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07/11/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have named Jeff Bagwell their new hitting coach, replacing the fired Sean Berry.
Bagwell had been serving as a special assistant to the general manager since his retirement in 2006. He will begin his new duties after the All-Star break.
Berry had been the club's hitting coach for the past five seasons and has been offered another position in the organization.
Bagwell played for the Astros from 1991-2005 and set franchise records with 449 home runs and 1,529 runs batted in. A four-time All-Star, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1991 and was the league's MVP in 1994.
In 2,150 games, Bagwell hit .297 with 488 doubles, 32 triples, 202 stolen bases and 1,517 runs scored. He also had 2,314 career hits, 969 of which went for extra bases.
Bagwell has spent time working with minor league and major league hitters in spring training and has visited several of the organization's minor league clubs during the season to provide additional instruction. He has also assisted the baseball operations staff with player evaluations and minor league player development programs.
<< Hudson will make start for White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) -The Chicago White Sox have called up right-hander Daniel Hudson from Triple-A Charlotte for Sunday's start against the Kansas City Royals in place of injured Jake Peavy.Hudson was 1-1 in six games, including two starts, last season for
<< White Sox strive for eighth straight win, sweep of Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. Cellular Field is the site of today's finale of a
three-game set between the Kansas City Royals and hometown Chicago White Sox,
who'll be taking aim at an eighth consecutive victory.
The White Sox kept up their red-ho
<< Longtime Yankees' PA announcer Bob Sheppard dies
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Longtime New York Yankees public address
announcer Bob Sheppard died Sunday. He was 99 years old.
According to the New York Daily News, Sheppard died at his home on Long Island
with his wife, Mary, at hi
<< Orioles have chance for surprising sweep of West-leading Texas
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers, who continue to lead the American League
West, will close out a four-game weekend series with the lowly Baltimore
Orioles today in Arlington.
The Orioles may have the worst record in baseball at 28-59, b
Kuo to replace Heyward at All-Star game >>
NEW YORK (AP) -Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo has been selected to replace injured Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward at the All-Star game.Heyward is on the 15-day disabled list because of a deep bone bruise in his left thumb. He wi
Czechs complete Davis Cup quarterfinal win over Chile >>
Coquimbo, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ivo Minar won the second reverse singles
match for the Czech Republic on Sunday to complete a 4-1 rout of host Chile in
the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Minar posted a 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory over Cristobal
Edoardo Molinari gets first European Tour title >>
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edoardo Molinari only managed a three-
over 74 on Sunday, but it was still enough to earn his first European Tour
title at the Scottish Open.
Molinari finished off his maiden tour victory at 12-und
Bagwell taking over as Astros hitting coach >>
HOUSTON (AP) -Former Astros All-Star Jeff Bagwell is taking over as Houston's hitting coach after the team fired Sean Berry on Sunday.Berry became ``a victim of circumstances'' as the Astros' offense has sputtered this season, general manager Ed Wad
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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