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**Udog** · 07-09-2012, 07:39 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds for Monday night's Home Run Derby in Kansas City.......

+$250-- Jose Bautista, Toronto-- Hit 124 HRs the last 2.5 seasons.

+$350-- Robinson Cano, Bronx-- Has played 159+ games last 5 years.

+$400-- Prince Fielder, Detroit-- .400+ OB% last 3 years; .379 in '12.

+$450-- Mark Trumbo, Angels-- .306 with 21 HRs in second full year.

+$500-- Matt Kemp, Dodgers-- How about playing in regular games?

+$550-- Carlos Beltran, Cards-- Broke into big leagues in this ballpark.

+$600-- Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies-- Has $70M coming to him over next five years. Figures to get traded, much like Matt Holliday.

+$800-- Andrew McCutchen, Pirates-- Homered twice on Sunday.

***********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Odds and ends at the All-Star break........

13) Rough day for my childhood Sunday, with Ernest Borgnine (McHale's Navy) dying at age 95, and the guy who invented electric football dying at age 87. You see that vibrating electric football game now and it seems goofy, but it was a pretty cool thing way back then.

12) Golfer Ian Poulter played in a tournament in France Sunday, then flew to the Ferrari factory to see his new car on the production line, something I'll never do. Must be nice to be rich. Imagine if Poulter was really good? How much money must some of these guys have?

11) That said, Sunday's playoff with two nobodies in it was pretty cool; Ted Potter Jr had made only 19 of 74 cuts on the web.com minor league tour, while Troy Kelly was ranked #464 in the world coming in. Neither of those two will be hitting the Ferrari factory anytime soon. Potter's win is a life-changing event for him.

Even while losing, Kelly probably earned enough cash to keep his card for next year and for him, that a very big deal, too.

10) Greenbrier in West Virginia had a par-3 18th hole, which you don't see a lot in pro golf. Usually the 17th hole is a par 3.

9) Milwaukee's Zack Greinke was ejected after four pitches in his game on Saturday, so he started again Sunday, and will start Milwaukee's next game on Friday, making him the first big league pitcher since 1917 to start three games in a row.

8) Wonder how much New York State paid Robert DeNiro to voice over on those TV commercials for New York's new business website?

7) 2,114 players were in action at the World Series of Poker Sunday, making the two-day total of entrants for the Main Event 3,180. Thats a lot of poker players risking $10,000 each for the chance to win $8M or so.

Ray Romano, Kevin Pollak and Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo all played in the Main Event on Saturday.

6) Every team is supposed to be represented in the All-Star Game, but the Marlins won't be, with Giancarlo Stanton getting his knee scoped Sunday morning. MLB replaced Stanton with Bryce Harper, who they were dying to get to Kansas City. People at Showtime who are doing a reality show on the Marlins this year ain't going to like that very much.

5) Washington SS Ian Desmond begged out of the All-Star Game Saturday afternoon with an oblique injury, but homered in both last night's game and Sunday's game. Might be time for a more believable excuse.

4) Cleveland Indians are 20-8 in series openers, 23-14 in games decided by one or two runs. Manny Acta is getting the most out of his team.

3) Nigeria beat John Calipari's Dominican Republic team 88-73, earning a spot in the London Olympics. Nigeria has Ike Diogu (Arizona State) and Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) so it wasn't a huge upset, but it was an upset. I'm supposed to see Calipari's team Thursday night at UNLV when they play the USA Olympic team.

2) James Harden is a deserving Olympian, but little odd that he is on this Olympic team but he doesn't start for his NBA team.

1) Diogu and Harden are both Arizona State alums, so Olympics will be a good time for Herb Sendek to do some recruiting. Actually, had Diogu stayed at ASU another year, they would've been a top 20 team and they never would've fired Rob Evans, but thats water under the bridge now.

**Udog** · 07-09-2012, 07:39 AM

Bombs away: Capping the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby

Few moments in sports announce themselves like the home run.

