Royals.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won six of their last eight games.
-- Brewers won three of their last four games.
-- Cubs won their last two games by combined score of 20-3.
-- Cardinals won eight of their last nine games.

-- Angels won 12 of their last 16 road games.
-- Texas is 11-3 in its last 14 home games.
-- Bronx Bombers are 23-7 since All-Star break.

Cold Teams
-- Diamondbacks lost three of their last four games.
-- Mets lost nine of their last 14 games. Giants are 6-12 in their last 18 road games.
-- Pirates lost their last eight home games.
-- Padres lost their last four games, allowing 35 runs.
-- Dodgers are 8-13 in their last 21 games.

-- Orioles lost 12 of their last 16 games.
-- Royals are 4-8 in their last twelve road games. White Sox are 9-10 in last 19 games, losing three of last four at home.
-- Twins lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- A's lost three of their last four home games.

Totals
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Scherzer's last ten starts.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in Pirates' last eleven home games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last ten LHernandez starts.
-- Three of Correia's last four starts went over the total.
-- Five of last six Carpenter starts stayed under the total.

-- Over is 11-3-1 in Angels' last fifteen road games.
-- Seven of nine Hunter starts stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Buehrle starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Bronx games stayed under the total.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:52 AM

MLB

Monday, August 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. ATLANTA
Arizona is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing Arizona
Atlanta is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Arizona

7:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing LA Angels

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
Milwaukee is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. NY METS
San Francisco is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 6-12 SU in its last 18 games
NY Mets are 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing San Francisco

8:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Minnesota's last 18 games when playing on the road against Texas
Minnesota is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Minnesota

8:11 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City

10:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN DIEGO
Chi Cubs are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 9 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

10:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
NY Yankees are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games
Oakland is 1-9 SU in their last 10 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oakland's last 10 games when playing NY Yankees

10:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
St. Louis is 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games at home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:53 AM

MLB

Monday, August 17

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers (-133, 9.5)

The Texas Rangers are the new wild card leader in the American League, and they don't look like they are going to wilt in the heat.

The Rangers (66-50) took the last two of a three-game weekend set with the Boston Red Sox, moving one-half game ahead of the Red Sox (66-51) in the wild card standings. They have surged to the top with outstanding play at home.

With a handful of good young pitchers and using speed as much as power to generate offense, Texas is 16-5 at The Ballpark at Arlington since June 30. During that span, they are 6-1 in home series with four straight series wins.

The Rangers have allowed three runs or less 12 times during their home hot streak.

The Twins have lost 10 of their last 14 road games.

Pick: Texas

Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (+115, 9)

Pittsburgh backers should be happy about Sunday's rainout in Chicago. Any day without another L in the loss column is a win for Pirates fans.

The National League Central cellar dwellers have dropped 12 of their last 13 games and 17 of their last 20 overall. And of course the club won't soon forget Friday's 17-2 drumming at the hands of the Cubbies. The uneven outcome was large enough to be considered one of the franchise's worst of all-time.

"I am extremely disappointed in the way the team has performed of late," team president Frank Coonelly told the Pittsburgh Post Gazzette. "... We believe in the plan and direction that we're moving, and we're confident that we're moving forward as an organization."

Translation: We're looking forward to selecting Bryce Harper with the first overall pick next draft.

Pick: Brewers

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:53 AM

MLB

Monday, August 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Streaking

Tommy Hunter (Texas Rangers)

The Rangers have a stable of good young pitchers, and the burly right-hander may be the best of the bunch.

Hunter has worked season-high innings in each of his last two starts - both on the road - bouncing back nicely from a rough outing Aug. 1 versus Seattle. He's allowed one earned run or less in five of his last six starts, going at least six innings in each.

Coming off 7 2-3 scoreless innings at Cleveland, Hunter caught the eye of Indians manager Eric Wedge.

"He worked both sides, he was down," Wedge told the Rangers' web site. "He really worked his breaking ball early and mixed in his changeup as it wore on. We had a lot of quick outs and that was because of his command. Another thing that stuck out to me was his poise out there. He seemed very relaxed."

Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)

The rookie righty was hot before the All-Star break, then cooled off a bit. He is back in rhythm again.

Hanson is 3-2 in five starts since the break and the Braves did not score in both losses. He has 30 strikeouts and just six walks in that stretch.

He has won his last two outings, fanning 14 in 12 2-3 innings while giving up just three earned runs.

