MAY 16HOME - SPORTS NEWS - SPECIAL EDITION PART 6
NBA PLAYOFFS SPORT NEWS & MLB NEWS
MLB - (espn.com):
It took Mike Greenwell 10 years to go from the Green Monster of Fenway Park to the green
flag of NASCAR racing.
The former Red Sox outfielder hung up his glove in 1996 eager to start a new athletic
endeavor -- racing cars. After a decade spent toiling around in late models, Greenwell will
finally make his NASCAR debut in Saturday night's Truck Series event at Mansfield (Ohio)
Motorsports Speedway.
I retired very early, Greenwell said. I hit .297 my final year and I had 20 offers to go
back and play the next year.
But I wanted to go racing. I literally quit baseball so I could go racing.
Greenwell, who hit .303 with 1,400 hits and 130 homers in his dozen years with the Red Sox,
wasted no time switching gears. He returned to his home state of Florida and jumped into
the Saturday night scene, racing at the grassroots stock car level.
He wasn't bad, either, winning 37 races and the 2000 speedweeks championship at New Smyrna
(Fla.) Speedway. But he wanted to test his skills against the best, and his longtime
friendship with Truck Series driver Todd Bodine opened the door for him.
Greenwell grew up a racing junkie, and got to know Bodine while following the sport during
his playing days in Boston. He became a frequent visitor to tracks around the Northeast,
and was delighted when New Hampshire International Speedway opened in 1990 and began
hosting NASCAR events.
Racing was foreign to his clubhouse cronies, but Greenwell worked hard to get his teammates
to follow the sport.
I was such a fan, I would tape the races and I actually got a lot of the guys interested
because of that, Greenwell said. Then when the Bahre family opened the track in Loudon,
there was so much press about it and it was really cool to the see the fanatic fans of New
England become interested in racing.
Greenwell stayed in touch with Bodine when he launched his racing career, and the
relationship helped him meet several other drivers and contacts in the sport. Bodine had
coaxed him to test in a Busch Series car, and finally found the right opportunity for him
this season in a truck owned by Bobby Dotter.
If his debut goes well, Greenwell has plans to run two more events this season -- including
a return to New Hampshire in September.
Bodine has no doubt Greenwell will be a success, and insists he'll do better than former
NFL coach Jerry Glanville, who had a brief, sub-par stint as a driver.
Mike's real good, he's a racer who understands about driving, Bodine said. He's won a lot
of races before and championships. He's not a Jerry Glanville, a guy who came in here
wanting to be a racer and didn't know what he was doing.
But Greenwell doesn't have any grand illusions of wowing the field Saturday night with a
win.
I am hoping to go there and be competitive and finish the race, he said. It's my first race
against these guys, and there is probably going to be more nerves than any other race I've
ever been in. Am I going to be able to just run laps? No. I am going to have to race, and I
hope to finish it.
Greenwell doesn't know what's in his racing future beyond this three-race stint. He's 42
years old, and knows he'll probably never make it to Nextel Cup racing. But a Busch race or
two isn't so far-fetched, nor is putting together a schedule of truck races.
But Greenwell doesn't want to do too many races that take him away from home. He said his
two teenage sons are excellent athletes, and he expects 17-year-old Bo to be selected in
the Major League Baseball draft.
This is more like fulfilling a dream for him," Bodine said. He has his family, and I'm not
sure he wants to do this full-time. But in the future, maybe he can be part of the sport as
a car owner, or a truck owner and maybe he might run three or four races a year to have
some fun.
MLB- (covers.com):
1. Scott Kazmir (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) - 7-2, 2.39 ERA.
2. Freddy Garcia (Chicago White Sox) - 7-1, 3.92 ERA.
3. Brandon Webb (Arizona Diamondbacks) - 7-0, 2.44 ERA.
4. Gustavo Chacin (Toronto Blue Jays) - 5-1, 5.31 ERA.
5. Mark Mulder (St. Louis Cardinals) - 5-2, 3.74 ERA.
6. Tom Glavine (New York Mets) - 7-2, 2.48 ERA.
7. Kenny Rogers (Detroit Tigers) - 7-2, 2.91 ERA.
8. Woody Williams (San Diego Padres) - 3-1, 3.27 ERA.
9. Curt Schilling (Boston Red Sox) - 7-2, 3.80 ERA.
10. Rich Harden (Oakland Athletics) - 3-0, 4.06 ERA.
MLB- (covers.com):
At least the Chicago Cubs have a decent excuse for being crappy this year.