The sharp crack of the bat draws every eye in the ballpark to the exchange at home plate, followed by a brief moment of silence as the crowd watches in amazement as the ball lifts high above the field, growing into a roar as it soars over the outfield fence and plunks itself into a sea of outstretched hands.

It’s the best thing in baseball, which is why the home run, dinger, long ball, round tripper, four-bagger, big fly, moon shot, tater, and going yard is celebrated every summer during the MLB All-Star Game.

The field is set for the annual MLB All-Star Home Run Derby, and that means odds are also out for the event scheduled at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City Monday night.

Eight major league sluggers will be vying for the home run crown. Here’s a look at the field and our favorites to win:

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (27 home runs) +350

Joey Bats started the schedule slowly but has erupted at the plate in recent weeks. Bautista, the 2011 season home run king, caught fire with 14 homers in June and has the most HR heading into Thursday’s games. He participated in last year’s derby but only hit a disappointing four out of Chase Field in Arizona. Bautista did manage to hit one home run during a four-game stop in KC earlier this season.

Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (19 home runs) +350 (note: Stanton has since been taken off the board due to a knee injury)

Stanton is a co-favorite to win the derby but a knee injury could hold him up or even keep him out of the All-Star festivities. The big swinging outfielder hit 34 home runs last season and had hit two in his last three games before sitting out Monday. The question mark surrounding his wonky knee makes him a no go for derby bettors.

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees (20 home runs) +500

The defending derby winner paid off at nearly +900 last summer, socking 32 total dingers -12 in the final – to edge Adrian Gonzalez. Cano has hit 13 of his 20 home runs inside Yankee Stadium, where routine fly balls turn into round-trippers with a gust from the baseball Gods. He may be lacking that extra push at Kauffman Stadium.

Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels (20 home runs) +550

The Angels’ addition of Albert Pujols has been good and bad for Trumbo. The bad, Trumbo was forced to move to third base where he got eaten up like a Snickers bar. The good, he’s seeing a lot more pitches hitting behind Pujols, which is why he’s got 20 homers at the break after hitting 29 all of last season. Trumbo has been consulting with 2003 derby winner and former Halo Garret Anderson, who beat Pujols in the finals that year.

Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers (12 home runs) +600

You know how a lot of batters complain that the home run derby messes with their swing in the second half of the schedule? Well, maybe it can work in reverse for Fielder, who has been downright lifeless in his first year in Detroit. He won the 2009 derby at +500 but has only two home runs in his last 23 games, with the last coming on June 26.

Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals (20 home runs) +750

Beltran’s big bat had them saying “Albert who?” in Missouri through the first chunk of the schedule, hitting 15 of his 20 jacks in April and May. Those old knee issues have cooled off the Cardinals outfielder, with just five home runs in his past 110 at-bats heading into Thursday. The switch hitter will likely take his hacks from the left side, where he’s more powerful, and does have inside info on Kauffman Stadium, having played for the Royals.

Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies (17 home runs) +800

A home run derby title for Gonzalez is about the only thing Rockies fans can cheer for these days, and according to the odds, even that’s a long shot. He had a bit of a knee scare in June and isn’t a pure power hitter. His home run total is inflated thanks to the thin air at Coors Field, where Gonzalez has hit 12 of his 17 home runs this season.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers (12 home runs) +900

Kemp hasn’t played since May 30 due to a nagging hamstring injury and if the Dodgers brass had any smarts, they would sit their star for the entire All-Star Break. Sure, he’s the captain of the National League, but he only mustered two homers in last year’s derby – and that was at 100 percent. Hopefully, Kemp will come to his senses and take a seat for another NL slugger – Bryce Harper perhaps?

Picks to win:

1. Trumbo +550
2. Bautista +350
3. Fielder +600

**Udog** · 07-09-2012, 07:40 AM

MLB All-Star Game: Who has the better starting lineup?