Kevin Correia (San Diego Padres)

The right-hander has been highly inconsistent but is in one of his better stretches of the season. The Padres have won three of his last four starts.

Correia is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in that span, working at least six innings in every outing. It is his second-longest run of quality starts this year.

Correia also has not allowed a homer in his last six starts.

Slumping

Brian Bannister (Kansas City Royals)

Bannister has been bombarded by light-hitting teams in his last two outings.

Facing Oakland and Minnesota, the right-hander has given up 14 runs and 16 hits in just 10 innings. He surrendered a five-run frame in each game.

"The last two starts, I haven't been the same guy," Bannister told the team's web site. "The pitches haven't been crisp and my command hasn't been quality."

Livan Hernandez (New York Mets)

The veteran junk tosser is in the same boat as Bannister, roughed up by bad teams in his last two starts.

In consecutive road losses against San Diego and Arizona, Hernandez has been pummeled for 12 runs and 14 hits in just nine innings.

Throw in seven walks and his WHIP (walks + hits per inning) is an awful 2.33.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 08-17-2009, 05:55 AM

MLB

Monday, August 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseball cash cows: Hottest trends in the majors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damn Yankees

Even with Sunday's 10-3 loss at Seattle, the New York Yankees have been worth the high price for the last month.

Sunday's loss as a -174 favorite ended a five-game winning streak for the Yankees, who have baseball's best straight-up record since the All-Star break.

The Yankees are 23-7 since the break with winning streaks of eight, seven and five games. They have been favored in all but three games and carried a price of at least 2-1 eight times.

On Monday, the Yankees are -184 at Oakland with A.J. Burnett on the mound. That is the highest price Burnett has had on the road since his first start of the season at Baltimore, where he was -196.

Under the radar

It's been a season-long trend, but the Texas Rangers continue to play under the total. Oddsmakers are lowering the number, but Texas has still played below the total in seven of its last eight contests.

The tendency is even more pronounced at the Ballpark in Arlington. The under is 26-7-1 in Texas home games since the beginning of June.

The Rangers host the Minnesota Twins on Monday with the total set at 9.5.

Working overtime

Sharp bettors weren’t shocked by the Marlins’ 10-run explosion yesterday against the Rockies’ Aaron Cook.

Florida has soared over the total in eight straight games and 11 of its last 12.

The club leads the majors in runs (86) and batting average (.317) in the month of August. Of course over bettors will also tell you that Florida’s 5.00 August ERA has helped produce winning tickets.

The Marlins don’t play again until Tuesday when they visit the Houston Astros.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 08-17-2009, 10:08 AM

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at Oakland
The Yankees look to build on their 8-1 record in A.J. Burnett's last 9 starts. New York is the pick (-200) according to Dunkel, which has the Yankees favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 17

Game 901-902: Arizona at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Scherzer) 15.622; Atlanta (Hanson) 14.978
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+155); Under

Game 903-904: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Villanueva) 13.243; Pittsburgh (Hart) 13.573
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+125); Over

Game 905-906: San Francisco at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Martinez) 14.414; NY Mets (Hernandez) 14.965
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+100); Under

Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lilly) 13.903; San Diego (Correia) 14.961
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Over

Game 909-910: St. Louis at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 17.038; LA Dodgers (Haeger) 15.779
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-160); Over

Game 911-912: LA Angels at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 15.835; Baltimore (Hernandez) 14.282
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+105); Over

Game 913-914: Minnesota at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 15.808; Texas (Hunter) 15.727
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+130); Over

Game 915-916: Kansas City at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Bannister) 14.399; White Sox (Buehrle) 15.533
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-240); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-240); Under

Game 917-918: NY Yankees at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.463; Oakland (Tomko) 14.821
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200); Over

**Udog** · 08-17-2009, 10:44 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, August 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARIZONA (54 - 64) at ATLANTA (61 - 56) - 4:05 PM
MAX SCHERZER (R) vs. TOMMY HANSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 54-64 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 13-20 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ARIZONA is 54-64 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 42-64 (-25.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 23-19 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 133-146 (-27.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 132-144 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 36-39 (-9.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 21-23 (-7.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-3 (-0.2 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SCHERZER is 1-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 7.45 and a WHIP of 2.068.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

TOMMY HANSON vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILWAUKEE (58 - 59) at PITTSBURGH (46 - 70) - 7:05 PM
CARLOS VILLANUEVA (R) vs. KEVIN HART (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 25-36 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 248-286 (-64.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 371-353 (+37.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 19-12 (+9.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 38-28 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 9-33 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 14-31 (-15.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 19-34 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-2 (+3.9 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