Losing Derrek Lee was a devastating blow and, of course, the mentally fragile Cubs couldn’t
handle it. Chicago is 4-16 over its last 20 going into tonight’s game against the Florida
Marlins as -116 favorites.
I don’t think they have the material to make a run. I don’t think they were particularly
good even with Derrek Lee, says professional handicapper Dave Cokin.
The Cubs are totally lost, though, without the slugging first baseman who batted .335,
smashed 46 homers, and had a .662 slugging percentage last season.
But Chicago`s problems stretch far beyond the loss of Lee. Leadoff man Juan Pierre has a
.268 on-base percentage. Jacque Jones has been disappointing and third baseman Aramis
Ramirez has been exposed as just a complementary player not capable of leading a team.
As a result of all this, the Cubs rank last in runs scored averaging 3.7 runs,
second-to-last in home runs and third-from-the-bottom in batting average at the start of
this week.
They spend a bunch of money on Juan Pierre, which was a mistake, Cokin says. He is a player
on the decline. He batted .276 last year and they would be thankful if he could match that
this year.
He can’t get on base at all. He’s been a disaster at the leadoff spot.
Pierre began the week batting .235. He’s drawn eight walks in 179 at bats. Ramirez is
hitting .231. Middle infielder Neifi Perez is hitting under .200. Outfielder Matt Murton
has only two home runs.
So it’s not a big surprise the Cubs have gone under seven of their last nine through
Monday. Linesmakers haven’t made an over/under above 10 on a Cubs game since April 12.
And unlike years past, the low totals have nothing to do with Chicago`s pitching.
They’re pitching staff is overrated, Cokin says.
Mark Prior`s still on the DL can’t be relied on anymore with his frequent injuries. Greg
Maddux is 40. Carlos Zambrano is a head case. Sean Marshall is young and inconsistent. Rich
Hill, Jerome Williams and Angel Guzman have all failed and been sent back to the minors,
which is where Glendon Rusch should reside.
Kerry Wood might still be an exciting power pitcher, but he’s often injured and never been
a big winner.
Wood has never won more than 14 games during his eight-year career with the Cubs and is
11-14 over the past three years going into Tuesday’s game against Florida.
Wood is a typical Cub. He looks better than he is and can’t be counted on.
A lot of their talent is overrated, Cokin says. I’m not a Dusty Baker fan, but you can’t
pin it on him. Nobody could win with this team.
Baker is in the final year of four-year, $14 million deal to manage the Cubs. The team is
expected to offer him a two-year extension and just last month, Cubs general manager Jim
Hendry signed a two-year contract extension.
You have to wonder about that move, too, considering the Cubs still don’t resemble a
winning club. Hendry gambled the Cubs could hang in without acquiring someone decent to
fill in at first while Lee remains out. It’s a gamble that the Cubs are losing in a big way
so far.
Extending Jim Hendry’s contract may not have been the brightest thing the Cubs ever did,
Cokin says.
Hendry and the Cubs are hoping Lee returns next month along with Prior and resurrected Wade
Miller. The Cubs’ starting pitching staff then would be composed of Zambrano, Wood, Maddux,
Prior and Miller.
Those names look great on paper, but paper doesn’t translate into wins. The Cubs didn’t
come close against Ricky Nolasco and the Marlins on Monday. Now what happens?
Look for more defeats to pile up because after Florida the Cubs play 19 games against the
Braves, Reds, Cardinals and Astros. Those teams are a combined 26 games above .500.
Even Ernie Banks can’t be happy about that. Let’s lose two today!
MLB- (covers.com):
Pitcher or action? It’s the first question asked when betting a baseball game.
For most the answer is simple: Starting pitchers must be spelled out or no wager.
I almost always bet pitchers because that’s what I’m mainly handicapping, said professional
sports bettor Dave Malinsky. But I’m also here (in front of the computer) most of the time.
If I’m traveling on a plane or something, I will bet action.
Action is betting the game regardless of starting pitchers. Many baseball bettors play
either on or against one of the starting pitchers.
It doesn’t matter most of the time since listed pitchers usually start. Once in a while,
though, an off-pitcher goes because of a late injury to the starter or the manager changes
his original plans.
When this happens, bookmakers adjust on the fly. Pedro Martinez might be -180 if pitching
that day, but if Jose Lima starts instead of Martinez the price might be +140. An action
wager on New York puts you on the Mets no matter who starts.
Russ Culver is one of the few professional baseball gamblers who bets action.
Just about every bettor will tell you that if you don’t list pitchers and there is a late
pitching change, you can get screwed by the line change,Culver, the former sportsbook
manager at The Mirage and Golden Nugget hotels in Las Vegas, wrote on a gaming site posting
forum. I have never had a problem with the new prices posted by sportsbooks when they have
a pitching change.
I deal with large books and I know that the price adjustment is going to be fair because
they are reputable and they are going to do an honest job of making a new line. I had to
make off-pitcher lines myself at Vegas books, and no sportsbook managers that I knew ever
did so without conferring with Las Vegas Sports Consultants and other sportsbook managers
to make sure we were all being consistent and fair.
I know that may sound hokey, but major bookmakers really do understand that being fair is
crucial to maintaining your customers. (As for some books, I don’t go near them no matter
what kind of deals they offer and I wouldn’t trust them to make an off-pitcher price.)
I just don’t think it’s a big deal if you are making your plays just a couple of hours (or
less) before game time. Off pitchers are very unusual.
Yet they do happen. So, why take a chance?
It’s not just a question if the price is fair, Malinsky said. “I might just not want to bet
against the other pitcher.
No one can seriously argue starting pitching isn’t the major handicap to baseball. The
question is to what degree? Some might say up to 80-90 percent. "I am betting on teams,”
Culver wrote. “If there is a pitching change, unlike you, I still want the play as long as
I get a fair price. I realize there will be an overwhelming majority of players (especially
serious players) that disagree with my philosophy.
But what they fail to see is the many occasions where there has been a pitching change and
my team won. If I had listed pitchers I might not have had the opportunity to play that
winner. That’s why I am comfortable playing my teams as action."
For Malinsky and others it’s not just a matter of trusting the book to make the proper line
adjustment.
It’s not just a question if the price is fair, Malinsky said. I might not want to bet
against the other pitcher.
There are other ingredients to consider such as is the new pitcher a groundball or flyball
pitcher? Is he a righty or lefty? How much rest did he have since his last outing? Is he an
innings-eater or just a four-to-five-inning pitcher?
There are so many new factors that come into play that I would always want to be able to
make an informed decision, Malinsky said. So if I’m here at the computer, it’s always
pitchers. It’s only action if it’s 7 in the morning and I’m running to the airport and I
want to make sure to get a play in.
MLB Free Picks- (associated press):
Outfielder Gary Sheffield could return to the Yankees for Tuesday`s game against the Boston
Red Sox according to a New York Times report.
The Red Sox are favored for Game 2 of the series at -150 with Tim Wakefield taking the
mound.
Sheffield played a warm up game for Class AA Trenton on Monday night and should rejoin the
team if he feels ready.
Sheffield isn`t expected to return in peak playing form, but the injury depleted Yankees
will be happy just to have him back in the lineup.
The only thing we want to do is test his wrist, and we`ll live with the fact that he`s
going to get his timing with us," manager Joe Torre told the New York Times. I just want
him to physically test it first and just have him come up here."
The veteran slugger has missed 16 days with a contusion and sprain of the left wrist and
hand after colliding with Blue Jays first baseman Shea Hillenbrand on April 29.
Sheffield participated in batting practice Friday night and left after just 10 swings
because of soreness. He later returned to the batting cage and hit several home runs.
The Yankees are currently playing without outfielders Bubba Crosby, on the 15-day DL with a
hamstring injury, and Hideki Matsui, who broke his wrist on May 11 and is on the 60-day DL.
MLB FRE PICKS- Top MLB MONEY TEAMS from 5/16 through 5/23 (covers.com)
1 DET
2 CIN
3 ARI
4 COL
5 CHW
6 STL
7 BOS
8 NYM
9 SF
10 TOR
MLB- (associated press):
Bobby Abreu lost more than just his power stroke after his awesome display in the Home Run
Derby during All-Star week last year.
The Philadelphia Phillies right fielder simply wasn`t getting as many hits. But the
two-time All-Star and .303 career hitter finally appears to have regained his sweet,
left-handed swing.
Abreu went 3-for-3 with a triple, homer and five RBIs in Philadelphia`s 10-5 victory over
Boston on Sunday. His three-run shot to straightaway center field ended his homerless
drought at 80 at-bats. He is 9-for-18 with four doubles, one triple, one homer and eight
RBIs in the last five games.
Even with Abreu`s bat seeming to be back on track, Oddsmakers still have the Phillies
listed as +127 underdogs against the Mets on Tuesday. The total is set at 9.
``I`m starting to hit the ball pretty good,`` Abreu said. ``I`m feeling better right now.
And especially against lefties, I have been able to open up and pull the ball a lot.``
Before getting two hits in a loss at Milwaukee last Wednesday, Abreu`s batting average had
dipped to .257. At that point, he was hitting only .259 with 10 homers and 67 RBIs in the
109 games after last season`s All-Star game.
One of baseball`s unheralded stars, Abreu gained national attention with his record-setting
performance in the Home Run Derby. He smashed the mark for total homers with 41, including
24 in the first round.
But winning the contest may have adversely affected his swing. Abreu is a line-drive hitter
who has never had more than 31 homers in a season. Perhaps Abreu - though he denies it -
started swinging more for the long ball after his prolific night last July.
No matter, Abreu is back on track as the second-place Phillies head into an important
three-game series in New York against the NL East-leading Mets.
I just try to do my best, Abreu said. I want to help the team. The guys need me and I`m one
of those guys that can start a rally in the middle of the lineup. When you are the third
hitter in the lineup, you are the guy to lead the team, and you just want them all to
follow you.``
Manager Charlie Manuel noticed a difference in Abreu`s swing during last week`s series
against the Brewers.
Bobby`s stride is starting to go straight through the ball now, Manuel said. Before, he was
getting out a little quick and kind of pulling off his front shoulder, and when he does
that, he kind of spins off the ball at times. But when he hits the whole ball and goes
straight through it, that`s when his swing starts coming around.
Though he wasn`t spraying the ball into the gaps like he used to, Abreu still has found
ways to reach base this season. He led the NL with 44 walks going into Monday`s games and
his .458 on-base percentage was second behind Barry Bonds.
A fixture in the No. 3 spot in the lineup for years, Abreu could be the best leadoff hitter
for Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins, who bats first, is hitting .246 with a .311 on-base
percentage. Chase Utley, the No. 2 hitter, has a .309 average and .543 slugging percentage.
Abreu-Rollins-Utley at the top of the order might produce more runs than
Rollins-Utley-Abreu.
MLB FREE PICKS- (associated press):
Finding value is the key to betting baseball and trying to find that value with big name
starting pitchers is often difficult. With the season a quarter of the way completed, we
can usually separate out who is going to continue to be strong and who is in for a long
season. There are special cases where we have some top starters struggling right now, but
who could be poised to turn things around.
Dontrelle Willis (1-5 5.12 ERA; 1-9 team record -8.6 units)
Even though Willis is on one of the worst teams in baseball, his struggles are pretty
surprising. He had a three-game stretch where he allowed 21 earned runs in just 14.2
innings and that is the main cause for his inflated ERA. Six of his other seven outings
have been quality starts including his last two, so he looks to be back in good form.
Pitching at home has been a disaster where he has a 10.18 ERA compared to an ERA of 2.72 on
the road.
Willis is not getting good run support. He has received just four runs total in his last
three starts and he is getting just 3.1 rpg on the season. Playing on a bad team is tough
mentally but as long as he keeps plugging along, he will be fine. Willis has been an
underdog in his last four starts but has been a lost cause in those outings. Still the
value is there. It’s just a matter of getting into the win column. His next start will be
at home against the Mets on Friday so expect to see a big underdog price on his shoulder.
Andy Pettitte (3-5 5.03 ERA; 3-7 team record -6.5 units)
Pettitte has been inconsistent this season following a spectacular 2005 year. With Roger
Clemens not on the roster, he has some added pressure as the No. 2 guy, but it should not
be affecting him this much. His big struggles have come on the road where he is 0-2 with a
7.88 ERA in three starts. Seven of his 10 outings have come at Minute Maid Park and there
is value there. In his first two starts at home, he was a -225 and -190 favorite while his
last two he was a favorite of -145 and -115.
Pettitte is allowing a ton of baserunners. He has a WHIP of 1.58 on the season compared to
a WHIP of 1.03 last year. He had 41 walks all of last season and he is already at 22 in
2006 and is coming off a five-walk performance against Texas over the weekend. The control
will likely get better and that will put some W’s in the column. He will be pitching at
Washington on Thursday and that could be the break he needs as he is 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA in
five career starts against the Nationals.
Livan Hernandez (2-5 5.51 ERA; 2-8 team record -6.5 units)
Hernandez has been dominant the last three seasons but has started very slow out of the
gate this year. His 5.51 ERA is higher than what he has finished at in any year throughout
his career so either he is going the wrong way or he is bound to turn things around. He
looks to be heading in the right direction. His ERA was close to seven at the beginning of
the month but his last two starts have been solid.
Run support is another problem. He is receiving only 3.9 rpg and has gotten three runs or
less in five of his last six outings. RFK Stadium is not a hitter’s park yet his ERA at
home is a whopping 6.84. On the plus side, he has allowed only two home runs in his last
six starts after giving up nine long balls in his first four. He squares off against the
Dodgers next time out.
MLB Free Picks- (associated press)
A decade after they feuded over playing time, Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith and St.
Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa still agree to disagree.
In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published on Sunday, Smith, one of the
team's most beloved players, said he did not want to belabor his disagreements with
Cardinals "management" and still considered himself a Cardinal.
In 1996, Smith's last season, he and La Russa, in his his first season as Cardinals
manager, squabbled publicly over Smith's playing time at shortstop. La Russa had made Royce
Clayton the starting shortstop that season, saying he was a better everyday option; Smith
felt he had not been treated fairly.
In the same interview, Smith said at some future point, when things change, when management
changes, I'm more than willing to come back because it's where I belong. I know it's where
I belong. That time will come. When it does, I'll welcome it with open arms.
After reading the comments, La Russa, who previously had said Smith could be welcome at
spring training as an instructor, rescinded any such invitation, the newspaper reported.
When my time is up, they can welcome him with open arms, but I don't want to be anywhere
that he is. I won't ever be around when he's around. Cardinals fans can embrace him all
they want to, and it won't be uncomfortable because I won't be there."
Tony La Russa
Speaking personally, I don't think he would be good for our ballclub, La Russa told the
Post-Dispatch for Monday's editions. For him to repeat those comments is really
unreasonable. That invitation is no longer there. He's not welcome.
When my time is up, they can welcome him with open arms, but I don't want to be anywhere
that he is, La Russa told the newspaper. I won't ever be around when he's around. Cardinals
fans can embrace him all they want to, and it won't be uncomfortable because I won't be
there.
I won't be in the area. I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror.
MLB Free Picks- (associated press)
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Hayden Penn underwent surgery for appendicitis Monday night and
was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners.
Penn was feeling ill earlier in the day and was taken to a hospital, manager Sam Perlozzo
said. The right-hander was called up from Triple-A Ottawa on Sunday and was slated to make
his season debut Tuesday night. Instead, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The Orioles did not immediately name a replacement starter for Tuesday night. Penn was 2-2
with a 1.48 ERA at Ottawa this year and 3-2 with a 6.34 ERA in eight starts for the Orioles
last season.
Baltimore recalled 22-year-old left-hander Adam Loewen from Double-A Bowie. One of the
club's top prospects, Loewen was 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts for the Baysox.
Loewen also got the win for Canada in its 8-6 victory over the United States in the World
Baseball Classic. He held the U.S. team scoreless for 3 2/3 innings.
MLB-(assciated press):
The Chicago White Sox recalled veteran reliever Jeff Nelson from Triple-A Charlotte on
Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Nelson agreed to a minor league contract with the White Sox on May 2 after
being released by St. Louis on March 29.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander went 1-0 and didn't give up an earned run over 5 1-3 innings in
four appearances with Charlotte.
Nelson is 48-44 with a 3.41 ERA in 792 career appearances with Seattle, Texas and the New
York Yankees. He won four World Series with the Yankees.
Nelson went 1-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 49 games with Seattle last season.
Agustin Montero was sent down to Triple-A by Chicago on Monday to make room for Nelson.
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