The busiest guys in the building at the MLB Midsummer Classic might just be the play-by-play announcers.

Forget for a moment that the game decides home-field advantage in the World Series, because the two managers are often more concerned about getting everybody in the game than anything else. Still, most starters usually stick around for the first few innings before all the double and triple switches begin.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at both starting lineups to see who has the edge.

Catcher:

AL – Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers
NL – Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

No contest here. Napoli is hitting just .233 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs and only got a spot on the team because everyone hates A.J. Pierzynski. Posey is having a great bounce-back year with a .295 average, 10 homers and 43 RBIs.

Edge: NL

First base:

AL – Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers
NL – Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Votto’s nursing a sore knee and may not be able to start, but if he does, that gives the NL the edge. He’s hitting .345 with 14 homers and 50 RBI, although Fielder’s .298 batting average and 58 RBI are pretty solid.

Edge: NL

Second base:

AL – Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
NL – Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves

Cano carried the Yanks for the entire month of June and is hitting .316 with 20 homers and 50 RBIs. Meanwhile, Uggla’s batting just .225.

Edge: AL

Shortstop:

AL – Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
NL – Rafael Furcal, St. Louis Cardinals

Hard to argue against Jeter. He just passed Cal Ripken on the all-time hits list for a shortstop and is hitting over .300 with seven homers at 38 years of age.

Edge: AL

Third base:

AL – Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
NL – Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

Let’s get past the fact that David Wright and not Kung Fu Panda should be starting for the NL – it’s a popularity contest after all. Beltre’s having a heck of a year with 14 homers, 53 RBIs and a .325 batting average.

Edge: AL

Outfield:

AL – Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees, Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays.
NL – Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants, Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals, Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

Even if Matt Kemp was healthy after being voted a starter, the AL still has the edge with all that power. The NL will likely put Braun or possibly Carlos Gonzalez in the outfield to fill Kemp’s spot.

Edge: AL

Starting pitching:

The managers haven’t announced their starters yet, but it this already looks too close to call. Jered Weaver seems like the best bet to start for the AL, but the NL could go with knuckler R.A. Dickey, Stephen Strasburg or Matt Cain.

Edge: Even

Bullpens:

Again, a lot of guesswork here since most of these guys won’t seem more than an inning of work. Based on the overall quality and experience, you might lean slightly to the AL. Justin Verlander, Yu Darvish, Felix Hernadez and David Price are hard to argue against in the mid-innings.

Edge: AL

Reserve position players:

I love that Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout both made the AL squad, but I’m leaning toward a bit of an edge to the NL’s bench. With Gonzalez, Wright, Jay Bruce and the only two kids on the Cubs worth watching, they have a nice mix of experience and raw talent. Slight edge to the NL.

Edge: NL

Overall Edge: AL

**Udog** · 07-09-2012, 08:32 AM

U.S. Olympic basketball roster set, odds available

The U.S. Olympic team has been finalized and odds are available. Here's a look at the final roster and the latest odds to win the gold medal at the London Olympics from Sportsbook.com.

FINAL ROSTER

Guards
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
James Harden, Thunder
Chris Paul, Clippers
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Deron Williams, Nets

Forwards
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Andre Iguodala, 76ers
LeBron James, Heat
Kevin Love, Timberwolves

Center
Tyson Chandler, Knicks

Olympics 2012 Winner
USA.-600
Spain+500
France+2500
Russia+3300
Argentina+3300
Lithuania+3300
Brazil+4000
Australia+10000
Puerto Rico+15000
Great Britain+35000
Dominican Republic+50000
Angola+50000
China+75000
Nigeria+150000
Tunisia+300000

**jt4545** · 07-09-2012, 10:56 AM

Cajun style ok come on down i'll fix that fish anyway you like it.

Jt

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Monday's Trends and Indexes - 7/9 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 7/9 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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