CARLOS VILLANUEVA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
VILLANUEVA is 0-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

KEVIN HART vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN FRANCISCO (63 - 54) at NY METS (55 - 62) - 7:10 PM
JOE MARTINEZ (R) vs. LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HERNANDEZ is 19-13 (+10.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 63-54 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 131-81 (+50.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 63-54 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 698-592 (+81.2 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 100-100 (+10.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-22 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
NY METS are 144-135 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 52-66 (-27.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 27-31 (-17.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 144-135 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 72-75 (-18.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 5-2 (+3.4 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

JOE MARTINEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 4-5 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.252.
His team's record is 8-8 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-9. (-3.2 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO CUBS (60 - 55) at SAN DIEGO (49 - 70) - 10:05 PM
TED LILLY (L) vs. KEVIN CORREIA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 60-55 (-5.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-33 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 156-199 (-60.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 60-55 (-5.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 27-33 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 497-519 (-116.2 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 507-473 (-95.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CORREIA is 27-20 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 26-18 (+14.7 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 12-5 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 7-2 (+7.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 112-168 (-51.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 112-168 (-51.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 80-121 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 25-44 (-17.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN DIEGO is 40-79 (-34.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 3-3 (+0.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

TED LILLY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LILLY is 5-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.92 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.4 units)

KEVIN CORREIA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
CORREIA is 0-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 9.90 and a WHIP of 2.300.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (67 - 52) at LA DODGERS (70 - 48) - 10:10 PM
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. CHARLIE HAEGER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 70-48 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 70-48 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 52-34 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 51-35 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 153-128 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 153-128 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 103-81 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 104-83 (+15.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CARPENTER is 4-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.18 and a WHIP of 1.091.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

CHARLIE HAEGER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA ANGELS (70 - 45) at BALTIMORE (48 - 69) - 7:05 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. DAVID HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 70-45 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 34-23 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 64-39 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 59-42 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 44-34 (+8.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 42-27 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 32-16 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SANTANA is 14-4 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 496-540 (-112.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 9-27 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 496-540 (-112.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 236-294 (-88.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 82-149 (-46.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 20-52 (-25.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 7-2 (+4.6 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
SANTANA is 2-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 4-4 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

DAVID HERNANDEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.199.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (56 - 61) at TEXAS (66 - 50) - 8:05 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. TOMMY HUNTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 56-61 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 4-10 (-9.1 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
MINNESOTA is 1-12 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
LIRIANO is 15-21 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 66-50 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 19-12 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TEXAS is 39-22 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TEXAS is 73-53 (+22.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
TEXAS is 65-48 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 49-36 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 18-7 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 37-27 (+11.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MINNESOTA is 101-83 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. TEXAS since 1997
LIRIANO is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

TOMMY HUNTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KANSAS CITY (46 - 71) at CHI WHITE SOX (60 - 58) - 8:11 PM
BRIAN BANNISTER (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 46-71 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 69-120 (-35.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 40-61 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 31-46 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 15-29 (-14.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
BANNISTER is 8-24 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 60-58 (+1.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-26 (+7.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 88-55 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 41-20 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 56-48 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 40-32 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 59-36 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 79-53 (+21.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 105-52 (+33.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 105-52 (+33.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 16-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 28-29 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BANNISTER is 12-5 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 6-6 (+0.1 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

BRIAN BANNISTER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
BANNISTER is 3-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 7.60 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 5-6 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-7. (-5.6 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BUEHRLE is 20-8 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.191.
His team's record is 28-11 (+9.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 19-19. (-1.8 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY YANKEES (74 - 44) at OAKLAND (52 - 65) - 10:05 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. VIN MAZZARO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 134-89 (-51.9 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997.
OAKLAND is 215-141 (+67.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 18-10 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 24-43 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 5-1 (+1.9 Units) against OAKLAND this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BURNETT is 2-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.13 and a WHIP of 1.567.
His team's record is 3-3 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.6 units)

VIN MAZZARO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
MAZZARO is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 12.47 and a WHIP of 2.771.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 08-17-2009, 12:03 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, 8/17/2009

National League

ARIZONA at ATLANTA, 4:05 PM ET
SCHERZER: ARI UNDER 24-10 as a road underdog
HANSON: ATL 20-4 at home after 3+ consecutive unders

MILWAUKEE at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
VILLANUEVA: MIL 19-12 AWAY when the total is 9 to 9.5
HART: PIT 10-32 after 3+ consecutive road games

SAN FRANCISCO at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
MARTINEZ: SF 21-13 after a one run loss
HERNANDEZ: NYM 11-20 after allowing 2 runs or less

CHICAGO CUBS at SAN DIEGO, 10:05 PM ET
LILLY: CHC 53-29 as a favorite
CORREIA: SD 9-28 after having lost 4 of their last 5

ST LOUIS at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
CARPENTER: STL 80-56 when the total is 7 to 8.5
HAEGER: LAD 15-7 OVER after 5+ consecutive road games

American League

LA ANGELS at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
SANTANA: LAA 22-8 after a win by 4+ runs
HERNANDEZ: BAL 14-39 after scoring 8+ runs

MINNESOTA at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
LIRIANO: MIN 1-12 AWAY when playing on Monday
HUNTER: TEX 20-7 at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

KANSAS CITY at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:11 PM ET
BANNISTER: KC 16-7 when playing on Monday
BUEHRLE: CHW 29-11 OVER as a favorite of -150 or more

NY YANKEES at OAKLAND, 10:05 PM ET
BURNETT: NYY 23-8 after 4+ consecutive road games
MAZZARO: OAK 20-8 UNDER when playing on Monday

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 08-17-2009, 12:20 PM

No Tips and Trends for MLB on Monday. It's in the "NFL Trends and Indexes - Preseason Week 1 (8/9 – 8/17)" thread today.

**Udog** · 08-17-2009, 12:20 PM

Len's Top 5

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for August 17, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

Y.E. Yang outduels Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship by 3 strokes.
Double ouch. David Wright of the Mets and Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda both suffered concussions Saturday. Wright was beaned and has landed on the disabled list. Kuroda was nailed in the head by a line drive.
How low can you go? Jamaica's Usain Bolt set a new world record in the 100 meters in Berlin. 9.58 seconds.
Hockey great Mark Messier is taking a front office job with the Rangers. Messier breeds success wherever he's been.
After going 0-16 last season, the Detroit Lions won their first exhibition game with a field goal as time expired. Cool.

2. Y.E. Who?

Y.E. Yang did the unthinkable, he took down the great Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship. Was it the equivalent of the Jets beating the Colts in Super Bowl III? Villanova beating Georgetown in 1985? How about the U.S. hockey team beating the Russians in 1980? In South Korea it certainly was.
Slight nitpick. Tiger could have been a tad more gracious to Yang in his news conference. His theme, I played well enough to win, I just didn't putt well enough. Maybe, but I got the feeling he was playing "not to lose" on Saturday, and it cost him.

3. Moneyball

Now that the Yankees have the best record in baseball and have blown away the AL East, the inevitable carping will start over money. The Yankees have by far the most bloated payroll in baseball, so the critics will say "sure, they bought success." Not so fast. What did they exactly buy the last 8 years? Their spending spree for years looked like "cash for clunkers." Suddenly the model works? Maybe, but buyer beware. Of the top 7 payrolls in baseball one does have a losing record. Yup, #2 in salary, #2 in New York, #4 in the NL East. (The Mets.)

4. Big Man on Campus

The Rick Pitino story gets wackier by the minute. So far, if you're scoring at home (or in a restaurant) we've had extortion, abortion and sex on a table. Throw into the mix that the woman claims Pitino paid his equipment manager to marry her to keep the whole thing hush hush. Through it all Louisville "stands by" their man. They used to call college "higher education," can it get any more low brow than at Louisville?

5. Monday Musings

Are we going to have to hear from PETA every time Michael Vick makes a move? He's back, he's acting contrite. Deal.
The first snap in his very first pre-season game, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez completed a 48-yard pass. What next, a Knicks point guard completing passes too?
I wonder how book sales are coming along for Rick Pitino's "Lead to Succeed: 10 Traits of Great Leadership in Business and Life?"

Happy Birthday: 4 time tennis Grand Slam champion Jim Courier. 39.
Bonus Birthday: You looking at me? Actor Robert De Niro. 66.

Today in Sports: Michael Phelps wins his record 8th gold medal at the same Olympics. That was so last year. 2008.
Bonus Event: Not a bad career move. Ringo Starr replaces Pete Best as Beatles drummer. 1962.

Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 8/17 (MLB, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 8/17 (MLB, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment